Practical Technology

for practical people.

March 26, 2013
by sjvn01
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No Windows desktop mode!? No!

t comes as no surprise to anyone who reads my stories that I hate Windows 8’s Metro interface. I’m not alone. Lots of people hate it. But instead of switching back to an Aero-style interface, perhaps the most respected technical Windows writer out there, blogger Paul Thurrott, looked at the leaked Windows Blue release and thinks Microsoft is planning on dumping Windows Desktop mode entirely. No!

I’ve thought all along that one way Microsoft could save Windows 8 from its current market malaise if it would make its desktop mode the primary interface instead of Metro.

That isn’t what Thurrott sees happening though. In fact, he sees the exact opposite.

No Windows desktop mode!? No! More >

March 21, 2013
by sjvn01
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Schmidt does not rule out Android and Chrome OS merger

Numerous news stories, based on a single Reuters report, which state that Eric Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman, had said that Android and Chrome OS would remain separate products with possibly some overlap, appear to be incorrect.

Schmidt actually did not rule out the new Linux-based operating systems eventually merging. Joe Wilcox of BetaNews found a video of Schmidt’s question and answer session at the Google Big Tent Summit in New Delhi, India. In the video, we see Schmidt answering a question about whether or not Google might put an end to Android or Chrome OS now that one person, Sundar Pichai, will lead both Android and Chrome groups.

Schmidt responded, “No, is the answer. We don’t make decisions based on who the leader is … [Google makes decisions] based on where the technology takes us.”

Schmidt does not rule out Android and Chrome OS merger. More >

March 21, 2013
by sjvn01
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Half-a-billion internet-connected devices and counting

In my home-office, I have 36 internet-connected devices. That’s 12 PCs, 8 laptops, 5 tablets, 5 internet TV devices, 4 servers, an iPod touch and a printer. That’s a lot, but the rest of the US is catching up with me.

According to market-research company The NPD Group, the average US internet household now has 5.7 internet-connected devices. That’s up from 5.3 devices only three months ago. By their count, there are now more than half-a-billion internet-connected devices in the US alone.

Half-a-billion internet-connected devices and counting. More >

March 20, 2013
by sjvn01
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Practicing safe DNS with Google

The Internet’s a dangerous place for an innocent Web browser to be searching alone for the right Web page, so the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) was created to make searching safer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that DNSSEC adoption has been lagging. Now, Google has announced that it’s supporting DNSSEC in its Google Public DNS service.

Practicing safe DNS with Google. More >