News Topic - Windows
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Touch takes hold, but it's no mouse-killerAs reported a few weeks ago in these pages, the market is being flooded with touchscreen phones - and this time there's no controversy over whether they've succeeded: sales of the iPhone surprised even its most ardent admirers from day one. Meanwhile, the desktop market is showing signs of adopting similar technology. Both Apple's next operating system and the next version of Windows will contain "hooks" for touchscreen technology, if installed on the right hardware. This has led to speculation about the future of the keyboard and mouse. "We already have well-integrated touch technology on consumer electronics, from Apple's multitouch devices (iPhone, MacBook Pro, the new Mac operating system), games consoles (Nintendo DS) and now PCs and notebooks," says a spokesman for HP, which has now released the TouchSmart, a desktop system with a touch interface. And this month, Dell released a module to turn its Latitude XT Tablet computer into a full-blown touch-operated system. All of this adds weight to comments from respected research house Gartner, which last week said the day of the mouse, if not the keyboard, may well be numbered. Speaking to the BBC's news website, the organisation said the mouse would last three to five years tops, to be replaced by gesture-based computing and other technologies, such as gesture recognition, which are emerging in the home entertainment market. It could be that there's more going on than a few product launches, but there will be practical issues. Richard MacKinnon, a business psychologist for the people assessment company Talent Q, has a postgraduate diploma in ergonomics and says touchscreens are unlikely to be suited for use over long periods of time. They also inadvertently promote poor posture, and reduced productivity through reduced typing speeds. "Touchscreens can have a place in entertainment scenarios, but in the office environment? I don't think we're there yet," he says. Dumbing down? Other academics concur. "It all depends on the ease of use of the technology, whether or not it's fit for purpose, and how well it maps to people's mental model of their tasks," says Chris Clegg, professor of organisational psychology and deputy director of the Centre for Organisational Strategy, Learning and Change at Leeds University Business School. Future generations may also adapt better than the current Qwerty-bound people. "I couldn't have imagined taking to texting, and I still don't find it friendly, but a lot of people use it extensively." Non-psychologists also have reservations. Pete Bennett, chief executive of the training provider Learning Resources International, has doubts about the quality of the information available to non-keyboardists. "Nobody wants to sound like a luddite, of course anything can happen and things can change - but I can't see it being anywhere near anything other than basic functions," he says. "Our background is in designing learning materials and if you're only using a finger, there isn't much action involved." Fingers acting as a mouse is one thing, he says, but a mouse doesn't type. "The interaction of typing helps people read the words, retain the words and I don't see how a touchscreen can replace that requirement. It's a bit dumb, in a non-insulting manner." It could be great for some applications, he says - shopping and anything involving lists - but for anything requiring thought and which is challenging there's a need for more interaction. Let's assume some sort of change is on the way. The next question for everyone will be how quickly it's going to happen - and therefore how soon to eBay those old non-touch screens. "As we've seen with Office and Vista, people can be very resistant to changes in their technology that are two steps ahead of the previous version," says Darren Van Laar, principle lecturer in psychology at the University of Portsmouth. "If it's incremental versions then people don't mind - if they have to unlearn too much then it gives them a problem." This is presumably why Microsoft is reportedly considering several mini-releases of Windows next time around rather than a single larger launch. Reactions are bound to be mixed early on. One user of the HP Touchsmart, which is the first mainstream computer to be released based on touchscreens outside the Tablet PC (which is pen- rather than finger-sensitive), enthused at first. "It's a terrific box, loving the integrated DTV and dead easy to get going with," she said. However: "We don't use the touchscreen, though. Partly old habits, but mainly due to the fact that it gets intolerably grubby after use. Should come with a box of wipes, really." Fingering the problem If this is typical - and it's anecdotal rather than a scientific sample, of course - then the dawn of the touchscreen age may have a slightly bumpy beginning. Add to this the fact that at a pre-launch event another HP spokesperson pointed to the screen's value as a kitchen computer - eliminate all those recipe books, have demonstrations of cooking techniques on tap as well as static pictures, went the patter - and the idea of dirty fingerprints all over it becomes less of a small problem than an epidemic. Particularly when the current models retail for more than £1,000. Nonetheless, the HP spokesman's original point - that we've adopted touch for phones and games consoles happily enough - remains valid. In January 2007 Apple launched the multitouch screen for what would evolve into its iPhone, while in February 2006 a professor from New York University demonstrated a full screen using touch technology (The hands-on revolution, January 18, 2007). Following a year in which the iPhone and iPod Touch enjoyed a near-monopoly, touchscreen products are now arriving on the market en masse. At this stage it looks unlikely that keyboards and mice will actually be displaced in people's affections, but they may find they have a new, touchy-feely running partner in the right niches before long.Related StoriesTechnophile: The Skype PhoneLocation technology finally finds its feetLetters and blogsAleks Krotoski, gamesblog: Capturing game data is the futureCold callers target O2 users with false Bluetooth security warning
The Guardian – Jul 23, 2008 11:04 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Ask Jack
Picking an MP3 player I have tunes bought from the Apple site, but I also use Windows Media Player and have music that isn't iTunes compatible. I would like to get an MP3 player that will let me play all my songs. I also want it to have a radio. Meriel Whale JS: I don't know of any player that can handle music protected by Apple's digital rights management (DRM) and also Microsoft's. Apple has avoided supporting WMA (Windows Media Audio) and hasn't licensed Microsoft's DRM. Apple also hasn't openly licensed its own FairPlay DRM so that companies such as Sony and Archos can use it. You must therefore go for one DRM or the other, depending on which is most important to you. You can rescue the incompatible tunes by burning them to disc in audio CD format then re-ripping them to WMA, AAC or MP3. However, this will lead to some loss in quality. Choosing an MP3 player is partly a matter of taste, and it's worth trying them in a shop to see which you like. Look at the 8GB iPod nano, even though it doesn't play WMA files or have a built-in radio. Other 8GB models to look at include the Sony NWZA818, the Creative Zen (model 70PF216000115), and the SanDisk Sansa e280. All three can play WMA, protected WMA and MP3 files, and the Sony and Creative Zen models also play unprotected AAC files. The Sony has the best sound quality, beating iPods etc in a H-Fi World review. However, it does not have a radio, and the other two do. Since these players generally cost around £70 each at Amazon.co.uk, you could also get an iPod Shuffle and cover all bases for roughly the cost of an 8GB iPod nano. For the future, I'd suggest never buying any music files that include DRM. Power on, or not? My service provider told me that I would shorten the life of my router (Netgear DG824M Wireless) if I were to continue my practice of switching it off as a way of reducing our energy consumption. I had been in touch with their support staff over occasional brief interruptions in my broadband connection. Graham Rooth JS: I don't know of any reason why turning a router off should shorten its life. On the other hand, I had two routers die in about three years: I turned them off and they never came back on. I now leave mine on all the time, and stand it on Blu-Tack legs to get some air underneath. Routers consume relatively little power - probably around 8-15 Watts - but you could measure yours with an energy monitoring plug. Hard and soft firewalls? I am using a broadband router which has a firewall built in. Is it still necessary to run a software firewall? Steve Gorwits JS: Yes. The firewall in the router should stop most probes, but if your PC gets a virus or Trojan from a USB drive, a program you have downloaded or some other source, the router will not stop it from calling out. And after it calls out, your router firewall will not block the response. You need a software firewall to control the programs running on your PC: not only malware but also legitimate programs that access the net without telling you. Windows problems Could you tell me why I keep getting "Internet Explorer cannot display the web page"? Also, is it safe to use Microsoft Updates, as I read that these were causing problems. M Alderson JS: There are a lot of reasons why IE might not display a web page, and Microsoft has a trouble-shooter. One reason not covered is that you might have a virus or browser hijacker, which can result from failing to install critical Windows Updates. These can sometimes cause some problems, but not as many as can be caused by not installing them. A password password? Hotmail now makes me enter my password twice. After the first time, the page refreshes and says my username or password is incorrect. If I retype my password, it lets me in. Harry Annison JS: This seems to be a recent Hotmail bug and it affects Mac and Linux owners with various browsers, not just Windows users. The trick is to bookmark the second page when it appears, and go straight to that page in future. The address will look something like bit.ly/2im8EV, and this may work for you. Backchat · Following our discussion of firewalls, "Bill Blagger" provided a link to firewall tests. The results are exaggerated because if a firewall fails the first test, it doesn't get to take the others. But Comodo and Online Armor come through as the best free firewalls. Get your queries answered by Jack Schofield, our computer editor at jack.schofield@guardian.co.ukRelated StoriesLocation technology finally finds its feetLetters and blogsAleks Krotoski, gamesblog: Capturing game data is the futureCold callers target O2 users with false Bluetooth security warningTouch takes hold, but it's no mouse-killer
The Guardian – Jul 23, 2008 11:04 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Picking an MP3 player I have tunes bought from the Apple site, but I also use Windows Media Player and have music that isn't iTunes compatible. I would like to get an MP3 player that will let me play all my songs. I also want it to have a radio. Meriel Whale JS: I don't know of any player that can handle music protected by Apple's digital rights management (DRM) and also Microsoft's. Apple has avoided supporting WMA (Windows Media Audio) and hasn't licensed Microsoft's DRM. Apple also hasn't openly licensed its own FairPlay DRM so that companies such as Sony and Archos can use it. You must therefore go for one DRM or the other, depending on which is most important to you. You can rescue the incompatible tunes by burning them to disc in audio CD format then re-ripping them to WMA, AAC or MP3. However, this will lead to some loss in quality. Choosing an MP3 player is partly a matter of taste, and it's worth trying them in a shop to see which you like. Look at the 8GB iPod nano, even though it doesn't play WMA files or have a built-in radio. Other 8GB models to look at include the Sony NWZA818, the Creative Zen (model 70PF216000115), and the SanDisk Sansa e280. All three can play WMA, protected WMA and MP3 files, and the Sony and Creative Zen models also play unprotected AAC files. The Sony has the best sound quality, beating iPods etc in a H-Fi World review. However, it does not have a radio, and the other two do. Since these players generally cost around £70 each at Amazon.co.uk, you could also get an iPod Shuffle and cover all bases for roughly the cost of an 8GB iPod nano. For the future, I'd suggest never buying any music files that include DRM. Power on, or not? My service provider told me that I would shorten the life of my router (Netgear DG824M Wireless) if I were to continue my practice of switching it off as a way of reducing our energy consumption. I had been in touch with their support staff over occasional brief interruptions in my broadband connection. Graham Rooth JS: I don't know of any reason why turning a router off should shorten its life. On the other hand, I had two routers die in about three years: I turned them off and they never came back on. I now leave mine on all the time, and stand it on Blu-Tack legs to get some air underneath. Routers consume relatively little power - probably around 8-15 Watts - but you could measure yours with an energy monitoring plug. Hard and soft firewalls? I am using a broadband router which has a firewall built in. Is it still necessary to run a software firewall? Steve Gorwits JS: Yes. The firewall in the router should stop most probes, but if your PC gets a virus or Trojan from a USB drive, a program you have downloaded or some other source, the router will not stop it from calling out. And after it calls out, your router firewall will not block the response. You need a software firewall to control the programs running on your PC: not only malware but also legitimate programs that access the net without telling you. Windows problems Could you tell me why I keep getting "Internet Explorer cannot display the web page"? Also, is it safe to use Microsoft Updates, as I read that these were causing problems. M Alderson JS: There are a lot of reasons why IE might not display a web page, and Microsoft has a trouble-shooter. One reason not covered is that you might have a virus or browser hijacker, which can result from failing to install critical Windows Updates. These can sometimes cause some problems, but not as many as can be caused by not installing them. A password password? Hotmail now makes me enter my password twice. After the first time, the page refreshes and says my username or password is incorrect. If I retype my password, it lets me in. Harry Annison JS: This seems to be a recent Hotmail bug and it affects Mac and Linux owners with various browsers, not just Windows users. The trick is to bookmark the second page when it appears, and go straight to that page in future. The address will look something like bit.ly/2im8EV, and this may work for you. Backchat · Following our discussion of firewalls, "Bill Blagger" provided a link to firewall tests. The results are exaggerated because if a firewall fails the first test, it doesn't get to take the others. But Comodo and Online Armor come through as the best free firewalls. Get your queries answered by Jack Schofield, our computer editor at jack.schofield@guardian.co.ukRelated StoriesLocation technology finally finds its feetLetters and blogsAleks Krotoski, gamesblog: Capturing game data is the futureCold callers target O2 users with false Bluetooth security warningTouch takes hold, but it's no mouse-killer
The Guardian – Jul 23, 2008 11:04 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Mobile Browser Showdown: iPhone 3G vs Opera Mobile and SkyFire
The mobile Internet Explorer Web browser you get on Windows Mobile smart phones is less than desirable. It usually directs you to a mobile Web site instead of the full-blown interactive ones that we access on our computers. Sure, Microsoft has announced support for Silverlight and Flash in a new version of mobile IE by [...]
Laptop Magazine – Jul 23, 2008 9:58 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
The mobile Internet Explorer Web browser you get on Windows Mobile smart phones is less than desirable. It usually directs you to a mobile Web site instead of the full-blown interactive ones that we access on our computers. Sure, Microsoft has announced support for Silverlight and Flash in a new version of mobile IE by [...]
Laptop Magazine – Jul 23, 2008 9:58 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Vultures eye Wis. hospital patients
GLENDALE, Wis., July 23 (UPI) -- Patients at a Milwaukee-area hospital say the last thing they want to see while facing surgery are vultures perched outside their windows.
United Press International – Jul 23, 2008 9:31 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Offbeat
GLENDALE, Wis., July 23 (UPI) -- Patients at a Milwaukee-area hospital say the last thing they want to see while facing surgery are vultures perched outside their windows.
United Press International – Jul 23, 2008 9:31 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Offbeat
Free As a Bird: The PC World Games For Windows Live Interview, Part One
Did you catch the news yesterday that Microsoft's Games For Windows Live online service, which used to cost $50 a year for multiplayer privileges, is now completely free? We caught up with Microsoft Senior Global Director of Games For...
PC World – Jul 23, 2008 9:04 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Did you catch the news yesterday that Microsoft's Games For Windows Live online service, which used to cost $50 a year for multiplayer privileges, is now completely free? We caught up with Microsoft Senior Global Director of Games For...
PC World – Jul 23, 2008 9:04 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Storm Blows Out Car Windows
A News Channel 3 viewer sent us these pictures via email. Their email reads as follows:
WTKR 3 – Jul 23, 2008 8:59 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Virginia: Norfolk-Portsmouth
A News Channel 3 viewer sent us these pictures via email. Their email reads as follows:
WTKR 3 – Jul 23, 2008 8:59 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Virginia: Norfolk-Portsmouth
Father saves children from burning home
Shankia Nix rushed out of his burning mobile home and knocked out windows to pull his four children to safety.
WALB.com – Jul 23, 2008 8:41 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Georgia: Albany
Shankia Nix rushed out of his burning mobile home and knocked out windows to pull his four children to safety.
WALB.com – Jul 23, 2008 8:41 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Georgia: Albany
Grise Fiord temporarily shut down by blizzard-like winds
Residents in the high Arctic hamlet of Grise Fiord, Nunavut, were cleaning up debris and broken windows Wednesday after the community was blasted by unseasonably strong winds.
CBC.ca – Jul 23, 2008 8:18 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Canada: Northwest Territories
Residents in the high Arctic hamlet of Grise Fiord, Nunavut, were cleaning up debris and broken windows Wednesday after the community was blasted by unseasonably strong winds.
CBC.ca – Jul 23, 2008 8:18 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Canada: Northwest Territories
Summer Session ‘dating Sim’ Game Debuts
Tycoon Games has teamed up with Hanako Games to release Summer Session, a "dating sim" game for the Mac and Windows. It costs...
PC World – Jul 23, 2008 7:01 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Tycoon Games has teamed up with Hanako Games to release Summer Session, a "dating sim" game for the Mac and Windows. It costs...
PC World – Jul 23, 2008 7:01 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
How long can Microsoft keep charging for Xbox Live
Guardian.UK Writes: "The news that Games for Windows Live - essentially a PC version of Xbox Live - will now be available for free makes it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to justify charging a subscription to Xbox Live. I'm a big fan of Xbox Live. Friend lists, achievements, ease of use - Live still towers above the Playstation and Wii online services. But then it should. Live costs around 40 quid a year, Sony and Nintendo's offerings are free. Sure the service is good but how long can Microsoft get away with charging?"
N4G.com – Jul 23, 2008 6:41 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Guardian.UK Writes: "The news that Games for Windows Live - essentially a PC version of Xbox Live - will now be available for free makes it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to justify charging a subscription to Xbox Live. I'm a big fan of Xbox Live. Friend lists, achievements, ease of use - Live still towers above the Playstation and Wii online services. But then it should. Live costs around 40 quid a year, Sony and Nintendo's offerings are free. Sure the service is good but how long can Microsoft get away with charging?"
N4G.com – Jul 23, 2008 6:41 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games