Android, Chrome OS Relationship Confusing Everyone, Including Google

Friendly Computers has been buzzing with talk about the new Chrome OS. Here is some info on its relationship to the OTHER Google OS shipping on netbooks. Sounds like there is to many hands in the pot.

Just as companies were starting to get serious about installing Android, a mobile Linux OS, on netbooks, Google announces Chrome, a netbook Linux OS. The relationship between the two OSes is already getting tense, or at the very least, awkward.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is now admitting that it took him quite a while to warm to the idea of Chrome the browser, even longer to come to terms with the possibility of Chrome the OS, and in both cases only after Larry Page Sergey Brin literally nerded him into submission:

I just gave up, but there is no question I am hugely supportive of Chrome and Chrome OS. They are game-changers. They change the way you think about your computer.

Meanwhile, Android’s perceived role in the world was expanding. After all this soul-searching, though, Schmidt must have a clear vision of parallel, non-conflicting roles for Android and Chrome OS, right?:

Although it appears they are two separate projects, there’s a great deal of commonality. Eventually they may merge even closer."

This is somewhere between "oops!" and "I have no idea."

But hold on! There could be a third way! Digitimes is reporting that Intel is in talks with Google to help adapt Android for use in MIDs, the so-far ill-fated bridge devices between netbooks and smartphones. Technologically, this seems like a reasonable secondary use for Android. Commercially, though, MIDs are something of a ghetto; a category broached by few manufacturers, and unfamiliar (or unattractive) to most customers.

The most obvious conclusion to all this is for Android (and Android enthusiasts) to narrow ambitions and focus on what we know it’s good at: cellphones, and possibly portable media players. This is something that will probably happen organically, but only after a few more news cycles worth of bewildering quotes and announcements from Google, which we will gleefully document.

source: http://gizmodo.com/5311682/android-chrome-os-relationship-confusing-everyone-including-google

Microsoft to Offer Family Discount on Windows 7?

 

Friendly Computers read that there are some rumors going around that Microsoft will be offering a discounted “Family Pack” version of Windows 7. This package is rumored to allow users to upgrade up to 3 computers on one home license. See the details below:

he world may be fixated on Google’s Chrome OS, but some interesting rumors about Windows 7 Family Pack pricing leaked out yesterday. It looks like Microsoft has assigned a product number and a UPC code to something called Windows 7 Family Pack/Home Premium Upgrade.

Just plunk in the new product code GFC-00236 into Google Product Search and you’ll see several online retailers offering the upgrade in the neighborhood of $140. The family discount price leak was first reported by ZDNet’s Ed Bott, who found the upgrade being offered for just under $136.95 on a small, independent retailer’s Web site.

The only problem is that when you get to the actual Web sites that are supposed to be selling the discounted upgrade, most retailers list the product as out of stock or discontinued. Other retailers don’t have a live page for the family pack, even though Google lists the page in its search results. I guess Google’s Web spiders must be a little too efficient. Interestingly enough, if you slap the family pack product code into Microsoft Bing’s product search, the results page says, "Sorry, we did not find any product results for this search."

Last week, a reference to a ‘Family Pack‘ was discovered in the licensing agreement for the latest beta release of Windows 7. The clause said a "Qualified Family Pack User" could install a copy of the software marked as ‘Family Pack’ on up to three computers in the same household.

Now I suppose it’s possible the ‘Family Pack’ could be some sort of extra software bundle. However, I think we can say with near certainty that Microsoft will be introducing a family pack discount for Windows 7– bearing in mind that nothing is guaranteed until Microsoft says so. Not only do a number of retailers have the Windows 7 upgrade in stock, but a part number–GFC-00236–and a UPC code–882224898249–are universal across all instances of the product that I found online.

The only thing that has me confused is why Microsoft hasn’t been offering this family discount during its pre-order Windows 7 upgrade sale. Redmond is already letting you pre-order a single license upgrade for $50, so perhaps a further discount was too much of a giveaway for Microsoft. The Windows 7 pre-order upgrade sale in the United States and Canda expires on July 11, which means we may see an announcement over the weekend or early next week about permanent pricing for Windows 7 upgrades.

But it will be interesting to see if Microsoft only offers Windows 7 upgrades at a family pack discount, or if Redmond will see fit to introduce a full version of Windows 7 with a small volume discount for households. We may find out in just a few days time.

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/168115/microsoft_to_offer_family_discount_on_windows_7.html

Cyber attackers target South Korea and US

 

Friendly Computers found out that cyber attackers in South Korea may be responsible for the web attacks in the US was well as in South Korea. The United States was able to deflect cyber attacks on the White House, Pentagon, & NY Stock Exchange. See the details below:

North Korean hackers are suspected of launching a cyber-attack on some of the most important government offices in the US and South Korea in recent days, including the White House, the Pentagon, the New York Stock Exchange and the presidential Blue House in Seoul.

The attack took out some of South Korea’s most important websites, including those of the Blue House, the defense ministry, the national assembly, Shinhan bank, Korea Exchange bank and the top internet portal Naver.

Ahn Jeong-eun, a spokeswoman for Korea Information Security Agency, said the websites of 11 organizations had either gone down or had access problems.

The Associated Press reported that the White House, Pentagon and New York Stock Exchange were also targeted, but apparently deflected the electronic barrage. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said military intelligence officers were looking into the possibility that the attack may have been carried out by North Korean hackers and pro-North Korea forces in the South.

It resembles an attack that began last Saturday on government websites in the US, including some that are responsible for fighting cyber-crime.

John Bumgarner, director of research at the US Cyber Consequences Unit, said: "There’s been a lot chatter recently about cyber-war. The North Koreans may have felt they were not getting enough attention launching missiles so they moved into another potential warfare – cyber. It’s a form of sabre rattling. But the big question is, did the North Koreans launch it themselves or did someone do it for them?"

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, said he doubted whether the North had the capability to knock down the websites.

But Hong Hyun-ik, an analyst at the Sejong Institute thinktank, said the attack could have been carried out by either North Korea or China, saying he "heard North Korea has been working hard to hack into" South Korean networks.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told a group of politicians today that it believes that North Korea or its sympathizers were behind the attacks, a source at the meeting told Associated Press.

The agency refused to comment, but it confirmed it was working with US authorities to investigate the attack. It said it believed the attack was thoroughly prepared and committed "at the level of a certain organization or state".

The attacks appeared to be linked to problems on the US sites, although investigators were still unsure who was behind them, Ahn said.

In the US, the treasury department, secret service, Federal Trade Commission and transport department websites were all down at varying points over the 4 July holiday weekend. Some of the sites were still experiencing problems last night.

The website of the Washington Post was also affected. Its computer security writer Brian Krebs blamed "malicious software" that ordered infected PCs to repeatedly visit targeted websites. A large proportion of the PCs involved were located in South Korea, he reported.

An initial investigation in South Korea found that many personal computers were infected with a virus ordering them to visit official websites in South Korea and the US at the same time, the Korean information agency official Shin Hwa-su said.

The US homeland security department confirmed that officials had received reports of "malicious web activity" and said they were investigating. Two government officials confirmed that the treasury and secret service sites had been brought down, and said the agencies were working with their internet service provider to resolve the problem.

Ben Rushlo, director of internet technologies at the website monitoring company Keynote Systems, called it a "massive outage".

Denial of service attacks against websites are not uncommon, and are usually caused when sites are deluged with internet traffic to take them offline. Documenting cyber-attacks against government sites is difficult, and depends heavily on how agencies characterize an incident and how successful or damaging it is.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/08/south-korea-cyber-attack

10 Ways to Clean Your Keyboard

Getting all the dirt and grime out from the inside of your keyboard can be a grueling task. Friendly Computers found an interesting article that provides 10 ways to de-grossify your keyboard. Read more below…

1. Use an air compressor

Get rid of the mysterious sticky stuff under your keyboard with compressed air equipped with an extension nozzle. Turn the can at a 45-degree angle and spray between the keys. Tap and shake the keyboard and then repeat spraying. Finish by cleaning the piled up grime with a damp cloth.

2. Use isopropyl alcohol

It’s easy to use isopropyl alcohol (never ethyl alcohol because you might remove the printed letters/numbers) with a damp cloth and Q-tips to remove the built up dirt. Always use a cloth rather than applying the alcohol directly to the keys.

3. Use a USB vacuum cleaner

USB vacuum cleaners to do the hard part of sucking up potato chip and pretzel debris. Just plug into your USB port and use the thin keyboard tool to make your keyboard look like new again. Also includes a built in LED light.

4. Use CyberClean

CyberClean makes cleaning fun! Just take the yellow gel blob that looks like Play-Doh and press it over the keys to lift out dirt and bacteria. The patented sticky formula from Switzerland even kills germs on contact. It’s also good on cell phones and any other potentially infectious surface.

5. Remove all of the keys

This tip is for folks with a lot of patience. First make a copy of your keyboard layout and turn your computer/keyboard off. Next, remove the keys with a screwdriver. Clean out what’s underneath the keys and then clean each key with a damp cloth and Q-tip.

6. Clorox Wipes or household disinfectants

If you eat at your keyboard or type with dirty hands or if multiple people use your keyboard, you need to protect yourself daily with Clorox or a disinfectant spray (on a cloth) to control the germ invasion.

7. Use the dishwasher

Yes, it does sound extreme, but it works if you want to save time and don’t need your keyboard for a few days. Wash the keyboard using only water and remember to remove all of keys. Then let it dry out for two or three days.

8. Use Post-it Notes

If there’s an ample supply of Post-it Notes around, they’ll come in handy when you want to clean your crumb-filled keyboard fast. Just turn the sticky edge of the Post-it towards the hard-to-remove specks and voila!

9. Use a hairdryer

Using a hairdryer is great for general dusting and debris-clearing. It also saves time. Just point it at the keyboard and go with the heat on or off. Can be used with or without the compressed air can.

10. Use Scotch Tape

Using Scotch Tape or another brand of transparent tape can help you quickly remove dirt and crumbs. First give the keyboard a good shake and then start applying the tape.

Source: http://www.inc.com/ss/how-clean-your-keyboard?slide=0#1

Get songs off your iPod

Friendly Computers found this awesome article on how to get songs and photos off your iPod and back onto your computer. Check it out!

 

Apple’s iTunes software makes it dead-simple to copy music onto your iPod, but when it comes to moving files in the opposite direction–from the iPod to your computer–there’s no obvious solution. I get an e-mail on this topic at least once a week, usually from someone who’s had his laptop stolen or watched helplessly as his hard drive crashed. After an incident like that, it can be a relief to know your music collection (or at least part of it) is backed up on an iPod.

Of course, relief can quickly turn to frustration when you plug that iPod into a new computer and can’t figure out how to grab those files. Worse yet, iTunes will sometimes prompt you to erase the iPod if it’s not recognized. Saying yes will only end in tears.

To be fair, iTunes isn’t completely useless when it comes to pulling media off your iPod. Under the iTunes File menu, there’s an option for "Transfer Purchases From iPod" that will work to pull any content purchased through the iTunes Store back to your computer. It’s a nice place to start, but to get the rest of your content off your iPod, you’ll need to download some additional software.

There are two, very useful, and very free applications out there that will transfer the rest of your music, videos, playlists, and metadata off your iPod and back to your computer. In truth, there are dozens of programs that can accomplish the same thing, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll stick with these two since they’re free, easy to use, and work with all models of iPods and iPhones.

Depending on the type of computer you’re transferring to, download Pod to Mac or Pod to PC from Download.com. If you’re looking to get photos off your iPod, go ahead and download Pod Photo Transfer (PC only), as well.

To see how the process works, CNET’s Tom Merrit made a handy video that walks you through the steps for retrieving files from an iPhone. The process is identical for iPods, so don’t feel left out when Tom says "iPhone"–just overdub it in your mind with the iPod model of your choice. For a few extra iPod media transfer tips, check out our CNET slideshow.

 

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/transfer-ipod-songs/?tag=smallCarouselArea.4

China delays rule for Net-screening software

Friendly Computers read that the Chinese government is is delaying the enforcement of internet filtering software. Read below for more details:

 

China has indefinitely delayed enforcement of a requirement that PC makers preinstall Green Dam-Youth Escort software that experts believe would have screened not just Internet pornography but also some online political content.

Green Dam allows users to specify categories of sites to block.

(Credit: University of Michigan)

The reprieve, announced by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, according to reports in The New York Times and the Associated Press, came just one day before the preinstallation rule was to go into effect.

But thus far the reprieve appears temporary: the ministry said the delay will give computer makers more time to comply with the rule, and the government also will continue to equip school and cybercafe computers with the software, according to the New York Times report.

Experts have warned that the Green Dam software poses security risks, and last week, the U.S. Trade Representative protested that Green Dam violates World Trade Organization rules

PC makers had been cagey about their plans to comply with the rule to install the software. Technical and other objections must be weighed against business concerns, and China is a large and growing market. Companies that deal directly with Internet content have been in the hot seat for years, and Google has had to wrestle with new Chinese censorship requirements this month.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10275778-38.html?tag=mncol;title

Microsoft’s free security beta fills up

Friendly Computers read that Microsoft has already met their quota on free beta security downloads. Read below to find out more:

Well, that didn’t take long.

A day after making available a free beta of its Microsoft Security Essentials software, Microsoft has stopped offering new downloads, saying it has reached the number of participants it was looking for, at least here in the U.S. The software maker had said it was only looking to initially have about 75,000 downloads of the product, formerly code-named Morro.

"Thank you for your interest in joining the Microsoft Security Essentials Beta. We are not accepting additional participants at this time," Microsoft said in a posting on its Web site. "Please check back at later a date for possible additional availability."

Microsoft Security Essentials is the free product that Microsoft promised it would create last year, at the same time the software maker said it was discontinuing its paid Windows Live OneCare product.

The program hits the antivirus basics, including built-in and customizable scan options, a scheduler, automatic definition file updates, a real-time defense shield, and rootkit protection. It’s also similar to other free products on the market, such as those from AVG and Antivir.

Download.com’s Seth Rosenblatt contributed to this report.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/security/?tag=hdr;snav

What PC makers are paying for Windows 7

There is tension between Microsoft and PC-Makers concerning the pricing tiers between different versions of Windows 7. Friendly Computers thinks you may find this interesting:

Microsoft plans to charge PC makers the same for the business version of Windows 7 as it did for Windows Vista, while cutting the price of Windows 7 Home Premium as compared to its predecessor, a top Windows executive told CNET News on Thursday. That matches a similar move for the boxed copy of the software.

Microsoft’s pricing plans for Windows 7, which will be available October 22 on both new PCs, has been the source of considerable tension between the PC makers and the software maker, both of which are trying to grapple with both declining demand and falling prices for traditional PCs.

In an interview on Thursday, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte acknowledged that there has been tension between Microsoft and the PC makers over pricing, but said that is always the case when Microsoft readies a new version of its operating system.

"They’d love to have everything at dramatically lower prices," Veghte said, of the computer makers.

On the mainstream consumer side, Microsoft is only offering only one version–Windows 7 Home Premium, whereas with Windows Vista, Microsoft offered both a basic and premium version. Veghte says he understands that, from the PC makers perspective, Microsoft took away an option for low-cost PCs. In part, he said, that’s why Microsoft decided to charge a price for Windows 7 Home Premium that was more than Vista Basic, but less than Vista Home Premium.

"We took a blended approach," he said. "It wasn’t like I am trying to jack up the prices."

For Windows 7 Professional, as Microsoft did on the retail side, the software maker will charge PC makers essentially the same as it did for Windows Vista Business. However, he said, buyers are getting more with Windows 7 because the professional version also includes the consumer media features, something that wasn’t the case with Vista.

PC makers, though, have continued to see both average selling prices and profit margins under continued pressure.

Veghte said Microsoft, too, has seen the amount of money it gets for each copy of Windows drop in recent years.

"Our average selling price has been declining as well," Veghte said. "It’s not like we have sat there at the (same) price points the last five years."

"If the only thing the market is squabbling about is price, that’s a good thing for Microsoft," he said.

One of the biggest changes Microsoft did make in response to PC maker concern, was to lift a restriction on the Windows 7 Starter edition it is selling for use in Netbooks. Initially, Microsoft planned to restrict Starter-based PCs to running no more than three applications at a time.

Microsoft also agreed not to charge PC makers for a program in which, starting tomorrow, buyers of Windows Vista PCs can get an upgrade to Windows 7. That enables PC makers to offer the upgrades for free, or only the cost of shipping, without losing money.

Veghte said lifting the Starter restriction was important to computer makers and consumers and something that Microsoft could live with. The three-application limit began with Windows XP Starter Edition, which was aimed at first-time computer users and sold only on new PCs in emerging markets.

"It clearly was not winning any popularity contests," he said of the limit. "I don’t think it fundamentally changes the business approach."

It does, though, pave the way for Windows 7 Starter to become the dominant operating system on Netbooks, Shim said. IDC forecasts that the Netbook market will shift largely from Windows XP to Windows 7 next year, but Shim said that much of that will be the lower-priced Starter Edition.

That means, Microsoft’s Windows 7 revenue could be in for a hit if traditional notebook and desktop sales don’t pick up. The upside, Shim said, is that Microsoft will benefit when sales do pick up, even if it is next year.

"Even if they only hit a single or double with the launch, they can get some extra bases in the coming years," he said.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/microsoft-news/?tag=hdr;snav

Windows 7: Microsoft vs. the PC Makers

Microsoft and retailers are starting to battle back and forth about the cost of the new Windows 7. For the entry level edition which has less features then the current Vista standard edition, Microsoft wants to charge retailers about 3 times the current price. Friendly Computers found this article, which should shed some light on the matter:

As Microsoft (MSFT) prepares to launch a new version of its Windows operating system this fall, the software giant and PC makers are squaring off over pricing for the new software. The battle’s outcome will have a broad impact on the cost and capability of PCs available to consumers and corporations.

Microsoft has much on the line with Windows 7, scheduled to be introduced in October. The Redmond (Wash.) company is counting on the new operating system to end years of complaints about its predecessor, the buggy Windows Vista, and to keep the Windows franchise churning out profits. While the early reviews for the new software are strong, many PC makers question the proposed pricing and features. Microsoft wants to charge about $50 for an entry-level version of the operating system, called Windows 7 Starter Edition, say analysts and PC makers. That’s roughly triple the price the company gets for the cheapest version of Windows available now.

The Starter Edition also will be missing key features such as top-flight security and graphics, and Microsoft plans to charge customers another $50 to upgrade to premium versions of Windows 7. PC makers want Microsoft to cut that fee. So far, the software maker has refused to budge. "It looks like Microsoft [is] paying a lot of attention to their own profitability rather than how to expand the market," says Gianfranco Lanci, chief executive of Acer, the Taiwanese personal computer manufacturer.

Microsoft declined to discuss specific pricing plans. CEO Steven A. Ballmer has said the new software will be the "best version of Windows ever."

The standoff points to a broader problem in the tech industry. The number of PCs sold each year is flattening, and the average selling price is falling fast. That leaves Microsoft, Intel (INTC), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), and Dell (DELL), which once shared profits from a fast-growing market, fighting harder for every dollar. "These guys feel like they’re getting their wallets picked," says Roger L. Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Notebooks, once the most profitable segment of the business, have seen the most dramatic change. Average prices have tumbled to $788 from nearly $1,420 in 2004, according to researcher IDC. The average notebook is now, for the first time, cheaper than the average desktop. The declines in notebook prices accelerated last year with the growing popularity of low-cost netbooks designed primarily for checking e-mail and surfing the Web. Netbooks that sell for less than $400 account for a fifth of total unit sales.

The tangle between Microsoft and the PC makers is over who wins and who loses as profits get squeezed. PC companies typically pay $60 to $150 for Vista, but they can use the older Windows XP for roughly $15 for netbooks. Acer, HP, and others often make only about $20 in profits on a $400 netbook. If Microsoft raises the price of the operating system for such machines to $50, the PC maker has to raise prices or watch profits get wiped out. "These are issues we still need to work out," says Phil McKinney, chief technology officer for HP’s PC group, who declined to comment specifically on future Windows pricing.

The cost of Windows could rise more sharply on other machines. Microsoft has told PC makers the $50 Starter Edition will be available only for netbooks with screen sizes smaller than 10.2 inches and chips that aren’t capable of playing most games or watching video. Larger netbooks would have to use Windows 7 Home Premium, which would add $200 to a unit’s cost, says Mike Abary, a senior vice-president at Sony’s (SNE) Vaio PC unit.

 

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_26/b4137044277552.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5

Fujitsu to Offer Windows 7 Upgrades but Not for Free

 

Many computer manufacturers will be offering upgrade coupons with new computers running Vista so that they can be upgraded when Windows 7 is released. Friendly Computers found out that there will most likely be a charge for the voucher. Read below for all the details:

Fujitsu will charge for Windows 7 upgrade vouchers when it begins offering them shortly to people that buy a PC ahead of the operating system’s October 22 launch.

Many PC vendors will offer the vouchers, in the hope that customers won’t put off planned PC purchases until Windows 7 ships. A similar program was offered for Windows Vista, while Apple has also offered free OS upgrades to some of its customers.

Fujitsu said it will launch its program before the end of June, probably this Friday. Microsoft has scheduled a news conference in Tokyo on that day.

The company is one of Japan’s biggest PC vendors and also has a sizable business in Europe. Several other PC makers around the world have also confirmed they will take part in the voucher program, including Hewlett-Packard and Taiwan’s Acer, Asustek Computer, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI), and Shuttle.

The companies are levying a charge on users because they have to pay Microsoft to include upgrade coupons with PCs. The coupons will cost the PC makers between US$9 and $15 to include with PCs although end-users will likely be charged a higher price, one Taiwanese company said.

The PC industry needs all the help it can get right now.

Global PC shipments dropped by a record amount in the first quarter of this year. Total shipments were 66.5 million units, down 8.1 percent on the same period in 2008, said iSuppli last week. The fall was entirely in the desktop segment, which saw shipments drop 23 percent versus a 10 percent increase in the laptop segment.

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/167087/fujitsu_to_offer_windows_7_upgrades_but_not_for_free.html