Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on July 29, 2006 by CyberNet.

Skype, the internet communication giant has released three new toolbars for Office, Outlook Express, and Thunderbird to help make calling easier and more convenient. They have also announced upgrades for two existing toolbars, one for Internet Explorer, and the other for Firefox.

The toolbars make calling a number in a Microsoft Office document, e-mail, or web page easy with just one click. The toolbars will recognize phone numbers within a page or document and allow users to initiate calls. Users can also send instant messages and transfer files. Skype gives this example of how it might be used: “In a business environment, Skype toolbars can be used to streamline the editing or approval process. If a user receives an email about a collaborative project, that user can see the online status of their colleagues and initiate a conference call or multichat with them instead of continuing the email thread.”

As for downloading the toolbar, it’s free. Internet Explorer and Firefox toolbars can be found here. Skype e-mail toolbars (for Outlook and Thunderbird) can be downloaded here, and Microsoft Office toolbars can be downloaded here. According to Skype, these toolbars are compatible with all versions of Microsoft Office, Firefox 1.5 and 2.0, and Internet Explorer including the 7.0 beta.

We last wrote about Skype when they released a video-compatible version for Mac users. Skype has been doing a lot to make sure their product is easier and more compatible for all to use. The new toolbars and the upgrades for Internet Explorer and Firefox are proof of this. It seems as though maybe the description ‘internet communication giant’ may one day be an understatement.

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

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The MicroRemote from Redrock Micro is a dumb remote-control focus device. Twiddle the knob on the side and a companion box over on your camera will move the lens itself, linked by radio (or a cable if you prefer). The knob has movable stops, so you can mark start and stop points, and your focus-puller can do his work from a comfortable chair rather than squatting under the cameraman’s overhanging belly. The unit also works with a separate sonar unit, which measures the precise distance between camera and subject.

As such, it is an adequate controller. Drop in an iPhone or iPod Touch, though, and it becomes the kind of omnipotent weapon a James Bond villain might use. The included app fires up and you now have a whole range of extra info, from the focal length of the lens, to the depth of field available, along with pretty much anything else you need to know about your lens.

Hit the auto-focus button and you don’t even need the knob. The iPhone takes the distance info from the sonar and adjusts the focus for you. How much is this device? Not cheap. The MicroRemote will cost around $1,000 when it goes on sale, and you’ll need to bring your own video-capable DSLR and buy one of Redrock’s compatible lens adapters to use it. Oh, and you’ll need an iPhone, too.

MicroRemote [Redrock Micro via Engadget]

This article was written on February 28, 2007 by CyberNet.

Back in January, Microsoft updated their support schedule for Windows XP which now gives users extended support until April 2014. As it stands, this makes support available to XP users for two years after Windows Vista Ultimate, Home Premium, and Home Basic users which hardly makes sense!

Right now on the Microsoft Support Lifecycle site, they list Windows Vista Ultimate with support until 2012 with no extended support offered.This could mean a few things.  First, it could simply be a mistake that has yet to be corrected ( I doubt it).  Secondly, this tells us that we’ll at least have a new operating system out from Microsoft by then.

If this is by chance no mistake, consumers, particularly small businesses will definitely need to think twice about whether or not they want to make the upgrade. As Microsoft Watch points out:

“The limited support option creates potential problems for smaller businesses looking for improved security. BitLocker encryption technology is only available in two Vista editions: Enterprise and Ultimate. However, Enterprise is only available through volume licensing, a purchasing option not used by many smaller businesses.”

The only two Vista options with extended support until 2017 are the Business, and Enterprise editions. With Microsoft talking up Ultimate as the best Vista experience, I’m surprised they’re not offering extended support to make the purchase worth it.

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

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This article was written on May 19, 2008 by CyberNet.

Microsoft/Mac Monday

These days, it can be difficult to manually keep track of contact information for family, friends, and co-workers. Not only is there usually a phone number to remember, but often times there are multiple phone numbers, email addresses, fax numbers, pager numbers, etc. One way to solve the problem of trying to keep up with all of your contact’s information is to use an application for managing them. Luckily for both Vista and Leopard users, there’s a solution built right-in to the operating system. If you’re using Vista it’s called Windows Contacts and if you’re using Leopard it’s simply called Address Book. Today we’ll be comparing the features of both and covering some of the best features that each offers.

Finding Windows Contacts and Address Book

While this may be very basic, if you can’t locate Windows Contacts or Address Book on a Mac, they will be of no use to you! So for those who aren’t quite sure where to look…

To find Windows Contacts

Press Start key and start typing “Windows Contacts” — it comes with Vista so you already have it on your computer. This is what you’ll be looking for:

To find Address Book (Mac)

Address Book comes with Leopard and should already be located on your Dock. Just look for this icon:

Highlights of each…

One of the nicest parts of both Windows Contacts and Address Book is that they come with the operating system. It’s not that either is an extravagant way to manage contacts – it’s simple and that’s what is great about it. Both options allow you to include all of the important details you would need for your various contacts including email addresses, telephone numbers, a photo, extra notes, etc.

Using Windows Contacts

For those of you using Windows Contacts, your navigation bar is at the top of Windows Explorer. From there you can add new contacts, create a new contact group, and import or export your contacts. If you decide to export your contacts, you can select among CSV or vCard formats.

You can either have a list with all of your contacts, or you can divide them into groups by creating “Contact Groups.” Examples of Contact Groups you’d have include family, friends, and co-workers. Using the groups really helps to keep everything organized and also makes it easier if you need to email all of the members of one group and you’re using Outlook.

Another aspect that is nice is for when you’re entering all of the information for your contacts. Microsoft chose a tabbed interface which divides the information into the following categories:

• Name and Email
• Home
• Work
• Family
• Notes
• ID’s

It’s nice to have the information broken down for two reasons. First, it makes entering the information a little more organized. Secondly, it makes finding the information when you need it effortless. Take a look at the tabbed interface that I’m talking about:

For the basics, Windows Contacts gets the job done in a very simple way.

Using Address Book

After using Windows Contacts, using Address Book on a Mac was pretty different because there’s more to it and the interface is completely different. It’s integrated with Mail, iChat, and other apps which means accessing your contact’s information from those apps is simple. Here’s an example of this integration. I created a contact group labeled “Family” and it has all of my family members listed. When I went to Mail to send a message, all I had to type was the group name which was “Family” into the “to” field and it pulled in all of their email addresses.

The Address Book is divided into 3 panes (you can also switch to a “Card Only” view), and to add a contact, you just click the “plus” sign in the 2nd pane. In the 3rd pane you’ll see all of the information. There are no tabs, you just scroll to come across all of the information. Like Windows Contacts, you can add a picture and if you have any extra information you’d like to add, there’s a “notes” section.

Extra features that Address Book offers that I really like include the option to print a “Pocket-sized” version of your contacts list as well as the option to create a “Smart Group” which will update itself “if any contact fits the same search criteria you set for a Smart Group.

Wrapping it up…

Overall I’d say Apple did a better job with Address Book than Microsoft did with Windows Contacts, but both get the job done of providing a simple way for people to keep track of their contacts.

So far we’ve taken a look at the following Leopard vs. Vista comparisons:

• Vista and Leopard Search Features Compared
• Apple Front Row vs. Windows Media Center

Copyright © 2010 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

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Put ten photographers in a room and ask them what got them hooked on photography. Nine will say it was the moment that they saw the patches of darkness appear on their first print as it sloshed in the developer bath. I’m in that nine, and the traditional darkroom has some powerful emotional magic.

How can digital photogs get in on this romance? With, amazingly, a new iPhone app called Swankolab, which lets you mix up chemicals and flick on the red light, all from the comfort of your own palm. I took it for a spin, and ended up spending a lot more time on this review than I had planned.

First, you pick a photo from your iPhone’s library and go to work. Instead of picking a developer, a stop bath and a fixer, you choose chemicals with names like Vinny Vignette (”darkens the edges”) or Flamoz Fixer (”super warm saturation”). You can only add so many chemicals before the bath is full.

Then hit the switch, the lights dim and the timer ticks. Your image fades up from the bottom of a rippling tank and then it is hung up in a string to dry. It’s surprisingly addictive (just like the real thing), only you won’t lose your lungs to the hobby.

The company behind the app is Synthetic Corp, which is also responsible for Hipstamatic, the iPhone app that mimics trashy old Soviet-era cameras. If you have used that, you’ll know the level of polish to expect, from the constantly bubbling soundtrack of chemicals and a wheezing fan, to the beautifully-lit wooden cabinet in which your photos hang. You can even visit Uncle Stu’s rather seedy Photo Emporium, a darkroom supply catalog (trust us, you wouldn’t want Uncle Stu to look after your kids). This is an in-app store where you can buy new chemicals, or subscribe to the catalog for $2 for a lifetime’s supply of new updates. Buying will give you nine new chemicals plus anything that is added with future app updates.

And there’s more. A leather-bound book of formulas has a list of pre-made recipes, and you can add to the list any of your favorite combos, along with a name and description. Once done, you can email photos or add them back to your film-roll. This is where I have my single suggestion for improvement. In the app, your photos are presented with a cute Polaroid-style white border. This disappears on export. It would be great to have a choice.

If you have an iPhone, enjoy photography and have a heart rattling around inside that cold, dry ribcage of yours, you should buy this app. Not only is it fun, but the results are quirkily excellent. $2.

Swankolab [iTunes]

Swankolab [Synthetic Corp]

See Also:

• Hipstamatic Gentrifies iPhone Camera
• Wired's 20 Favorite iPhone Apps of 2009
• ShakeIt Brings Polaroid Pictures to the iPhone
• Fun Polaroid Simulator Will Waste Many Hours