Category: Guest blogger

Google Glass: The New Smartphone!

Paul

Thanks to smartphones, we are able to carry the universe in our pockets. But the next big advancement in technology could take us beyond the horizons reached by smartphones and tablets, allowing for the full integration of the virtual with the real world with Google Glass.

How Does Google Glass Work?

Google Glass is a lot like a smartphone or tablet in that it allows for constant connectivity. But instead of having to fumble with a hand-held gadget, this device allows you to simply look through a pair of glasses perched on your head. Those with Google Glass are able to utilize a variety of apps and Internet functions through use of voice commands.

Google Glass For Fashionistas

Although the very development of Google Glass is impressive in and of itself, the technology currently is not without significant problems. One major concern voiced by a number of prospective users surrounds the wearability of the device. Many worry about the aesthetics of the glasses, which are, admittedly, pretty far from fashionable. While proponents of the gadget argue that those concerned with fashion can simply take off the glasses in situations where they are not appropriate, others feel that, if the device needs to constantly be removed, its accessibility really isn’t much of an improvement over that of the already existing smartphone.

Google is beginning to address these fashion-related concerns with the help of glasses designer and manufacturer Warby Parker. Once Google Glass and Warby Parker are able to develop a design that is functional, comfortable and reasonably stylish, users should truly be able to integrate Google Glass into every aspect of their lives.

Google Glass And TV

Just as smartphones and tablets have had a major impact on the world of entertainment, it’s expected that Google Glass would also make its mark. But would the new technology harm TV or add to it? Arguably, the latter option would have the greater impact. After all, while many people have begun to watch their favorite shows on their tablet computers, more have opted to use mobile technology as a means of supplementing the viewing experience while still utilizing the TV as the primary medium. The same could easily be true for Google Glass.

Google Glass could easily determine the direction of the streaming, cable and satellite market in years to come. New packages are likely to develop alongside current HD and premium channels. These future TV packages might include live news and sports feeds integrated with the wearable Google Glass, explains Install-direct-tv..

Will Google Glass Just Be A Passing Fad?

The current excitement related to Google Glass has led many critics to wonder: does this technology have the potential to stand the test of time, or will it just be a passing fad? The answer to this question will be determined by a number of factors. First, in order to truly make its mark, Google Glass will need to be kept affordable. Right now, the introductory price is listed at $1,500, which, for many, is way out of reach, according to PC World. Factor in questions of the gadget’s limited durability and you have some critics positing that Google Glass will die out in a few years.

Sarah Davenport believes quality and relevant content is the future of the digital age, which is why she is happy to write about all things pertaining to SEO and social media.

What To Look For in A Quality Video Game!

Paul

There are hundreds of video games available to purchase, but a lot of them are not worth their cost or will only provide a few hours of entertainment. Luckily, there are an abundance of great video games from every genre. When purchasing a game, it is vital to do research in order to save money. Everyone has different tastes in video games, though most people first and foremost want to be entertained. Here are four tips to find a quality video game that basically anyone can benefit from!

 Reviews

To find out a game’s popularity, check out reviews on the game. Gaming magazines routinely review the newest games, going as far as to recommend the game or not. Better yet, check out reviews on sites that sell the game. Reviews from fellow gamers will be unbiased and offer a unique prospective. Take extremely positive or negative reviews with a grain of salt – they are likely to be fake. Most sites will have an overall rating, such as four out of five stars. Reviews from fellow gamers will give the buyer an idea on how enjoyable the game is.
 

Long-Running Series

Some video games seemingly come out with new versions every year. These include games such as Madden Football, Resident Evil, or Mario. Any video game that has been around for many years certainly has gained a devoted following. Gamers speak with their wallets, so this is a sure sign that the game is a solid choice.

Borrow or Rent

It is difficult to find an enjoyable video game without testing it out first. The only way to test a game is to bring it home and play for a while. There are rental services that work much like Netflix, but for video games. This is a powerful way to test out games without shelling out very much money. This can help the gamer determine if the game is quality or if they should save their money. Another way is to borrow the game from a fellow gamer – this is a fantastic & free option to test out a desired game.

Previews

Often, software companies release free downloads for their video games. Downloading and installing shareware offers a terrific way to get a feel for any game. This allows the gamers to test out the basics, and to get a feel for the game. The great thing about shareware games is they can be obtained quickly and tested out within an hour or two. Many gaming companies have sections of their sites devoted to shareware downloads. It may not seem like it, but many gamers would testify that it’s crucial to test a game in order to get a true feel for it.

Tim Gail writes about all thing related to technology. His best work focuses on online computer science degrees.

 

 

 

Common Pitfalls in Software Development!

Paul

221192_GeneralAt times, software development is a tremendously difficult process. Not only do multiple departments need to come together, but deadlines are often difficult to meet. Most software companies release software later than their expected release date. Most pitfalls are avoidable, while others are an inevitable part of the process. Oftentimes, software companies have unrealistic expectations regarding their software engineers. Here are the five most common pitfalls in software development.

Communication

Software development involves multiple departments. This can cause communication problems. Oftentimes, the marketing department, has entirely different ideas than the software engineers. The finance department can have problems with both marketing and software development. In software development, there needs to be communication between all departments and their. At a software company, everyone from the CEO down to software testers should be involved in the process. Poor communication results in missed release dates and will cost a company a lot of money.
 

Expectations

This goes along with communication – a company needs to set realistic release dates. Quality software needs to be tested by the quality assurance department multiple times, and the engineers need time to fix errors. Setting unrealistic expectations will cause the software to be released prematurely, with errors and omissions. Engineers that that constantly work long hours are going to put out an inferior product.

Estimates

When making estimates for a release date, many software companies set their release date way too early. When starting a project, it is almost impossible to have a release date for nine months in the future. Instead, software companies should set estimates on a different scale. A company needs to set estimates for each release and QA testing round. Following a schedule is much easier when setting short term release dates; this will also give the company a rough timeline for release.

Robin Hughes writes about education and technology. Her most recent work discusses online web design degrees in the US.

Free Anonymous Browsing with Opera-Tor

Paul

2588641284_603490d6d1_m Photo by Philip Chapman-Bell

Anonymous browsing is something of huge interest to the Internet users, who are very particular about their online privacy and security. There may be many reasons and situations, when you might be interested in using internet anonymously; for instance, you may be working on a public place and do not want to leave the traces or you may not like your family members or office colleagues to know what you have been doing online. Whatever be the reason, but still, it is an area, where a lot research is to be done.

 

How Anonymous Browsers Operate?

At present there are two dominant techniques used by various anonymous browsing tools. One is the use of JAP Networks, which was used hugely used earlier but later it ran into controversies after a backdoor had to be put into the product to allow interception of child pornographers on insistence of German Police.

 

The second technique is the use of Tor (The Onion Ring), which only allows anonymous browsing but also facilitates other applications like anonymous P2P, email, IM, and IRC chat. This technique is dominantly used in present day anonymous browsing tools.

 

Operator – A useful anonymous browser

 

OperaTor is small and relatively fast anonymous web browser, which combines the browsing platform of Opera, with privacy provided by Tor engines and the speed of browsing provided by Polipo.

 

You can download this 7MB application in your USB drive and carry it whenever you need to use a public computer for anonymous surfing.

 

In my testing, I was pleasantly surprised with the speed of browsing, which I was getting with this little tool. I had earlier used XBBrowser for anonymous browsing, but it was too slow, as compared to Operator. In fact, there was hardly any noticeable difference in the browsing speed as compared to my normal Opera browser. This is because of Polipo, the small caching web proxy, that comes bundled with Opera-Tor.

 

Since Operator allows only http and https protocols in anonymous mode, you should avoid Javascripts and Opera’s IRC functions running through it.

 

Some people complain that it has not yet released the source code of itself. But my view is that unless you are hard-core programmer and really need to tweak the source code, why should you worry about that. After all, trusted networks like CNet says OperaTor has been tested spyware free and Softpedia gave OperaTor its 100% Clean award. Major antivirus vendors, like GData, Kaspersky, McAfee and Microsoft, confirm that OperaTor contains no malicious software.

 

Overall, one of the best applications for anonymous browsing available today.

[This is a guest post by Silki Garg. She advises on how to eliminate spyware, online threats and malware detection, on her Internet Security Blog. A visit to her Blog is highly recommended. You’re sure to find something of interest.]