Ted Whitely's Tech Blog

Apple’s price cutting may put panic in the competitors…

whitelyt — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:35:38 +0000

Apple Computer announced yesterday that the iPhone 3GS will hit the market on June 19th. Apple therefore slashed prices on their 8GB entry-level iPhone 3G in half from $199 to $99. This will now make the entry-level phone more affordable to would-be iPhone users. However there is some that predict it may not make a difference given that the AT&T pricing plans for the iPhone is not flexible enough and will still cost too much.

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Watch the Apple WWDC 2009 Keynote Address

whitelyt — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:30:15 +0000

Watch the WWDC 2009 Keynote address in its entirety…

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iPhone 3.0 OS Coming!

whitelyt — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:12:04 +0000

It was announced today at WWDC 2009 that the iPhone 3.0 OS will be available on June 17. This upgrade is free for all iPhone 2G and 3G users. For iPod Touch users there will be a minimal fee of $9.95 for both 1G and 2G models.

The iPhone 3.0 OS upgrade will bring several new features namely cut-n-paste, MMS messaging (finally) and Tethering. This announcement is on the heels of the launch of the Palm Pre.

Using Vyew as a Web Conferencing Tool for Ministry

whitelyt — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:09:23 +0000

One of my thoughts regarding my ministry is enabling cost-effective collaboration to other members of the ministry in multiple locations. Having meetings at the church can be costly when you factor in utilities expenses. On-line collaboration tools can help cut down costs of the ministry and still allow participation across the board. In my daily searching of internet tools I came across Vyew.

Since most ministries are non-profit my goal was to find a relatively cheap, web-based tool for collaboration efforts. This is where Vyew comes in.

Vyew, procounced (view), is a online collaboration tool which allows anyone on any type of computer to share and annotate ideas, documents, presentations and digital images in real-time. You can also do screen sharing real-time as well. This is a free tool that allows up to 20 attendees. Very nice! Vyew requires no plugins or software installations, only Java enabled. Also with the free version your account also includes a tele-conference number that you can use to tie in the attendees with voice. Did I also mention that this is free as well? Well not totally as you may have to pay for toll changes as the free number to use is not a toll free number. However having a free number to do a tele-conference call is very nice.

If you find that you may need more flexibility then the free version provides you can also subscribe to some of Vyew’s packages which are reasonably priced.

I have started to look at Vyew but have not been able to really put it through a full test yet. However this is a tool I will be looking into more. To check you view, click here.

Microsoft XP and Vista Service Packs coming soon….

whitelyt — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:10:02 +0000

Microsoft has been releasing pre-beta service packs for Windows XP and Windows Vista to testers but still won’t put a date on when the official updates will be released. Pre-beta test builds of the first service pack for Microsoft’s Windows Vista went out to a “select group of testers,” according to a company spokeswoman. “For Windows Vista, our current expectation is that a beta will be made available sometime this year,” she said in an e-mail to InformationWeek.

Microsoft also released a pre-beta build of Windows XP SP3, which also went to a small group of testers. The spokesman said they’re planning to deliver SP3 for Windows XP in the first half of next year.

“Providing early test builds is a standard practice that helps us incorporate customer feedback and improve the overall quality of the product,” the spokesman added.

Johannes Ullrich, chief research officer at the SANS Institute and chief technology officer for the Internet Storm Center, said he’s glad that Microsoft is pushing out pre-beta builds for users to examine. “It’s a good idea for them to come out with a preview of the SP,” he said. “They’re big packages. Typically, they’re security fixes and performance upgrades and new drivers and sometimes new fixes. It’s good to get a lot of people looking at them.” Read More

Another Microsoft Pirate in Prison

whitelyt — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:00:21 +0000

A judge in Georgia on Wednesday sentenced a man convicted of pirating Microsoft software to 46 months in prison. Justin E. Harrison, of Oxford, Ga., had earlier been found guilty of pirating a range of Microsoft products, including Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional.

Prosecutors alleged that Harrison, through a business called Sales International, made unauthorized duplicates of the operating system and paired up the copies with fake Certificates of Authenticity. Harrison pocketed more than $226,000 from the scheme, according to his indictment.

Harrison was sentenced by Judge Orinda Evans in U.S. District Court for Northern Georgia. Harrison had originally pled not guilty to the charges, which were filed in July of 2006. Read More

Source: Information Week

Apple releases redesigned iMac

whitelyt — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:16:28 +0000

Apple rolled out on Tuesday a redesigned aluminum and glass iMac. Steve Jobs made it a point to contrast the typical PC with spaghetti wires to the new iMac which is aesthetically clean.

The redesigned iMac is housed in aluminum and glass that can be recycled. The new iMac comes in a 20-inch model and a 24-inch model. They both feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors running up to 2.8GHz and up to 4GB of 667MHZ DDR2 SDRAM memory.

Apple has also release new versions of its iWork and iLife products. To get a good look at the new iMac visit the Apple website.

Music Industry to Sue YouTube

whitelyt — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:31:58 +0000

It just seemed a matter of time before this came about…

The National Music Publishers’ Association this week joined a class action lawsuit alleging that YouTube and its parent company Google have committed massive copyright infringement.The group announced Monday that it is rallying along with the Football Association Premier League Limited and others in the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“Copyrighted music is a huge draw for YouTube’s users,” the NMPA said in a prepared statement. “This music can be found in many of YouTube’s clips, in both pre-existing commercial content and videos.”

A spokesperson with Google was surprised and disappointed that the NMPA has elected to take this route.

“We have concluded historic licensing agreements with several NMPA members and have been in licensing discussions with others,” Google Managing Litigation Counsel, Michael Kwun said. “Many song writers and music publishers view YouTube as a promising promotional platform for connecting with their fans and as a unique revenue opportunity. “

NMPA President and CEO David M. Israelite said the group is “very concerned about YouTube’s approach to copyright.” Read More

Source: InfoWeek

Two men sentenced in the largest pirating bust in US

whitelyt — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:10:27 +0000

Two men were sentenced Monday in what the government is calling the largest CD and DVD pirating scheme to be prosecuted in the United States.

Ye Teng Wen, also known as Michael Wen, 31, and Hao He, who is sometimes called Kevin He, 32, both of Union City, Calif., were each sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a $125,000 fine, and a $500 mandatory special assessment. On June 4, a third conspirator, Yaobin Zhai, also known as Ben Zhai, 34, of Fremont, Calif., received the same sentence but also was ordered to pay $6.9 million in restitution. Read More

Source: Information Week

Dell back in the to the MP3 player game?

whitelyt — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:19:48 +0000

Dell announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire privately-held ZING Systems Inc., a consumer technology and services company that focuses on always-connected audio and entertainment devices. In a move that reflects the renewed interest and energy being directed at its Consumer business, Dell plans to use ZING and its capabilities to continue improving the entertainment experiences it provides its customers.

Terms were not disclosed, and the purchase will not be final until all closing conditions are met. ZING is based in Mountain View, CA.