Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

This is where we call out the tech moves that seem odd, out of touch or just plain straight up smokin’ crack.  This week sees posturing, positioning and flat out insanity. 

This close to the holidays, everyone is hoping what is bolted down to the table withstands the storm.  (No, not that Storm). Here is what caught my eye this week:

Crazy texts from AT&T Marketing
Music sold on media
Apple’s lacking 2.2 update
BB Storms underwhelming intro
Touch on HP’s laptop

Follow me into the madness.

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Just about all of us have probably been hit at one time or another by a virus, trojan, or ended up with that dreaded blue screen of death.  It’s certainly not fun when it happens.  These days, simply running Norton in the background often just isn’t enough.  Thankfully, there are several really good programs out there to download (free!) that help us to protect our computer from any nasties trying to worm their way in.

Keep reading for some favorites that are really worth a try.

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Sections: Computers, Security, Software / Applications, Originals, Web, Downloads, Features

This is the latest version of the Home Office programs, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.  The software suite includes Office Excel 2007, Office OneNote 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, and Office Word 2007.  For those that may not have tried this latest version out before— be prepared it is a little different than what you are used to.

The ribbon menu is a departure from the older versions of Office, so you will definitely have to be able to adapt yourself to those changes.  But the program does allow you the option to save your documents in all kinds of formats including older Word versions, which is very handy since older versions of Office are unable to open Office ‘07 documents.  It did take a little getting used to when I first started using the program, but I do like it a lot now.  Continued after the break.

Via [newegg]

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You’d think that with all the viruses, malware, spyware and what not on Windows, Microsoft would offer some sort of protection.  Well, actually it does, currently the service costs $49.95 per year and is called Microsoft Live OneCare.  It’s one of the many things Microsoft has that’s easy to forget about.  That’s not a bad thing, though, as it will be leaving on June 30, 2009.

To replace OneCare, Microsoft is working on “Morro.“  Morro is the project-name for its new, free virus protection program.  According to the Reuters article, Morro is being designed to work on “smaller, less powerful computers.“  That probably means it is being made to work with netbooks.  Continued after the break.

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Just a few months back, we saw Peru become the first country in the world to begin a Windows XP based XO laptop pilot program, and now Columbia will be joining them.  The announcement, which comes courtesy of Microsoft, is calling for the program to initially take place in Quetame and Chia, but will also be expanded in the future. 

As one would expect, the “pilot programs are an effort to introduce more technology into schools and prepare kids for high tech jobs in the future.“  Unfortunately, nothing was mentioned as to how many XP-based XO laptops were being deployed.  That may not sound all that important; however, it was reported that the Peru deployment included only 50 laptops.

This Colombian Windows XP-based pilot program comes in addition to another recent announcement from OLPC.  Just last month, it was reported that schools in Bogota Columbia would be getting 20,000 XO laptops, and that an additional 90,000 would be sent to Cartagena courtesy of Colombian foundations and private donors.  Of course, these will not be running Windows XP.

Read [NetworkWorld]  Via [OLPC News]

• Patriots QB joins forces with OLPC
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Are you secure? Here’s a “Top 5” list of free security software downloads

Check out this one: LG’s Incite.  The 3G world phone has some impressive features as well as an interesting price tag: $199.  The lineup of $199 touchscreen phones in the AT&T stable is getting crowded.  So how is this one different?

The Incite features Windows Mobile 6.1, so it plays well with the MS Office docs, Outlook and the like.  It’s camera is a 3mp jobber and the 3” display has 240x480 QVGA going for it.  A bonus stylus tells you fingers may or may not be the best input device.  As a note, the Samsung Epix also offered a stylus and I found most tasks (save for clicking the close box in the upper left) were easily done with fat fingers.

Interestingly the screen is haptic (a buzzing is made so you can feel when pressing keys) and the onscreen keyboard comes in two varieties: a basic QWERTY keyboard in landscape or a 20 key keyboard in portait.  The switching between the two is automatic based on the devices orientation.

Other bonus features include aGPS, WiFi and Bluetooth; staples for any business user.  Also in there is AT&T’s video share, “the first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call.“  The unit has an SD memory slot that is 16GB card compatible according to the press release but the AT&T site disagrees, saying it can handle 32GB. 

Product page [AT&T]

• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• HTC Touch Pro now available with Alltel
• iPhone is number 1 in mobile ads

When you take a look at all the netbooks out there, they all seem to have the same or similar specs.  The one thing that links a vast majority of them is the Intel Atom chip, and it seems to be doing well.  ARM, the company that makes between close to 80% of the processors used in cell phones wants to enter the market, as well as the desktop market.  That sounds good, right?  You’d probably expect a fairly clunky Linux distro or Windows XP to come with the machines.  Not so.  ARM has teamed up with Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu for these machines.

The machines will be built upon the ARMv7 architecture, specifically taking advantage of the Cortex A8 and A9 processors.  Of course, the operating system will take advantage of the best open source software available.  Not much else about the machines has been detailed yet, but seeing as ARM makes cell phone chips, it would make sense for the portables (whether they be MIDs or netbooks) to have terrific battery life, though we’ll have to wait and see for that.

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The XPERIA X1, another long awaited handset, will be available here in the US very shortly.  That’s right, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 will make a US debut on Black Friday (November 28), but sadly it will not be coming with any of the typical Black Friday savings that we have come to expect.  Instead it will be retailing for $799.99, that is, of course, as an unlocked handset.

As for features, the XPERIA X1 has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard along with a 3-inch display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, a microSD card slot, A2DP, Wi-Fi and GPS.  Additionally the X1 will come loaded with Microsoft Office Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, Opera 9.5, Windows Media Player Mobile and will be running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

So, if you are looking to make a purchase, November 28 will be the day, it can be found directly through Sony Electronics.

Via [unwired view]

• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Are you secure? Here’s a “Top 5” list of free security software downloads
• Playstation Store Update for the week of November 20-26, 2008

Microsoft just announced that they are giving Windows Live a major face lift.  They plan to debut a whole bunch of new beta Windows Live features to help users combine all parts of their online life.  These features are not going to just be Microsoft services either.  But they will all be under the Windows Live umbrella page.

Even though they already hold the title of the most used messenger program; they obviously want to reach even farther into the online cookie jar.  Microsoft wants to offer competition with the popular social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.  Whether or not they can actually provide any kind of competition coming into the game this much later remains to be seen.  What’s Microsoft’s plan?  Keep reading.

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Sections: Computers, Desktops, Software / Applications, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites

PhoneFusion announced yesterday that their Fusion Voicemail + is coming to the Android platform that will allow users to view their voicemails and listen to them in any order they choose.  This was a big selling point of the original iPhone and now it is coming to the Android platform.

Currently, PhoneFusion offers this software for free to Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Linux, Palm and Symbian phones via their downloaded application.  PhoneFusion announced the addition of the Android to their compatible platforms at the Under the Radar: Mobility event.  The company says the application will be available before the end of this year.

Find out more about this app.  Click more to follow.

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