Apple Vs. Microsoft | OS X Mountain Lion Vs. Windows 8

Windows 8 is an operating system that I've been trying out since the Technical Preview. With the Consumer Preview I'm now looking forward to the Final Release of Windows 8--especially in the tablet form factor. With Windows 8, Microsoft wants to incorporate the OS not just on a PC or laptop, but also on a tablet and on a smartphone. Seems like a good idea? I guess it is. Well, because here's another OS I'm looking forward to: Apple's OS X Mountain Lion. I just watched the sneak peek [scroll down for video] and it looks like they want the same for the Mac.

With Microsoft wanting to bring the Windows 8 experience onto the tablet and smartphone and Apple aiming to bring the iPhone and iPad experience onto the Mac with Mountain Lion, the battle for supremacy is once again on!

Although, methinks that Apple has already gotten a head start. I simply adored the iPad-like multitasking gestures on my MacBook which is currently running on Mac OS X Lion, so with bootcamp I installed the Windows 8 Consumer Preview to try out what it can do using a multi-touch track pad. It was pretty disappointing since only the swiping/sliding function worked, though it's safe to say that Apple may not have the proper drivers for Windows 8 yet. I haven't seen one that is at par with that of the MacBook's multi-touch track pad and with Microsoft diving into the tablet and smartphone arena, makes me wonder how laptop manufacturers are going to work on multi-touch track pads with Windows 8 because it's pretty much a task as seen on the Windows 8 sneak peak [scroll down for video].

Though still in their phases, Windows 8 and Mac OS X Mountain Lion are both going to be feature-rich Operating Systems. Which OS will win the heart of the masses? Your guess is as good as mine but I'm sure as heck it won't be Google's Android OS.

Apple Mac OS X Mountain Lion is slated to be released in "Summer 2012" and Microsoft Windows 8 is rumored to be released this October 2012.

Happy New Year Techies!!!

Here's Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to help you kick off the New Year celebrations! Enjoy!!!

I Love Working In IT

There's a saying with IT that goes like this, "The problem exists between the computer and the chair." Does this picture prove this saying? ^_^

Do you receive requests like as this? Share them with us! We all need a really good laugh sometimes!

Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao Vs. 'Sugar' Shane Mosley Live Stream

Manny Pacquiao earned an unanimous decision over Sugar Shane Mosley on Saturday night, retaining his WBO welterweight title with his 14th consecutive victory.

Pacquiao (54-3-2) didn’t get the knockout he sought, but the Filipino Congressman kept his spot as boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter, methodically beating Mosley (46-7-1) at the MGM Grand Garden.

The eight-division champion knocked down Mosley with a right-left combination midway through the third round, just the third knockdown of Mosley’s decorated 18-year career.

The 39-year-old Mosley was credited with a knockdown in the 10th round when he appeared to push Pacquiao while the champion threw a wild punch.

Pacquiao finished with ferocity despite scattered boos, keeping Mosley winless in three fights.

[Yahoo! Sports]

Defragmentation

Every so often, my computer becomes sluggish. Frequent use of certain programs and documents causes pieces of information to become scattered, requiring my computer to search for the pieces before I can use them. To fix it, I need to run a program that retrieves the pieces and groups them together where they are easily accessible. This process is called “defragmentation.”

Like my computer, my life gets fragmented. One situation tugs on my emotions while I’m trying to concentrate on something else. Demands from every direction bombard me. I want to accomplish everything that needs to be done, but my mind won’t stop and my body won’t start. Soon I begin to feel weary and useless.

Recently I attended a retreat where one of the handouts included a prayer with words that expressed how I felt: “Lord, I am scattered, restless, and only half here.”

King David also went through such times (Ps. 55:2). In prayer, David presented his needs to God morning, noon, and evening, confident that he would be heard (v.17).

Prayer can help to defragment our lives. When we cast our cares on the Lord, He will show us what we need to do and what only He can do.

O Lord, we bring our restless hearts

To You in fervent prayer;

Now help us wait expectantly

While resting in Your care. —Sper

We need prayer the most when we have the least time to pray.

Change Your Facebook Profile Picture To A Cartoon...

No one exactly knows where it started, but cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, the Flintstones, Thundercats, and even Anime like Naruto, Voltes V, and Gokou have started to flood Facebook.

Google was also flooded with cartoon-related searches like "cartoons from the 90's, "80's cartoons," care bear pictures, "1970s cartoons, "hong kong phooey," or "old cartoon characters" as Facebook users from all ages walked down memory lane.

Continue Reading “Change Your Facebook Profile Picture To A Cartoon...”  »»

LG X130 F3607GW RF Module Driver

If you're looking for drivers for the LG X130 Netbook's F3607GW HSPA RF Module, you've come to the right place. I'm going to make it easy for you.

This LG X130 Netbook gave me two days of headache because the LG X130 support page did not have, or purposely forgot to post, the driver for the Ericsson F3607GW HSPA Module.

I also tried the Sony Ericsson site, but they could only provide the F3607GW documentation. I even called the Ericsson and LG Service Centers but I was either put on hold or transferred to people who didn't have a care.

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The Ten Most Dangerous Species Of IT Manager

If you've worked in the IT industry for some time and have moved from company to company, then, most likely, you've worked for IT managers with different kinds of personalities. I know I have. And, there are 10 species of dangerous IT managers I dread to work for...

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Reason Why Facebook Was Blocked In Saudi Arabia

In May of 2010, the Communications and Informations Technology Commission (CITC) of Saudi Arabia blocked a controversial Facebook page that attacked the Kingdom's religion. It seems to be happening again, and, in a much larger scale.

Today, Facebook users were surprised to find out they could not access their accounts and instead were greeted with the ugly green screen saying the site could not be accessed. The reasons behind this could be as the same above, a Facebook fan/community page attacking Saudi Arabia's main religion and, upon closer inspection of the Facebook block URL, indicates pornography as also a reason for the ban.

While bloggers and netizens provided work-arounds to access Facebook 'partial' blockage, the
possibility remains that Facebook as a whole could be banned permanently in Saudi Arabia which has been the clamor of it's religious leaders claiming the site has been a cause of division among its members. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam and religious leaders have a powerful influence over policy making and social norms.

An official with Saudi Arabia's communications authority, speaking on  condition of anonymity, said that CITC blocked Facebook because Facebook's content had "crossed a line" with the kingdom's conservative morals, but that the Facebook blocking the site was a temporary measure.

On the other hand, Facebook has been a way of communication for expatriates in Saudi Arabia, bringing people and the world closer--at least virtually--to the desert kindom of Saudi Arabia.

Banning or blocking Facebook is a choice the Saudi government can make, but will it really make a difference considering Facebook is NOT the whole Internet?

How about you, dear Reader, should there really be a Facebook ban or blockage in Saudi Arabia?

Facebook Blocked In Saudi Arabia For Pornography?

Update: Everything's back to normal. Probably a technical glitch with the state firewall.

Weird stuff is going on with Saudi Arabia's state firewall as it 'seems' to be blocking the popular social media site Facebook.

Once you log off Facebook and login again, you get the ugly green block page saying that the page is unavailable.

The block address indicates pornography as reason for the blockage but does the Saudi Arabia state firewall really have to block all accounts?

http://84.235.120.56/blocked.html?basictype=block&epochseconds=1289646819&requestedurl=http://www.facebook.com/home.php%3F&categorylist=149&categorydescriptionlist=Pornography

How to access Facebook in spite of.

A Working Workaround: So far, the main URL, http://facebook.com/ is still working and the block page only appears after logging on.

The trick is to add additional characters to the main URL. For example: http://facebook.com/#!/ or if you personalized (http://facebook.com/TechEncounter.Net) your facebook user account then that will work too.

I hope this gets fixed soon. I'm not a facebook addict, but I do keep in touch with a lot of people through facebook. Help reinstate facebook in Saudi Arabia by clicking HERE.

[Source: facebookol]

SixthSense: Making The World Your Computer

I was browsing my Facebook feeds on Skype 5.0 when I encountered this video that really catered to my tech curiosity.

The video was about SixthSense technology being demoed by its inventor, Pranav Mistry.

Using a camera and a mini projector mounted pieced together into a pendant-like wearable technology called SixthSense, Primav Mistry made Microsoft's Surface Table, Apple's iNventions, Google's Earth and whatnots like expensive grade-school class projects.

'SixthSense' sees what you see and visually augments any surfaces or objects we are interacting with. It projects information onto surfaces, walls, and physical objects around us, and lets us interact with the projected information through natural hand gestures, arm movements, or our interaction with the object itself. 'SixthSense' attempts to free information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.

Were you like "Whaa?!" or "Huh?!" Think Tom Cruise's Minority Report or better yet, check out the video



SixthSense is currently a work in progress but as soon as Primav Mistry has it perfected, everything is going to be open sourced.

You can check more of Primav Mistry and his projects at his website PranavMistry.com

Congrats To Manny Pacquiao! Mabuhay Ang Pilipino!

Featured Article: Congratulations Manny Pacquiao!

If you happen to do a Google search about Manny Pacquiao or Antonio Margarito these days, most likely, you will see a lot of search results with Manny Pacquiao Vs. Antonio Margarito Live Stream or Watch Manny Pacquiao Vs. Antonio Margarito Online Live.

What is a Live Stream? Wikipedia explains a whole lot about this, but simply put, Live Streaming is taking a video and broadcasting it live over the Internet.

Bloggers take advantage of huge events to air Live Streams because of the traffic it generates for their websites. More traffic for a website means a higher percentage of income.

In this instance, it's the most anticipated boxing match of the year, Manny "Pacman" Pacquaio Versus Antonio "Tijuana Tornado" Margarito, November 13, 2010 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, while others broadcast Live Streams of TV Shows like GLEE, Naruto, or NBA games.

UStream, Veetle, Justin.tv, and other stream broadcasting sites power the Live Streams that looks like he stream below.

PRESS THE LIKE OR TWEET BUTTON IF YOU LIKE THIS STREAM. THANKS!

Press F5 or Refresh if the stream stops. It should work...

If you prefer Sopcast, here are the channels:
sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/35999
sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/98660

If you arrived here, though, by really searching for a Live Stream of the upcoming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, well, the above article was really just a subtle way of saying that, yeah!you can watch Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao Versus Antonio "Tijuana Tornado" Margarito Online Live Stream HERE!

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Antonio Margarito Live Stream and/or links to THE EVENT will be posted here on fight night (November 13, 2010 EST) so bookmark (Ctrl+D) this page now.

Also, click HERE for news updates on Manny Pacquiao and his upcoming matches.

Toasted Skin Syndrome

Do you place your laptop on top of lap? Of course, you do! I, too, admit to placing my laptop on my lap. Because, apparently, that's what it's called--a "lap" top--and should be placed accordingly. Yet this IS A VERY BAD IDEA! (Ugh! I should know this now? ^^,) Aside from the heat discharge killing sperm cells on male laptop users, it causes another side effect: a nettle sting-like rash named Toasted Skin Syndrom.

In a recent article published on the November 5 issue of Pediatrics, a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discolouration on his left thigh after playing computer games for a few hours every day for several months.

'He recognised that the laptop got hot on the left side (most likely where the CPU was located), however, regardless of that, he did not change its position,' Swiss researchers wrote in the medical-journal Pediatrics.

Another case involved an American law student with a mottled discolouration on her leg.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Benabio,

Toasted Skin Syndrome is a red, brown rash that develops as a result of prolonged exposure to heat without an actual burn. The redness develops in a particular pattern, as seen in the photo, called reticulate or net like. Slowing of blood flow in the affected area, called hemostasis, is likely the cause.

The Swiss doctors also call it laptop-induced dermatosis, and the effects could go as far as permanent darkening of the skin. In rare cases, it could lead to skin cancer. Doctors said that this could be even worse in kids: "Our patient has had only comparatively shortly used his laptop, which indicates that children's skin is more sensitive to heat."

If your must place the laptop on your lap, buy an Aircube Laptop sleeve. It's a laptop sleeve and doubles as a heat disperser. Or get an iPad or one of these hot tablets.

Saudi Arabia Is Going To Be An Open Country By 2011

Today's Google doodle goes green as it joins both Saudis and expatriates in celebrating the the 80th National Day here in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's holidays are becoming more colorful and livelier in the Kingdom emphasizing King Abdullah's push to reform the conservative country.

Continue Reading “Saudi Arabia Is Going To Be An Open Country By 2011”  »»

Make Money Online With Photographs And GumGum

I'm currently playing around with a photo blog. The inspiration for the new blog niche came when we were trying out our amateur photographic skills on a Nikon D60 and some of the shots were real good (as far as I'm concerned). One of the pictures, you can see above but check out more of the still shots at DSLRimagery and do tell us what you think! ^^,

If you have a photo blog, here's how to make money out of your images.

GumGum is an  in-image ad network reaching more than 65 million unique users worldwide. Similar to the other services, a simple one-time, one-line Javascript code install enables the company to detect images on your website and match relevant ads to them.

Some relevant points for GumGum are:

• Ads appear without the need to hover on the image first
• The ads work alongside standard ad networks including Google Adsense, Adbrite, Kontera, etc.
• You can also disable them for specific pictures
• Payments are sent through Paypal.
• Registration is Free and approval is almost immediate.Advertisers include global, leading brands such as Universal, Sony, Curves and Jack in the Box.

Toshiba Recall For Toshiba T Series Laptops

Do you own or know somebody who owns Toshiba laptops with models Satellite T135, Satellite T135D and Satellite ProT130?

Toshiba is recalling these laptops due to overheating at the notebook's plug-in to the AC adapter which poses a burn hazard.

So far there have been 129 reports of the Toshiba T Series laptops overheating and deforming the plastic casing aroun the AC adapter plug including reports of minor burn injuries and minor laptop damage.

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How To Find Out If Your Password Is Secure

If you own an email account, a facebook and twitter account, or a credit card or paypal account, there is a possibility it can be hacked.

A website called How Secure Is My Password gives you an idea how easy or how hard it will be to hack your password.

Click HERE to visit the How Secure Is My Password and just type in your password into the input box and the site will tell you how long your password can be cracked.

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Xbox Live Gold Membership New Prices

Outrage erupts like Mt. Sinubang among Xbox subscribers as Microsoft pumps up the annual cost for an Xbox Live Gold membership. Beginning November 1, a Xbox Live Gold membership is going to cost from $49.99 to $59.99 in the U.S. A three month subscription will in turn jump from $19.99 to $24.99. And a month-to-month subscription from $7.99 to $9.99. Other countries to be subjected to the new cost will be Canada, Mexico, and the UK.

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Systems Administrator

From Tier 2 Tech Support, I am now being tasked to be the Sys Admin in my present employment. Although I like the ring of it, being a Sys Admin is quite a daunting task from being a Tech Support.

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Updated:Zeus v3 Removal Tool

Currently, no Zeus v3 Removal Tool has been released to the public but Symantec has announced on its webpage that "Norton products have already been updated to identify and protect against Zeus (aka Trojan.Zbot) and its variants. Current users of Symantec’s Norton security products are protected."

Other antivirus softwares may soon follow suit towards thwarting the Zeus v3 trojan virus so update your antivirus definitions now. If you still don't have an antivirus software, scroll down below to download one for FREE.

The Zeus v3 trojan virus hit Britain hard with more than 3000 victims and a haul of more than half a million pounds though, according to the security firm M86, all victims were customers of just one online bank in Britain which is still unnamed probably due to security reasons. Despite the Zeus v3 attack being singled out in Britain, the security experts have not ruled out the possibility of an even wider coverage of trojan virus attacks.

Trojan viruses like the Zeus v3 are very tricky and hide in websites, emails or downloads. Once installed on a computer they can record every type of the keyboard, steal confidential information or even open up a PC's security so that it can be controlled remotely from another country. So be careful how you conduct your online money transactions.

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