TechVirtuoso

Leave Steve Alone

February 16th, 2011 at 10:41 PM  2 Comments

It’s been somewhat disgusting to watch tech blogs and Twitter today discuss Steve Jobs’ health based off rumors and unconfirmed photographs. Let the guy get better and give him some privacy. I’m not going to lend more space to this because aside from what the shareholders and consumers need to know about the absence in his role as CEO of Apple, what happens in his personal health is his business.

Why give credence to grocery store check out stand trash?

Can we all agree to leave the rumors to the release of the products, and the facts to the health of a human being?

Google One Pass to offer unified payment system for online publishers

February 16th, 2011 at 3:05 PM  No Comments

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiz_2c_QpOQ

Yesterday Apple dropped a bombshell on the tech world when it announced it was going to be strong arming publishers and subscription based content providers by demanding 30% off the top of any transaction done in iOS.

Google must have been listening to the backlash, and today announced their own payment platform for publishers called Google One Pass. However, until Apple, it will only take 10% off by handling the transaction and promises that the platform will be “open and flexible” … something Apple isn’t exactly known for.

Also, unlike Apple, this payment system will not only work in regular apps, but on mobile or web based transactions. However if Apple’s recent developer terms are not changed,  don’t expect to see this platform on anything except Android.

The platform is based on the already mature Google Checkout system.

Windows Phone, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Kinect – playing together

February 14th, 2011 at 10:53 AM  1 Comment

This little demo from Microsoft has made me evaluate my position on Windows Phone. While the demo itself isn’t perfect (there is a lot of jitter, and the phone display is just a stick figure outline) it looks like it’s at least beta code they’re playing and not just CGI. If this is what Microsoft has in mind for the future, sign me up!

AT&T and Verizon, head to head 3G speed test with the iPhone 4

February 14th, 2011 at 10:00 AM  No Comments

Before you join the rush of people who are shedding their AT&T iPhone for the Verizon iPhone (oh wait, no one is actually doing that) you should do some research and see what dumping “the nations largest 3G network” and getting on “America’s most reliable network” will get you.

Mostly, slower Internet speeds. A lot slower, actually. Well, that, and no simultaneous voice and data network.

What you also won’t get, as 9to5Mac has pointed out, is the ability to swap between multiple calls. Also, if you’re used to having more than a couple person in a conference call, you’ll want to stick with AT&T. That is, assuming you can make calls on their network.

While your mileage may vary, I’m sticking with AT&T.

video and images via Tipb.com

Fake iPad purchased from Walmart cannot be returned

February 14th, 2011 at 9:49 AM  1 Comment

  1. Man wants iPad
  2. Man goes to Walmart to buy iPad
  3. Man gets home, opens box, realizes the iPad in the box is a store demo unit
  4. Man tries to return fake iPad that Walmart sold him
  5. Walmart says “no way José!”
  6. Man sues Walmart
  7. Man buys second iPad at local Apple store

And all this time I thought Walmart would take anything back!

TweetDeck sold to UberMedia, who now controls how one-quarter of the world accesses Twitter

February 12th, 2011 at 4:47 PM  2 Comments

TweetDeck is the undisputed king of all Twitter clients. Originally launching on the desktop in mid-2008, it became an instant hit with everyone from regular social media addicts to corporate social media managers. After versions for iOS, Android and now “ChromeDeck” came out, TweetDeck has consistently been the go-to client and their products are now responsible for over 20% of the world’s tweets.

TechCrunch is now reporting that UberMedia has purchased TweetDeck for somewhere in the range of $25-$30m dollars.

(more…)

iPhone jailbreakers rejoice, new version of GreenPois0n released for OS X and Windows

February 12th, 2011 at 3:34 PM  No Comments

I don’t usually dedicate much space here for jailbreaking news, but it’s a Saturday and news is slow. The Chronic dev team has released a new version of their GreenPois0n jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1. This is version RC6 for both Mac OS X and Windows.

No word yet on when the Linux version listed on their site will be released.

In addition to setting your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad or later generation iPods free, this version will now also jailbreak the second generation Apple TV. This is an untethered jailbreak, meaning you can boot up your iOS device without being plugged into a computer.

Download and execute at your own risk.

‘MeeGo Home’ – Nokia employees stage walkout in protest of Microsoft quasi-takeover

February 11th, 2011 at 1:08 PM  2 Comments

Not everyone was happy with the news that Windows Phone 7 would soon become the platform of choice for Nokia. Among those upset were the thousands of Nokia employees who staged a walkout in protest of their new Redmond-based masters.

According to HS.fi, the employees didn’t actually quit, but took the rest of the day off, en mass.

“Quite a few people used the flexible working time,” said Kalle wedge , Nokia’s senior staff in the shop steward in Tampere.

But they might as well. Nokia is expected to begin slashing jobs for programmers who no longer will be needed to maintain the Symbian platform, or the reduced focus on their MeeGo code.

Only those who used their flex time to go out and find the nearest copy of Silverlight for Dummies may be spared, as Nokia will now refocus towards application programming and development for that platform.

Protip: Nokia employees who walked out today, should being updating their resumes.

Microsoft just bought Nokia for the cost of one employee

February 11th, 2011 at 8:58 AM  No Comments

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3ksR8zgXg

Symbian is dead, long live Windows Phone. Nokia is now an major player in the Windows Phone ecosystem, and all Microsoft had to do was let of one their people become the CEO. Not a bad deal.

(more…)

Two factor authentication now available for your Google accounts

February 10th, 2011 at 1:35 PM  5 Comments

Google has now set the bar a little higher for Internet account security. Now the super-paranoid (like yours truly) can further secure their Gmail through the use of Google’s new two factor authentication system.

While not as cool as as using YubiKey for LastPass you can now use your phone to generate a one time password to gain access to your Google account. As I’ve covered before, you shouldn’t be using the same password for multiple online accounts, but you really shouldn’t be using your main email password for anything else, as it is the go-to place for account recovery. But even if you are, this additional layer of security will make compromising your account nearly impossible. (more…)

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