Where were we 10 Years ago

Computer Specs Then and Now

Before in 1999:

iBook:
300 Mhz G3, 32 megs RAM, 3 gig hard drive, 4 meg video card, active matrix LCD, usb port

PC laptop:
366 Mhz AMD K-6 II, 32 megs RAM, 4.3 gig hard drive, 2 meg video card, passive matrix LCD, usb/serial/parallel/PCMCIA ports

The iBook had more video RAM and an active matrix LCD as superior specs. The PC laptop had a bigger hard drive, and more ports. They were basically equal but I liked the iBook better.

Source: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=816192 (username: 63dot)

Now (2010):

Dell XPS 730x

• 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7-920 quad-core processor
• 6 GB tri-channel RAM
• 512 MB GeForce 9800GT video card
• 500 GB hard drive (7200 rpm)

BEFORE                                           AFTER          

Cell Phones Then and Now

In 2000: 

Nokia 3310

This popular phone sold 126 million models, and was particularly popular in Europe. With no Colour display images or txt. Just a simple phone with the common text, calling and screen display.

Now (Apple’s Iphone):

iPhone 3G: Now with “multi-touch” features where you just simply use your fingers and touch the screen as it will pick up the “touches” preferances. Just by simply touching the screen and it’ll do the same thing as the nokia phone but no keypad or anything just simply touch. You can also go on the Internet now, watch videos, take photos with it, store photos and store up to 1000 of songs!

Video Games Then and Now

Then: Starcraft (2009)

System requirements:

90 MHz processor16 MB RAM 640×480 8-bit display

Now: Call of duty 6

OS: Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
· Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor or better supported
· Memory: 1 GB RAM
· Graphics: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT or better or ATI Radeon 1600XT or better
· DirectX®: Microsoft DirectX(R) 9.0c
· Hard Drive: 12GB of free hard drive space
· Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
· Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet Connection required for activation.
· Co-op/Multiplayer Hosting: To host Co-op or MP matches, a 2Ghz dual-core or better processor is recommended.

DIGITAL CAMERAS THEN AND NOW

Then:

This Canon PowerShot G1, released in 2000 and listed at Best Buy for $800 in 2001, has held up well. Sure, 3.34 megapixels isn’t much, but spec for spec, this codger can almost hang with the kids.

Seriously, you could just post this spec sheet next to a Canon in a retail store now, and most people wouldn’t bat an eye. They sure as hell wouldn’t buy it, but they probably wouldn’t say anything, either:

NOW:

 

• 15.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• Full HD movie recording with HDMI connection for viewing and playback on HDTV
• ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800)
• Continuous shooting at 3.4 fps for up to 170 large/fine JPEG images or up to 9 RAW images in a single burst
• 3.0-inch ClearView LCD with Live View mode (for both still images as well as video)
• 9-point wide area AF with cross type centre point
• Powerful high-speed DIGIC 4 performance and superb image quality
• Highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System with fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance
• Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure that the subject of each photo is clearly visible
• Creative Auto Mode allows users to make image adjustments including exposure compensation, aperture and shutter speed

Add comment January 7, 2010 aznhottie604

Your Choice

Windows 7 Best Windows Ever?

From Windows 2000 to Windows Xp was a big jump into Operating systems. But what about that big jump from Windows Xp to windows 7? We know deep down in our hearts that Windows Xp was a great operating system that was very convienent, it’s performance, fast and reliable as opposed to the Windows Vista. Although, what do we know about the windows 7? Did Microsoft come through with a stable computing platform, with decent hardware requirements and a hardened security model? The definite answer is yes. (Stefan on 6 June, 2009. Digg.Com) A very important aspect for Windows users, security, has also been addressed in many ways, and while most of the technologies were present in Vista, they have been improved in Windows 7. (Stefan). The taskbar, part Mac OS X dock, part Start menu is an elegant and comprehensive UI element. The functionality offered is simply amazing; We have quick access to commonly used applications, an amazing way to find the window you’re looking for with Quick Look, a streamlined notification area which is clean yet retains usability and instant search from the Start menu. I’m sorry to disappoint the Linux and Mac OS fans, but Windows 7, as it is today, has the most advanced and usable UI. (STEFAN)

After comparing the performance of Windows 7 with that of Windows Vista , a lot of readers expressed interest in seeing a comparison with the decade-old, but still popular, Windows XP.

Intel Core i7

The Core i7 processor, codenamed “Nehalem,” created quite the buzz in the desktop community, tearing up performance charts and tempting performance enthusiasts to abandon the aging Core 2 Duos. Thankfully, every Intel chip that ends up in a desktop is usually followed by a mobile version. At the Intel Developers Forum this year, the chip giant kicked things off with three top-shelf mobile Core i7s, codenamed “Clarksfield”: The Core i7-920XM (Extreme), the Core i7-820QM, and the Core i7-720QM. The launch is focused primarily on high-end and gaming laptops that are also affordable, given upcoming systems will cost less than $2,000. In speed, Clarksfield reaches new heights of performance—and we have the benchmark numbers to prove it.

This batch of mobile Core i7s operates on four physical cores within a single die. More intriguing is that this will be the first time a mobile processor will incorporate Hyper-Threading, so each of the 4 cores runs on a two- threaded engine, giving the performance of an 8-core system (Device Manager in Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 registers 8 virtual cores).

Intel Hyper-Threading technology was introduced in desktops with the Intel Pentium 4 processor family, but never made it as a feature in mobile processors. Processors, in general, rely heavily on a memory caching system to boost performance, since this is the type of memory that sits on the same die as the processor. The current Core 2 Duos have a two cache system: an L1 and an L2 level. The Core i7, meanwhile, introduces a three-level cache hierarchy, where each core has its own L1 (64KB) and an L2 cache (256KB), plus a third (L3) that’s shared among them and ranges between 6MB to 8MB of memory. Third-level caches are common on current desktop processors—both AMD and Intel—but placing one on a mobile processor is an impressive feat and a first for the industry. The L3 cache will play an important role in communicating with system memory. (Cisco Cheng)

Add comment November 18, 2009 aznhottie604

CODEC Comparisons

H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC

Overview

H.264 is also known as MEPG-4 AVC. H.264 uses the latest innovations in video compression technology to provide consistently crisp and clear video for the best possible viewing.

Pros

• H.264 delivers incredible video quality at data rates one-fourth to one-half the size of previous video formats
• H.264 offers dramatically lower bit rates and better picture quality than MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or H.263+
• It is 2X times more efficient than MPEG-4. and file size is 3X times smaller than comparable MPEG-2 Codecs
• It is easy to integrate and covers wide range of picture format. Hence used in large application segment.

Cons

• H.264 requires longer encoding time
• It is certainly not constricted and low-bandwidth friendly
• More Hardware overhead is also one of the limiting factor
• Licensing agreements are complicated.

MPEG-2 (DVD Video)

Overview

MPEG-2 is a standard for broadcast-quality digitally encoded video. It offers outstanding image quality and resolution. MPEG-2 is the primary video standard for DVD-Video

Pros

• Excellent image quality

Cons

• Very few people are currently capable of viewing MPEG-2
• Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video.

MPEG-1

Overview

MPEG-1 provides excellent image quality at CD-ROM data rates. One of the most popular uses of MPEG-1 is the VCD, or “white book” video CD. MPEG includes both audio and video compression.

The biggest problem with MPEG is that it has high requirements for playback. Either a dedicated MPEG decoder card must be installed, or a high-end CPU is required for software-only playback. Because of this limitation, MPEG-1 has not gained wide acceptance in consumer titles.

Pros

• Excellent image quality

Cons

• Very high playback requirements
• Majority of installed base not capable of viewing MPEG
• Licensing fees (typically US $0.04 – $0.40 per unit) are required to distribute MPEG-2 video. There may also be fees for MPEG-1; there is some uncertainty regarding this.
• Not well-suited to WWW video (the upcoming MPEG-4 standard will address this)

	BLU-RAY
	MPEG-2 – enhanced for HD, also used for playback of DVDs and HDTV recordings. MPEG-4 AVC – part of the MPEG-4 standard also known as H.264 (High Profile and Main Profile). SMPTE VC-1 – standard based on Microsoft’s Windows Media Video (WMV) technology.

ADOBE FLASH VIDEO

PROS

Browser Penetration: The Flash player is installed on a higher percentage of end user computers than any other video format. Although not all end users have the latest version installed (so they may not support the latest Flash video codec), Flash still enjoys the best overall support.

Consistency & Compatibility: Flash files look the same and work equally well on PCs, Macs, Linux, etc. Flash files are completely consistent, so once you test and implement your Flash video, you can be confident that it will function the same way for all end users (apart from obvious variables such as connection speed). It’s hard to overstate the importance of this for web designers.

CONS

Initial Difficulty: Although it’s possible to publish your first Flash video in less than an hour with no previous experience, you can do the same with other formats even faster. For example, you can embed a Windows Media file in a few minutes by copying and pasting some HTML. Even the simplest Flash installation is a little more complex.

Working with FLV Files: FLV is the Flash video file format. There’s nothing wrong with the format itself but because it’s not a common distribution format like Windows Media or Quicktime, you may find that you often have to convert files from other formats to FLV. This takes time and any extra conversions between compressed formats will reduce quality.

Another minor annoyance is that FLV files aren’t as easy to preview. If you double-click a Flash FLV file on your local hard drive, there’s a good chance that your operating system won’t know what to do with it until you assign a player application.

Add comment November 16, 2009 aznhottie604

Windows 7 & Google CHROME OS

You told us what you loved about Windows XP and how to make it even better. We designed Windows 7 to simplify the things you do every day, work the way you want, and make some exciting new things (www.microsoft.com)

Reasons to get Windows 7

1. Get quicker access to all of your stuff—use Pin and Jump Lists to keep the programs and files you use the most right at your fingertips.
2. Manage open windows easier—resize and arrange windows simply by dragging their borders to the edge of your screen
3. Quickly find what you’re looking for—use Windows Search  to find a specific file, program, or e-mail in a few seconds.
4. Share files and printers among multiple PCs—from one Windows 7-based PC to another, you can share files, music, photos, and even printers across your home network.
5. Stay entertained effortlessly—with Windows Media Center you get one place to enjoy your photos and music, watch and record live TV, and watch free Internet TV.
6. Easily create and share movies—create great looking movieso and slideshows and share them on YouTube in minutes.
7. Connect to networks easily—view and connect to any available wireless network in as few as three clicks.
8. Do more and wait less—improvements that can accelerate sleep and resume and make your PC more responsiveohelp you get more done.
9. Don’t leave programs behind—run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode.
10. Offers your PC better protection—help keep your PC,  your information, and your family safe.

MORE REFERENCE WHY WINDOWS 7 IS BETTER (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/versions.aspx)

 

GOOGLE CHROME OS

Designiung google chrome is for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we’re announcing a new project that’s a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Add comment October 22, 2009 aznhottie604

Top 5 Tech. Stories “digg.com”

1. 60% of Twitter Users Quit Within the First Month

http://mashable.com/2009/04/28/twitter-quitters/

2. Robot attacked Swedish factory worker

http://www.thelocal.se/19120.html

3. Ten innovations inspired by Star Trek

http://timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2009/04/ten-innovations-inspired-by-star-trek.html

4. Hackers Target Pirate Bay Prosecution Law Firm

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Pirate-Bay-Trial-Hack-Lawyer,7638.html

5. No more betas for Firefox 3.5: Browser on track for Q2 launch http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-42215-140.html

 

Favourite two!

 Robot attacked Swedish factory worker

60% of Twitter Users Quit Within the First Month

For the robot attacking the swedish factory worker, it goes to show that all technology can go wrong and that engineers/manufacturers should be careful and check up once in a while on machines.

To think that a social network like facebook lasted for so long! However, seems like twitter can’t compare with facebook on how long it will last. Shows that Twitter is temporarily successful and soon will go away.

Add comment April 29, 2009 aznhottie604

Google Sketchup

What is Google Sketchup?

Google Sketchup is a software that is used to create 3D models of anything you like. Things from like cars, houses, playgrounds and even to transformers. 

What’s it used for? What it could be used for?

Probably used for pre-designing models for objects that would like to be built over the years. Or even just seeing what you can make with just using your own imagination and just exploring what google sketchup can do.

Add comment April 29, 2009 aznhottie604

Operating Systems

 

Windows Xp is a line of operating systems and widely used which is produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers running x86 and IA-64 processors, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. Windows XP was first released on 25 October 2001, and over 400 million copies were in use in January 2006. Windows XP uses the NT conventions of protected memory, which is a way of preventing system crashes by running programs in their own separate RAM locations. Processor 233 MHz1 300 MHz or higher .Memory 64 MB RAM2 128 MB RAM or higher. Video adapter and monitor Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution. Hard drive disk free space 1.5 GB or higher (additional 1.8 GB in SP2 [32] and additional 900 MB in SP3 [33]) .Drives CD-ROM drive or DVD drive. Input devices Keyboard. Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device Sound. The old FAT (File Allocation Table) file system was developed originally (when the original IBM PCs came out) for MS-DOS on small machines and floppy disks. Later, a more advanced file system was developed for hard disks in Windows NT, called NTFS (the “NT File System”). As low as CAD$175.13

 

MS Windows Vista:

 

Windows Vista contains many changes and new features, including an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and digital media between computers and devices. Windows Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for software developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Ubuntu Linux (latest version)

Ubuntu is a community developed linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need – a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more. Its latest version in January 2009 is ubuntu 8.10.
Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition delivers the features you need for an increasingly mobile digital life, including 3G wireless support and guest sessions that lets users temporarily share computers without compromising security. Ubuntu 8.10 Server Edition consolidates its support for virtualization with an integrated Virtual Machine builder, and brings with it a fully-supported Java stack and support for per-user directory encryption. Supports 32 bit or 64-bit, Supports 4GB of RAM, $20 Ubuntu 8.10 desktop edition

 

 

BeOS

Was an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing modular I/O bandwidth, pervasive multithreading, preemptive multitasking and a custom 64-bit journaling file system known as BFS. The BeOS GUI was developed on the principles of clarity and a clean, uncluttered design. The API was written in C++ for ease of programming. It has POSIX compatibility and access to a command line interface through Bash, although internally it is not a Unix-derived operating system. 64-bit graphical user interface, and it costs $99.95.

 

MAC OS X (latest version)

pronounced /mæk oʊ ɛs tɛn/)^[3] is a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., and since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems. Mac OS X is the successor to the original or “classic” Mac OS, which had been Apple’s primary operating system since 1984. Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a Unix-based operating system,^[4] built on technologies developed at NeXT between the second half of the 1980s and Apple’s purchase of the company in early 1996. Version 10.5, while running on Intel processors, is certified UNIX 03.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add comment March 25, 2009 aznhottie604

Internet Privacy Concerns

Google Latitude  is a new feature of google maps. It’s also an iGoogle gadget on your computer. You can now see approximate location of your friends or loved ones deciding whether they want it to be shared or not. Now you can spy on any person you want since you know where their location will be. However, Latitude not only spies on people’s location but keep in touch via Gmail, SMS, Google talk.

Although, some people might feel uncomfortable of this new application. Since it can invade certain peoples privacy at all times (location). For example, teenagers do not really like to let their parents know where they are at all since it can make them feel uncomfortable. Also since, the parents secretly put this app. onto their mobile phone.

The ideal of facebook i think is a simple way of communication of one another. You have the opportunity to view other people’s information that they put on there. For example, pictures, videos, posts, etc..  But, facebook can be leading to dangerous threats. Some information that you do not want strangers to see and find out about yourself. Although, joining facebook makes a higher chance of that possibility of happening.

Having your image posted on a social network sites can be interesting at times but mostly not necessary. In fact, putting a image of yourself on these can have a higher chance of risking your personal information to strangers. Strangers can now know what you like, etc..

Yes employers could or should use the internet to hire new employees. By this, they can research information of the employer before they call them in. Know some of their history background is possible. Past experiences, events and accomplishments to help them know what they are good at and not what they are good at. Just a faster way of interviewing a person without having to consult them at the mean time

Add comment March 2, 2009 aznhottie604

Past and Future

One product that was released last year and had a big impact and change in  the electronic world is the Apple’s iPhone 3G. It was released on July 11, 2008 in 22 countries. The iPhone is an internet-connected multimedia smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a flush multi-touch screen and a minimal hardware interface. The device does not have a physical keyboard, so a virtual keyboard is rendered on the touch screen instead.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone). With fast 3G (third Generation) wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do. (http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/). Apple sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs in its first 3 days on sale. On October 21, 2008 Apple announced sales of 6.89 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2008, totaling 13 million iPhones to date.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone).  The iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera, storage of 8 or 16 Gb of flash memory, battery has up to 10 hours of 2G talk, 5 hours of 3G talk, 5 (3G) or 6 (Wi-Fi) hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback, and up to 24 hours of audio playback, lasting over 300 hours on standby.

Add comment January 6, 2009 aznhottie604

How To Calculate Binary Code

When you learn most types of computer programming, you will touch upon the subject of binary numbers. Although this is a simple concept once explained, it is not always obvious how to read them. To understand binary numbers, let’s first look at our normal system of base 10 numbers.

Let’s take the number 345 for example. This is a three digit number. We know that the farthest right number, 5, represents the 1′s column, and there are 5 ones. The next number from the right, the 4, represents the 10′s column. There are 4 clicks in the 10s column, which we interpret as forty. Finally, the third column that contains the 3 represents the 100s column, and we know it to be three hundred.

Binary works in the same way. Each column represents a value, and when you have enough you move to the next column. The difference is that in our base 10 system we need to have 10 before we move to the next column. We can have any value 0-9, but once it goes above that, we add a column. In base two, you can only have 0 or 1 before moving on to the next column.

The number one is represented as 1 in both base ten and binary, so let’s move on to the number two. In base ten this is represented as a 2, however in binary we can only have a 0 or a 1 before moving on to the next column. The number 2 is written as 10. This means 1 in the 2s column and 0 in the 1s column.

Let’s take a look at the number three. Obviously in base ten it is written as 3. In base two (binary) it is written as 11. This means a 1 in the 2s column and a 1 in the 1s column. 2+1 = 3.

Each slot represents a value that is double the last value. The chart on this page helps to demonstrate this. The values of slots, starting on the right are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, etc.

Now that we know how binary works, reading it is simply a matter of doing some simple math. Let’s try a few:

1001

Since we know the value’ots each of these sls represent, then we know this number represents 8 + 0 + 0 + 1. In base ten this would be the number 9.

11011

Again we can calculate what this is in base ten by adding the values of each slot. In this case it would be 16 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 1. This would be the number 27.

To convert decimal to binary is also very simple, you simply divide the decimal value by 2 and then write down the remainder, repeat this process until you cannot divide by 2 anymore, for example let’s take the decimal value 157:

157 ÷ 2 = 78 with a remainder of 1
78 ÷ 2 = 39 with a remainder of 0
39 ÷ 2 = 19 with a remainder of 1
19 ÷ 2 = 9 with a remainder of 1
9 ÷ 2 = 4 with a remainder of 1
4 ÷ 2 = 2 with a remainder of 0
2 ÷ 2 = 1 with a remainder of 0
1 ÷ 2 = 0 with a remainder of 1<— to convert write this remainder first.

Add comment December 12, 2008 aznhottie604