September 2, 2008
As of a few minutes ago, Google released the Beta version of their new web browser, Google Chrome. It’s available for download at http://www.google.com/chrome. I’ve downloaded it and am typing this post up with it, and I have to say, it is great. Aside from the lack of add-ons (I miss my FaceBook Toolbar and FireGestures), it’s a very solid product. I’d even be willing to bet it’s faster than FireFox. In fact, I’ll test it. Ok, test results:
–Using a timer on my BlackBerry after clearing the cache on both browsers, I’ve come to the decison that Google Chrome loads ChargingComplete.com faster than FireFox 3.0.1. I ran 5 tests, in each one Google Chrome won. The cache was cleared after every result, and all testing took place in the same area. As we speak, I’m changing this to be my default browser.
Props to Google for such a great product!
EDIT: A few things I’ve noticed after use: Click on a tab and drag it. Isn’t that really cool looking?!? The simple GUI is very easy on the eyes, though where the tabs are placed is rather odd. The bookmarks tab is also very handy. About:memory shows the memory being consumed by Chrome (thanks FtR). For me, it uses 25-30MB between 2 processes, one that runs the actual browser, and one that delves through the code of a page. This way, if one tab crashes, all of the others don’t go down with it. Cool glitch: When running Google Chrome, type in about:% in the address bar.
-John
14 Comments | 
Experience, New Product, News, Reviews | Tagged: charging complete, chrome, Facebook, FireFox, firefox 3, firefox 3.0.1, google, google chrome, google chrome beta, internet, life, Mozilla, mozilla firefox, online, personal tech, technology, tecnologia, web, web browser | 
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Posted by John
August 28, 2008
Whatever happened to the biggest reason for getting Vista Ultimate, Ultimate Extras? The last update to DreamScene was nearly 6 months ago, the content packs released for it don’t even work for most users, and GroupShot still hasn’t been released. At one point last year, plenty of people thought the Ultimate Extras developers had stopped developing. They dismissed that thought by posting on their blog that the final version of DreamScene would be out by the end of the year, and that content packs would be released soon for it. These things happened, but what now? The only thing that hasn’t been released yet is GroupShot, a feature that allows people to clip body parts from several different photos to get the best-looking picture. After that, nobody besides Microsoft insiders knows if there will be more features to come. I sure hope so.
In defense of Ultimate, it’s few extras are handy and helpful and can be great for certain tasks. One of my favorite features of the OS is the ability to have 2 physical CPUs, versus only being able to use one in Home Basic and Home Premium. The Remote Desktop Connection is also handy for using your PC from another computer, if you left it at home for vacation or don’t feel like going into the office to edit a document or two. In my opinion, Windows Vista Ultimate just isn’t worth the extra $80 over Home Premium. DreamScene and BitLocker and all of the other features are nice, but Ultimate in general has disappointed me. What do you think of Microsoft’s premium operating system? Is it worth the price hike over the other versions?
-John
4 Comments | 
Opinions, Random | Tagged: bitlocker, dreamscene, groupshot, Microsoft, microsoft windows, operating system, personal technology, technology, tecnologia, ultimate extras, vista ultimate, windows, windows vista, windows vista home basic, windows vista home premium, windows vista ultimate | 
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Posted by John
August 23, 2008
Keyboard shortcuts are an essential part of learning how to be more efficient when working on a computer. Being able to simply hit a button or two to execute a command is very convenient, especially if you’re a person who tends to want to use the keyboard over the mouse if possible. From copying and pasting, to shutting down Windows, here are some of my favorite keyboard shortcuts for Windows.
• CTRL+C — My favorite shortcut by far. This simple command allows one to copy the text selected, which is especially useful when combined with the select all command. Instead of having to right click and find the copy button, you can simply use CTRL+C to copy whatever necessary. Another good use of it is to copy files out of Windows Explorer and move them elsewhere. You can even use this shortcut in programs such as Paint or GIMP to copy images.
• CTRL+A — Another favorite of mine. This shortcut selects all the text or images on the page. When used in conjunction with the CTRL+C command, it proves for a very handy way to copy something like a text tutorial or walkthrough and save it into a document. As with the copy command, it can be used with photo-editing programs, as well as Windows Explorer.
• CTRL+P — When pressed, this helpful shortcut automatically will print almost anything you’re viewing: pictures, documents, web pages, etc. Very handy to use when navigating a browser full-screen.
• ALT+F4 — Probably my most used keys on my laptop. Pressing ALT+F4 will close out whatever program is up on your screen, it even can close out Windows. Very helpful if you don’t feel like navigating to the “X” in the corner of your program.
• CTRL+Z –Tired of searching for the edit button to attempt to undo a change you made to a picture or document? Look no further for a solution. CTRL+Z undoes the latest change in whatever you’re working on.
• CTRL+V – Right click, paste? Not with this shortcut. Just hit CTRL+V to paste whatever text or images you’ve copied or cut.
These are some of my favorite and most used keyboard shortcuts, post back if you want to share your favorites!
-John
1 Comment | 
Helpful Hints | Tagged: art, gimp, life, Microsoft, microsoft office, microsoft word, paint, personal technology, technology, tecnologia, tips, windows, windows explorer, windows vista, windows xp | 
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Posted by John
August 22, 2008
According to an anonymous tipster, Apple is setting up a subscription service to be rolled out sometime in September. The service will allow unlimited access to half of iTunes (presumably the music part) for $129/year. A subscription to the store and MobileMe will supposedly be sold for $179/year; the new service will be available to MobileMe users for only $99.99. In essence, you rent songs from iTunes, never actually owning them. A good choice for the music-obsessed or one working in the music industry? Yes. A good choice for the average consumer? I don’t think so. When a person moves on to the next big music player, they will lose all of their music they’ve rented from the iTunes store. Of course, you can’t use your music you’ve purchased on the iTunes store on another non-Apple device without using converter software, but think about it, losing the majority of your library or having to spend a few minutes converting your music?
-John
1 Comment | News, Rumour | Tagged: Apple, iPhone, iPod, itunes, mobileme, money, music, September, technology, tecnologia | Permalink
Posted by John
August 21, 2008
Sources of the popular game blog Joystiq have reported price cuts for all Microsoft Xbox 360 models. Multiple contacts of the blog have told Joystiq to look out for the cuts in the next 3 weeks. Adding to the reliability of the claim, a legitimate looking Radioshack poster shows the price cuts. According to the poster, the Elite model will be available for $399, the Pro for $299, and the Arcade version for a mere $199. If true, this price drop will make the Xbox 360 the cheapest console of the generation, unless Nintendo announces price cuts of it’s popular Wii console. 
This will be a very interesting story to follow, I’ll be sure to post if this rumor materializes or not!
-John
No Comments » | News | Tagged: game, gamer, gaming, Microsoft, microsoft xbox, money, nintendo, nintendo wii, price, radioshack, technology, wii, xbox, xbox 360 | Permalink
Posted by John
August 19, 2008
I’ve recently started using a Twitter add-on for FireFox, TwitterFox. The add-on puts a little “t” in the corner of FireFox, and when clicked, pops up a menu containing the latest Tweets from your friends. TwitterFox can also be configured to play a sound when receiving a new tweet (I personally use a Zelda sound). It’s one of the best add-ons out there, with only one issue. It supports almost no themes. When I say this, I mean that many popular themes, including AeroFox, simply won’t open when the add-on is installed. You have to boot Mozilla FireFox into Safe Mode in order to disable TwitterFox. It won’t even work well with the default theme: it runs FireFox correctly, but completely mangles my toolbars. I contacted the developer about the issue, and he says he’s working on it, but it seems to me it should be a top priority issue. Keep in mind that the add-on does work with FireFox 2 perfectly, so if you’re still using it, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you’ll just have to bear it until the bug gets fixed. FireFox 3 Portable (default theme) doesn’t mangle my toolbars while running TwitterFox, so I’ve been using that quite a bit lately. It boots up rather slowly though, so I don’t use it when pressed for time. For the curious, here’s the web site for the add-on. Anyway, that’s just my rant for the day. Comment back on which themes you find do work with TwitterFox!
-John
2 Comments | Experience, Random | Tagged: add-on, browser, FireFox, firefox 2, firefox 3, firefox add-on, internet, Mozilla, mozilla firefox, nintendo, technology, twitter, twitterfox, web, web browser, zelda | Permalink
Posted by John
August 19, 2008
In just 10 days, Charging Complete has gone from 5,000 views to 10,000 hits! Sometime late Monday, August 18th, Charging Complete was viewed for the 10,000th time! Wow! Thanks for all the support!
-John
No Comments » | Around the Blog, News | Tagged: 000, 10, 10000, august, blog, blogger, blogging, bloggisphere, charging complete, technology, tecnologia | Permalink
Posted by John
