GeekwithEnvy

Richard Vincenti Jr

Microsoft Acting More Like Apple

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It’s been a crazy week for the world of computer technology. With new hardware and software making it’s debut and keynotes to present it all to the masses but as the madness continues, I can’t help but notice that Microsoft seems to be taking industry cues from other big players like Apple.Microsoft Logo

Microsoft just isn’t the trendsetter here anymore and the proof is in the products that the software giant has recently released. Microsoft is now deep into the hardware game and it’s not just gaming consoles or mp3 players anymore, were talking about a PC with the Microsoft logo on it. The comparison to Apple is obvious, but not just because of the hardware itself but also because of the way they describe it. In a recent video released form Microsoft, (shown at the bottom of this page) you can begin to feel the Apple vibe right away.

Windows 8 features a store much like the App Store in OSX. The UI is completely different from the App Store but the idea is the same. The app based system simplifies the way a user finds, downloads, installs and removes applications. This new store also sandboxes applications which can have the potential to create a more secure OS. It’s a system we have all become accustomed to using and we should feel right at home using it in Windows 8, but why? It’s because we seen this before, on Apple devices.

Having an operating system that works on virtually any modern computer is pretty awesome but you can’t deny the fact that that user experience can vary greatly from system to system. With Microsoft creating it’s own tablet, it has absolute control over the experience the user has with the device, this is the mentality Apple has continued stand by year after year, and Microsoft seems to be adopting it. I would love to see what a Microsoft desktop or laptop would look like and I wonder what effect it would have on the industry. Could you imagine if HP or Dell made it’s own operating system? Would they be Linux Based? Interesting food for thought.

When I say that Microsoft is acting more like Apple I don’t mean that they are sitting around copying them, I mean that it’s clear that Apple has become the major trendsetter for the industry. The hardware and software that Apple has created over the last decade has changed what we think a PC experience should look and feel like. I am excited to see Microsoft embrace these new ideas because it’s something that I think most of us want and it sends a message to the world that Microsoft is here to compete.



Weather Underground

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Are you a weather geek? If you are, chances are you may know about weather underground, but if you don’t your missing out on a great community of fellow weather enthusiasts.wunderground logo

Weather Underground gets its weather data from over 22,000+ personal weather stations which as you can imagine creates some of the most accurate and local weather data you can get. I have been in some locations where a PWS has been within feet of my location. The best part about these Personal Weather Stations (PWS), is that you can become a part of the network. You only need to follow a few simple steps to launch your own PWS.

1. Purchase Weather Station Hardware
2. Placing Your Weather Station to Report Accurate Readings
3. Installation and Configuration of Software
4.Upload Your Data to Weather Underground

For more detailed information on this click here.

Weather Underground offers many maps and different forecasts for just about any of your weather needs including a very customizable live map dubbed the Wundermap, which allows you to adjust things like base reflectivity for radar and live storm cell tracking. Your customized weather page includes lots of information including the ability to change the weather station you get data from with some stations providing updates every few seconds.

Weather Underground also pulls data from other major sources including (ASOS) or Automated Surface Observation Systems which are located at over 2,000 airports and (MADIS) which is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Add all this together with local web-cams, an amazing photo gallery, weather blogs and videos and you have one of the most complete weather sources on the net. You can find Weather Underground at wunderground.com. You can also get the weather underground app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Hurricane Sandy Threatens East Coast

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As we move toward the beginning of the the week, hurricane Sandy appears to be on a path that will eventually lead the storm into parts of New Jersey and Long Island.

As we have seen over many years, most hurricanes in the Atlantic that are positioned off the East Coast over open ocean tend to steer away form the U.S. However, hurricane Sandy is predicted to do something quite rare and actually turn west towards the coast and eventually inland. This storm is powerful and the amount of energy this storm has built up is spread over a huge area. Hurricane Sandy has winds sustained at 75mph and  those hurricane force winds may reach up to 150 miles away from the storm’s center.

As we approach the middle of the week the storm is predicted to move deeper inland which will bring high winds and torrential rain as far west as Eastern Ohio and West Virginia.

Hurricane Sandy Rainfall
Hurricane Sandy Rainfall Prediction (source:NOAA)

Storm surge will be a risk factor for those along the East Coast including areas like Long Island Sound where a strong onshore flow may force water into the sound causing it to build up and produce flooding. As with any hurricane or depression that moves inland, we will likely see power outages, downed trees, and flooding across many states in the northeast.

You can view the projected track of Hurricane Sandy at Weather Underground.

Attack of the Show! and X-Play Canceled

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G4 announced earlier today that they are canceling both Attack of the Show! and X-Play. Here is the official message from G4.

“G4’s two longest-running and defining series, Attack of the Show! and X-Play, will be ending their run at the end of 2012. Both shows will include original episodes through the end of the year, and will look back at their most memorable moments as we lead up to their final episodes. A rotating lineup of guest co-hosts including John Barrowman, Michael Ian Black, Josh Myers, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel and Horatio Sanz will join AOTS hosts Candace Bailey and Sara Underwood, and X-Play hosts Morgan Webb and Blair Herter as part of the farewell shows.”AOTS_logo

“With well over a thousand episodes each, Attack of the Show! and X-Play have defined gamer culture for a generation, serving as the launch pad for prominent personalities including Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Chris Hardwick and Adam Sessler.

Attack of the Show! debuted March 28, 2005 and from the start was the ultimate guide to everything cool and new in the world of technology, web culture, gaming and pop culture. X-Play made its debut almost two years  earlier, on April 28, 2003 (on G4’s previous incarnation: TechTV), and immediately became the go-to destination for young men seeking the latest video game news, honest reviews, hands-on demos and exclusive video game trailers and footage. The year-end celebration will take you back through highlights of these landmark shows’ history, including its exclusive live-from-the-floor coverage of San Diego Comic-Con and E3.”

“Both long-running shows helped define, as well as expand, the pop culture and gaming TV experience for a generation. We hope you’ve had as much fun watching them as we have had making them, and sincerely hope you join us in bidding a fond farewell to Attack of the Show and X-Play’s as we look back over the next two months and head towards each series’ finale.”

Windows 8 to be Released at Midnight and Final Thoughts

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Well, the era of Windows 8 is nigh and at 12:01 AM across all time zones, we will finally get to see how the world reacts to one of biggest changes to Microsoft Windows in the history of the company.product_win8-startscreen_Web

I have mentioned before that I think that the new Windows OS will do just fine but it will take some time for people to get used to. Most people don’t like change, it makes them uncomfortable and in some cases a bit angry. Some people will continue to hold on to Windows 7 and never let go, and they have every right to, but I think that Microsoft is headed in the right direction, it’s time to let Windows evolve.

What’s kind of strange to think about is that this release of Windows actually lacks just that, windows. For the first time Windows will be released with a new UI that doesn’t have any “windows”. How weird is that? I suppose they could have really turned things upside down on us and named it Microsoft Tiles, but that just sounds wrong. All joking aside this is a big deal for Microsoft but is it a big gamble? Maybe it isn’t.

Just where would all of those Windows 8 haters go? Would they move to Linux or OSX? I would venture to guess that most of these “h8ters”, if I may so un-elegantly put it, would just end up using a previous version like Windows 7. So how does Microsoft lose here? In the worst case scenario Microsoft completely redesigns and rethinks their UI again and quickly pushes toward Windows 9. They have had their fair share of OS failures over the years and have recovered just fine i.e. (Windows ME, Vista). I understand that putting this much time and money into a product release with this much change is a big deal but I don’t think that a Windows 8 failure is enough to make the average Windows user jump ship.

Understanding what users want and need is crucial in a release like this and Microsoft has put in billions of hours into testing Windows 8 and hopefully we will see all that hard work payoff. Windows 8 offers everything a modern OS should and they have wrapped it up in an elegant design, but there are a few major changes in Microsoft’s mentality that are reflected in Windows 8.

One of the more notable changes besides overall UI design is the sandboxing of applications. Sandboxing apps can make your system a lot more secure and it’s something that Apple has been doing for years now with Mac OS. Many developers are divided about having their apps in a sandbox environment, again it’s a change and people don’t like change, including developers. From a user perspective having an ‘app store’ is convenient and it gives us an extra sense of security knowing that these apps needed to be approved before making it into the store. Personally, I don’t have an issue with anything that has the potential to make Windows more secure.

I will be spending with weekend with Windows 8 Pro and will be talking about my experience soon after. For now we wait and see if the world will accept the change that Microsoft has put in front of us.