Thursday, June 19, 2008
Mozilla Firefox 3 review part3
Overall, Mozilla has developed another fantastic version of the Firefox Web browser that tops all the rest, including thecompetition. They have included some really nice features that put it way on top over other browser, such as Internet Explorer.Mozilla has included many fixes, especially the memory usage bug, that make Firefox extremely robust and user-friendly. It isdefinitely a must-have download if you are a Firefox user or a user of another browser looking to make a switch to Firefox.
Mozilla Firefox 3 review part2
There's also a new feature called "Smart Bookmarks" which is a menu of a few folders located on the favorites bar. When you clickon the Smart Bookmarks button, you'll see a list of a pop-out menu with Most Visited and Recently Bookmarked. Each one displayseither your most visited sites or recently bookmarked sites for quick and easy access.
Firefox 3 also has a new password manager with a few tweaks from past versions. The most drastic change is the prompt when youused to log into a site. In past versions, when you have typed in user name and password login information and submit it, a littledialog box used to appear asking if you wanted to remember, never for this site, or not now. In Firefox 3, when you visit a sitewith a login field, a new toolbar appears with the same options.
As we mentioned before, previous versions of Firefox have had a very rough reputation with memory management. As the browserstayed open for long periods of time, it would start to consume massive amounts of memory and slow the computer down. However, thenew rendering engine, Gecko 1.9, fixes that issue and improves memory management drastically.
Firefox has always been a very secure browser and with the new version, Mozilla has taken it one-step further. There is a phishingfilter built-into Firefox 3 which helps to detect malicious sites posing as legitimate Web sites by using a blacklist compiled byGoogle and other security firms. In addition to that, there is a SSL verification system also that checks secure site's SSLcertificates for validity and tells you so via a red/green cop logo in the address bar.
Firefox 3 also has a new password manager with a few tweaks from past versions. The most drastic change is the prompt when youused to log into a site. In past versions, when you have typed in user name and password login information and submit it, a littledialog box used to appear asking if you wanted to remember, never for this site, or not now. In Firefox 3, when you visit a sitewith a login field, a new toolbar appears with the same options.
As we mentioned before, previous versions of Firefox have had a very rough reputation with memory management. As the browserstayed open for long periods of time, it would start to consume massive amounts of memory and slow the computer down. However, thenew rendering engine, Gecko 1.9, fixes that issue and improves memory management drastically.
Firefox has always been a very secure browser and with the new version, Mozilla has taken it one-step further. There is a phishingfilter built-into Firefox 3 which helps to detect malicious sites posing as legitimate Web sites by using a blacklist compiled byGoogle and other security firms. In addition to that, there is a SSL verification system also that checks secure site's SSLcertificates for validity and tells you so via a red/green cop logo in the address bar.
Mozilla Firefox 3 review part1
The Mozilla Foundation, the developers of the ever-popular Firefox Web browser, have just released the brand new version of thebrowser, Firefox 3, after three years of development. The new version is based on a new version of their Gecko code platform andit fixes over 11,000 issues with more than 2 million code changes from Firefox 2. Version 3 offers a whole new level of stabilityand security for Firefox because of the newly written code. Special attention has been paid to a few specific issues, such as thememory usage issues that have plagued all previous versions of Firefox.
When you install Firefox 3 on a computer with Firefox 2 already installed, you don't have to worry about losing any of yourpersonal settings and bookmarks because the installer will automatically import them all over to the new browser. The 7MBinstaller works amazingly well and installs quickly on most of today's modern systems.
When you first open the new browser, you'll immediately see a few changes to the user interface, but one will probably stick outthe most. The new "Location Bar" is where the traditional URL address bar is and it takes it to a whole new level. When you entera Web address or a few words into the location bar, Firefox will automatically suggest Web sites that you are either looking foror would be helpful alternatives to the site you are going to. For example, you can enter in a company name that you might notknow their Web address for and Firefox will automatically (and quickly) display below your query give you a few suggested sites,one of which will probably be for that company's Web site. Firefox looks through your history and bookmarks to find what you arelooking for. This saves time and few mouse clicks by skipping right over doing a search via a search engine because now you can doit all from Firefox 3's new location bar.
When you install Firefox 3 on a computer with Firefox 2 already installed, you don't have to worry about losing any of yourpersonal settings and bookmarks because the installer will automatically import them all over to the new browser. The 7MBinstaller works amazingly well and installs quickly on most of today's modern systems.
When you first open the new browser, you'll immediately see a few changes to the user interface, but one will probably stick outthe most. The new "Location Bar" is where the traditional URL address bar is and it takes it to a whole new level. When you entera Web address or a few words into the location bar, Firefox will automatically suggest Web sites that you are either looking foror would be helpful alternatives to the site you are going to. For example, you can enter in a company name that you might notknow their Web address for and Firefox will automatically (and quickly) display below your query give you a few suggested sites,one of which will probably be for that company's Web site. Firefox looks through your history and bookmarks to find what you arelooking for. This saves time and few mouse clicks by skipping right over doing a search via a search engine because now you can doit all from Firefox 3's new location bar.
FREE SMS Services With No Registration
I notice that in google "free sms with no registration" is a popular search term. Are you looking for a free SMS text service that doesn'trequire you to register? First, there are NONE. Second, Why?
Why you'll not Find a Free SMS service that doesn't require you to register:
Every SMS text message has a cost. It may be just a fraction of a rupee, but there is a cost to be paid by the company providing a free SMS service. The legitimate providers of freesms text recover that cost in a number of ways. All of which require the user to be registered and validated.
The most common method of covering the cost of allowing you to sending free sms text is having you agree to receive advertisingmessages. They may also limit the number of messages you can send each day and/or require that both you and the intended recipientregister with their service.I'm of the opinion that all of these are acceptable terms.
Now back to my second question. Why? Why would anyone specifically look for a free SMS text service that doesn't require you toregister?
Am I missing something? I can think only one legitimate reason and that is that the individual simply doesn't want to receivemarketing messages often sent as a condition of providing the service.
That aside, I can only think of slightly sinister reasons for wanting a free sms service that doesn't require registration, andthey're all founded on anonymity. The ability to send a text message with no absolutely no record of the sender being kept, otherthan the IP address of the PC used to access the free sms service.
Planning on becoming an SMS text bully on the cheap? Plotting a terrorist attack? I've gone from one extreme to another there, butyou get the idea. No good can come of a free sms service that doesn't require registration.
Unless you can think of something I've missed or you are into alert automation through sms.
Why you'll not Find a Free SMS service that doesn't require you to register:
Every SMS text message has a cost. It may be just a fraction of a rupee, but there is a cost to be paid by the company providing a free SMS service. The legitimate providers of freesms text recover that cost in a number of ways. All of which require the user to be registered and validated.
The most common method of covering the cost of allowing you to sending free sms text is having you agree to receive advertisingmessages. They may also limit the number of messages you can send each day and/or require that both you and the intended recipientregister with their service.I'm of the opinion that all of these are acceptable terms.
Now back to my second question. Why? Why would anyone specifically look for a free SMS text service that doesn't require you toregister?
Am I missing something? I can think only one legitimate reason and that is that the individual simply doesn't want to receivemarketing messages often sent as a condition of providing the service.
That aside, I can only think of slightly sinister reasons for wanting a free sms service that doesn't require registration, andthey're all founded on anonymity. The ability to send a text message with no absolutely no record of the sender being kept, otherthan the IP address of the PC used to access the free sms service.
Planning on becoming an SMS text bully on the cheap? Plotting a terrorist attack? I've gone from one extreme to another there, butyou get the idea. No good can come of a free sms service that doesn't require registration.
Unless you can think of something I've missed or you are into alert automation through sms.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Canon Powershot A650 IS
I bought A CANON Powershot A650 as a gift for my dad last month. I tried out the camera for a full week. Then I thought Let me share the imfo I found out about that piece of art.
The Canon Powershot A650 IS is a 12 megapixel digital camera with a 6x optical zoom lens. It includes a number of more advanced features such as manual exposure controls and manual focusing. Image stabilisation has also been added to the Powershot A650 IS. One feature I really like is an LCD screen that you can pull out and twist round. This is great for awkward shooting positions and you can also move the screen away from the sun. This is also one of the few digital cameras with a viewfinder. To increase the flexibility of the lens you can buy a series of conversion lenses for the Powershot A650 IS.
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom): Found it hard to cope with the glare from the sun.Taken on a bright day there is still a degree of strength in the sun and the fact that the sun is a bit lower in the skycreates the problem. The Canon Powershot A650 IS does quite a good job of handling the glare without being perfect. This leads toa loss of detail where the sun strikes the target.
There is plenty of good news though. Sharpness levels are clearly better than I am used to seeing. Colours are more or less spoton. A common problem I am used to seeing is the blue lines taking on a strong purple tinge. The A650 IS is able tocompletely overcome this problem.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom) :Top quality. With the lens zoomed all the way out many camera struggle to focus and also find itdifficult to correctly expose darker areas . The Powershot A650 IS has no such problems and manages to take one ofthe better wide angle shots I have seen.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom) :The sharpness and definition the Powershot A650 IS manages to produces when the lens is fully zoomed inare excellent. With other brands it often tends to lose sharpness towards the edges. That is not a problem with thiscamera and I am very impressed with the result. My only disappointment is that I would like to have seen a bit more colour in thesky.
Outdoor Portrait: I used the face recognition setting for all of my portrait photos. For the outdoor one I also set white balance tocloudy. The sharpness and detail in this photo are some way above average. I also like the skin tones and colours in general.
Indoor Portrait : setting works very well for me. The Powershot A650 IS manages to produce a very sharp photo. Despite using theflash, colours are not washed away and the lighting is good as well. The original photo showed a small amount of red eye. Thisgave me the chance to test out the red eye correction tool. It worked a treat and is also easy to use.
Lowlight :Rather than using flash for indoor portrait some people prefer the camera to make the most of the light that isavailable. Without using flash my test result has a pink tinge and is a bit darker than I would like to see. The lighting used isnot perfect, but I think in most indoor situations you are likely to be best off using flash.
Colours :Apart from when the zoom lens is fully extended there are no problems colour wise. The colours are punchy and wellbalanced. These are fairly close to my own personal ideal.
Macro :When it comes to clarity it is difficult to beat this range of Canon cameras for close up shots. The Powershot A650 ISproduces one of the very best.
ISO 400 :At higher ISO settings this camera shows an improvement over previous Canon cameras I have seen. In fact at ISO 400 thephoto is quite good with only low levels of noise showing.
ISO 1600 :At ISO 1600 there is a clear loss of detail as noise becomes a more major issue.
Overall :Overall these are an excellent set of photos. I have few complaints and the Canon Powershot range still manage to bejust about the best around.
Shutter Lag: I was able to take a single photo in 0.38 seconds and five photos in 12.34 seconds. Although not desperately slow it would be good to see faster times. With the flash on a single photo took 1.10 seconds and five photos took 19.66 seconds. Again I would like to have seen these times beaten.
Style: The Powershot A650 IS is built along the lines of a mini SLR camera. It has a grip on the front to hold it steady and in my view is a good choice for someone with larger hands. Dimensions: 112.1 x 67.8 x 56.2 mm
Weight: 300g
Batteries: Four AA batteries are required. Canon estimate that a standard set of alkaline batteries should be good for around 300 photos.
Memory cards: A 32mb SD card is supplied as standard. I was able to take seven photos before the memory card was full. The camera is also compatible with SDHC cards.I got a 1GB card free also.
Ease of use rating: Average. With all the features the camera has it is not as simple as a more basic point and shoot. Time spent getting to know the camera will be worth it in the longer term.
Points I like: Picture quality - viewfinder - flip out and twist LCD screen - red eye correction tool Where it could improve:Skies can lose colour when the lens is zoomed in.
Verdict: The Canon Powershot A650 IS is a very smart digital camera. It has a good selection of features and picture quality is among the best you will find from a consumer, compact digital camera. I have really struggled to come up with any negative points about the camera. You will also find the build quality of the camera a step up from most other Powershot models.
The Canon Powershot A650 IS is a 12 megapixel digital camera with a 6x optical zoom lens. It includes a number of more advanced features such as manual exposure controls and manual focusing. Image stabilisation has also been added to the Powershot A650 IS. One feature I really like is an LCD screen that you can pull out and twist round. This is great for awkward shooting positions and you can also move the screen away from the sun. This is also one of the few digital cameras with a viewfinder. To increase the flexibility of the lens you can buy a series of conversion lenses for the Powershot A650 IS.
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom): Found it hard to cope with the glare from the sun.Taken on a bright day there is still a degree of strength in the sun and the fact that the sun is a bit lower in the skycreates the problem. The Canon Powershot A650 IS does quite a good job of handling the glare without being perfect. This leads toa loss of detail where the sun strikes the target.
There is plenty of good news though. Sharpness levels are clearly better than I am used to seeing. Colours are more or less spoton. A common problem I am used to seeing is the blue lines taking on a strong purple tinge. The A650 IS is able tocompletely overcome this problem.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom) :Top quality. With the lens zoomed all the way out many camera struggle to focus and also find itdifficult to correctly expose darker areas . The Powershot A650 IS has no such problems and manages to take one ofthe better wide angle shots I have seen.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom) :The sharpness and definition the Powershot A650 IS manages to produces when the lens is fully zoomed inare excellent. With other brands it often tends to lose sharpness towards the edges. That is not a problem with thiscamera and I am very impressed with the result. My only disappointment is that I would like to have seen a bit more colour in thesky.
Outdoor Portrait: I used the face recognition setting for all of my portrait photos. For the outdoor one I also set white balance tocloudy. The sharpness and detail in this photo are some way above average. I also like the skin tones and colours in general.
Indoor Portrait : setting works very well for me. The Powershot A650 IS manages to produce a very sharp photo. Despite using theflash, colours are not washed away and the lighting is good as well. The original photo showed a small amount of red eye. Thisgave me the chance to test out the red eye correction tool. It worked a treat and is also easy to use.
Lowlight :Rather than using flash for indoor portrait some people prefer the camera to make the most of the light that isavailable. Without using flash my test result has a pink tinge and is a bit darker than I would like to see. The lighting used isnot perfect, but I think in most indoor situations you are likely to be best off using flash.
Colours :Apart from when the zoom lens is fully extended there are no problems colour wise. The colours are punchy and wellbalanced. These are fairly close to my own personal ideal.
Macro :When it comes to clarity it is difficult to beat this range of Canon cameras for close up shots. The Powershot A650 ISproduces one of the very best.
ISO 400 :At higher ISO settings this camera shows an improvement over previous Canon cameras I have seen. In fact at ISO 400 thephoto is quite good with only low levels of noise showing.
ISO 1600 :At ISO 1600 there is a clear loss of detail as noise becomes a more major issue.
Overall :Overall these are an excellent set of photos. I have few complaints and the Canon Powershot range still manage to bejust about the best around.
Shutter Lag: I was able to take a single photo in 0.38 seconds and five photos in 12.34 seconds. Although not desperately slow it would be good to see faster times. With the flash on a single photo took 1.10 seconds and five photos took 19.66 seconds. Again I would like to have seen these times beaten.
Style: The Powershot A650 IS is built along the lines of a mini SLR camera. It has a grip on the front to hold it steady and in my view is a good choice for someone with larger hands. Dimensions: 112.1 x 67.8 x 56.2 mm
Weight: 300g
Batteries: Four AA batteries are required. Canon estimate that a standard set of alkaline batteries should be good for around 300 photos.
Memory cards: A 32mb SD card is supplied as standard. I was able to take seven photos before the memory card was full. The camera is also compatible with SDHC cards.I got a 1GB card free also.
Ease of use rating: Average. With all the features the camera has it is not as simple as a more basic point and shoot. Time spent getting to know the camera will be worth it in the longer term.
Points I like: Picture quality - viewfinder - flip out and twist LCD screen - red eye correction tool Where it could improve:Skies can lose colour when the lens is zoomed in.
Verdict: The Canon Powershot A650 IS is a very smart digital camera. It has a good selection of features and picture quality is among the best you will find from a consumer, compact digital camera. I have really struggled to come up with any negative points about the camera. You will also find the build quality of the camera a step up from most other Powershot models.
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