Archive for the 'Mac' Category

Do You Know What The File Extensions Mean?

Published on October 1, 2008 in internet, Linux, Mac, Microsoft, tech blog, technology, tools and web sites. 2 Comments

Did you know that at one point, Microsoft restricted the file extension to just three characters? What that means is, files like .torrent stood no chance of running on a MS OS like Windows. This has changed since, and thanks to sites like www.file-extension.com, we can now track the progress and purpose of even the lesser know file extensions.

A precise outline of the nature and function of file extensions is not as simple as one would image, with over 40 years of developments and competing influences of Mac, Windows/Dos, and Unix-like operating systems, file systems and metadata formats are now harder to recognize and in some instances trust.

Three of the most popular type of files downloaded frequently online are probably the file extension MP3, GZ files and Zip. My personal favorite is the versatile MP3s, which are commonly used to encode audio with an intentionally simple algorithm specifically designed to maximize compression whilst still reproducing an audio track that sounds faithful to the original. Not only are these files versatile, they can be played with most all audio players.

Back to the File Extension site, I found that neither UNIX nor Mac operating systems used file extensions when they started rolling out. Instead each had their own file systems, with different conventions for storing metadata, which thankfully has changed over time. If you think you have see it all, check the site and you will realize that there are thousands of extensions you have used and many we will never. And when you do run into questions, you can count on file-extension.com to help you out.

iPhone is the I, I, I, me, me, me Phone

Published on December 4, 2007 in Apple, Blackberry 8820, bluetooth, iPhone, iPhone mania, Mac, mobile phones, mobile web browsing, Motorola Q9h, multitouch, Palm Treo 755p, smartphones, Symbian OS, Web 2.0 and Wi-Fi. 11 Comments

IphoneRevolutionizing the mobile browsing experience with iPhone is a far shot, but Steve Jobs has definitely provided the I, I, I, me, me, me, phone… a must-have for the wannabes.

I wouldn’t deny that the iPhone looks great, but if you want a phone to use more than flaunt, here are some cool iPhone alternatives:

BlackBerry 8820 with push email, built-in GPS receiver, multimedia player, expandable memory, Bluetooth, voice-activated dialing, and integrated Wi-Fi for high-speed wireless connectivity.

Motorola Q 9h, with QWERTY keyboard, large with crisp display, “3G� or high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) connectivity for broadband-like high speeds for fast data transfers, streaming media and web browsing, video at 30 frames per second, expandable microSD memory cards and support for a variety of music formats (including Advanced Audio Coding, MP3 and Windows Media Audio), and Bluetooth.

Palm Treo 755p with wireless email, Web browsing, multimedia playback, and built-in support for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

Some may like a sleek multitouch iPhone, but those using a smartphone frequently for emailing and word processing would prefer a QWERTY keyboard.

In European countries, the mobile web usage is much higher mainly on account of the savings from mobile web usage, instead of using the computer. If the main reason to purchase a smartphone is cheaper internet access, then it’s likely that price will be a deciding factor to pick the smartphone itself.

According to current figures from Net Applications, the iPhone now holds a 0.09% browser market share, a 0.03% more than the market share of Windows CE. Does this mean anything without knowing the total number of mobile web browsers? My estimate is that it should be negligible.

Apple – Mac OS X Leopard Shows its Spots

Published on October 30, 2007 in AAPL, Apple, Leopard, Mac, mac os x, MacOsX, Microsoft, Vista, Windows Vista, wireless and wwdc 2007. 1 Comment

Apple Mac OS X Leopard

Apple (AAPL) announced that it had sold or delivered more than 2 million copies of OS X 10.5 in its first weekend, as compared to OS X Tiger which took nearly six weeks for the same. There is a lot of speculation that the launch of Leopard would be the most successful of all Apple OS releases.

Mac users are already rushing to Apple Inc.’s support forums to report degrading in their wireless connections. As of today, the company has not posted any support document addressing this problem or provided a fix.

There is no comparable data on records, but Microsoft is said to be licensed 20 million copies in its first month, 88 million copies of Vista in nine months. There is no doubting that the user base for Apple Computers is growing, but would it surpass the sales of Microsoft’s Vista? I doubt so.