How to make Netbooks not suck

By Paul Gill on Jul 29, 2010 at 6:04 AM

How to make Netbooks not suck

Netbooks have really been popular over the last couple of years, but just as many people have had grumbles about them too. Using Windows XP or 7 on these things aren't ideal with their small screens, and a lot of what using a netbook is seems defined by compromise. Atom processors, squinting at screens, file management...common headaches the netbook can bring to some. Google's Chrome OS has the possibility to be a real contender but it's heavily reliant on being connected all the time...and it’s not out yet.

If you're a netbook owner, this is a program you must check out, it's called Jolicloud. It's basically Linux, but without that feeling that you gotta sit down, customize and install all this trickery to get it to where you’d want it. Jolicloud has recently gone to official 1.0 release and it’s an impressive OS on a netbook.

Microsoft Office 2010 Tips Library

By AJ Vickery on Jul 28, 2010 at 2:23 PM

Microsoft Office 2010 Tips Library

Throughout the past few weeks, a number of blog entries and video segments were published on GetConnected for Microsoft Office 2010, introducing some of its new features. Most of these features ranged from revolutionary to mind-blowing, but all of them are just plain useful.

Hopefully we were able to give you a good idea of what you'll get with the new version of Microsoft Office, and you'll understand why we love it. But just in case you've missed any of them, we've put together an archive of these tips for you to access all in one place!

Office 2010

Word

Excel

iiView M1Touch: An iPad Alternative

By Leila Pejman on Jul 27, 2010 at 6:31 AM

Mike got his hands on an iiView M1Touch, another tablet computer on the marketplace, but this one has only been released in Asia (still confirming a launch date in North America). Is it an iPad alternative? Well, it definitely looks like a giant iPhone with an 11 inch screen, but I don't think Apple will be threatened by this new device. iiView is a Hong Kong company founded in 2006 by inventor and businessman Mr. Cyril Alonzo. 

The M1Touch runs on Windows 7 Premium and packs an Intel Atom N450 processor. Plus, this device has a 1.3 megapixel camera on its left bezel. You can get this tablet for as low as $499 USD for the 160 GB hard drive model with 1 GB of RAM and WiFi only. Or, splurge a little and get the 250GB hard drive model with 2GB RAM and WiFi for $699.

India Unveils $35 Touchscreen Tablet Computer

Think Apple's iPad is too pricey? Get a $35 prototype from India instead.

Today, India unveiled a touch screen tablet computer with a potential selling price of $35USD, which in perspective, could get you fourteen of these tablets for the price of one iPad. Once the government can find a manufacturer, the device will be in the market by 2011 and will become one of the world's cheapest innovations.

The Indian tablet computer runs on the Linux operating system and is solar powered. Instead of having internal storage, it stores data on a memory card. It supports word processing, web browsing, and video conferencing. Though not up to par with iPad standards, you can't really go wrong for $35USD. And to make things even better, the company plans to gradually drop the price down to $10USD.  

The search for a cheap tablet computer started when India rejected the idea of a $100 laptop for children in the developing world. In return, students and professors at India's technical universities developed the $35 tablet.

Keep connected with your colleagues when you're working on a document with Outlook 2010's new Conversation View.

Use Outlook 2010 to keep updated and in the loop with the new Social Connector feature. It will consolidate all of your social media networks into Outlook, making it easier to find all of your social media outlets.

OY! Hands Off That Mouse! Or Enjoy It In Mobile...

According to the Official YouTube Blog, things are really moving along in development on their end of things. In the last week, YouTube have released an updated mobile interface you can access by going to m.youtube.com on your mobile device. This new version of YouTube's mobile website comes with a much nicer layout, HQ toggle, and faster-loading videos.

I used to have issues with YouTube videos freezing halfway through on my iPhone all the time, and this new interface gets rid of that problem. Another plus: if a YouTube video is embedded in a mobile page it plays right from the page, saving you the whole reloading in the YouTube app nonsense. And yeah, despite a few niggles this is better than the YouTube app on iPhone and Android. The video quality in particular is a fair bit better over 3G and WiFi.

Use the new Slicers feature in Microsoft Excel 2010 to show exactly what you want and spend less time searching for your data.

New Features in Microsoft Word 2010

By AJ Vickery on Jul 10, 2010 at 7:14 AM

New Features in Microsoft Word 2010

Microsoft has released its highly anticipated Office 2010 and they have added some new features which will make creating your professional-quality documents fast and simple.

The familiar Ribbon design interface is back with some slight changes. Instead of the traditional file menu, Microsoft has come up with Office Backstage view, making printing, saving, sharing, and publishing easier. You can also customize the Ribbon to suit your personal taste, allowing you to quickly access the features you use the most.

Office 2010 also makes it easier to access and edit your documents from any computer with the help of Microsoft Office Web Apps. With these web apps, you don’t have to be on a computer with Office 2010 installed. You get the same Ribbon interface with the web apps all in your browser window.

Some of the new features available in Word 2010 include adding visual impact to your documents with new picture editing tools and the new SmartArt graphics feature. You can also use visual effects like shadow and bevel on your text to add a professional feel to your documents, and the insert screenshot feature can quickly incorporate visual illustrations to add to your work.

Make your reports easier to read at a glance with the new Sparklines feature in Microsoft Office 2010.