Saturday, June 02, 2018
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Apple Mac OS vs. Microsoft Windows 10
"So you're trying to choose between a Windows PC or an Apple Mac. Or, maybe, you're just curious to see what a Mac can do better than a Windows PC.
Indeed, there are lots of things that a Mac computer from Apple can do better than a Windows PC. Oh, for sure, there are lots of good things about Windows PCs, when you put them up against a Mac. Right now, though, we're talking about reasons to buy a Mac over a PC. Come back soon, though, for an argument the other way.
Check out 10 reasons why you should by a Mac instead of a Windows PC:
1. Macs are easier to buy.
Apple
There are fewer models and configurations of Mac computers to choose from than there are Windows PCs - if only because only Apple makes Macs, and anyone can make a Windows PC.
Certain PC brands can have dozens of computers for sale, under the same (or similar) product names and model numbers. Unless you really know what to look for, picking a Windows PC can be daunting, especially if you're browsing on sites like Amazon.
But if you just want a good computer and don't want to do a ton of research, Apple makes it easier for you to pick. Just pick one that matches your budget and it'll do great for you.
2. Mac computers are easier to get repaired.
Business Insider
There are lots of places to bring a Windows PC to get repairs, but you mostly need to figure that out on your own: Different places have different prices, and you'll need to find one with a good reputation, too.
Meanwhile, nothing beats simply bringing a computer to the Apple Store, where the famous Genius Bar will take care of you. I'm speaking from my own experience, where I've had to bring both Windows PCs and Macs to get repaired, and it's always been easier to get my Macs repaired.
3. Apple macOS can be simpler to use, but that depends on personal preference.
Florence Fu/Tech Insider
Windows 10 is a fantastic operating system with tons of features and functionality, but it can be a little cluttered at times. Apple macOS, the operating system formerly known as Apple OS X, offers a comparatively clean and simple experience.
4. The Apple ecosystem.
Apple
The Apple ecosystem is hard to beat. Combined with a Mac, devices like the iPhone, AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePods, and Apple TV, offer some kind of useful integration that makes certain things seamless and easy. So far, no other company or ecosystem has come close to the easy and smooth integration between Apple's home-built devices.
5. Macs come with some great software for free.
The built-in software on Macs, like iMovie, Garage Band, and Image Capture, among others, is actually quite good and makes it easy work to edit videos, create music, or transfer photos from your camera. They're a lot better than anything I've found pre-loaded on Windows PCs.
6. You might not want these free apps, but they're nowhere near as offensive as the "bloatware" that comes with most Windows PCs.
Business Insider
Windows PCs are often pre-loaded with a ton of so-called bloatware. These can be third-party apps you don't want or need, and clutter up your system.
Even if you buy a fresh copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft, it'll come with apps and games like Candy Crush Saga, which devalues the look and feel of Windows - in my opinion, anyway. You can always remove that bloatware, but the fact that it's there in the first place leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
The pre-loaded software on Macs might not be everyone's choice, either, but at least it's less offensive.
7. New versions of macOS are always free.
Business Insider
Whenever Apple releases a new version of its operating system, it's freely available to download and install on any Mac that supports it.
Windows 10 gets free updates, too, on a twice-a-year schedule.
However, if you're using an older version of Windows, including the still-popular Windows 7, or the more recent Windows 8 or 8.1, you're going to have to pay $120 or so to get current on Windows 10.
While Microsoft did offer that upgrade for free for the first year or so after Windows 10 came out, that time is long over.
8. Most Mac laptops have beautiful displays.
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
Macs have beautiful "Retina" displays that are sharp and vibrant. Windows laptops can also come with great displays, some of which are even sharper or better overall, but you have to really hunt through the great many models available to find one with a sharp screen.
With that said, if nice displays is part of your list, avoid the cheaper, lighter MacBook Air laptop. It uses Apple's older displays, that are nowhere near as nice as the more recent Retina models.
9. Mac laptops have the best trackpads.
Apple
Few, if any, Windows laptops have mouse trackpads that are even close to the trackpads on Apple's laptops. Any MacBook has a responsive mouse trackpad that just feels right. Windows trackpads can be unreliable and occasionally uncomfortable to the touch.
10. You can run Windows on Macs if you want.
YouTube/Parallels
If you want all the benefits of a Mac, but you need Windows for certain situations, you can install Microsoft's operating system on your Mac. Meanwhile, you can't run macOS on anything other than a Mac computer from Apple.
You could always build your own "Hackintosh" out of available PC parts, but I wouldn't really advise it. You're limited in what parts you can use, and installing/updating macOS on a Hackintosh is a pain."
Apple Mac OS vs. Microsoft Windows 10
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Friday, May 25, 2018
Google will always do evil
"One day in late April or early May, Google removed the phrase "don't be evil" from its code of conduct. After 18 years as the company's motto, those three words and chunks of their accompanying corporate clauses were unceremoniously deleted from the record, save for a solitary, uncontextualized mention in the document's final sentence.
Google didn't advertise this change. In fact, the code of conduct states it was last updated April 5th. The "don't be evil" exorcism clearly took place well after that date.
Google has chosen to actively distance itself from the uncontroversial, totally accepted tenet of not being evil, and it's doing so in a shady (and therefore completely fitting) way. After nearly two decades of trying to live up to its motto, it looks like Google is ready to face reality.
In order for Google to be Google, it has to do evil."
'Google will always do evil
Amazon's Alexa recorded private conversation and sent it to random contact | Technology | The Guardian
I have caught this inadvertent turning on of Alexa many times when I am on the phone, however, I always say Alexa cancel. I have never heard it sending a message or attempting to send one to one of my contacts. It is obviously very possible if you do not hear Alexa interjecting into your conversation.
John H Armwood
"No matter how suspicious it has seemed that Amazon is encouraging us to put listening devices in every room of our homes, the company has always said that its Echo assistants are not listening in on or recording conversations. Over and over again, company spokespeople have promised that they only start recording if someone says the wake word: “Alexa”.
It’s a spiel Danielle, an Alexa user from Portland, Oregon, had believed. She’d installed Echo devices and smart bulbs in every room in her house, accepting Amazon’s claims that they were not invading her privacy. But today she asked the company to investigate after an Alexa device recorded a private conversation between her and her husband and sent it to a random number in their address book without their permission.
Danielle found out her Alexa was recording when she received an alarming call from one of her husband’s colleagues saying: “Unplug your Alexa devices right now, you’re being hacked.”
She told KIRO-TV in Seattle that at first she didn’t believe the co-worker, but then she said: “You sat there talking about hardwood floors.” Danielle realised the colleague must have heard everything.
“I felt invaded,” she told KIRO-TV. “A total privacy invasion. Immediately, I said, ‘I’m never plugging that device in again because I can’t trust it.’”
An Amazon customer service representative confirmed that Danielle’s audio had been sent to the number and apologised but didn’t provide any information about why the device had been activated. A spokesperson for the company said it had “determined this was an extremely rare occurrence”.
At 6pm ET on Thursday, an Amazon spokesperson provided an updated statement with an explanation for why they believe Alexa forwarded the conversation. They said:
“Echo woke up due to a word in background conversation sounding like ‘Alexa’. Then, the subsequent conversation was heard as a ‘send message’ request. At which point, Alexa said out loud ‘To whom?’ At which point, the background conversation was interpreted as a name in the customer’s contact list. Alexa then asked out loud, ‘[contact name], right?’ Alexa then interpreted background conversation as ‘right’.”
Recognising the improbability of this series of mishaps occuring, they added: “As unlikely as this string of events is, we are evaluating options to make this case even less likely.”
Although Amazon maintains this was a malfunction rather than proof Alexa is always listening, the company has filed patent applications in the past for functionalities that involve always listening, such as an algorithm that would analyse when people say they “love” or “bought” something. The patent included a diagram where two people have a phone conversation and were served afterwards with separate targeted advertisements."
Amazon's Alexa recorded private conversation and sent it to random contact | Technology | The Guardian
Thursday, May 24, 2018
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