Thursday, December 5, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Reasons to avoiud purchasing smart watches
Now that tablets have been established to the mainstream, companies like Apple, Samsung or Google are already working on the next big thing: smartwatches. When I hear smartwatch I immediately think about the TV show Knight Rider and how Michael Knight communicated with his Car using a watch in the 80s.
Smartwatches are like smartphones, only smaller in size and wearable on the wrist just like any other watch. The prototypes that leaked all around on the Internet suggest that they are considerable larger than regular watches, likely because of the screen size that has to be adequate for users to read what is displayed on it.
A question that needs to come to mind is why you would want a smartwatch if you have already a smartphone with you at all times - or nearly, at the very least.
I can think of a couple of activities where this may make sense. If you like to jog and listen to music at the same time, you may prefer to use the lighter watch that you can wear more comfortably than the bulkier smartphone. The same goes for activities where you can't use a smartphone at all, say swimming. If smartphones are waterproof, you could use them for these activities as well, for instance to record the distance.
Pebble smartwatch
Last but not least, you may also be able to use smartphone and smartwatch in conjunction with each other. If you get a call, you may look at the watch to see who is calling for example without having to go through your bag or pockets to take out your phone.
Why I'm not interested in smartwatches
Smartwatches may make life easier for some uses. Controlling your music via your watch may save you a couple of seconds each time you do so, and seeing the caller ID or SMS right on the watch without having to get out your phone first may save you even more time.
I do not consider this essential or need to have though. Yes, it is nice if you can control music playback easier, or see how fast and far you have gone on your cycling trip in real-time, but those information are also readily available on your smartphone. You may not have access to it at all times though, but is there really a need for that?
The only thing that I really like about those watches is that they are waterproof to a degree. You can use the Pebble to swim for instance which can be useful to keep track of your progress in this regard.
There is something else that you need to consider. While watches run on battery traditionally, smartwatches require more power. The developers of the Pebble claim it will run for seven or more days, while Samsung's soon to be revealed Galaxy Gear smartwatch may only last for ten hours. This may not even get you through a whole work day or a day of trekking or other outdoor activities.
To sum it up:
- Smartwatches are bulky. Depending on how big your arms are, they may look out of place on the arm.
- Battery issues are a serious concern. One needs to wait for real-life independent tests though to find out how long these watches will last.
- Functionality-wise, there is not a lot that these watches bring to the table that smartphones do not. This includes being water-proof which can be interesting, and a faster way of accessing information and basic control over music that is more comfortable.
Closing Words
I do not need a smartwatch, not right now anyway. Once they get to holographic displays, I may be interested but that is probably not going to happen in the next couple of years.
Smartwatches, just like phones and tablets, will evolve in the coming years. The first waves may be bulky, do not provide a lot of functionality, or run out of battery quickly, but technology will improve over time and third or fourth generation smartwatches may have a larger appeal than first generation watches have right now to me.
I may be biased towards watches in general, as I have not used one for the last ten years or so except on special occasions.
I'd like to know what you think about smartwatches. Are you interested in getting one as soon as they become available? If you do, please explain what you plan to use the watch for. Maybe I have overlooked something that may make those watches interesting to me after all.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
How to Stop Your Yahoo Groups E-mail From Bouncing
How to Stop Your Yahoo Groups E-mail From Bouncing
First off, keep your account clear. ALL folders count towards the total allowed storage. This is especially important if you are going on vacation. If you go away, your e-mail box will fill up, and your local internet provider's mail server (machine that processes your e-mail) will start rejecting all your mail. If you are going on vacation, it's best to go to the YG web site, and set your subscription option to "Special Notice."
Occasionally when your e-mail account gets e-mail, it will say, "What do you think I am, an e-mail account?" Then it will dribble your new mail and "bounce" it back to where it came.
Of course, you may not know this. All you'll know is that you're not getting your mail.
If you're not getting mail from Yahoo Groups, one thing you can try is to check your "Bounce Status."
Here's how to do that.
1. In the url (address) window near the top of your computer screen, type in this address: http://groups.yahoo.com/
2. On the right side of your computer screen, choose the
link "Bounce history."
3. Now you should be on a page that shows your bounce status. If it says you're not bouncing, then that's not your mail problem. If your mail is bouncing with Yahoo Groups, there will be information on how many times it's bounced and why.
4. If your mail is bouncing, there should be a link or a "radio button" (rectangular grey button) that you can choose to reset the bouncing.
NOTE: In order for this solution to work, you must do one of two things. Either empty your e-mail in-box, and/or mark your mail as "read," using your e-mail program. E-mail often "bounces" because your e-mail "storage space" with your local internet service provider has filled up.
First off, keep your account clear. ALL folders count towards the total allowed storage. This is especially important if you are going on vacation. If you go away, your e-mail box will fill up, and your local internet provider's mail server (machine that processes your e-mail) will start rejecting all your mail. If you are going on vacation, it's best to go to the YG web site, and set your subscription option to "Special Notice."
Occasionally when your e-mail account gets e-mail, it will say, "What do you think I am, an e-mail account?" Then it will dribble your new mail and "bounce" it back to where it came.
Of course, you may not know this. All you'll know is that you're not getting your mail.
If you're not getting mail from Yahoo Groups, one thing you can try is to check your "Bounce Status."
Here's how to do that.
1. In the url (address) window near the top of your computer screen, type in this address: http://groups.yahoo.com/
2. On the right side of your computer screen, choose the
link "Bounce history."
3. Now you should be on a page that shows your bounce status. If it says you're not bouncing, then that's not your mail problem. If your mail is bouncing with Yahoo Groups, there will be information on how many times it's bounced and why.
4. If your mail is bouncing, there should be a link or a "radio button" (rectangular grey button) that you can choose to reset the bouncing.
NOTE: In order for this solution to work, you must do one of two things. Either empty your e-mail in-box, and/or mark your mail as "read," using your e-mail program. E-mail often "bounces" because your e-mail "storage space" with your local internet service provider has filled up.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Sexy Chromecast trick: It can play video files from any computer
Sexy Chromecast trick: It can play video files from any computer
Forget streaming from Netflix and all that jazz. Chromecast can play back MP4 files (and other formats) from your PC or Mac like a champ.
An image of a MP4 being played back through Google Chrome and Chromecast.
(Credit: Droid Life)
Google's Chromecast turns me on, but it doesn't really compel me as I've got several streaming solutions in my home. At least, that's what I thought until I read Thursday that Chromecast can play video files on any computer connected to the streaming dongle.
This is huge news for those who thought Chromecast is just another glorified streamer.
As pointed out by Droid Life, a Chromecast can play back local video files hosted on a computer running Google Chrome with theChromecast extension installed.
To access files hosted on the computer and play them on a Chromecast-enabled TV, a Chrome user simply needs to access their file directory by hitting Ctrl+O (or Command+O on a Mac) and select the desired video file. Voila! Playback. You can also just drag and drop the video into the Chrome Web browser.
If you happen to notice choppiness during streaming, it may be due to your router not having enough transmission speed to stream effectively -- 802.11n routers seem to work best, according to several comments I've seen.
Astute Chromecast users have already figured out that the Chromecast can stream AVI, MPEG, and MP4 video files from their computers, but it appears MKV files only play video, with no audio. Despite that setback, this newly discovered functionality could enhance the appeal of the $35 device. Does this unannounced feature make Chromecast more attractive to you?
For more, check out July 29th's Top Shelf: the Droid days of summer
Google Chromecast review
Google takes on AirPlay and finally puts a browser on your TV
It’s
surprisingly difficult to put a web browser on TV. It’s difficult for
regular people — the best option is often just plugging in a laptop —
and it’s been ridiculously difficult for the tech industry in general.
From interface problems to weird remotes to clunky performance, attempts
to put the web on TV have all met with failure of one kind or another.
Google in particular learned a hard lesson with its Google TV platform,
which crashed and burned so spectacularly when it launched in 2010 that
hardware partner Logitech nearly went out of business.
But now Google’s back with the Chromecast,
a far simpler way of getting the web on your TV. The Chromecast is a
$35 HDMI dongle that basically competes with Apple’s AirPlay system:
when you use supported services like YouTube and Netflix on your phone,
tablet, or computer, hitting the new Cast button sends the video to your
TV. You can also send entire tabs from the Chrome browser on Macs and
PCs, which means you can basically put any site or service on TV with
just the click of a button. That opens up an entire world of content for
your TV — far more than any other service can offer on its own.
It’s all very promising,
especially for the price — there was such a rush to buy the Chromecast
after it was announced last week that Google had to cancel a three-month
Netflix promotion. And after a few days of testing, it seems like the
Chromecast might actually deliver on all that potential, but Google
still has a lot of work to do.
For more, check out July 29th's Top Shelf: the Droid days of summer
Getting started
There's not much to say about
the Chromecast itself aside from the fact that it provides a legitimate
reason to say the word "dongle," which is great fun. The whole thing is a
little under 3 inches long, and it'll stick out about 2.5 inches when
plugged into an HDMI port. That can lead to some problems if you bump
into it or otherwise jostle it around — I bent the HDMI connector on one
of my Chromecasts within minutes of plugging it in. (It still works,
but it wasn't exactly reassuring.) There's a short HDMI extension cable
in the box to provide extra clearance if you can't fit the Chromecast
against the back of your TV, but you might need something longer
depending on your setup, as the extension really just makes everything
stick out more. Out of the box, this dongle don't dangle.
This dongle don't dangle
On the back there's an LED, a
button, and a Micro USB port, which is how the Chromecast gets power.
Yes, power — Google actually recommends that you use the included
external power adapter to plug the Chromecast into the wall. I suspect
that's so the Chromecast stays on even when the TV is off, allowing it
to turn on the TV and switch inputs using HDMI control if your TV
supports it. You can also plug the Chromecast into your TV's USB port if
it has one, but on my Samsung office TV those ports turn off when the
TV does, shutting down the Chromecast as well. If you have a newer TV
with HDMI 1.4 ports, you might find they can power the Chromecast
directly, although Google isn't clear about how officially supported
that is.
It's all a little more cable
clutter than I expected, but it's not the end of the world. Just don't
expect to toss the Chromecast in your bag and go — you'll need external
power for most TVs you find out in the world.
Once you've got the Chromecast
plugged in and powered, the next step is getting it on your Wi-Fi
network, which is easy: you download the setup app for Mac, PC, or
Android, and it prompts you to choose your network and type in your
password. (Only 2.4GHz networks are supported, which is a little bit of a
bummer.) After that, you give your Chromecast a name, install the
Google Cast Chrome extension on your computer, and you're all done.
There's nothing else you need to configure or interact with the
Chromecast itself — all the action moves to apps and your computer.
Casting about for fun and profit
The Chromecast is basically a
small Android computer that can connect to the internet and play video
files. When you hit the Cast button in a supported app, the Chromecast
directly connects to the internet and streams the video itself — it's
not streaming from your device. (Apple's AirPlay also works like this in some cases, but it can also stream audio and video directly from iPhones, iPads, and iTunes on the Mac and PC.)
The only apps that support the
Chromecast out of the box are YouTube, Netflix, and Google's various
Play media apps. Using them is simple: you just find whatever you want
to watch, hit the Cast button, and the Chromecast takes over while your
device becomes a remote. And since the Chromecast is connecting directly
you can switch apps, open new tabs, and even turn things off without
interrupting playback. It's all very flexible, and when it works, it's
super smooth. Netflix knows when it's playing through the Chromecast,
and opening any Netflix app connected to your account allows you to
control the video. And it all works everywhere: iOS, Mac, and Windows
included. I quickly flipped back and forth between platforms while
watching Arrested Development, and everything worked fairly well,
although I did manage to get the Netflix iPhone app confused about what
was playing a few times.
Chromecast streams from the internet, not your device
All that flexibility can lead
to some confusion. Since there's no single, definitive place to control
the Chromecast, it's easy to find yourself watching a video without any
immediate way to pause, rewind, or mute — you have to remember where the
video came from and open that app. It's not a big problem, but it's
added complexity. Google really needs to add basic playback controls
like play, pause, and mute to the Chromecast setup app. Google also
desperately needs to add in some basic password controls; right now
anyone walking by can grab control of your Chromecast and send video to
it. That makes it super easy to use, but also opens up a world of
elaborate trolling.
That's it for app support.
Unlike AirPlay, which is built into the system video player on iOS and
integrated into OS X, Chromecast requires app developers to add support
to every app individually. That's going to take time and some intense
lobbying from Google. Pandora support is coming, but unless you're a
heavy Google Play user, right now the Chromecast's entire app story is
Netflix and YouTube.
But let's be honest: you're
not buying a Chromecast for Netflix and YouTube, services that are
basically everywhere. (There are probably toasters that run Netflix at
this point.) What $35 really buys you is the simplest possible way to
send tabs from Chrome to your TV screen, and it works. It works really
well, in fact; if you can see it in Chrome, you can get it on your TV,
with only a few exceptions.
Anything from your browser to your TV, with the touch of a button
Netflix and YouTube have dedicated Chromecast buttons, but full-screen Flash video works just fine everywhere else: I tested The Verge's
video player, Vimeo, ESPN, Hulu, and a few others, and hitting the
full-screen button blew up the video to fill the entire TV screen. Music
services like Pandora, Spotify, and Rdio all worked fine as well. You
can also drag files from your desktop into Chrome and they'll play as
well, as long as Chrome supports them natively. (Video in .mp4 format
and .mp3 audio files work great.) The only real incompatibility is with
Apple's QuickTime — you'll see the video on your TV just fine, but the
audio will still come out of your computer. That means Apple's movie
trailer site doesn't work, and .mov files you drag into Chrome won't
either.
Once I had the ability to
throw anything in my browser onto a TV with the press of a button, I
found myself doing it all the time, for seemingly no reason. Having a
button in YouTube that lets you play a video on a TV is particularly
great; I use AirPlay in the iOS YouTube app all the time, but search and
discovery is still so much better on a laptop that it makes for a whole
different experience. Same with The Verge's video hub
— I spent a few hours catching up on everything we made in the past
week while writing this review and going through my email, and having
control of everything from my laptop was far better than my usual system
of having an iPad next to me just for streaming video over AirPlay.
It's kind of like using your TV as a gigantic second monitor.
This
is all definitely for lean-back consumption only, and you shouldn't
expect to use the TV as your main screen, even though there's an
"experimental" setting that lets you share your entire screen and not
just a single tab. The mouse cursor isn't displayed, and there's a very
noticeable delay between what happens on your computer and what happens
on the TV. Everything is captured and streamed at a maximum resolution
of 720p; you can choose a higher bitrate if you have the bandwidth or
step down to 480p if your network is slow. You can also select "Audio
Mode" in the Chromecast browser menu to lower the video frame-rate and
bandwidth usage if you're listening to a music service. It's kind of
weird — Audio Mode should probably just black out the video entirely.
Google says the tab casting
feature is in beta, and it shows. Even at the highest quality video
playback isn't perfectly smooth, and there are some glitches here and
there. You'll also need a decently powerful machine: performance on my
older Samsung Series 5 Chromebook
was so terrible it was unusable, and I occasionally got performance
warnings on my Core i7 MacBook Pro as well. But for the most part it
works, and it works well enough to use regularly. I use a utility called
AirParrot to send app windows to my Apple TV over AirPlay all the time,
and Chromecast definitely works just as well — the improved AirPlay
support coming in OS X Mavericks will probably be better than either
solution, but for right now it's a wash. And if you're a Windows user,
it's by far your best option.
Wrap-up
Google Chromecast
Good Stuff
- Inexpensive and simple
- Supported apps work well
- Chrome tab casting is very useful
Bad Stuff
- App support limited to Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play
- Tab casting video drops frames
- No central playback controls
Not much of an AirPlay competitor, but a great wireless display for Chrome
The
Chromecast is basically an impulse purchase that just happens to be the
simplest, cheapest, and best solution for getting a browser window on
your TV. Everything else, including the potential for app support, is
secondary — Google has a lot of work to do catching up to Apple and
AirPlay on that front, and those deals aren’t easy. It took Apple years
to get HBO to add AirPlay support to HBO Go on the iPad, for example.
History suggests that counting on Google to convince content companies
to add Chromecast support to their apps is a foolish bet. And if all you
want is Netflix, spend $50 on a Roku — it’s better all the way around.
But if you’re the type who
routinely watches things on a laptop and just wants an easier, cleaner
way to get those things on a TV, the Chromecast is a no-brainer. Think
of it as a wireless display cable for your laptop and you’ll get the
potential immediately — there’s a reason all these companies have been
trying to put a browser on TV for the past 15 years. I have no idea if
Google can build the Chromecast ecosystem into something rivals AirPlay,
but for $35 I’ll be too busy sending tabs from Chrome to really even
care.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Power Searching with Google Quick Reference How Search
Power Searching with Google Quick Reference
How Search Works: Google looks for the word you
typed in, but sometimes also looks for synonyms or
related terms. Any words appearing in boldface type in
your search results are terms Google associates with
your search terms.
Ads appear in response to some queries and are
always labeled ads.
Aside from ads, website owners cannot pay to
influence the placement of their website in the search
results.
Color filtering: Use color filtering within image
search. Click on the appropriate colored box in the left
panel (does not work on iPad and Android tablets).
Use image search when it appears in search results,
and use related image search to refine results.
Choose effective keywords: Remember to think
about the words you think will be in your desired
results page. Determine the most important words in
your search as well as potential synonyms.
Word order matters. Small words (a, the) matter,
like when they distinguish between two similar entities.
Punctuation that matters: $, #, and + (when used as
C++, Google+)
Punctuation that Google ignores: ¶, £, €, ©, ®, ÷,
§, %, (), @, ?, !
Quotes: Use quotes to search for a phrase.
Quotes glue words together; there can be additional
words before or after the phrase, but the phrase will
always stay together in the results.
Information panels: Information about certain topics
(e.g. landmarks, famous people, movies, chemical
elements) appears directly on the search results page
(top box on right-hand side).
Left panel: Here, you can filter results by different
categories (blogs, discussions, recipes, patents,
books, 3D models, scholarly sources, and legal
documents).
The left panel does not appear on tablet computers
(iPads and Android devices).
Find text on a page:
Windows computers: Press the Control and F keys at
the same time.
Apple computers: Press the command and F keys at
the same time.
Android tablets: In a browser window, touch the menu
button in the top right of the screen, then select “find
on page.”
Safari on iPad tablets: Click the cursor in the search
box in the upper right corner of the screen. Directly
above the keyboard, a “find on page” box will open.
Translate: Translate words, sentences, and pages by
using http://translate.google.com/
Foreign language search: Search in foreign
languages using English by clicking “More search
tools” on the left panel of your results page, then
select “Translated foreign pages.” This feature
chooses the best language in which to search and
delivers results translated back into English.
site: Return results from the specified site only; use
also within images and news results.
[site:edu] or [site:.edu]
[site:ucla.edu]
[Jefferson site:archives.gov] or
[site:archives.gov jefferson].
filetype: return files of the extension you specify.
NO space between filetype, the colon, and the
extension.
[filetype:txt] or [filetype:.txt]
other types: swf, xlsx, pdf, gif
List of file types Google indexes: http://
support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?
hl=en&answer=35287
minus (-): Eliminate irrelevant results.
There must be a space before the minus sign.
There must not be a space between the minus sign
and the word you want to eliminate.
Example: [tesla -coil]
plus (+): Does not mean “and,” nor does it force
inclusion of a word. Google can search for certain plus
signs after a word (e.x., C++ and Google+). A plus
sign before a search term, used as an operator, looks
for a Google+ Page by that name.
define: Identify the meaning of words. Example:
[define yarnbombing]
Also: Click on Search Tools in the left panel, then
Dictionary to define words that do not appear in
traditional dictionaries.
OR: Use OR to include more than one way of
expressing an idea.
Search by image: Visit images.google.com, or
any Images results page, and click the camera
icon in the search box. Enter an image URL
for an image hosted on the web or upload
an image from your computer. See: http://
support.google.com/images/bin/answer.py?
hl=en&p=searchbyimagepage&answer=1325808
Search by Image is supported on these browsers:
Chrome, Firefox 3.0+, Internet Explorer 8+, and Safari
5.0+. To Search by Image on an Android device,
use an app like Google Goggles to take a photo of
an object or image. Search by Image is not currently
supported on tablet browsers.
Shortcuts (search features):
Google search features include weather, time, flight
numbers, earthquakes, world capitals, sunrise/
sunset times, movies, stock quotes, sports scores,
package tracking numbers, medical conditions, and
medications. Check out the full list of search features.
These search features are available on cell phone,
iPad, or anywhere Google is available (like on your
phone while you are cooking in the kitchen).
Time/Date range: Limit results to sources published
during a specific time period by clicking on Search
Tools in the left panel, then selecting the appropriate
time range.
Time filters are available in Web Search, Books,
Images, News, Videos, Blogs, Discussions, and
Patents.
This feature is not available on tablet browsers.
Math and Calculations:
Enter any math equation into the search box, and
Google will calculate your answer.
Verify the credibility of information you find on the
web. Just do one more search.
Avoid confirmation bias when conducting searches.
To verify the source of a piece of information, use the
precise information you have.
To confirm a fact, use a generic description for what
you seek.
Example: [average length octopus] will give you
information about how long an octopus is. [18 inch
long octopus] will give you sources with examples of
octopuses of that length.
Search appropriate sources that offer authoritative
information for the type of information you are trying
to find.
WHOIS: query to identify the owner of a website.
The US Chamber of Commerce operates the WHOIS
search available at http://www.internic.net/whois.html;
alternative WHOIS registries also exist.
If you see a second company listed as a contact
on the WHOIS page, then a relationship exists
between the two companies; search to determine that
relationship.
Example: [whois] finds WHOIS registries you can
use. Find the search box for the registry, and enter
[zagat.com]. See that Google is the registrant. Search
for [google zagat], which leads to the information that
Google acquired Zagat.
If you don’t know a company’s website, you can
search for the company’s name in Google and locate
the web address.
Search strategies:
Sometimes search results offer information that
suggests a better or additional search.
Refine results by using different media types like
videos and news; these filters appear in the left side of
the search results page
Combine operators for stronger searches.
Operators can be placed anywhere in the query
without affecting the results. For example: [black cats
site:com] is equivalent to [site:com black cats].
Combine methods and approaches to find
information efficiently.
Use tools that are not traditionally used for research,
like Maps and Streetview.
(On tablets, it’s best to use the Google Maps
application instead of looking at streetview in the
browser.)
To keep updated on Google Search:
Pick a blog to read to keep up-to-date:
● Official Google Blog
● Inside Search
● SearchResearch (by Dan Russell)
● MindShift (posts by Tasha Bergson-
Michelson)
● Search Engine Land
Set up an email alert to notify you when there is a new
feature.
Try out the AGoogleADay game.
How Search Works: Google looks for the word you
typed in, but sometimes also looks for synonyms or
related terms. Any words appearing in boldface type in
your search results are terms Google associates with
your search terms.
Ads appear in response to some queries and are
always labeled ads.
Aside from ads, website owners cannot pay to
influence the placement of their website in the search
results.
Color filtering: Use color filtering within image
search. Click on the appropriate colored box in the left
panel (does not work on iPad and Android tablets).
Use image search when it appears in search results,
and use related image search to refine results.
Choose effective keywords: Remember to think
about the words you think will be in your desired
results page. Determine the most important words in
your search as well as potential synonyms.
Word order matters. Small words (a, the) matter,
like when they distinguish between two similar entities.
Punctuation that matters: $, #, and + (when used as
C++, Google+)
Punctuation that Google ignores: ¶, £, €, ©, ®, ÷,
§, %, (), @, ?, !
Quotes: Use quotes to search for a phrase.
Quotes glue words together; there can be additional
words before or after the phrase, but the phrase will
always stay together in the results.
Information panels: Information about certain topics
(e.g. landmarks, famous people, movies, chemical
elements) appears directly on the search results page
(top box on right-hand side).
Left panel: Here, you can filter results by different
categories (blogs, discussions, recipes, patents,
books, 3D models, scholarly sources, and legal
documents).
The left panel does not appear on tablet computers
(iPads and Android devices).
Find text on a page:
Windows computers: Press the Control and F keys at
the same time.
Apple computers: Press the command and F keys at
the same time.
Android tablets: In a browser window, touch the menu
button in the top right of the screen, then select “find
on page.”
Safari on iPad tablets: Click the cursor in the search
box in the upper right corner of the screen. Directly
above the keyboard, a “find on page” box will open.
Translate: Translate words, sentences, and pages by
using http://translate.google.com/
Foreign language search: Search in foreign
languages using English by clicking “More search
tools” on the left panel of your results page, then
select “Translated foreign pages.” This feature
chooses the best language in which to search and
delivers results translated back into English.
site: Return results from the specified site only; use
also within images and news results.
[site:edu] or [site:.edu]
[site:ucla.edu]
[Jefferson site:archives.gov] or
[site:archives.gov jefferson].
filetype: return files of the extension you specify.
NO space between filetype, the colon, and the
extension.
[filetype:txt] or [filetype:.txt]
other types: swf, xlsx, pdf, gif
List of file types Google indexes: http://
support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?
hl=en&answer=35287
minus (-): Eliminate irrelevant results.
There must be a space before the minus sign.
There must not be a space between the minus sign
and the word you want to eliminate.
Example: [tesla -coil]
plus (+): Does not mean “and,” nor does it force
inclusion of a word. Google can search for certain plus
signs after a word (e.x., C++ and Google+). A plus
sign before a search term, used as an operator, looks
for a Google+ Page by that name.
define: Identify the meaning of words. Example:
[define yarnbombing]
Also: Click on Search Tools in the left panel, then
Dictionary to define words that do not appear in
traditional dictionaries.
OR: Use OR to include more than one way of
expressing an idea.
Search by image: Visit images.google.com, or
any Images results page, and click the camera
icon in the search box. Enter an image URL
for an image hosted on the web or upload
an image from your computer. See: http://
support.google.com/images/bin/answer.py?
hl=en&p=searchbyimagepage&answer=1325808
Search by Image is supported on these browsers:
Chrome, Firefox 3.0+, Internet Explorer 8+, and Safari
5.0+. To Search by Image on an Android device,
use an app like Google Goggles to take a photo of
an object or image. Search by Image is not currently
supported on tablet browsers.
Shortcuts (search features):
Google search features include weather, time, flight
numbers, earthquakes, world capitals, sunrise/
sunset times, movies, stock quotes, sports scores,
package tracking numbers, medical conditions, and
medications. Check out the full list of search features.
These search features are available on cell phone,
iPad, or anywhere Google is available (like on your
phone while you are cooking in the kitchen).
Time/Date range: Limit results to sources published
during a specific time period by clicking on Search
Tools in the left panel, then selecting the appropriate
time range.
Time filters are available in Web Search, Books,
Images, News, Videos, Blogs, Discussions, and
Patents.
This feature is not available on tablet browsers.
Math and Calculations:
Enter any math equation into the search box, and
Google will calculate your answer.
Verify the credibility of information you find on the
web. Just do one more search.
Avoid confirmation bias when conducting searches.
To verify the source of a piece of information, use the
precise information you have.
To confirm a fact, use a generic description for what
you seek.
Example: [average length octopus] will give you
information about how long an octopus is. [18 inch
long octopus] will give you sources with examples of
octopuses of that length.
Search appropriate sources that offer authoritative
information for the type of information you are trying
to find.
WHOIS: query to identify the owner of a website.
The US Chamber of Commerce operates the WHOIS
search available at http://www.internic.net/whois.html;
alternative WHOIS registries also exist.
If you see a second company listed as a contact
on the WHOIS page, then a relationship exists
between the two companies; search to determine that
relationship.
Example: [whois] finds WHOIS registries you can
use. Find the search box for the registry, and enter
[zagat.com]. See that Google is the registrant. Search
for [google zagat], which leads to the information that
Google acquired Zagat.
If you don’t know a company’s website, you can
search for the company’s name in Google and locate
the web address.
Search strategies:
Sometimes search results offer information that
suggests a better or additional search.
Refine results by using different media types like
videos and news; these filters appear in the left side of
the search results page
Combine operators for stronger searches.
Operators can be placed anywhere in the query
without affecting the results. For example: [black cats
site:com] is equivalent to [site:com black cats].
Combine methods and approaches to find
information efficiently.
Use tools that are not traditionally used for research,
like Maps and Streetview.
(On tablets, it’s best to use the Google Maps
application instead of looking at streetview in the
browser.)
To keep updated on Google Search:
Pick a blog to read to keep up-to-date:
● Official Google Blog
● Inside Search
● SearchResearch (by Dan Russell)
● MindShift (posts by Tasha Bergson-
Michelson)
● Search Engine Land
Set up an email alert to notify you when there is a new
feature.
Try out the AGoogleADay game.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Tips for traveling with digital devices
Gone are the days when we vacationed without our phones and portable PCs. Now they're as essential as shorts and sandals.
Planning for overseas communications
I do a fair
amount of traveling within the U.S. — for business, personal pleasure,
and visiting friends. I take it for granted that my digital technology
always goes with me. Wherever I am, I can be relatively assured that my
smartphone will find a local cell tower and my notebook will find Wi-Fi
somewhere nearby.
But this summer,
I'm taking an extended trip overseas. I'll be in places where my phone
might not work — a problem that must be solved before I leave. My office
and my aging father must be able to contact me in an emergency.
A few years ago, it was almost guaranteed
that a U.S.-based cellphone wouldn't work overseas. However, newer
phones, such as my iPhone, work internationally. In my case, I just need
to call my service provider at least one day before travel begins and
have an international plan added to my cellphone plan.
Because
international calls can be expensive, I'm also adding a personal Skype
phone number. At U.S. $18 for three months or $60 for a year, it will
ensure that, no matter where I am, as long as I can get to Skype on a
computer, tablet, or smartphone, my father can reach me relatively
inexpensively. And Skype will give me a local number so he doesn't even
have to call long-distance.
Of course,
Skype-to-Skype calls are a free call, even overseas. So our first mode
of regular communication will be at a set time, Skype to Skype, over the
Internet.
Make adjustments to your phone before departure
I rely heavily
on technology and have added various alert and messaging services to my
phone over the years. These services will consume bandwidth and roaming
charges while I'm overseas. So one of the items on my pre-departure
checklist is to disable all push email services.
While on the road, email will download only when I request it.
Typically, this change is made within the phone's email settings.
On my iPhone, I
can also use the Do Not Disturb option under Notifications. Two
additional options in Do Not Disturb, Allow Call From and Repeated
Calls, give me other choices. The former lets me control who calls me;
the latter rings my phone if the same person calls twice within three
minutes — a good precaution for emergencies.
I'll also adjust
the phone's location services so it doesn't waste minutes/data by
constantly — and unnecessarily — checking its current location. I'll
also need to adjust some of my phone's apps. Some apps can sense when
they don't have a full network connection and will wait until they're on
a good network before synching the data back to online web servers. In
my case, I'll have to adjust my personal fitness apps (RunKeeper and
Jawbone UP) to make them less chatty while I'm on vacation.
I protect my
phone with a passcode. If you haven't done so, create a passcode before
you leave. Also enable any options for automatically erasing your
phone's data if someone enters too many incorrect passcodes. And if your
phone supports it, enable remote phone locking and wiping.
I plan to take
my phone with me so I can use convenient tools such as Google Maps and
translation services. But there is the option of purchasing an
inexpensive phone that works only overseas. This temporary phone is no great loss if it's stolen or misplaced, but it will provide another emergency number for my office or my father.
The question is
whether to buy this backup phone before or after departure. It's
probably going to be cheaper overseas. However, it might make life a bit
easier to have it in hand before leaving.
There are stateside phone and Internet companies that will rent international MiFi (or mobile hotspot; more info)
devices with unlimited Internet use while abroad. That will give your
traveling Wi-Fi-only devices an easy connection to the Internet. A
review of many cruise and travel forums will provide recommended
vendors. If you do a lot of traveling, purchasing a pay-as-you-go MiFi
device would make more sense in the long run.
Part of my trip
will be on a cruise ship. I'll be able to make calls on my phone while
aboard — as long as the ship has electricity. (Not a given these days.
The ill-fated Carnival cruise–ship passengers lost cellular when the
ship lost power.) That said, using your phone aboard ship can come at a
high price. Consider leaving the phone mostly off and enjoying the
"solitude" — or use the onboard Internet to contact loved ones. (I'll
keep my phone on in case of emergency, but I plan to rely on
technologies such as Skype to stay connected.)
Back up all devices before leaving home
Before
departure, fully back up all devices you plan to take with you. If any
of the devices has sensitive information, ensure that the data is
encrypted. On laptops, use TrueCrypt (site) or Windows' BitLocker to encrypt the hard drive.
That full-backup
task includes your phone, in case it's lost or damaged. Tethering my
iPhone creates a complete backup on my personal computer. You can also
place key documents you might need while traveling — copies of
reservations, for example — in a SkyDrive or Dropbox folder, where you
can get to them at any time.
Speaking of
reservations, there are any number of online applications and services
for planning, coordinating, and keeping track of reservations. TripIt (site),
for example, will document your itinerary; simply forward the service
your confirmation and reservation emails. (If you'd like to know what
the site does with your information, check out its posted privacy policy.)
On the road: Use Internet kiosks with caution
Internet kiosks —
pay-to-use public computers — can be useful when you want to do some
online research on a full-size screen. However, they're also a favorite
target for malicious keylogging software used to steal usernames and
passwords. Never sign in to a sensitive site, such as your bank, from an
Internet kiosk. Even checking your email could leave you exposed, if
you use the same password for both email and banking.
If you must
contact your bank, ensure it's on a trusted Internet connection. Better
yet, simply call the international number on the back of your credit
card.
Rutgers University published a helpful security guideline for traveling with technology on its website.
Although focused on business travel, its suggestion for taking the bare
minimum with you when traveling applies to individuals, too.
One of the
Rutgers recommendations is to use a virtual private network (VPN) for
transmitting sensitive information. So before you depart, consider
whether to sign up short-term with a VPN service such as USA Proxy
Server (site). A Google search will give many other VPN solutions.
Be especially cautious using public Wi-Fi
Several years
ago, an acquaintance traveling overseas had to call his email provider
to gain access to his mail. For security reasons, the provider
blacklisted ranges of IP addresses for suspect countries. It's still the
case that some countries have had their entire IP ranges dropped from
the international Web presence. If you suspect one or more of the
countries you plan to visit might be a problem, call your provider
before departure and check whether it blocks email addresses from those
locations.
As in the U.S.,
some hotels include Internet access with their room charges. For others,
connecting to the Net is a separate charge. Be sure to ask about
Internet charges when you check in.
In the U.S., you
can generally assume that every coffee shop has Internet connectivity.
That's typically the case overseas, too. Whenever you connect to one of
these public nets, always set the connection as "Public profile" to
ensure that your firewall is set for maximum protection. (In Windows 7,
it's the "park bench" setting in the Network and Sharing Center window.)
Bring along your own portable power source
When traveling,
evenings are when you have the best opportunity to recharge your digital
devices. Most mobile devices can go all day on a charge — if you rarely
use them. Turn on services such as mapping, and your phone or tablet
power can drop like a rock. I travel with a portable power brick; it
lets me fully charge at least one of my devices without connecting to an
electrical outlet. Although several are available, I use one from
Mophie (site).
It's relatively compact and weighs about a pound. If you're driving,
take along a small power inverter that will power 110-volt chargers.
Travel carefully
with these battery-powered devices. Don't leave them in hot cars or in
trunks where they can overheat and possibly explode.
Posting travel plans on social-networking sites
In these days of
online social interaction, some of the information we post could be
read by people other than just our friends and family — by potential
thieves, for example. Among the many such tales on the Web, WBIR.com
posted a story
about a family that put all the details of their vacation on Facebook —
before and during their travels. They returned home to find their house
vandalized and burgled.
Never post where, when, and for how long you'll be gone. Law-enforcement authorities recommend posting recaps of your vacations after you get back. If you're traveling in a group, make sure you don't end up tagged in your fellow travelers' photos. An Ehow page
gives step-by-step instructions for blocking tagging. Also, don't
upload smartphone photos directly to public or social sites; they could
contain specific location data in their metadata.
So that's my
plan for traveling with my digital devices. I'll let you know how it
goes — when I get back. (Following my own advice, I'm not about to say
when or where I'm going.) Needless to say, I plan to thoroughly enjoy
myself and not be totally off the grid (unlike
my editor, who tends to travel to less civilized places). My digital
devices will add peace of mind and enhance my vacation.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
What to do if you have no sound on Youtube videos
No sound on videos
- Adjust the volume on your computer and speakers.
- Adjust the volume control located in the lower left corner of the YouTube video player.
- Restart your browser.
- Try turning up the volume for other video players (like Quicktime, Real Player, or Windows Media player).
- Update your Flash Player to the latest version.
- Allow third-party Flash content on your computer. Learn more by visiting Adobe’s help page.
- Check any Antivirus and Firewall software to see if its blocking third-party Flash content.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
What to Do with a Hung or Unresponsive Windows 7 Program
Sooner or later it happens to all of us – a Windows program gets hung up and just sits there frozen. You can open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and try to close the hung program or use the command line to kill it (see this link).
But sometimes you might want to see if you can find out why the program
got hung up in the first place or you may want to try to unfreeze it.
In that case, Windows 7 has just the system tool you need.
It’s called Resource Monitor and has many features (see this article). One of them is a way to troubleshoot programs that don’t respond. Here is how it works:
It’s called Resource Monitor and has many features (see this article). One of them is a way to troubleshoot programs that don’t respond. Here is how it works:
- Open Resource Monitor by entering “resmon” in the Start-Search bar. Alternatively, open Task Manager ( keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc), and click on the "Performance" tab and then the button "Resource Monitor".
- An example of the window that opens is shown in this figure. In the CPU section of the "Overview" tab, right-click the executable file of the hung application. The listing of the hung application will be colored red.
- The context menu that opens is shown on the right. You can close the hung process from this menu or you can choose the entry “Analyze Wait Chain…” to see what other processes may be interacting with the hung program. If you know that an entry in the wait chain is not crucial you can try ending that process to see if it frees up the hung program. However, take care not to end a process that is vital to system operation. Ending a process here is not permanent, however, and rebooting the computer will normally restart everything.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
How To Use Torrents
How To Use Torrents
Introduction
This guide is to help users in getting started in bittorrent, the most popular protocol for the transfer of music, videos, ebooks, software and other content. There is a great deal of content available through torrents and this guide will help you to find and download that content.What is Bittorrent?
Bittorrent is a decentralized peer to peer (P2P) distribution of content which uses the upload bandwidth of each individual who is downloading the content, and those who have downloaded, to transfer the content. Click on the header above for more information.- No central server
- Content is distributed by active users
- Transferred content is an exact copy of the original
- Content associated with a torrent can not be altered
- Downloads may be stopped and re-started
Best Free Bittorrent Client
To get started in torrents, you first need to have a bittorrent client. Click on the header above for a selection of the best free bittorrent clients.Optimizing Bittorrent Clients for Speed
After you have chosen a bittorrent client, there are a few steps to set it up properly to be able to communicate to the other active users and to get the best speeds. Click on the header above for guides for all the bittorrent clients that are (and have been) suggested here at Gizmo's Freeware.Finding Content
There is over 20 million torrents and over 25 PetaBytes of content available through those torrents. Torrent search sites offer the best way to filter results to find the clean and real content that you want. Since the content associated with a torrent can not be altered, comments and ratings may be used to make sure that what you are getting is the quality you want.Bittorrent is a decentralized protocol, so the content offered is not from the bittorrent clients, but from independent torrent search sites on the web. There are two pages here at Gizmo's Freeware with information on where to find the free content you are looking for.
Searching for Torrents (Best Free Torrent Search Sites)
- over 20 million torrents in their listings
- over 25 PetaBytes of content
- although there is a great deal of legal content at these sites, there is also content at these sites that is copyrighted and not legal to distribute.
- over 3 million torrents in their listings
- all the content offered at these sites is legal to distribute
Additional Help
In addition to the setup guides, above, there are other pages here at Gizmo's Freeware to help with additional features of the bittorrent clients. If there is a feature that you would like help with on a particular client, you may post here or on the help page for that client and I will try to put a guide togetherµTorrent & BitTorrent Help - Contains the help articles below and support links
These two clients are identical, so the help pages will work for either.- Installing µTorrent (or BitTorrent) Without Toolbar and Ads
- Optimizing µTorrent (or BitTorrent) For Speed
- µTorrent Help: Using µTorrent's Torrent Search
- µTorrent Help: Selecting Files To Download
- µTorrent Help: How To Hide & Lock µTorrent
- µTorrent Help: Dealing With ISP Interference
- µTorrent Help: Moving Downloads Into Category Folders
- µTorrent Help: Additional µTorrent Settings
Vuze Help - Contains the help articles below and support links
- Installing Vuze Without Toolbar
- Optimizing Vuze (formerly Azureus) for Speed
- Vuze Help: Installing The Mainline DHT Plugin
- Vuze Help: Adding Search Sites To Vuze Meta Search
- Vuze Help: Dealing with ISP Interference
- Vuze Help: Additional Vuze Settings
qBittorrent Help - Contains the help articles below and support links
- Optimizing qBittorrent For Speed
- qBittorrent Help: The Main Window
- qBittorrent Help: Using the qBittorrent Torrent Search Engine
- qBittorrent Additional Help and Information
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has helped in getting you started in bittorrent.If you have questions or corrections on any of the features listed here, please post in the comments below or at the Internet, Webware & Networking section of Gizmo's Freeware Forums.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
6 Free Google Reader Alternatives
As you may have heard, Google Reader will be closing its doors on July 1st, 2013. Those of us who use and depend on RSS feeds are scrambling for alternatives. I've selected six that are web based that have (mostly) apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
The first thing you'll want to do is to download all your feeds. You can do this within Google Reader, but Google Takeout makes it much easier and you can get all your Google data at the same time.
Here's a step by step guide to downloading your Google data:
How to Download Your Data with Google Takeout
At the time of this writing bunches of people have signed up for RSS readers. Some of the sites are having a hard time keeping up with the traffic. They may not be reachable due to server overload and all features may change or not be available. I think a few more days should see things settling down quite a bit. If you find one that's down temporarily, give it some time and then check back.
Net Vibes
The granddaddy of them all, Netvibes is a combination start page and RSS reader. It’s highly customizable with a wealth of features from changing the colors and themes to a large selection of items in several categories you can add to your page. You can add pages (shown on the top of the page as tabs) for various interests. News, gardening, politics, travel, technology and more things you may want to add.
If you have a lot of feeds be aware that the amount of feeds should not exceed 150/200 feeds/widgets per private dashboard for optimum use. Directions for importing feeds can be found in the site blog. There are versions for smartphones available on iPad, iPhone and Android. It has a reader view, an offline mode.
Register for free account to use.
NewsBlur
Free account allows up to 12 sites
Supports Web, iPhone, iPad, and Android
This site has seen the most changes over the last 24 hours, from no free accounts, to limited free accounts, changing the amount of feeds with a free account, and increased the price for premium accounts. This site has seen more down time than others. Since this is a single person operation there will be a few ups and downs.
If you are having trouble accessing the main site, give this one a try.
http://dev.newsblur.com/
Free to try, free registration, free and premium accounts
Feedly
Web based, supports iPhone, iPad, and Android with addons for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Kindle.
Login to feedly using your Google account. Feedly will automatically sync your Google Reader account.
Feedly is building a clone of the Google API called Normandy. It will be in place before Google Reader and all accounts will smoothly transition at that time.
Pulse
"Pulse is a fast and beautiful way to read your favorite blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers."
Magazine style interface.
Free registration using Facebook or Email
Direct import of RSS feeds from Google Reader
"Bringing the Fun in Reading Back. A beautifully crafted experience that puts content at its heart. Read, save & share your favorite stories."
Bloglines
(Yes, Bloglines. It's been resurrected from the old version)
Google Reader import feature
Free registration uses email address
Web and mobile versions
"Welcome to the all new Bloglines, the best resource for local blogs, news, and events."
The Old Reader
“Just like the old google reader, only better. Import your subscriptions in one click, find your Facebook friends and start sharing.”
Import your feeds directly from your Google Reader account or use our OPML import feature.
Registration requires Facebook or Google account.
No mobile as yet, but sports a mobile friendly interface.
The first thing you'll want to do is to download all your feeds. You can do this within Google Reader, but Google Takeout makes it much easier and you can get all your Google data at the same time.
Here's a step by step guide to downloading your Google data:
How to Download Your Data with Google Takeout
At the time of this writing bunches of people have signed up for RSS readers. Some of the sites are having a hard time keeping up with the traffic. They may not be reachable due to server overload and all features may change or not be available. I think a few more days should see things settling down quite a bit. If you find one that's down temporarily, give it some time and then check back.
Net Vibes
The granddaddy of them all, Netvibes is a combination start page and RSS reader. It’s highly customizable with a wealth of features from changing the colors and themes to a large selection of items in several categories you can add to your page. You can add pages (shown on the top of the page as tabs) for various interests. News, gardening, politics, travel, technology and more things you may want to add.
If you have a lot of feeds be aware that the amount of feeds should not exceed 150/200 feeds/widgets per private dashboard for optimum use. Directions for importing feeds can be found in the site blog. There are versions for smartphones available on iPad, iPhone and Android. It has a reader view, an offline mode.
Register for free account to use.
NewsBlur
Free account allows up to 12 sites
Supports Web, iPhone, iPad, and Android
This site has seen the most changes over the last 24 hours, from no free accounts, to limited free accounts, changing the amount of feeds with a free account, and increased the price for premium accounts. This site has seen more down time than others. Since this is a single person operation there will be a few ups and downs.
If you are having trouble accessing the main site, give this one a try.
http://dev.newsblur.com/
Free to try, free registration, free and premium accounts
Feedly
Web based, supports iPhone, iPad, and Android with addons for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Kindle.
Login to feedly using your Google account. Feedly will automatically sync your Google Reader account.
Feedly is building a clone of the Google API called Normandy. It will be in place before Google Reader and all accounts will smoothly transition at that time.
Pulse
"Pulse is a fast and beautiful way to read your favorite blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers."
Magazine style interface.
Free registration using Facebook or Email
Direct import of RSS feeds from Google Reader
"Bringing the Fun in Reading Back. A beautifully crafted experience that puts content at its heart. Read, save & share your favorite stories."
Bloglines
(Yes, Bloglines. It's been resurrected from the old version)
Google Reader import feature
Free registration uses email address
Web and mobile versions
"Welcome to the all new Bloglines, the best resource for local blogs, news, and events."
The Old Reader
“Just like the old google reader, only better. Import your subscriptions in one click, find your Facebook friends and start sharing.”
Import your feeds directly from your Google Reader account or use our OPML import feature.
Registration requires Facebook or Google account.
No mobile as yet, but sports a mobile friendly interface.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Wi-Fi for Every Room in the Home
Wi-Fi for Every Room in the Home
The Securifi Almond looks almost like an obese Windows Phone.I’ve always wondered about Wi-Fi range extenders — little $60 to $80 routerlike boxes that are supposed to grab a weak Wi-Fi signal and amplify it. Recently, I had the perfect chance to put one to the test.
My fiancée’s San Francisco apartment is a chain of rooms off a single hallway. Living room in front, then bedroom, then dining room, then kitchen. Her Wi-Fi base station sits in the living room at the front of the house. That’s where the cable company’s jack enters the apartment.
The Times’s technology columnist, David Pogue, keeps you on top of the industry in his free, weekly
One possibility, of course, was to see about having a second router installed. But that would mean having the cable company install another jack. It seemed as if it would be faster, less expensive and less disruptive to get a Wi-Fi range extender — if those things really worked.
On Amazon, the highest-rated extender at the time I shopped in December was the Securifi Almond. It was billed as the first touch-screen router and range extender, and had strong customer reviews.
It looks great. Some of the range extenders seem to have been designed to be as ugly as possible — they look like, well, networking equipment — but this one looks almost like an obese Windows Phone, thanks to the colorful tiles on its touch screen. It’s very small (4.5 by 4.75 by 1.5 inches).
The touch-screen breakthrough is that you don’t need to connect the Almond to a computer — or to anything but a power outlet — to set it up. We placed it in the hallway outside the bedroom door; it sits nicely and nearly invisibly on the molding above the doorway. On the screen, I tapped the name of the existing Wi-Fi network, entered its password, waited about a minute, and that was it. Suddenly there was a new Wi-Fi network in the back half of the apartment, with the suffix “Almond” on the original network’s name.
This hot spot seems just as fast and capable as the real one, in the living room. My fiancée can now stream music or video, download files, do real work, everywhere in the apartment.
On her laptop, she has to switch manually to the Almond network when she moves into those rooms; my laptop usually hops onto it automatically when it wakes up.
The fine print: The Almond is also a regular router; that is, you can plug your cable modem into it to create a Wi-Fi hot spot. We didn’t use it in that configuration. If you do, note that its Ethernet jacks are not gigabit speed.
You should also know that rival range extenders are dual-band (they offer both 2.4 and 5 gigahertz bands, if you know what that means), whereas the Almond is 2.4 only. Rival extenders can cost less and offer more networking features.
But they’re also uglier and far more complicated to set up. The Almond does beautifully as a simple, effortless, attractive way for non-nerds to extend their hot spots into un-blanketed corners of the house.
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