This isn’t as easy a decision as you might think.  The HP TouchPad has a very useful 10 inch screen, but there’s a weight that comes with this.  The RIM Playbook is much ligahter as it’s smaller, but the 7 inch screen isn’t quite as capacious.  Then there’s the fact that the HP TouchPad has been discontinued (I picked mine up in the fire sale late last year) which does affect both the number and quality of available apps, and updates to the operating system itself.  That said, the RIM Playbook’s future is also in some doubt and the prices of these tablets are now falling too.

There some fundamental differences between the two machines.  Cameras are one good example where the TouchPad has just a 1.3MP webcam on the front while the Playbook sports both front and rear cameras, with the rear one being a healthy 5MP resolution.  The Playbook also has an HDMI output, which the touchpad lacks.  The Touchpad is a far sleeker-looking device however with an operating system that’s simplicity itself not just to use, but to completely master.  The TouchPad also has a slightly faster processor, running at 1.2Ghz when compared to the 1GHz of the Playbook and the GPS and route-planning on the tablet are lightning fast.

In short though, there are huge numbers of reasons why you might want or prefer one type of tablet over another.  For example the iPad 2 is extremely light and has a big 10 inch screen, while some Android tablets are just as light and come in a wide variety of form-factors and weights.

In short then I thought this might be a great opportunity to kick off a discussion over which of these two tablets is better, and which one you think I should keep.  WebOS is a very effective and highly polished operating system.  Currently QNX on the Playbook isn’t quite there if you don’t have a Blackberry smartphone (I use a Windows Phone) and will continue to miss out some critical apps until the next operating system update eventually arrives.  It’s due this month but has been pushed back many times since last fall.

So which tablet do you think I should keep and why?  Which is the better tablet, the best hardware, the most accessible operating system and the most expandable system?  Which works best with cloud services and has the bext software support?  It will be interesting to hear your views on these two machines.

As the next twelve to twenty four months goes on there will come more and they will be even more commonplace in portable computing devices than they are now.  Windows 8 supports more types of sensor than ever before too with technologies such as Kinect, NFC and more being integrated directly into the platform.  But what is this going to do for the prices of the computers that we buy and is it even affordable to do so?

The latest rumour is that ASUS is testing Kinect sensors built into the bezel of laptops.  This type of integration won’t come as a surprise to many people and it’s only to be expected.  This type of technology isn’t cheap however and integrating it into a laptop will come at a cost penalty.  This is also at a time when PC makers are telling us that the profit margins on PCs and laptops are now so tight that they’re beginning to focus on the high-end computing devices such as ultrabooks in order to get us to part with more cash.

My own laptop contains a four-point capacitive touch screen, 3G SIM card slot, drop-sensing accelerometer, fingerprint reader, TPM chip and GPS.  It’s a high-end model yes, but when you think about where consumers are now with technology it’s likely that people will want to get these types of devices, along with Kinect, already integrated with their new computers, monitors and laptops, and that PC makers will capitalise on this fact to hike prices and push people towards buying even more expensive computers that improve their profit margins and balance sheets.

To be honest I firmly believe that some of these sensors are pretty much essential for work in the modern age.  3G/4G is one such example with mobile broadband now so ubiquitous.  GPS is also something that’s extremely useful in a mobile device and security systems such as biometric fingerprint readers and Trusted Platform Module chips are now essential for any business laptop.

Then we have to face the fact that by the time Windows 8 launches or at least early in 2013, over 80% of new laptops will ship with a multi-touch screen.  Next year’s consumer electronics show will be full of such devices and laptops packed with sensors and NFC readers of all description.  Each will have a use, every last one will be justifiable, and all will be more expensive than they are today.

So what is your attitude to sensors and extra tech on PCs?  Do you already have a laptop that includes some of these devices and do you use them?  I might not use my laptop’s GPS a lot but the 3G module is used several times a week.  Are you happy that the prices of laptops seems to be steadily rising, at the same time as many are predicting the death of the traditional desktop PC with a tower that’s easy to upgrade and cheap to build.  Why not let us know in the comments below.

It was invented by Christopher Latham Sholes who was an American newspaper editor.  Sholes wanted to find a way to stop the hammers in typewriters from getting clogged up all the time.  This happened because the layout that was being used allowed people to type more quickly than the mechanical parts of the typewriter could respond, with the upstroke of one letter completing before the downstroke of the previous one had finished.

And so in October 1867 he patented the QWERTY keyboard layout to solve the problem by moving letters that were commonly used together further apart so that the typewriter hammers wouldn’t need to overlap.  He sold the idea to Remington and in 1878 their Remington No. 2 typewriter popularised the layout.  Since then the uptake for this keyboard layout has been enormous and it remains the most popular keyboard layout around the world today.

Why do we still use QWERTY though with modern computers where mechanical hammers are no longer a problem?  The simple fact remains that we have all grown up using this keyboard layout and, as such, we know our way around it and changing it now would cause all manner of problems, slow everybody down and no doubt cost the worldwide economy billions in lost productivity.

The rise of the touchscreen computing device however does present the next generation at least with a solution.  Software keyboards can be laid out however you want them to be and as these are probably going to be the way that the children of tomorrow will learn to use computers, by using smartphones and tablets primarily, could and should the operating system manufacturers now be offering an alternative keyboard layout for us to use, such as an alphabetic one?

Many people believe that a standard alphabetic keyboard is easier and quicker for people to use, and that it makes it quicker for people to learn.  It would be a simple job to put an alphabetic software keyboard into modern touch-enabled operating systems, and the actual hardware keyboard equivalents wouldn’t need to follow for some years in all probability.

This way we could give children an opportunity to potentially type more quickly on their computers, increasing their own productivity.  Also anyone who prefers using an alphanumeric keyboard already, and they can be found for sale in a few places and I’m certain that some apps already exist for some platforms, will finally have the option to use one on all their devices.

So what do you think?  Could the next generation of computer users benefit from Microsoft, Apple and Google adding alphabetic or other keyboard layouts to their operating systems now?  Do you already use a keyboard layout like this or do you have experience of doing so?  Would you like to try an alphabetic keyboard on your tablet and smartphone and do you think it would be easier to type on and also, do you think that your children would benefit form typing alphabetically, or would it be better for them to learn the traditional QWERTY layout?  Why not let us know in the comments here what you think about the future of typing on computers.

The ruling may still get overturned, but at this point in time it is not clear how this will turn out.

Encryption makes sure that only authorized users can enable access to data provided that there is no loophole or backdoor built-into the software itself. People traveling to the US may have their mobile computers analyzed by federal agents even without probable cause.

Users have a number of options at their disposal to protect their data from prying eyes. Encryption for instance requires a pass phrase or key to be entered to decrypt the contents of the storage device. If you forget the password, you cannot open the encrypted contents anymore.

There is however a better option for users who want to make sure that they private files stay personal. True Crypt supports so called hidden volumes. These volumes are encrypted volumes inside an encrypted volume. True Crypt calls the concept plausible deniability. You put your important files into the hidden volume, and other files that you do not mind to share with others in the regular encrypted container. When someone asks you to decrypt your data, you enter the password to decrypt the first volume that you do not mind sharing with anyone.

It may happen that you are forced by somebody to reveal the password to an encrypted volume. There are many situations where you cannot refuse to reveal the password (for example, due to extortion). Using a so-called hidden volume allows you to solve such situations without revealing the password to your volume.

The principle is that a TrueCrypt volume is created within another TrueCrypt volume (within the free space on the volume). Even when the outer volume is mounted, it should be impossible to prove whether there is a hidden volume within it or not*, because free space on any TrueCrypt volume is always filled with random data when the volume is created** and no part of the (dismounted) hidden volume can be distinguished from random data. Note that TrueCrypt does not modify the file system (information about free space, etc.) within the outer volume in any way.

Hidden volumes can be created quite easily in True Crypt. New True Crypt users should read through the tutorial posted on the site first to understand the basics of creating encrypted volumes on the computer.

You have the option to create both volumes in one go though, by following the process outlined below. Click on Tools > Volume Creation Wizard. You have two options now how to proceed:

• Create an encrypted file container: This option can be used to create an encrypted file on one of the computer’s hard drive and add a hidden file container to it, or add a hidden file container to an existing encrypted file.
• Encrypt non-system partition/drive: This is basically the same option as above, only that it works partitions and hard drives, and not with files. Please note that all contents of the selected hard drive/partition will get deleted in the process.

I suggest you start with an encrypted file container to see how the process works.

Select Hidden TrueCrypt volume on the next page

Now you have the option to select normal or direct mode. Normal mode creates both the outer and the hidden volume in the process, while direct mode creates a hidden volume inside an existing True Crypt file container.

Lets pick normal mode to demonstrate how both the standard encrypted container and the hidden container within are created.

You now need to select a file name for the outer container. Pick any directory and file name that you want. You can use the file name to your advantage, for instance by making it a .tmp file or a .avi.

You are then asked to select the encryption algorithm and hash algorithm for the outer volume. Pick one each or keep the default settings.

You are then asked to select a size for the file container. Keep in mind that the hidden volume is added to this container file as well. Select a password on the next screen. This password is used to decrypt the files stored in the outer volume. The volume will be formatted afterwards. Move your mouse around to create random values. Click on Format afterwards to create the file. Depending on the size, you may need to switch the file system from FAT to NTFS.

Now that you have created the outer volume, you move on to the next step, the creation of the hidden volume.

The process is nearly identical. You first select the encryption and hash algorithms, then the file size. True Crypt will display the maximum possible hidden volume file size on that screen. Don’t select the maximum if you plan on adding files to the outer volume as well.

The remaining steps are identical. You now have one outer volume, one hidden volume and two pass phrases to decrypt the volumes on your computer.

Mounting the hidden volume

To mount either the outer or hidden volume do the following:

• Select a free drive letter in the True Crypt interface.
• Click on Select File and browse to the encrypted file that you want to mount.
• click on mount afterwards.
• Enter the pass phrase for the outer volume to mount it, or the password for the hidden volume to mount it instead.

If you mount the outer volume you may want to click on mount options to check the “protect hidden volume against damage caused by writing to outer volume” box to avoid to protect the hidden container from being partially or fully overwritten. You need to supply the hidden volume password though for this option.

The very same principle applies to the creation of a hidden volume inside an encrypted partition or hard drive.

What’s your take on this new ruling?

Internet users who have been using Megaupload regularly or sporadically for file hosting or downloads are now left with the task of finding a comparable service that they can use for these operations.

Probably one of the first file hosts to be mentioned in this regard is Filesonic, as it is providing the same upload size limit of 1 Gigabyte per file and unlimited storage. The site has an affiliate program that rewards affiliate for bringing new users to the site or for downloads. Please note that you need an account before you can start to upload files to the service.

MediaFire on the other hand is a free and simple file host. The biggest advantage of the service is that you can upload files right away without having to create an account first. The maximum file size for free accounts is 200 Megabytes which is considerably lower than the 1 Gigabyte supported by Filesonic.

Rapidshare is another popular file hosting service. It too requires you to create an account before you can start hosting files on the Rapidshare server. Rapidshare has no file size limitations when it comes to uploading files to the server. Free users have to endure wait times and slower download speeds though on the download side of things.

Oron lets you upload files with a size of up to 400 Megabytes directly on the site’s frontpage. Registered users can upload files with a size of up to 1024 Megabytes, which is also the maximum download size for free and registered users of the service. The site has an affiliate program in place that rewards uploaders and sites in various ways, for instance by paying per download or sale.

Here is a selection of additional hosts that you can use to upload files to or earn money from:

• Multishare – Up to 5120 Megabytes, 3 files max per upload. Pays 67% of all premium sales and rebills.
• Content Cooperation – Pays for a variety of services, including uploading or promoting files.
• Uploading – Files with a maximum size of 5 Gigabyte can be uploaded to the file hosting service. Multiple revenue models available including pay per download or sale.

Which file hosting service would you recommend as a Megaupload alternative? Lets hear some suggestions in the comments.

There are however issues that you may want to consider before going all in on the idea. There is first the issue of ownership and all the responsibilities that come with it.

The subscriber is basically responsible for all activities. Your neighbors’ kids downloading music from the Internet, illegal activities such as fraud or spam, or even hacking or computer sabotage. Law enforcement, lawyers and the ISP will be knocking at the subscribers’ door first, or even worse, smash it wide open in the night. And while that’s without doubt a horror scenario, I’d personally would not want to experience it first hand.

Other issues may come up. Since you are sharing bandwidth, you may experience downloading, streaming or even connectivity issues on the Internet. While you may be able to upgrade your line for a fee, you may still experience less than optimal situations especially in the evening or on weekends.

You also have to consider the possibility that your neighbors move away, and when they do, they are likely unwilling to pay whatever you have agreed on for the monthly broadband plan. This could mean that you would overpay for an expensive plan that you do not need anymore.

Another aspect to consider is the availability of the Internet connection itself. Imagine your Internet connection going down on a day where you are not at home. Your neighbors cannot call your ISP to get the issue resolved, and they probably cannot get into your house either to reset the modem. This may not be a problem if you are back in the evening, but what if it happens while you are on vacation?

You are also sharing a local network with your neighbors, which can make it a lot easier for them to hack into your computer. And while that is again something that is not likely to happen, it is still a possibility.

Depending on your Internet Service Provider’s terms of service it may be forbidden to share the connection with another household or person. Abuse can lead to termination of service, fees and even legal action in court.

Would I share my Internet connection? I certainly would with my family, and a few close friends. I’d still have a bad feeling during that time.

Do you share your Internet with someone else? If so, why?

This is all great news but there are still some technologies that have got to change in 2012 and they need to do this very quickly or else the technology we use will move so far ahead of them that innovation itself will begin to suffer.  Those technologies are all concerned with the Internet itself or with Internet communications.

Let’s start with the ADSL or DSL broadband lines coming into our homes and offices.  Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a country such as Sweden which already enjoys 50Mb/sec lines or faster you’ll be lucky to get a stable connection on a tenth of that.  Indeed the old 2 miles from the telephone exchange line is wearing thin with many but telecoms companies and governments simply aren’t doing enough to rectify the problem.  Here in the UK we think that people who live in countryside villages and who still have to use dial up or get a 512k/sec broadband line have a bad deal.  In some countries where the distances are far further such as the USA, Canada and Australia the problems are 100 times worse.

It’s a similar story with mobile networks.  The USA was late to the 3G game but has forged ahead with 4G connections.  Many other countries however are still several years away from moving to 4G, but which time it’ll be time to move onto something else in all probability.  The mobile networks also need to sort out the mess that is unlimited data plans and manage their networks in such a way as to allow people to use mobile broadband properly.  The pricing for mobile broadband also has to drop by at least 50% next year.  There’s already more than enough money to be made and many people, especially those in isolated areas would love to move away from an ADSL line and onto a SIM contract.  At the moment though it’s still far too expensive to do this.

Many people think that a universal wireless solution like a full roll-out of 4G or WiMax will solve the problem and make traditional broadband lines obsolete.  Telecommunications companies need to protect their bottom lines however and, as such, a lot of innovation is being stifled for reasons of profit and share prices.

When we actually are able to get online though using our sexy new devices we find that the web is still looking as old and outdated as it was in 2003.  Back then we didn’t have the preponderance of smartphones, tablets and touch-screen PCs that we do now.  Even next year’s iMacs are rumoured to be multi-touch but almost none of the world’s largest websites have moved to a touch-friendly design yet.  I did this with my own website last month and firmly believe it’s absolutely essential.  Some companies are making a move in this direction with the BBC launching a part-touch-friendly website recently but the new YouTube redesign is traditional menus and mouse control only.

It’s one thing having new interfaces and new form factors that enable us to use the web in new and exciting ways, and new operating systems that are designed primarily around touch.  If we can’t get good, quick and stable connections to the web though, or properly and effectively use the websites we visit when we get there all this technology is going to waste.  Here’s hoping that 2012 brings us much more than just a move to IPv6 and some 4G radio spectrum auctions.  What technologies do you think really need to change in 2012 and do you agree with me here?  Why not tell us in the comments.

I wanted to get a debate going here though on capitalism in technology, with particular reference to the ongoing patent wars.  First some background.  Technology companies are different from other big business in that they were generally started by visionary people, like Steve Jobs and Clive Sinclair, who wanted to change the world for the better.  These people wanted to open up access to technology for everybody and largely they’ve done that.  This means that the entire basis for the big modern technology companies hasn’t been money and greed, it’s been helping people gain access to new opportunities.  This is something that sets technology companies apart from almost all of the rest of big business.

However the patent wars are getting in the way.  No better is this highlighted than with the ongoing battles between Apple and Samsung, with the cupertino giant trying to ban, worldwide, sales of any Samsung product that looks remotely like an iPhone or iPad.  These lawsuits, which cost money and therefore push up prices, also have the effect of limiting consumer choice.  The best thing about the modern computing market that we have now is that there is more choice than ever before.  There are more computing devices than ever before, more form-factors and more styles and colours than ever before.

Now it has emerged that some Windows 8 Metro app developers are concerned they may be targeted by a company called Lodsys for patent infringement of in-app billing.  The patent wars have now got to such an extreme state where small, independent software houses now have to worry about it.

These patents are a big problem now because there are so many of them out there, all being owned or traded by multinationals, and there’s no way to be sure that what you do hasn’t already been patented by someone else.   However, when you are creating a smartphone, a tablet or even an app, there are only so many ways to make it look, what size it will be or how certain features operate.  When you take into account operating systems like iOS, Windows Phone and Windows 8 though that are trying to encourage app developers to make apps that look and operate in the same way the situation can only get worse.

Personally, I believe the the patent wars have now gone too far and the big players involved need to back off, stop focusing on the money and allow the innovation not only that people want, but that we all genuinely need.  This can only create more competition, drive down prices and open technology up to more people, the way people like Steve Jobs originally intended for things to be.  If we really want to create access to technology, access to the Internet and access to new opportunities, especially for the developing countries, we need to take this focus away from money now and go back to basics.

I’m very curious what your comments are about this as I feel you’re all either going to agree strongly or you’ll be completely polarised on the issue.  Please leave your comments below, it’s free, it’s open and anybody can take part  ;)

Now however we have more types of computing devices than it’s possible to shake a stick at, and one thing is becoming clear, the good old desktop PC is becoming sidelined.  I wanted to ask you all, which is quite ironic given Martin’s post of earlier today, what your opinion is of these devices and what you think of them generally.

The main computing devices we now have include desktops, all-in-ones, desktop replacement laptops, everyday laptops, ultraportables, convertible tablets and traditional tablets.  In fact it’s possible within all these types not just to get what is probably the perfect form-factor for you, but also something that fits perfectly with the aesthetics of where it will go.

To kick off the discussion I’ll start with my own thoughts on my home and home office.  I have a desk in my living room with a desktop PC on it, as many of you will have too.  It is my aim to replace this with an all-in-one PC before too long.  The barrier here for me is that my desktop has a graphics card with the grunt to properly run modern games like Battlefield 3 and all-in-ones often compromise on gaming ability.  I also have a laptop, a desktop replacement Dell which I use for work in my home office upstairs.  This is a big, heavy machine and hardly portable.  It does offer me the storage and power to be a true desktop replacement however in every sense of the word, rather than some of the weedier desktop replacement machines that really don’t offer a viable alternative for you.

I also own two tablets, a Windows 7 ExoPC and an HP TouchPad.  The ExoPC is now used only for work and presentations and the TouchPad is for lounging about on the sofa occasionally when I’m tired.

I have had a couple of Samsung ultraportables on test though, and I’m very happy with the form factor.  These new breed of ultraportables, pioneered by the Macbook Air, are sexy enough to suit the modern living room while small and light enough not to get in the way.  This is important for a laptop as I doubt many people really want a big grey block in front of them when they’re watching the evening news.

If I had to pick one though it still comes back to the traditional desktop for me as this is the only form factor that really offers me the flexibility I need in terms of hardware and storage.  Much as I want to banish the desktop from my living room forever, I just don’t feel that all-in-ones are there yet in terms of true power and flexibility.

So what’s your preference?  Are you a desktop person or a laptop guy?  Do you prefer all-in-ones and why?  Do you have an ultraportable, or do you want one to replace what you have?  Have you indeed banished your computer upstairs forever and it’s tablet all the way in your main living space?

In short, what is your perfect computing device and why is that?

First issue that I would like to throw into the room is mobile access to Ghacks. There is currently no mobile version of Ghacks available. Mobile users access the same Ghacks site that desktop users access, which may be not the most appropriate version for them to view considering the differences in screen size and connection speed.

The first question that I have therefor is if you would like to see a version of Ghacks optimized for mobile devices such as iPhone or Android smartphones. Users who connect with those devices would benefit from faster page loading times and optimized layouts.

Are you accessing Ghacks sometimes from a mobile device? Let me know your thoughts about it please.

The second question that I have is about mobile coverage here on Ghacks. Roman recently send me an email which got me thinking that it would be nice to review great smartphone applications, tips, tricks and how-to guides as well as important phone updates.

I’m thinking of one article per day maximum to take into account the growing mobile niche. I was thinking of concentrating on iOS and Android coverage, but would like to get to know your opinion about it first. Do you think other phones or devices should be included in the coverage? Or would you want less coverage or no coverage at all here on Ghacks?

I’d also like to take the opportunity to ask writers who are passionate and knowledgeable in this field to come forward and apply for the job. Just leave a comment below and I will contact you. Please note that I need to take a look at a few sample articles.

Now it is your turn. Would you like to see a mobile version of Ghacks? And would you also like to see mobile coverage here on Ghacks?

Some users on the other hand face a dilemma now with the rise of Google Plus: Time. Most users have accounts on Facebook and Twitter, which they spend some time on. Some may have the time to add a third social networking site to that list, others like me do not have the time to maintain three networking sites.

What will those users do? Will they use cross-posting tools to post their messages on all three sites, will they ditch one of the sites, or will they reduce other activities to spend time on all three sites?

If you look at the media coverage, you might think that it is all about a showdown between Google Plus and Facebook, and that Twitter is just another bystander. But is that really true? If you look at Google Plus, you will notice that the service is offering most, if not all, of the features of Twitter. You can follow and be followed, post public messages or messages to one or multiple recipients. Plus, there are not any size limitations and additional features like hangouts available.

Facebook on the other hand has a lot to offer that Google Plus is not currently. Look at games and apps for instance, which is surely one of the main reasons for the social networking site’s success.

As a webmaster, I have to use all three services, because it affects my business. Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search services are putting more weight on social metrics than ever before, and that is going to increase in the future. If you are not part of it, your site or service will be old news eventually.

This leads back to the title: Are you using social networking sites currently? If so, do you have plans to change the sites that you are using? Will you include Google Plus in your networking activities?

Handing out your credit card on the other hand may be a standard procedure in countries like the United States where the average consumer has more than 2 credit cards. The core problem with handing out your information is twofold. First, you need to trust the company or business that processes your credit card information on their web page. Considering that one of the largest banks did not get it right, it is fair to assume that there are no 100% safe places on the Internet to submit your credit card information to.

Some users might say that stolen credit card information may not be a big problem, as it is possible to cancel credit card payments for quite some time after the payments have been made. But that is only true if the credit card owner monitors payments regularly.

Most virtual credit cards offer better protection when shopping online. The core difference between virtual and real credit cards is that most virtual cards need to be charged before they can be used. They are prepaid cards. While it is still possible to get the credit card information stolen, an attacker has less options to squeeze out money from the account. A normal credit card could be charged for thousands of Dollars, a virtual card only for the amount that has been transferred to it by its owner. It is still recommended to check the credit card bills regularly, regardless of card and activity.

It is usually a lot easier to delete a virtual card and get a new one, in case someone managed to steal the information. Some banks and companies offer unlimited virtual credit cards to their customers, while others only one at a time.

Lets take a look at the benefits of virtual credit cards again:

• They work online just like real credit cards
• They are prepaid, and it is not possible to overdraw the account
• They are usually faster to setup and cancel

There are three downsides that we need to address. First, you get another credit card number that you have to monitor and take care of. Second, these virtual cards may come with fees that you have to pay. Some companies charge per transaction while others a yearly fee. This differs highly, and there is no rule of thumb. Some banks might even offer virtual credit cards without fees. And lastly the charging time. Depending on the bank or company, it may take time to charge the virtual credit card. At my local bank, it takes four business days to set up a prepaid credit card, and a day to charge it, which is not good if you need to make a payment urgently.

A year ago, I would have suggested PayPal for most users. But PayPal has dropped their virtual credit card offering. Your best option now is to contact your bank to see if they are offering virtual cards. If you are lucky they do and charge you little or nothing at all for it.

You find several independent companies on the Internet that offer virtual prepaid cards. Companies like Entropay charge a hefty fee for transactions on the other hand. They currently charge 4.95% for transferring money to the card.

Is there another way to get a virtual credit card online? Let us know in the comments. I for one have made the decision to get a prepaid card from my local bank, despite the negative aspects.

The majority of applications offer custom installation locations which means that users can install them where ever they want to. While that’s the way to give everyone maximum flexibility to install the software where they want, it is held back by the fact that some programs do not offer custom installation locations. The Google Chrome browser for instance will always install into the application directory of the user profile folder. Another example is the Steam software. Steam itself can be installed in every location. The games that are installed on Steam however will all be installed on the same drive, with no exception possible (workarounds are available).

When you look at how software is installed on Windows, you will come to the conclusion that the end result is not streamlined. This may not be a problem for the majority of users, who click on a link in the start menu or a shortcut on the desktop to launch the software that they have just installed.

Some users, myself included, prefer a organized folder system. I prefer it because it keeps the folder count low on a hard drive’s partition, and all applications accessible under one root folder. Microsoft’s idea was to make Program Files that folder, but the idea more or less fell short because of reasons outlined above.

Portable applications need to be addressed as well. They are not installed but simply copied to a location on the hard drive and executed from there. It is actually a lot easier to keep all portable apps under one root folder than programs that need to be installed.

One of the things that I do to keep a tap on my software installations is to use symbolic links to move them to a new destination after installation. A program like Steam Mover or Move and Link to do that without the command line.

My main question for all of you is this. How do you install software on your system? How do you use portable applications?

The following list contains tips that help me stay awake in those situations. Remember that I work at home and that some may not be suitable for your situation.

Lets start with the things to do when you are tired and need to overcome that tiredness.

Take a nap

This sounds counter-productive at first, especially if you do not wake up after 20 minutes of power napping. I often lay down on the couch, close my eyes and try to relax. I’m pretty good at waking up at the time that I want to wake up, no need for setting the alarm. If you are a heavy sleeper you may need an alarm, or someone else waking you.

Sometimes I put on my headphones and listen to music, with eyes closed. The music gives me an understanding of the time that has passed since starting the nap.

Drink Coffee, Black Tea, Caffeine, Water

I do not drink coffee or other caffeine containing drinks after five in the afternoon though as I do not sleep well if I overdo it. If you do not care, you could get the much needed boost with a cup of hot coffee.

You may also feel tired because you are dehydrated. Try to drink enough water throughout the day to avoid this from happening.

Chewing Gum

I do not know why, but chewing gum helps me stay awake. Maybe it is because it stimulates face muscles, maybe it is because of something else. If you do not have caffeine around, you may want to try chewing gum instead.

Walk, preferably outside

A short walk, preferably outside, helps me stay awake as well. Sometimes I walk to the nearest market to buy chewing gum (haha). Walking in combination with fresh air and sunlight seems to push away the feeling of tiredness.

If you cannot leave, try tapping your feet or moving your body on the chair. Take a short break to go to the toilet. While there, get some cold water on your hands and face. You can also open a window and stick your head outside for a while to get some fresh air.

Eat something light

Light eating may also revive your body up to a point where you can get through the day without dozing off. Do not eat something with to much sugar though. Nuts, Vegetables like carrots, a wholemeal sandwich with cheese are all things that you can eat.

Talk to someone

If you have someone nearby, start talking to them for a couple minutes. If possible, get up and walk with them while doing the talking.

Turn up the lights, if light is dim

Working in half-darkness or full darkness is not only not good for the eyes, but it can make you sleepy as well. Make sure you work under excellent lighting conditions.

Open a window, change room temperature

You may want to open a window to get fresh air into the room. This can help if the room temperature appears to be to warm, especially if you do not have access to the heating system to adjust the temperature.

I know that this is not the usual article you find here at Ghacks, but please bear with me on this one. To make it better, let me know how you overcome tiredness!

Some specs have not been revealed yet. We do not know the MHz of the cpu, the size of the internal hard drive or the RAM. Acer’s Chromebook starts at $349, Samsung’s at $429, which is pricey if you compare it to other netbook offers.

But hardware or appearance is not the thing that sets the netbook aside from other offerings. It is that it ships with Chrome OS, Google’s attempt to get a foothold in the operating system market.

Instead of writing a long article about Chrome OS’ advantages and disadvantages, I though it would be nice to post a top 5 list instead. The top 5 things that get me excited, and the top 5 things that disappoint.

Top 5

• Security – Google has designed Chrome OS with security in mind, just like they did when they designed the Chrome browser. Applications run sandboxed which means that malware can only affect what’s inside the sandbox, and not something that’s outside of it. While it may affect the browser, it cannot affect the underlying operating system. That is, unless the sandbox gets penetrated. The user home directory furthermore is encrypted by default which means that temporary Internet files, cookies and other user related data are not accessibly by anyone else. [reference].

  Chromebook users furthermore get options to restore a previous “working” version of the operating system, and automatic integrity checks during boot time to verify that files have not been manipulated.

• Guest Mode – If you are a Chrome OS user, you can access all your personal data and files on any device running Chrome OS as long as the device has an active Internet connection.
• Cloud Storage – This has some advantages, like accessibility of your personal data on all devices running Chrome Os.
• Fast Boot – It takes less than ten seconds from booting Chrome OS to having it fully operational.
• Ease of Use – If you know how to operate a web browser, you know how to operate Chrome OS.

Flop 5

• Cloud Storage – With all the news regarding Cloud storage break-ins, security issues and data loss, it may not sound like a good idea to rely primarily on the cloud.
• Compatibility – With Chrome OS, you cannot run your Windows applications directly. Google’s solution is virtualization so that you can run those applications. It is however not clear how this is handled at this point in time, and how users can get their applications to run on the Chromebook.
• Google Account link – Your Chrome Os account is linked to a Google account. Google may collect even more information about you this way, even if you use a fake Google account just for the Chromebook.
• Less choice: Would you buy an operating system where you had to use the default browser? Yes, you may be able to run Firefox or Opera in a virtual machine but that again does not sound overly comfortable, considering that this will have an impact on performance.
• Decent Internet connection – You will need a decent Internet connection to get most out of the device. You get offline access to some of your files and documents, but for the majority of things, you will need a decent Internet connection.

I for one will not buy a Chromebook at this point in time. I’d like to play around with one though, to experience it first hand. What’s your take on this?

It was one of the first blogs that I added to Netvibes, my first RSS reading and management service, and was carried over to Google Reader, the Firefox extension Brief and my current RSS reader RSSOwl.

For the past year or so I have read less and less posts on Lifehacker. I usually only look at the headlines and mark the articles as read. It is not because the authors at Lifehacker produce less content, quite the contrary.

The core reason is my impression that Lifehacker has reduced the tech article output. Now, this may be my impression and I have no idea if this is true or not. What I do see is an increase in mobile and cell phone related contents which seem to have replaced much of the old tech related articles on Lifehacker.

Even worse in my opinion; The tech articles that get posted are often old news, at least for me and users who follow other tech news sites. Lifehacker is not the site anymore that discovers new and exciting applications for desktop operating systems.

Those tech articles are usually rehashes of other site’s findings, often no longer than 150 or so words long.

Maybe that’s life, that the mobile crowd has exploded and that apps and stuff are the new tech news. Don’t get me wrong. There is certainly a market for mobile apps and news, but it is unfortunately not something that I’m interested in.

As a consequence, I have made the decision to remove Lifehacker from my RSS feed. I will still stop by the site occasionally to see what’s going on. Important or interesting tech news on Lifehacker are covered by many sites that I’m subscribed to in my RSS reader, which means that I will still be able to read them.

For me personally, Lifehacker feels a lot like Digg. A site that I once used on a daily basis turned into something that I have little or no interest in anymore.

Are you a Lifehacker regular? What’s your impression then?

I’ll be meeting with the Windows and the Windows Phone teams and touring their “Technology Centre” with all their cutting-edge prototypes, which I’m certain will be extremely interesting, and will take far longer for me to get round than the time they’ve got pencilled in for it!

I thought it only fair and reasonable to throw the doors open to you, the fantastic readers at gHacks to get out there any and all questions you’d like me to ask when I’m there. You might want to know about legacy support, Windows 8, Windows Phone sales projections or the future of Kinect. I’ll also be taking my camera to document all the cool stuff I expect to find (and will hopefully get to play with) in the technology centre.

So feel free to submit all your questions below in the comments, I’ll be subscribing and will keep them all safe in my email. No question is too silly, believe me I’ll a fair few myself, and I’ll try and get any many in as I can during my meetings there or afterwards by email.

I’ll also be tweeting live from Microsoft on the experience and what I see and find out.  You can follow these tweets live on Wednesday 20th April from 11am (UK BST), 3am (PST) by following me here.

This is brilliant and it’s just like being back in school in the heady days of the home computing revolution.  Then I had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum and those of us who preferred squidgy keys and colour clash got terrible batterings, in more ways than just figuratively sometimes, from those people with Commodore 64s.

It was brilliant that technology got people so hot under the collar, but then we hit the late 80′s and everything became really dull and quiet.  In fact for a long period there was nothing to get excited about at all as the console revolution that we have today hadn’t started, and PCs were still far too expensive for people to have in their homes.  If you had an ageing Commodore Amiga or Atari ST you’d use that.  If not you were in a non-technical wilderness.

When technology became more affordable again, which began with consoles, it was Sony that not only ruled the roost, but that had the entire market to itself and so far as PCs went, nobody dared get all excited about the horrible beige box they were forced to keep hidden away.

Now though things are much more exciting.  We’ve got all types of smartphones with competing operating systems, tablet computers with even more competition when it comes to operating systems, and home PCs that are finally funky enough, and with an operating system good enough, that their owners can start shouting at the Mac people again saying they got ripped off.

I’m a PC guy, I have a media centre PC under my TV, a Windows Phone and two Windows-based computers.  I also now have a Windows 7 tablet on the way to me as well.  Why do I have exclusively Windows-branded stuff?  It’s certainly not for my job, as an author I could write perfectly well using Linux, as a tech blogger I could comment on all things Windows from a Mac and for my leisure I could be quite happy with an Android phone or an iPad.

We’re back in the same situation were were in during the mid-1980′s though when you find yourself, by hook or by crook, locked into a particular eco-system.  The reason I have all Windows stuff is that I need connectivity and for everything to work together in harmony.  It just so happens that this is the best way to achieve that.  This is in the same way that all my wireless networking kit is all from the same range and from the same company, it helps take the pain out of configuring it.

I have a good friend in London who has gone the other way.  He has a PC that I built for him but he never uses it.  He instead uses a Mac.  He’s also had an iPhone for a while and has bought an Apple TV and an iPad recently.  It’s all exactly the same kit that I have myself but, well, just different.  It will all work in exactly the same way as the kit I have here too.  Now I don’t believe for a single moment that his choices were anything to do with brand loyalty.  I know him well enough to say with confidence that his primary concern was that everything worked well together and that each device didn’t present him with a new, steep, learning curve.

It’s interesting the way this has panned out because we’re in a position now where the customers are once again doing much of the marketing and promotion work for the companies they buy from, just as my friends and I did in school singing the praises of Sinclair, Commodore and Acorn and even, once in a while, swinging someone else away from their own choice.

So occasionally I write things about Apple or Google but because people know me as a Windows guy I’ll get flamed for it.  I have to write this stuff though because it’s my job.  I love Apple and Google because, while I may not always agree with their business practices and products, they, like Microsoft have inspired a new generation of people to feel passionately about the technology that they buy and use.

What could be better then than a really good argument.

Despite reports that hackers are responsible for the attack there’s no actual evidence one way or another, but it’s raised important and pertinent questions about the information that’s in the public domain and if there really is such a thing as “too much information”.

Most people will agree that sometimes it’s just better not to know a fact, and to live in ignorance of it.  The Human brain and conscience is only capable of processing so much which is why we choose to blank out certain events.

This was the case with the previous WikiLeaks revelations of documents from the Iraq war.  Most people chose to ignore the event and, as such, it went away.

Revelations about private discussions and thoughts from US Ambassadors and envoys from around the world though could have a much more serious impact.  This time it won’t matter if the public choose to ignore the documents, other countries, friendly or otherwise will be pouring over them and you can be certain that there will be ammunition in there for everyone.

Extracts from the revelations, to add fuel to the fire, are also set to be published in tomorrow’s papers  including El Pais in Spain, Le Monde in France, Speigel in Germany, The Guardian in the UK and the New York Times.

The latest round of leaks covers diplomats confidential views on countries including Australia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Russia and Turkey and, according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange “covers every major issue in every country in the world”.

Most heads of state will be sensible enough to take such matters on the chin, but it’s the responses of fringe elemants in both friendly and unfriendly countries, and the roll on effects for years to come of the revelations that should cause the people of the world concern.

WikiLeaks has made its point, that the freedom of the Internet cannot be removed.  Now Julian Assange needs to stop, and stop quickly before his actions, and the actions of his staff cause an incident that will cost even so much as a single life.

It’s all too easy for those of us who sit behind a screen making a living from the Internet to think only of ourselves, cocooned in our own safe little world.  It’s harder to think that anything we say or do, or write, can have consequences for other people and perhaps even cause bloodshed… or worse.

This situation comes about because we’ve had the longest period of western peace in history and every day we see more and more countries working together towards common goals.  People like Assange have never witnessed first hand the horrors of war or suffering.  Consequently [we] they have no way to properly relate to it or understand it.

Some of the documents from Iraq exposed corruption and aided democracy.  That’s great and I’m sure some of these documents will too, which is also great but you need to be careful. The information about the Saudi’s wanting the US to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities neither exposes corruption nor aids democracy.  It’s just salatious information that can only have the effect of making any such move to disarm Iran less likely.

This is why people like Assange are dangerous.  Power without responsibility is always dangerous and it is us, the people of the world, who will have to accept responsibility for this one man’s actions.

I don’t care tonight whether it is hackers or the US government that is trying to bring down this website.  I can only hope that they succeed.  Our freedoms, and the freedom of the Internet, do not need to come at such high a price as a person’s life.

In this article I thought it would be a good idea to discuss what Linux is and what is should be. This, of course, is based on many years of use and equally as many years as a member of the media, covering Linux and the open source community.

The societal history of Linux

Let’s face it…Linux has always been faced with a steep, uphill battle against a competition that has been deeply rooted and accepted in the court of public opinion. No matter how buggy and how prone to viruses and attacks the Windows operating system is, the public (en masse) uses Windows in one for or another. It’s familiar. It works. It’s everywhere. Linux, on the other hand, began by one person as a DIY (Do It Yourself) University project and blossomed into a communal phenomenon. But, for the most part, that DIY stigma never left the project. To this day I still hear people disclaim “Don’t you have to write your own drivers for that?” Maybe ten (or even 5)  years ago that was the case. But now not so much. Now, Linux just works. But the stigma is still there. Linux is still seen as best used in server rooms, rendering farms, clusters, and (now) clouds.

But there is a bigger issue at hand for Linux – than just the stigma of its past. With regards to society at large, on a grand-scheme scale, most people don’t even know what Linux is. So to the masses Linux would be completely foreign. And those are the people the Linux distributions should be focusing on.

There is an old saying “You’re preaching to the choir”. That saying goes a long way with regards to Linux and speaking to IT admins and tech-friendly audiences. It’s only when speaking to neophytes and the general public that the idea of Linux becomes unknown territory.

What Linux should be

Linux has reached a very important point in its history. Never before has this operating system been so user-friendly and ready for prime time. But it’s at this point that it has a built-in hurdle that constantly is tripping it up. That hurdle? Inability to market and focus on the new user. Although it would seem distributions like Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, and Linux Mint are geared perfectly for the new user, they seem to falter when it comes to helping out new users. Let me give you a couple of examples.

The first example is the dreaded mailing list. Yes, I belong to many a mailing list. I read them frequently, post some times, and always find something new. But when a new user comes into the fold the first thing they read is an assault on their noob-ness and their inability to RTFM or bottom post. Suffice it to say, the mailing lists are NOT new-user friendly.

Another example is the welcome screen – or lack thereof. You know when you first install Windows you get that Welcome screen that gives you links to documents on what to do or where to go? Most people just uncheck the box that sets the Open at start option so they never have to see this again. That window is pretty crucial to new users. Linux needs this. I have sent out a call to Ubuntu to create something just like that. Even though it is a bother to many users, it is a necessity to others. And think about it – having that simple greeting with useful information would go very far in bringing new users into the fold.

Recently I read (and wrote about) the news that Songbird is no longer supported in Linux. This was a sad bit of news because Songbird was the closest thing to iTunes that Linux had. Why does that matter? Because to many users iTunes is synonymous to music player. For many users, having an iTunes clone is a critical piece of a very large puzzle. Familiarity breeds new users, and in the case of Linux that is the single biggest obstacle to adoption. Familiarity.

I’ve written a lot of praise lately on where GNOME is taking the desktop (see my article A sneak peak at GNOME 3) and as much as I like what the GNOME developers are doing, I wonder if it is the right move. Yes I already use GNOME shell. I like it. I think it is where the PC desktop should be heading. But most users are so familiar with that task bar/start button/notification area that change will not be welcome. Fortunately for those users there is KDE. Unfortunately for Linux, most new users wouldn’t know KDE if it slapped them in /dev/null.

Because of this, that welcome screen is going to be crucial. When a user first install (or boots up) a Linux machine, they should be greeted by a welcome window that allows them to do things like:

• Choose the look/feel of their desktop.
• Set their username/login info.
• Set up their email account (make this optional of course).
• Point them to documentation.

What about you?

You are a integral component in the success of the Linux operating system. You – the community. Unlike most other operating systems, you have a say. You could contact the developers of a Linux distribution and say I have an idea! and that idea could actually find its way into the next release.

So here’s your chance to chime in. What do you think Linux needs to do to bring in more new users? What would you say to a team of developers of a distribution?