Computer Overhauls

Globally, Chrome Overtakes IE As Most Popular Browser.

Google Chrome, a personal favorite software of ours, has recently surpassed Internet Explorer as the most used web browser worldwide. Chrome launched in September 2008 and has become more and more popular ever since.  In the US, IE still reigns supreme, but Chrome has been creeping up since it's debut.

The advantages we see in Chrome are that it's pretty lightweight. It doesn't use a ton of your computer's resources while running. It's also pretty minimalist, leaving more room for the internet, and less for toolbars and search boxes.

As far as the competition, you can see pros and cons of each browser from our previous post. And leave us a comment on our Facebook or Twitter, telling us what browser you prefer to use.

AOL. MySpace. Facebook?

 

    Tomorrow, Facebook is set to go public. You may have seen that they've been getting everything in place for this for some time now, and there were news stories and other issues about how founder Mark Zuckerberg spoke to Wall Street bigwigs underdressed in a hoody. 

    The IPO is still moving forward strongly, despite some recent changes to Facebook's advertisers and users. General Motors announced they will no longer advertise on Facebook, due to lack of interest and return. That's $10million of advertising gone, but their reasoning may just be that they approached it the wrong way. The activity and engagement of users may be declining as well, at least for specific applications. Several apps reported drastic dives in user activity lately, which may be due to how Facebook handles their app integration, or perhaps a more serious concern - could Facebook be over?

    That's a bold statement, and Facebook will probably still be around for a little while - but falling into a familiar pattern of rise and fall isn't implausible. Like AOL and MySpace before it, Facebook saw huge numbers of users, most new to the internet, come to their site and live there. For most people, Facebook IS the internet. But users may become bored and unhappy with the content they receive on the site, and discover there is a whole other big wide internet out there, we may see Facebook join AOL and MySpace in internet Siberia. 

Source

 

Adobe's Answer To Software Updates: $375 Upgrades.

You've just spent a small fortune installing Adobe Creative Suite on your computer. The hole in your wallet is eased by the fact that you can now use Photoshop, After Effects, and the rest of the Adobe software. But say while using this software, there's a bug somewhere. A file doesn't save right, or a certain configuration of circumstances causes the program to crash.  These things happen, and usually the creators of the software will release an update to fix it.

But Adobe has just taken a different approach. Any bug fixes and updates you want, you'll have to purchase for $375 by upgrading to the newest version.  The original software, which can sell for well over $1,000, has problems in it, and Adobe's fix is to charge you more money? That's crazy. 

The issues in question that need to be upgraded aren't just annoyances either. Adobe has identified them as serious security threats, but is only recommending users purchase an upgrade to fix the issue. It's hard enough to pay for the software in the first place, or worry about licenses after a restore or data recovery; having to pay more for a known issue is understandably infuriating. 

 

13 Million Facebook Users Are Doing It Wrong.

Facebook is no stranger to criticism relating to their security settings. It's been called too open, accused of storing and using sensitive info, and more. Lately they've been very vocal about how better their system is and improved security. But all of this is no good if a portion of users aren't taking advantage of it.

In the account settings, users can choose who can see what info. For example, all of your pictures may be seen by friends only, but your name and general info can be public. Or you can withold everything from everyone, sans the select people you choose.  13 million users not using any security or privacy settings may seem like a lot, but compared to the 900 million total users, it's a small percentage.  

But still, those settings are there for you to use, so use them. It's fairly easy to set up, and you may not want anyone and everyone being able to see your work and school info, or that photo from last night's party.

Another Cloud Storage Option: Google Drive.

Joining in with iCloud, Dropbox, and others, yesterday brought the announcement of Google Drive. It's a cloud storage solution that, of course, integrates well with existing Google products. Google Drive will offer 5GB of storage for free, with upgrade options for a montly fee.

Google is pushing the ease of use across platforms.  Mac,PC, or mobile, items saved in Google Drive will be accessible regardless of platform. At first, it doesn't sound like anything special. I already get my Gmail and Google Docs on several devices, and they're already in the cloud. However, Google Drive will eliminate attachment size caps on emails. Just add the file to Drive, and link to it. No uploads, no zipping, no attaching. There's definitely potential there.

The service is slowly rolling out to users. Visiting their website, you can sign up for alerts on when yours will be available.