If you think about it, Windows’s file explorer view has not changed much in the last decade – sure, the File, Edit, View menu has been done away with in Windows 7, but the user is still overly reliant on the right click mouse command. But with all the focus on touch based interfaces, the right click command needs to start taking a backseat in future Windows releases. Microsoft is focussing a lot on making Windows 8 a lot more touch friendly, and it is not all about their Metro based interface.

Going forward, all Windows Explorer windows will carry a Ribbon bar with the most popular file handling commands placed in the tabs we have gotten used to in Microsoft Office. Microsoft quite obviously states that drop down menus do not work well in touch environments, yet there is still quite a few commands in the Ribbon bar that relies on drop-downs. What gives Microsoft? But if you are not going to use Windows 8 on a touch device (we first have to wait to see a Beta which shows off the touch aspects more), you can hide the Ribbon bar.

Microsoft also shows off a few new ways in which traditionally difficult tasks are made a lot easier on Windows 8. (more…)

Billions of people are now for the first time being touched by technology; untapped markets like gold mines stretch as far as your eyes can see, from Cape to Cairo and beyond. They sit there waiting, and we read about them everyday, yet young technology entrepreneurs are fantasizing about building the next big thing to hit the US Apple app store.

I sometimes find myself completely numb when young South African developers and entrepreneurs talk about how their next project will be a web app or  iPad app thing. Have we all completely lost the plot?

It seems that perhaps our Silicon Valley envy has impeded our thinking in South Africa. We are completely obsessed with the American market and what American developers are doing, to the point where we have been blinded to reality.

It’s not just developers either, the problem stretches all the way to CEOs of our local corporates aswell. I always find it amusing when I see South African companies investing their marketing budget into iPhone apps when the vast majority of their customers have never seen a computer.

We are all unwittingly complicit in a conspiracy against our own well-being. Millions of South Africans are walking around with problems that are not being addressed by South African developers and entrepreneurs. Hundreds of millions of Africans are walking around with cellular phones but have never heard of Pepsi or Lay’s chips because marketers don’t give a damn about them and are too busy building iPad apps.

We should start innovating in South Africa, because we are lagging behind in a huge way. The proliferation of cheap smartphones and the insane addiction to telecommunication that our people have, leaves us with no excuse. The people want it, we need to start giving it to them.

For a long time mobile was mostly text based then later on as browsers came to phones nothing more than a stripped-down ugly html pages. With the dramatic surge in Android devices in emerging markets this is no longer the face of mobile, mobile in Africa is completely changing and in the next year will be unrecognisable to those looking on apathetically from the side-lines.

It’s time we stop imitating what companies and developers are doing in saturated developed markets, we need to go back to our pioneering roots and take the lead in these new untapped markets around the world though innovation and entrepreneurship.

Disclosure: Opinions by writers are just that – opinions. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Bandwidth Blog.

A recent study done by AptiQuant has found some very interesting correlations between choice of browser, and (apparently) the user’s intelligence. It was actually a pretty simple survey – ask the user to complete the IQ test, then use a sniffer to find out what browser they are running.

The results were pretty strange – Internet Explorer scored the lowest average score, with Chrome, Safari and Firefox scoring just above average. What is interesting though is that the more obscure browsers are typically used by users who have a higher IQ. These include Camino and Opera, and the smart little tool Chrome Frame.

But reading through the study makes you realize that it is not a particularly scientific study – through little quips like this in the conclusion:

“The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual’s cognitive ability and their choice of web browser.“

First off the survey is self selecting, and it assumes all users have control over what browser they use, and are using their first choice of browser, which is not always the case in corporate environments. One could also argue that in order to change a browser does require a higher level of knowledge though.

There is one problem with that argument though – IQ and computer literacy does not necessarily go hand in hand. We all know very smart people who have no idea how to install a different browser. And we all know less smart people who know how to use a computer very well. Yes, its an IQ score, but it still requires some computer literacy to answer it, which can affect the results.

This all just rings to me like Microsoft bashing. Do you really expect me to believe Opera users have the highest IQ?

So what do you think? Are IE users “dumber” than users of other browsers?

Update: Turns out was a hoax people. Good! Was wondering how anyone can have such a poor survey, and then call it a “study”. The guy responsible had the following to say:

“This was not a cheap publicity stunt, but an honest effort to create awareness about the incompatibilities of IE versions 6.0 to 8.0.”

Source: Aptiquest (find the survey results here)

The release of Apple’s OS X Lion is old news now (in tech time), and I have resisted the urge to immediately upgrade to the latest operating system because, frankly, I have no real reason to. Snow Leopard caters for my needs perfectly in that I don’t even realise it’s there. Everything just works. However, as a technophile and one with friends who have already upgraded, you quickly start thinking of all the enhancements and how it has the potential to not, on the surface, dramatically change the user experience, it would definitely augment the experience. And lets be honest $29 for a new operating system, ensures that it is not much of a budgetary decision for most Mac users. But alas, as South Africans, we have to always consider our bandwidth constraints before lauding moves towards a cloud based software/ computing environment.

For super users with unlimited data packages, this is obviously something that does not require any consideration, but for the majority of us ‘medio-users’ we have thoughtfully selected a data plan based on our usage/ budget. Downloading a 4Gb operating system is not something is a once off that most of us never considered. Furthermore the constraints involved with downloading large files , is another consideration. I recall numerous attempts at downloading iOS 4.3.1 when it was launched before deciding to rather just download the file (ability to resume download after losing connection) and update manually via iTunes. I dreaded the thought of how I was going to download the mammoth Lion file.

Whilst researching the problem (thanks Google!) I discovered the rather simple solution. Apple in the US and Canada are inviting users who have purchased Lion but have data caps and connectivity issues to use the WiFi at their official Apple Stores to download the OS. Awesome. That sounds infinitely better that the ridiculous option of a $69 USB memory stick loaded with Lion. So, the main gist of my article is not SA’s bandwidth constraints or any of the awesome new features in Lion, but rather the response from our local iStores.

At my next visit to the mall, I stopped at the iStore to enquire on whether this is an option here. There response was that it wasn’t, but instead I could purchase it from the Appstore, stop the download as soon as it begins and bring the receipt to the iStore. They will then give me a DVD with Lion installed. Awesome right! Because surely they only have to download it once, and then just burn the image onto DVD’s or they must have recovery disks they need should a machine not be working. WRONG! Once I purchase Lion form the Appstore for $29, I then need to pay them a further R150 (approx $22). At least with the aforementioned nonsensical USB option you get a cool Apple USB stick!

I would honestly have been comfortable paying, say R50, for the Lion DVD even though I know what the cost of a recordable DVD-R is. And I know that I am therefore really just upset about R100. But it is not just the R100. It is the principle. The Apple users in South Africa are just as passionate about Apple products as those in the US. If you cut us, do we not bleed! If you launch a new iPhone, do we not rush off to buy it! In fact, it could be argued that we are more so, considering the premium we pay for the same hardware. The move to the cloud promises us salvation from this unfair-ness, well at least for the software, but until we resolve our bandwidth constraints, the cloud still seems some distance away.

Update from Ed: Turns out Digicape comes to the rescue. If you show them your receipt of your Lion purchase, they will supply you with a image of Lion, for free. Talk to the guys at @digimates to get yourself sorted.

Well done Digicape.

Image: Lifehacker

Disclosure: Opinions by writers are just that – opinions. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Bandwidth Blog.

Dropbox has been available for a while now,  but there are still some people out there that do not know about it, but also it is still a best of breed solution. So here is quick primer on all things Dropbox.

Like many people these days, I work across many machines in a typical workday. While I might have a Windows 7 machine at the office, I have a Mac at home and I backup all the computers to a Windows Home Server in the cupboard.

I have a few “essential” folders that I always want to have access to (things like finances, insurance info, passport copies, contracts etc.), regardless of which computer I am working on, and yes it can become a hassle having to keep them all in sync, especially if you have to walk around with a flash disk to each computer. And the best way to do it is with DropBox.

Multiplatform

Dropbox installs as a simple app on your Windows, Mac or Linux machine and then keeps track of all the folders you drop into it. Now at first you only get 2GB of space for free, if you want more you have to pay for it. But as a method to keep essentials like word, excel and PDF docs, it works great. I installed Dropbox on my Macbook first, and it just creates a simple Dropbox folder into which you throw your documents. Then as soon as you find an internet connection, it simply uploads those files to the Dropbox server, which can then be accessed from any web browser, you just need to log in. (Imagine being in a foreign country and needing some document – you can just pop into a internet café…)

Keeping it all in sync

But the true beauty of Dropbox is the syncing ability. I installed Dropbox on my work machine, a Windows 7 workstation. You install dropbox, give it your login details, and just like that it downloads all your documents to that machine as well (luckily it work well with proxy networks as well). It just hides in the system tray and informs you if any files have changed every now and then. But the syncing is where it gets interesting – any change I make to a document gets uploaded to Dropbox, and then gets changed on all my machines that use Dropbox as well. In your window it just marks the updated folders with a small green tick if everything synced. It turns blue while updating.

I also have a Windows Home Server at home, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dropbox installs on it without any problems. While it might not give a WHS add in, you can install it using Remote Desktop. So now my documents are backed up instantly on that server as well, because it has an internet connection.

Sharing files:

Sometimes you need to share files to many people, but email is not the best platform. You can use dropbox to enable a “public” folder. You can then enable which people can access it, and then send them a URL directly to a file. This is particularly handy for larger file sizes – like say recordings of a meeting, which might be too big email. If you have a team of people who are working on a project, you can also set up folders that get shared with only the people you trust. If one of the teammembers changes a file, it automatically updates other machines which are part of the team.

What about bandwidth?

Now you might wonder about bandwidth usage, especially with SA’s current broadband problems. Dropbox is pretty smart in that first looks for another dropbox machine on your local network, and then gets the file locally, without using the internet. And it always just uploads or downloads files that were altered, not your entire dropbox.

Accessing your dropbox from your smartphone

Then the cherry on the cake is that your dropbox can be accessed on your smartphone as well (currently on iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry). Just install it from the relevant appstore, and login again. And just like that you have access to your dropbox. Now this was the initial reason I started using Dropbox – I wanted some way to get access to my essential documents from anywhere using my iPhone. And it works a treat. You do however need a internet connection, but you can also select favourite files that gets stored locally on your phone. For example –  I mark my insurance papers, passport documents etc as favourites. That way I can access them even away from a 3G connection.

What would I like to change about Dropbox? Nothing really – but I do wish they can make more enterprise friendly products. I would think that policies to prevent users on a corporate network from sharing files using the public folder is just one example.

I am very impressed by Dropbox – it covers in the cloud backup of my documents, keeps my documents in sync on a variety of machines, and gives me access to my files from anywhere, be it from my smartphone or even a internet café.

Give it a go here. Dropbox is free up to 2GB of storage, but they sell 50GB for $10 a month as well.


Disclosure: I was in no way, shape or form given anything for this review. I just find it a great product. (This post was previously posted by me on Mail & Guardian Techleader, but just got a few updates. There are alternatives available, but they do not come close to Dropbox for sheer ease of use and multiplatform compatibility. Yes, an oldie but a goodie!)

OK, we have all been in situations where we wish we could record something we see , or a conversation, right? First off, dont think of the beach, think of real life situations which we can record and document, and also share. The Lifelapse Experiment decided to do this using a camera we all carry around all day, our cellphones. At present they are only aiming it at iPhone, and they are even showing off a special bag to carry the phone around you neck in order to record everything in front of you, called the “Lifepouch”. I dont particularly like the idea of carrying an expensive phone around your neck, so it might not be to handy if you walk around in shady neighbourhoods. At present the biggest challenge of Lifelapse is a lack of reason for people to use the app:

“We aren’t really sure about applications for people in real life–we want to provide people with the tools to capture their life,” he said. “Then we will see what they do with it.”

Battery life is also hit pretty hard, chowing the iPhone battery within 4 hours. But the developers are treating it as an experiment first before an actual usable product. So you can look forward to even more photos and videos on social networks like Facebook, but there is a lot more potential uses. One area I think it will be awesome – next time you get pulled over by Metro police, you can have proof of being bribed. That might be reason enough to get it, right? Watch out law enforcement, you might be being watched soon enough…

Source: AllthingsD

Just a few months after iPad was launched we were wowed by a wonderful app called Flipboard. Flipboard was essentially a news reader, but it was the perfect combination of social network integration with a new touch based control interface. Up until this day there is very few apps on the iPad which has such a intuitive interface. In fact it was so good, that Apple named it App of the Year for 2010.

So how does Flipbaord work? The user simply enters his Twitter, Facebook or Google Reader details, and Flipboard will then generate a magazine of sorts which is based on what is going on in those networks. The user can also add Flipboard “sections” which are basically additional tiles which update with information from preferred websites, feeds or featured content. Speaking about featured content – Flipboard was smart to team up with prominent websites and publications to create custom magazine like features. Current featured content partners include Rolling Stone, ELLE, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition (yes, really), Lonely Planet etc. Its because of these partners that Flipboard has remained ad-free. Essentially Flipboard relies on feeds from information you tell it to follow, using a traditional newspaper / magazine like structure. Prominent stories get displayed bigger, tweets get only a small mention.

Zite: Personalized Magazine for iPad from zite.com on Vimeo.

But now there is some competition for Flipboard – a new app called Zite launched today that uses a very similiar strategy, but with a few key twists. While the user has the option to enter his Twitter and Google Reader details (not compulsory), Zite is built to introduce new content to you, but not necessarily from sources you have used up until now. It notices which articles you do actually take time to read, and also uses your feedback to learn which stories you enjoy.

The interface might look similiar to Flipboard at first glance, but it does away with the folding pages idea, with the user instead just panning between pages. The guys behind Zite come from the Laboratory for Computational Intelligence at  University of British Columbia in Vancouver – which might explain where Zite gets its algorithms to quickly figure out what you like. Kind of reminds me of that prominent search engine‘s academic beginnings… Zite fixes one of those problems that has many news junkies up in arms – how do you find the most relevant articles to you from the past few hours or days? Sure, you can stick to Google Reader, and then just go through ALL the posts from your favourite sites. But that takes time, and honestly makes you skim through news. Zite fixes this, and gets better over time to try and figure out what you will find good to read.

Seeing as Zite has only been available for a few hours, I still have to form a opinion whether it really does lead to better articles for readers. I have only given feedback on a few articles already (e.g: lets say I do not want to read about US monetary policy, but I am still interested in personal finance), and it has already adapted to my liking. Small things I like include the nicer use of fonts, which does actually improve the readability of articles (or maybe I am just imagining it), and the no nonsense interface. The app is not perfect however – it is quite slow – starting the app up takes a while longer than Flipboard, and every now and then you have to be faced with a “refreshing content” indication, which you need to wait for. Maybe it can also do with a bit more processing power which iPad 2 will fix? Zite also crashed a few times within the few hours I have used it, and has pretty much stopped loading after a while. I reckon its servers are hammered at the moment, and I remember Flipbaord had a similiar release, but Flipboard was smart enough to have a staged rollout to ensure that the user experience was top notch. But I am pretty sure these are all just growing pains on a product that has huge potential.

But right now those small little waits and crashes are just not worth it for me – I will stick to Flipboard until Zite is a bit more polished. If you want to try out Zite, you can get it in the iPad Appstore.

Update: Looks like the traffic to Zite has been a bit much for them. In fact Zite.com is not working right now, but luckily I did have some quality time with the App before it stopped working…

Get your calendar out, get a pen, and mark the 20^th September 2011 as the day when Gears of War 3, one of this year’s biggest blockbuster titles, launches worldwide.

Gears of War 3 is the glorious conclusion to one of the most memorable sagas in video games’ history and this is a date you certainly don’t want to miss.

The story takes place eighteen months after the events of Gears of War 2 and the loss of the human stronghold of Jacinto.  Marcus, Baird, Dom and company continue their fight to save human civilization, as they battle the Locust and face new threats from within the planet throughout the campaign mode.

Here is what else you can expect from 2011’s most highly anticipated game:

• An enthralling cinematic story that captivates players in an intimately intense action game
• Five-on-five multiplayer experience as well as four player campaign co-op experience
• New Xbox Live multiplayer game modes including ‘Beast Mode’ – offering a new twist to the game where you take on the role of the locust horde and their assorted variations!
• New maps including: Trenches which features an impressive sand storm that reduces your visibility, as well as Overpass, Mercy, Checkout, and Thrashball.
• New weapons including: The Bayonet Charge, The Retro Lancer, The Sawed-off Shotgun, The OneShot – a heavy sniper rifle that shoots through shields or cover for a surprise one shot kill, The Incendiary Grenade, The Digger Launcher and a few subtle tweaks to old favourites Hammerburst and The Classic Lancer. And don’t forget that each weapon now has its own execution move!

Stay tuned for more updates, and keep your eyes peeled for more news on the Official Multiplayer Public Beta coming soon!

Follow South Africa’s local Xbox 360 Twitter page @Xbox360ZA and on the Facebook page Xbox 360 South Africa.