There are a few problems with international data plans. The first is that they're extremely expensive. It's always always cheaper to buy a rental SIM or a rental WWAN USB stick in the international country that you land in versus roaming on your home carrier, but to compound the issue, most of the better data deals require a 2-year data contract back at home. Unless you travel overseas frequently, this is basically never a good deal. AT&T now has another option: pay-as-you-go international data packages
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Microsoft Sells 240 Million Copies Of Windows 7 During First Year
A major birthday was celebrated this week in the consumer electronics industry. On October 22nd of last year, Microsoft put Windows 7 on sale in America. That means that the company's newest desktop operating system is now one year old, and it's always telling to see how many copies were sold in the opening year. Generally, first-year sales are largest, so it's important for a company to come off of the starting line hot. That's exactly what Microsoft did, selling 240 million licenses of Windows 7 in the first
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Spaceport America's first runway christened
Virgin Galactic's spaceport, Spaceport America, has christened its first runway. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) on Saturday dedicated the nearly two-mile long "Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway" at Spaceport America with Governor Bill Richardson, Sir Richard Branson and about 30 of more than 380 Virgin Galactic future astronauts in attendance.Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership, with SpaceShipTwo, AKA the VSS Enterprise, in a captive carry, performed a flyover of the spaceway before landing. Spaceport America is about 25 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences, NM.
The rest of the facilities at Spaceport America in New Mexico are still under construction. At least, however, SpaceShipTwo now has a home, so to speak, or at least an official home. Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group, Virgin Galactic's parent company, estimates that sub-orbital launches, costing $200,000 a ticket, are still nine to 18 months away.
In December of 2005, the last time Branson visited the site, he and Gov. Richardson announced a partnership between Virgin Galactic and the state. Essentially, the state agreed to build the spaceport, the first such purpose-built spaceport (meaning it is not a converted airport) in the world, and Branson agreed that Virgin Galactic would be Spaceport America's anchor tenant.
Read the full press release and watch a video below:
UPHAM, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) today dedicated the nearly twomile long "Governor Bill RIchardson Spaceway" at Spaceport America, representing significant progress toward launching commercial customers into space from the desert of New Mexico. Governor Bill Richardson, Sir Richard Branson and approximately 30 of more than 380 Virgin Galactic future astronauts attended the event along with guests from around the world and watched a flyover and landing by Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo, in a captive carry with SpaceShipTwo.
"We are celebrating the world's first spaceway at the world's first purpose?built, commercial spaceport," said Governor Richardson. "New Mexico is not only helping to launch the commercial spaceflight industry, but we are launching new jobs and opportunities for the people of southern New Mexico. Today marks a significant milestone on our historic and exciting journey."
The nearly two?mile long runway was officially named the "Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway" at the event, and Governor Richardson joined Sir Richard in placing their handprints in clay as a permanent commemoration of the historic day. NMSA Chairman Ben Woods said the board of the NMSA had met early today to formally and unanimously approve the name of the spaceway.
Sir Richard Branson commented, "It is incredible to be here today with Governor Richardson and be part of the runway dedication at Spaceport America. To see for myself how far the construction has come from when I last visited New Mexico is truly inspiring – I for one can't wait for the grand opening – today has brought it one step closer to reality for me. The last few weeks have been some of the most exciting in Virgin Galactic's development. Our spaceship is flying beautifully and will soon be making powered flights, propelled by our new hybrid rocket motor, which is also making excellent progress in its own test program. The investment deal with our new partners Aabar has successfully closed, securing funding for the remainder of the development program and we are seeing unprecedented numbers of people coming forward to secure their own reservations for this incredible experience. To be here in New Mexico to witness this historic moment is the perfect end to a great month."
Governor Richardson, Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Galactic future astronauts and the guests were all invited to tour the terminal hangar facility, which is nearing completion. The iconic building, meeting Gold LEED standards, will serve as the operating hub for Virgin Galactic and is expected to house up to two WhiteKnightTwos and five SpaceShipTwos, in addition to all of Virgin's astronaut preparation facilities and mission control. Held immediately following the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS), the Spaceport America Runway Dedication marked the culmination of "Space Week" in New Mexico, and was made possible in part thanks to premier event sponsors Summit West Construction, Gerald Martin Construction Management, AECOM, Molzen?Corbin, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, of Albuquerque, NM, and the New Mexico Tourism Department. Other speakers at the event included: Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator of NASA; George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic; Patricia Hynes, Executive Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium; and Rick Homans, Executive Director of the NMSA.
Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator of NASA, said, "With the recent signing of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 by President Obama, it is clear that our nation's future space efforts will be working even more closely than with the growing commercial space transportation industry," She added, "Innovative approaches that foster this new commercial industry will bring more competition and opportunities that will lower the costs of spaceflight and payload services for America's aerospace programs, and introduce new human space transportation systems."
The 42?inch thick spaceway is designed to support nearly every type of aircraft in the world today. It is made up of 24 inches of prepared sub?grade, followed by four inches of asphalt, and finished with a 14?inch layer of concrete. The spaceway will accommodate returning launch vehicles, fly?back rocket boosters and other space launch and training vehicles. Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. The state?of?theart launch facility is under construction near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and is expected to become fully operational in 2011. Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with their anchor tenant Virgin Galactic and other leading aerospace firms such as Lockheed Martin, Moog?FTS, Armadillo Aerospace, and UP Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are already delivering on its promise to the people of New Mexico.
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Many Computer Users Skip Routine Maintenance
It probably comes as no surprise, but it seems most people ignore routine computer maintenance and only think about it when disaster strikes. You know, like falling victim to more than 3,000 viruses. At once.A survey done of Staples "EasyTechs," indicated that more than 80 percent of the chain's customers don't bother with routine maintenance and most of the problems they call in the techs for could have been prevented.
The problems the techs found included the personal record number of viruses cited above as well as some much, much ickier ones:- Enough dust inside to fill the tech's hand-held vacuum
- A family of cockroaches living quite comfortably, thankyouverymuch
- A bee's nest. Yes, a bee's nest. You know, those flying things that go "bzzzz" and sting you? A nest of those.
The techs suggested some easy tips for users that could potentially result in the techs having less work to do, but possibly getting fewer bee stings:
- Keep your antivirus software up to date. Only a third of the 105 techs reported their customers had the current versions.
- If you have a Windows computer, use Windows Disk Cleanup to safely get rid of temporary files.
- Keep your computer in a well-ventilated area and clear out any dust or dirt that's gotten into the case.
- Defragment your hard drive regularly; it organizes your hard drive to maximize your performance
- Check regularly for updates to your OS, whether it be Windows, Mac, Linux or other, and make sure you download any security patches.
- Back up stuff that's hard or impossible to replace - photos, music, important files - on an external hard drive or flash drive. More than 85 percent of the techs said virtually none of their customers backed up data.
One word - vacuum. It could save your PC's life...
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You wont believe this
So I was Playing a game today and all of a sudden it freezes. I think no big deal it does it from time to time. Well this time I wont boot, I try 3 times before I put in the Win 7 disc for a recovery. So it does the recovery and still no dice. So i go in the bios and its not there. So I try different sata cables, power cables, and sata ports on the mobo. Still no dice... So I take the thing out and Im getting ready to submit an RMA to Corsair and I bring up my newegg invoice and to my disbelief. I don't have the SSD I thought I bought a year ago. It Shares the same serial number on the box except for one important part a BIG S128 Instead of the P128 I though I had ordered and what my invoice says.... So Now I just got done sending a email to newegg but Im not expecting much, but the real pain is I dont know how Im going to RMA it with Corsair if they dont match the invoice.... I really dont want to have to buy a new one.... nore do I have the $250 really to spend on it....
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ViewSonic's NVIDIA Tegra 2-Based G Tablet In Action
Tablets certainly seem to be all the rage this year and it's likely that the holiday buying season will be rife with offerings from some of the major players. Folks just can't seem to get enough tablets these days, though the design concept has been around for years. And why not, somebody has to bring competition for the iPad. Now that the proper technology is available (capacitive touch screens, more capable low power CPUs, and OS user interface features) to enable a satisfying tablet experience, tablets are becoming "the real deal," or so to speak. In that vein, though we showed you the unveiling of NVIDIA's Tegra 2 low power processor last January at CES2010, only now are tablets built on the chip reaching the market. At Pepcom's Holiday Spectacular show in New York last night, we were treated to a rare viewing of ViewSonic's yet-to-be-released G Tablet. This is an NVIDIA Tegra 2-based 10-inch (1024X600) tablet running Android 2.2 aka "Froyo" (short for frozen yogurt). The device also has 1GB of system memory, 16GB of Flash storage (expandable to 32GB), a 1.3MP webcam, USB port, Mini HDMI, 802.11n Wireless and Bluetooth 2.1. ViewSonic's Adam Hanin took us for a quick test drive here...
Word is the device can manage up to 8hrs of battery life running full 1080p HD video content, up to 10 hrs for 720p and 10 - 12 hours for general purpose work or fun.
The G Pad is pretty darn thin and light (1lb even) too, with a solid combination of features and performance. Also, though there are no specific cellular service carriers for the device currently, there is a standard SIM card slot available on the G Pad, for future roll-outs perhaps. $529 and coming to a retailer near you around the end of October. Scuttlebutt says street prices could trend lower too. We like. We're hoping to get one in on the test bench here in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned.
ViewSonic also had an assortment of their other gadgets on hand as well, including a digital picture frame with on-board camera, capable of converting your old paper photos to digital media, along with a combination pocket camcorder and projector all-in-one device.
The picture frame was a novel sort of device that, though simple in concept, is the kind of thing you wish you thought of yourself. The ProjectorDV would make R2 proud; It's able to record videos of Obi-Wan live on Jedi location and then re-project that video immediately at 720p via DLP technology. The force definitely seems to be with team ViewSonic lately. Even a Wookie would find something to appreciate from ViewSonic's Q4 offering this year.
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Microsoft Sells 240 Million Copies Of Windows 7 During First Year
A major birthday was celebrated this week in the consumer electronics industry. On October 22nd of last year, Microsoft put Windows 7 on sale in America. That means that the company's newest desktop operating system is now one year old, and it's always telling to see how many copies were sold in the opening year. Generally, first-year sales are largest, so it's important for a company to come off of the starting line hot. That's exactly what Microsoft did, selling 240 million licenses of Windows 7 in the first year on the market.
That's a record for a Microsoft operating system. No previous OS from the company has sold more during the first year, with some suggesting that it's because of the negativity surrounding Vista. In other words, there's no better incentive to upgrade than to be upgrading from something that's lackluster. Vista obviously didn't sell as many during the first year because Windows XP was seen as good enough, and Vista was seen as a product lacking polish. The opposite has been the case with Windows 7.
The record is all the more impressive when you think about how rough the economy was in 2009. Microsoft even worried that the economy would hurt sales, but a year in, a record has still been set. Now we just have to wonder how many years it'll be before the company's next OS tries to break this record.
Windows 7 Birthday Bash: ‘It’s a Year to Celebrate’
Windows 7 turns one on Oct. 22. In the space of a year, the company sold more than 240 million licenses, a record for a Microsoft operating system’s first year.
REDMOND – Oct. 21, 2010 – Happy first anniversary, Windows 7 – it’s been a busy year.
Since the new operating system launched worldwide a year ago, Microsoft has sold more than 240 million licenses.
"I think Windows 7 has exceeded expectations," said Gavriella Schuster, general manager of Windows Product Management. "We delivered what we said we were going to deliver, when we said we would deliver it, with very high quality."
"I think Windows 7 has exceeded expectations," said Gavriella Schuster, general manager of Windows Product Management. "We delivered what we said we were going to deliver, when we said we would deliver it, with very high quality."
Click for high-res version.
“I think Windows 7 has exceeded expectations,†said Gavriella Schuster, general manager of Windows Product Management. “People from the very beginning have had an optimistic forecast. I actually felt in the beginning we needed to temper expectations a bit… but a year later, we’re on track. We’re right where we thought we would be. It’s been a good year – it’s a year to celebrate.â€
For months before its official launch, Windows 7 raked in positive reviews and feedback from customers around the world. The operating system also was released into one of the biggest economic downturns in recent history, yet it was quickly and widely adopted by consumers and businesses alike.
“We were in such a bad place economically; I didn’t know how that was going to play out. I was nervous,†Schuster said. “But I feel really good about how it’s all turned out.â€
Consumers are buying Windows 7 PCs, and computer owners and businesses are upgrading as well. While the economy is still suffering, Windows 7 remains one of the top three projects IT pros are considering for their businesses, Schuster said.
“It’s just that important,†Schuster said. “That’s a good outcome.â€
A year ago – on Oct. 22 – eager Microsoft engineers gathered to help then-Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell “virtually†ring the NASDAQ stock market opening bell. On the one year anniversary of that day, Schuster said she’d like to raise her hat to the incredible work that engineers and teams across Microsoft did to get Windows 7 ready to meet the world.
“The primary win, the reason why Windows 7 is so successful, is because of the phenomenal engineering effort,†she said. “We delivered what we said we were going to deliver, when we said we would deliver it, with very high quality.â€
A year of momentum
From the day it launched, Windows 7 began a steady climb, popping up on PCs around the world. In less than a year, Windows 7 gained more than 17 percent of the global operating system share worldwide.
Akfash Latibu, a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), from Brunei Darussalam said he was “simply speechless†after first downloading the Windows 7 beta. MVPs are a community of technical experts and users of Microsoft products who actively share their knowledge both with other users, and provide independent and valuable feedback to Microsoft.
“After I signed in, (I saw) the desktop, the taskbar, aero features – wow,†Latibu said. “Windows 7 was filled with new features; what else can an IT pro ask for from Microsoft?â€
Harbor Wholesale Grocery upgraded to Windows 7 this year on about 100 PCs. Making sure that employees have the technology they need is critical to providing the highest-quality customer service, which sets Harbor apart from its competitors, said the company’s computer operations manager.
Harbor Wholesale Grocery upgraded to Windows 7 this year on about 100 PCs. Making sure that employees have the technology they need is critical to providing the highest-quality customer service, which sets Harbor apart from its competitors, said the company’s computer operations manager.
Click for high-res version.
Alex du Jong, a Windows 7 user and Microsoft MVP from Bergeijk, Netherlands, said his favorite features are the Windows Mobility Center, the resource monitor, the snipping tool, and the new interface with zoom function. “I tell people that Windows 7 is fast, and that it stays fast even when installing a lot of applications,†du Jong said. “I would recommend Windows 7 to everybody. The most important reason is that Windows 7 is a very responsive, secure and fun-to-use OS.â€
There are now 1.2 billion Windows PCs worldwide, and as of September, 93 percent of new consumer PCs were running Windows 7. According to Lifehacker, Windows 7 users have a customer satisfaction rate of 94 percent.
“I use Windows 7 for work and personal – there is not much difference between those, by the way,†du Jong said. “Windows 7 just rocks, for me as a heavy user as well as for everybody else.â€
‘Windows 7 provides the quickness we’re looking for’
Windows 7 at One Year
People are four times more likely to recommend Windows 7 to a colleague or friend than they were a year ago, and in its first five months, the number of IT professionals recommending Windows 7 surpassed those recommending Windows XP.
In addition, as Windows 7 marks its one-year anniversary, it:
•  Â
Has sold more than 240 million licenses worldwide
•  Â
Has a customer satisfaction rate of 94%*
•  Â
Is on more than 1.2 billion Windows PCs worldwide
•  Â
Is on 93 percent of new consumer PCs, as of September
•  Â
Has over 17 percent of the global operating system share**
•  Â
Has inspired nearly 90 percent of companies to upgrade or start upgrading to the new OS
•  Â
On average, can save companies US$140 per PC per year, and a 131 percent return on investment in the first year
* Lifehacker
** Net Applications, October 1, 2010
Not only are consumers choosing Windows 7; businesses large and small are making the move to the new operating system. Today, nearly 90 percent of companies have either moved or started their move to Windows 7.
One of those that already made the move is Harbor Wholesale Grocery, a full-service grocery distribution company with 300 employees business based in Tumwater, Wash. The business upgraded to Windows 7 this year and immediately reduced help desk calls and increased computing security, said Tony Caufield, computer operations manager for Harbor Wholesale Grocery.
Harbor Wholesale Grocery sells more than 10,000 items, including fresh food, beverages, cigarettes, and supplies to more than 2,000 customers in Alaska, Idaho, Northern California, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. About 1,000 of those customers are getting one delivery a week, including some large, detailed orders.
“There are a lot of transactions so it’s critical for our systems to be able to get customers’ orders in, to process credit, and to route our trucks,†Caufield said. Making sure that employees have the technology they need is critical to providing the highest-quality customer service, which sets Harbor apart from its competitors, he said.
Caufield said the company loved the performance of Windows XP, but the operating system had some security management challenges. Upgrading to Windows Vista alleviated some of those security issues, but Caufield then found that the company’s time clock application and another application used by the sales team both required Windows XP to run.
This spring, with the help of Microsoft partner Denali Advanced Integration, Harbor found a solution that included virtualizing some of its desktops to be compatible with key applications. Harbor just completed its move to Windows 7 from Windows XP and Windows Vista on roughly 100 PCs.
“By moving all our users to Windows 7, we’re delivering on our promise to provide a high-performing, high-security computing environment, without having to upgrade any hardware. And by using Microsoft virtualization technologies, we’re establishing an easy, cost-effective way to support key applications,†Caufield said.
Automotive giant General Motors (GM) is well into the process of upgrading its PCs to Windows 7.
“We have 22,000 employees on Windows 7 and we’ll get up to about 80,000 by year end,†said Ken Michel, director of online infrastructure and local area networks for GM Information Technology. “We’re about designing, building, and selling cars. We’re about being quick to market and Windows 7 provides the quickness that we’re looking for.â€
GM has more than 200,000 employees, and is present in 120 markets worldwide. The company manufactures brands such as Cadillac and Chevrolet, as well as regional brands such as Opel in Australia.
What’s next?
“We’re about being quick to market and Windows 7 provides the quickness that we’re looking for,†said Ken Michel, director of online infrastructure and local area networks for GM Information Technology. The company will have 80,000 employees using Windows 7 by year's end.
“We’re about being quick to market and Windows 7 provides the quickness that we’re looking for,†said Ken Michel, director of online infrastructure and local area networks for GM Information Technology. The company will have 80,000 employees using Windows 7 by year's end.
Click for high-res version.
Pushing Windows 7’s first-year momentum into the second year and beyond will require not only continued consumer success, but also enterprise success, which means getting more businesses to make the upgrade, Schuster said. “It is very important. Enterprise is over half of our Windows revenue,†she said.
However, Microsoft is focused not just on growing enterprise revenue, but also on improving customer satisfaction. “It’s super important that they have a great, grounded experience from the start,†Schuster said.
IDC analyst Al Gillen, program vice president, system software, has spoken and written extensively about businesses migrating to Windows 7. He said it’s a major effort for most companies to make such upgrades, so it’s a big deal when they do. “For most business customers, a migration is not something that happens in a period of weeks or months,†Gillen said. “The average customer doing an operating system deployment in conjunction with a new PC deployment usually takes a couple of years to get through.â€
However, virtualization and cloud computing are making such deployments more nimble than ever, he said, adding that one thing accelerating the move to Windows 7 is the waning “life cycle†for Windows XP (support for the operating system will end in 2014).
Schuster said Windows 7 continues to prove itself, both to consumers and to businesses. There are more competitors in both markets than there ever have been before, she said.
“Users have more choices than they ever have, which is great, but it means we have to work harder for our share of voice out on the market than we’ve ever had to before,†Schuster said. “But I still think people are pretty excited about it.â€
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AT&T Intros Pay-As-You-Go International Data Plan Packages
There are a few problems with international data plans. The first is that they're extremely expensive. It's always always cheaper to buy a rental SIM or a rental WWAN USB stick in the international country that you land in versus roaming on your home carrier, but to compound the issue, most of the better data deals require a 2-year data contract back at home. Unless you travel overseas frequently, this is basically never a good deal.
AT&T now has another option: pay-as-you-go international data packages for laptops and netbooks. The new AT&T DataConnect Pass Global — a lineup of international pay-as-you-go data packages now available on AT&T-certified laptops and netbooks -- is now available for consumers. This plan was made for international business travelers and vacationers alike, with the passes providing data coverage in more than 100 countries, including Canada, Mexico, countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Customers can purchase 30-day session increments, with 20MB costing 24.99, 50MB costing $59.99, 100MB for $119.99 and 200MB for $199.99.
These packages can be purchased as you need them with a credit or debit card, and customers can also bill the charges to their wireless bill provided the postpaid wireless account has been active more than 90 days and has no past due charges. Once purchased, customers have the flexibility to specify when they want the 30-day session to begin, based on their travel itinerary. As a helpful reminder, customers will receive a courtesy text and email when their plan is close to expiring or when they are close to depleting the amount of data available with their session.
Of course, these prices are still extremely high compared to WWAN rental options, but if you're pinched for time, this is far better than having to purchase something on a 2-year contract.
AT&T Introduces Pay-As-You-Go International Data Packages for Laptops and Netbooks
Customers Benefit from More Flexibility, More Choice; More Ways to Manage Data Needs Abroad
Dallas, Texas, October 20, 2010
AT&T* today announced the launch of AT&T DataConnect Pass Global — a lineup of international pay-as-you-go data packages now available on AT&T-certified laptops and netbooks. The announcement expands AT&T’s portfolio of pay-as-you-go data services, providing domestic and now international data passes designed to meet individual needs and budgets without a long-term commitment.
Ideal for international business travelers and vacationers alike, the passes provide data coverage in more than 100 countries, including Canada, Mexico, countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Available in 30-day session increments, packages can help travelers better manage their data usage abroad and at rates significantly lower than pay-per-use service. Data packages include:
   * DataConnect Pass Global 20MB for $24.99
   * DataConnect Pass Global 50MB for $59.99
   * DataConnect Pass Global 100MB for $119.99
   * DataConnect Pass Global 200MB for $199.99
Data sessions may be purchased at AT&T DataConnect Pass Sessions, using a credit card or a debit card. Customers can also bill the charges to their wireless bill provided the postpaid wireless account has been active more than 90 days and has no past due charges. Set up is easy: customers create a username and password, provide their laptop or netbook SIM card and device serial numbers, complete the billing information and select the desired data package.
Once purchased, customers have the flexibility to specify when they want the 30-day session to begin, based on their travel itinerary. As a helpful reminder, customers will receive a courtesy text and email when their plan is close to expiring or when they are close to depleting the amount of data available with their session.
International packages are available to existing AT&T netbook or laptop customers. For complete details, visit AT&T DataConnect Pass Sessions.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
Restrictions apply. Time begins expiring immediately upon activation whether you are using the service or not. Once you consume your allotted data or your time expires, whichever occurs first, your data access will cease. Plans should be purchased before traveling outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S.V.I. For available countries and carriers, see DataConnect Legal Documents. Availability, quality of coverage while roaming are not guaranteed. Plans must begin within 365 days of purchase. Fees are non-refundable. For complete terms and conditions see DataConnect Pass/iPad™/Session-Based Wireless Data Services Agreement on Wireless Legal Documents.
DataConnect Pass Global packages are available to customers with an AT&T enabled LaptopConnect Card, embedded Laptop Card or netbook that have a domestic AT&T Laptop Connect plan currently. Customers that already have their own AT&T compatible device, but do not currently subscribe to a domestic Laptop Connect Plan, may need to purchase a new SIM card to activate service.
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