Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon
Join Dr. Bill as he examines the wild and wacky world of the web, computers, and all things geeky! Hot Tech Tips, Tech News, and Geek Culture are examined… with plenty of good humor as well!
Around the holidays the tech news slows to a trickle, everything I read this past week was boooooring! So, no show this week, and since I will be tied up during the holiday, no show this coming week either! Sigh. Sorry! Here’s the thing… don’t forget me in my absence! Also, I MAY try to do a few other shows – like VirtZine or Chromest, if I can. No promises… but we’ll see!
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Google says it won’t phase out Chrome OS, Roku 4 streams 4K video, TeamViewer 11 beta up to 15x faster, new Chrome OS app, Google retires Chrome support for Windows XP, Vista, OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8 in April 2016, DSotW: Bandizip, real life Shishkebab
Links that pertain to this Netcast:
International Association of Internet Broadcasters
Bandizip : All-In-One Free Zip Archiver
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:56 — 12.8MB) | Embed
Subscribe: RSS
Google says it won’t phase out Chrome OS, Roku 4 streams 4K video, TeamViewer 11 beta up to 15x faster, new Chrome OS app, Google retires Chrome support for Windows XP, Vista, OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8 in April 2016, DSotW: Bandizip, real life Shishkebab
Links that pertain to this Netcast:
International Association of Internet Broadcasters
Bandizip : All-In-One Free Zip Archiver
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|
|
|
|
| Download M4V | Download WebM | Download MP3 | Download Ogg |
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Very Cool! The flaming sword called “The Shishkebab” in the Fallout 4 game is real!
This has the advantage of being very light on resources, and being FREE! Also, there is both an installed and a portable version.
Bandizip : All-In-One Free Zip Archiver
“Bandizip is a lightweight, fast and free All-In-One Zip Archiver.
Bandizip has a very fast Zip algorithm for compression & extraction with Fast Drag and Drop, High Speed Archiving, and Multi-core compression. It handles the most popular compression formats, including Zip, 7z, Rar, and so on.
Operating system : Windows 2003, XP, Vista, 7/8/10 (Support for 32-bit and 64-bit)
License : Freeware (No Adware/Spyware/Virus), EULA
Features:
Compression and Extraction:
Zip(z01), ZipX(zx01), TAR, TGZ, LZH, ISO, 7Z(7z.001), and EXE(e01).
Extraction Only:
RAR(part1.rar, r01), ACE, AES, ALZ, APK, ARJ, BH, BIN, BZ, BZ2, CAB, EGG, GZ, J2J, JAR, IMG, IPA, ISZ, LHA, LZMA, PMA, TBZ, TBZ2, TGZ, TLZ, TXZ, UDF, WAR, WIM, XPI, XZ, and Z.
Support for Unicode to display international characters.
Bypass files that don’t compress well using the ‘High Speed Archiving’ function.
Extract files to the destination folder directly using the ‘Fast Drag & Drop’ function.
Create self-extracting files (.EXE) and multi-volume (split) archives.
Optional archive encryption using ZipCrypto and AES 256.
Context Menu access including the ‘Preview Archive’ function.
Create or extract multiple zip files simultaneously from windows explorer.
Free to use at both home and in the office.”
More good reasons to abandon old OS platforms!
Google will retire Chrome support for Windows XP, Vista, OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8 in April 2016
VentureBeat – By: Emil Protalinski – “Google today announced it is extending Chrome support for Windows XP until April 2016. The company will also end Chrome support for Windows Vista, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, OS X 10.7 Lion, and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion at the same time.
This means Google will provide regular Chrome updates and security patches for users on these operating systems for five more months. After that, the browser will still work, but it will be stuck on the last version released in April.
Google rightly explained that ‘such older platforms are missing critical security updates,’ ‘have a greater potential to be infected by viruses and malware,’ and ‘are no longer actively supported by Microsoft and Apple.’ If you want to receive the latest Chrome versions and features, the company thus advises you to move to a newer operating system.
In October 2013, Google originally announced it would retire Chrome support for Windows XP in April 2015. The company then pushed the date back until December 2015. Now it’s being pushed back yet again.
Keep in mind that Microsoft retired Mainstream Support for Windows XP on April 14, 2009, and then pulled Extended Support for the operating system on April 8, 2014. Google’s extensions are a little ridiculous. The company was already going out of its way to support XP a year longer than Microsoft, but two years is really bending over backwards.
Windows XP users cannot upgrade to newer versions of Microsoft’s browser: IE8 is the latest version they can install. IE9 is only available for Windows Vista and Windows 7, while IE10 and IE11 are only for Windows 7 and Windows 8. Many XP users thus choose to use third-party browsers like Chrome.
Last month, XP still had over 11 percent market share, according to Net Applications. Vista had 1.74 percent market share, and the three old OS X versions had a combined 1.17 percent. That’s exactly why Google keeps updating Chrome for XP users: There are still hundreds of millions using the browser on the ancient OS.
But with all these extensions, Google isn’t helping — it’s encouraging users not to upgrade. Even with an up-to-date browser, using Windows XP is simply a poor security choice.”
My favorite connection manager gets an upgrade! Check out the new features!
TeamViewer 11 beta up to 15x faster, debuts Chrome OS app
BetaNews – By: Mike Williams – “TeamViewer GmbH has unveiled TeamViewer 11 beta, a preview of its free-for-personal-use remote control package.
Performance enhancements are a highlight, with up to 15x faster file transfers, and a potential 30 percent reduction in data usage.
Image rendering has also been optimized, bringing better image quality at any given bandwidth.
A shiny new TeamViewer Chrome OS app gives you even more ways to connect, and there are options for unattended access to Android devices, or connecting directly to the Linux console (no GUI required).
Extra web support means you’re now able to run TeamViewer from your browser, and use your TeamViewer account as a web-based chat platform, wherever you are.
Both the TeamViewer toolbar and client interface have been redesigned to make them easier to use.
Corporate users also see a host of improvements, including smarter channel, group and device management, and a new customer feedback option via an automatic satisfaction survey at the end of a session.
TeamViewer 11 beta is available now for Windows XP and later.”
And, now I want one! Wow!
Review: Roku 4 Streams 4K Video With More Powerful Model
Streaming Media.com – By: Troy Dreier – “Roku is taking a lead on 4K, making ultra-high definition support the defining feature of its new Roku 4 set-top box. Someone’s got to be first, and while there isn’t much 4K content around yet, Roku is helping TV-lovers find and stream it. That gives it a critical differentiator over the new Apple TV, which doesn’t support 4K.
Using the Roku 4 doesn’t require a UHD TV, and there’s a lot to like about it even with an HD set (which is how we tested it). The box has a quad-core processor and triple the RAM of the Roku 3, and performed perfectly in our testing. Combining its hardware with the existing quick-start feature for Netflix and Amazon meant we never had to wait more than a few seconds for content. The Roku 4 includes 802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi, which is helpful for 4K streaming because it has strong throughput. Viewing 4K video requires an HDCP 2.2 HDMI port. The set-top box also includes optical digital audio for the first time, (something we weren’t able to test) and upscales SD video to 720p.
Roku has thrown some variety into the screen savers this time, and automatically shows 4K nature images when the screen is inactive. We loved how rich and detailed they looked, even at 1080p. Those screen savers are customizable, but more on that later.
We didn’t have to wait long to test out the remote finder, since remotes naturally get lost in a messy TV room. Press a button on the box and the remote plays a sound of your choosing until you pick it up and press a button. It worked as it should, and is a fun conversation piece.
The improved hardware is only part of the story here. Roku has long been a master of the perfectly intuitive user interface, and the company has released an OS update (to OS 7) that adds useful new features without crowding the controls.
Roku introduced the My Feed feature back in March, letting users identify movies currently in theaters that they want to stream when available. My Feed gains new abilities with OS 7, as users can now follow any movies, TV shows, actors, or directors they want. When something new is available, My Feed lets you know with helpful on-screen indicators. You’ll see a number in parentheses in the left-hand navigation that lets you know how many new items you have available, then a purple triangle next to every item in the feed that’s been updated. We suspect that many people are spontaneous in their streaming video watching—simply browsing around until they find something good—but the My Feed improvements are a boon for planners who don’t want to miss a thing.
OS 7 and the updated iOS and Android Roku app combine to make Roku’s new Hotel and Dorm Connect feature possible. We haven’t testing this yet, but look forward to doing so later this month during Streaming Media West. This feature gives Roku owners a way around Wi-Fi accounts that require a sign-in. Connect the Roku to a hotel or dorm Wi-Fi network and enter the sign-in information through the app. Once connected, the app passes the credentials over to the Roku. It’s a smart idea, and one that makes the Roku an essential travel companion.
The app is worth updating for other reasons. Those high-resolution screen savers in the Roku 4 are customizable: Using the app, owners can substitute their own photos, high-res or not. The controls are easy and its fun having favorite shots show up on the TV, something Apple TV users know well. The app also includes new tools for searching and managing the feed, as well as playing content. These should have been in place when the app was first launched, but better late then never.
The Apple TV will certainly continue to outsell Roku models, but it shouldn’t. Roku has known that the future of TV is apps for years now, and it creates dead simple user interfaces that make content discovery a pleasure. The Roku 4 continues that with a forward-looking attitude.”
I know, this is getting to be a habit! I had to much going on again this weekend! I had to rebuild a server from scratch! Sigh. Another show soon though!
So, yes, you SHOULD still get that Chromebook for Christmas!
Google swears it won’t phase out Chrome OS
Engadget – By: Jon Fingas – “That talk of Google merging Android and Chrome OS, effectively killing Chrome OS as you know it? Google would rather that you forget about all that. In a follow-up to its early rebuttal, the search firm acknowledges that it’s working on ways to “bring together” the two platforms, but insists that there’s ‘no plan to phase out’ Chrome OS. The web-focused software is still popular in classrooms and offices, Google says, and there are plans to upgrade it with everything from a more substantial Material Design makeover to a new media player. There are ‘dozens’ of Chromebooks launching in 2016, the company adds.
That’s all good news if you were worried that Google would drop Chrome OS like a hot potato, although we wouldn’t blame you if you’re skeptical about its long-term future. Google isn’t saying what’s happening in 2017, when the rumored Android/Chrome OS merger takes place. It’s hard to imagine the company spending years unifying its two platforms, but still pouring tons of energy into Chrome OS by its lonesome. The real litmus test is whether or not Google has this same answer in a couple of years, when it doesn’t have to worry as much about assuaging customers and preserving sales.”