How to Choose the Right SD Memory Card

In this digital world, at some point or another, most of us have used a digital camera or video camcorder. Most digital cameras or camcorders, require memory cards to store pictures and videos. These memory cards look quite similar to one another but come in different specifications.

If you take a closer look at the specifications listed on the labels of memory cards, you will notice several abbreviations and numbers. All these specifications mean something and it's important to know how to choose the right SD Memory Card for your digital camera or camcorder.

Generally speaking, the best thing to do before buying an SD card, is to check your owner's manual for the recommended SD cards for your digital device. In order to keep things simple, what you should know about memory card specifications are: SD card size, SD card Class, and SD card memory capacity.

In terms of SD card sizes, they come in standard sized SD cards, miniSD cards, and microSD cards. Standard size SD cards are used in most cameras and camcorders. Whereas, miniSD and microSD cards are used in smartphones and tablets. Having said so, miniSD and microSD cards can also be used in cameras and other digital devices with an adapter.

In terms of SD card Classes, there are mainly 5 classes: Class 2, 4, 6, 10 and UHS (Ultra-High Speed). The Class is used to determine the read/write speed of the memory card. Essentially, a Class 2 SD card has a minimum write speed of 2 MB/s. The higher the Class, the faster the transfer speed.

In terms of SD card memory capacity, there are mainly three types: SD, SDHC (High Capacity), and SDXC (Extended Capacity). The memory capacity determines the memory storage capacity, for example, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and so on.

The lower end Class 2 SD cards are good for standard definition and still photography. Whereas, the ones above Class 4 to Class 10 (SDHC and SDXC) are good for high definition (HD) video and continuous HD still photography. The UHS Class SD cards are good for professional level Full HD video and photography.

If you'd like to learn more about SD cards, visit SD Cards 101. If you're ready to buy SD cards, you can visit Amazon's secure shopping website by clicking any of the SD card banners below:

SanDisk SD Cards for Digital Photography

SanDisk Extreme SD Cards for Digital Photography

Lexar SD Cards for Digital Photography

Kingston SD Cards for Digital Photography

Transcend SD Cards for Digital Photography

You can also get Wi-Fi enabled SD memory cards which allow you to transfer your pictures and videos to other digital devices via a Wi-Fi network. You can learn more about Eye-Fi SD cards.

Laptops, Tablets, Ultrabooks Comparison

With rapid advancements in technology, we’re seeing faster, lighter and more efficient computing and wireless devices in the market. The influx of new and advanced computers and tablets, can leave the consumer confused in terms of what is best for their needs.

Advertizing can be deceptive and luring to the consumer leaving the consumer with a device that may not match their needs. Therefore the very first step in buying any laptop or tablet is determining the need. Once you have determined your need, you will have to decide whether a tablet, laptop or ultrabook will suit you best.

You can learn more about the difference between laptops and ultrabooks. Essentially, ultrabooks are faster, lighter and more portable compared to laptops. Also, they cost a little more than traditional laptops, so in some cases, the consumer will benefit from owning a laptop including their lower and reasonable prices. I believe that as ultrabooks become cheaper, they will ultimately replace traditional laptops. 

Tablets and laptops are quite different though, and serve a different purpose for the consumer. Tablets are much more portable than laptops or ultrabooks, and are mostly used for consumption of information. Contrary to tablets, laptops and ultrabooks are used for content creation and data processing. One of the big differences between tablets and laptops is that the latter has a physical keyboard and most tablets have a virtual keyboard. 

If you are looking for the top tablets in the market, you can visit Tablet Comparison Guide where you will find information, specifications, and video reviews of some of the best tablets. The Apple iPad was among the first tablets to be introduced in the market in 2010. However, the competition has been fierce with introduction of popular Android tablets, at much more reasonable prices. 

If you are looking for the top ultrabooks in the market, you can visit Ultrabook Comparison Guide where you will find information, specifications, and video reviews of some of the best ultrabooks in the market. In 2012, Intel introduced ultrabooks which have become popular. You can expect to see better, more efficient and more reasonably priced ultrabooks in 2013.

Amazon Kindle e-Readers in Canada

Amazon's popular Kindle eReaders are finally available in Canada via the Amazon.ca website as of January 23, 2013. So Canadians can now order them online without hassle and may be eligible for free shipping.

Amazon eReaders were first introduced in 2007 and became very popular as they evolved and prices dropped considerably with the arrival of tablets. These new and improved Amazon Kindle eReaders are fifth generation Kindles, released in September and October 2012.

These new Amazon Kindles come in three models with Wi-Fi connectivity, and the top end Kindle model comes with free 3G connectivity. These eReaders are very light-weight and have a 6-inch display screen. Priced between $89 and $199, Amazon has made them very affordable to the consumer. The Amazon Kindles are designed for reading and can hold over 1,000 books and you also have access to Amazon's cloud storage.

The $139 and $199 Amazon Kindle models have a built-in light which helps reduce eye fatigue. The brightness of the built-in light can be adjusted and uses less power.

With the Kindle eReaders, users can shop online at the Amazon stores and these devices also have an experimental web browser which enables users to search the web using Wikipedia or Google search. Below you will find a Kindle specifications chart comparing the three Amazon Kindle eReader models:

Shop for Kindle eReaders at Amazon.ca:

• Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi = $89
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi = $139
• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G = $199

 Apart from the Kindle eReaders, Amazon has also launched their popular Amazon Kindle Fire Tablets at competitive prices.

Firefox 18 Review

Mozilla released Firefox 18, its latest Rapid Release internet browser version on January 8, 2013.

I’ve been using Firefox web browser for several years now and it’s been my favourite browser, but since I’ve been tried Google Chrome, I’ve definitely found a great alternative. In fact, Google Chrome which was behind Internet Explorer and Firefox, in terms of global usage, has now caught on with Internet Explorer and left Firefox behind.

With the new Rapid Releases being implemented approximately every 6 weeks, Firefox has been making improvements to their internet browser, but still lag behind. Let’s review some of the improvements implemented in Firefox in the last few Rapid Release versions starting with Firefox 18:

First off, there were over 2,900 bug fixes implemented in Firefox 18 including some security fixes. One of the major improvements in Firefox 18 was the faster performance in JavaScript via the new IonMonkey JavaScript engine. For Mac users, Firefox provides full support for OS X 10.7 (and up) high-resolution retina displays. Web Developers will see improvements in terms of support for new DOM property window.devicePixelRatio; improvement in startup time through smart handling of signed extension certificates; and support for W3C touch events implemented, taking the place of MozTouch events. As per the Peacekeeper browser benchmark test results, Firefox performed better than previous Firefox browser versions. However, Google Chrome continues to outperform Firefox, as you can see from the browser benchmark results below:

In Firefox 17, there were over 2,300 bug fixes implemented, though there were no noticeable new features implemented. Firefox 17 upgrade included Social API support which helps integrate social media sites in your browsing experience as well as support for Facebook Messenger in the Firefox sidebar. Another enhancement included were larger icons in the Firefox Awesome Bar which makes it easier to navigate through. The Peacekeeper browser benchmark test results showed no improvement over the previous version Firefox 16. As usual, Google Chrome outperformed Firefox as you can see from the results below:

In Firefox 16, there were over 1,900 bug fixes implemented including a couple of critical security fixes. Firefox 16 included Web Apps support for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and improvement in JavaScript responsiveness. Web Developers were treated to a new Developer Toolbar which includes buttons providing quick access to tools, error count for the Web Console, and a new command line for quick keyboard access. When I ran the Peacekeeper browser benchmark test, the results showed a slight drop in overall performance and Google Chrome continued to outperform:

Other significant improvements made in Firefox, in previous updates, were: optimization of memory usage for add-ons; silent background updates, which is similar to Google Chrome, if you have your browser set for automatic updates; new Pointer Lock API which helps better control the mouse; full screen support for Mac OS X Lion to enhance browsing experience; and new API which stops the screen from sleeping. Overall, Firefox still remains my browser of choice, though Google Chrome is soon becoming one of my favourites. For more detailed information on Firefox Rapid Release updates, visit Firefox Reviews.

Kindle Fire HD Releases Sept 14th

Amazon unveiled its new line of Kindle Fire HD Tablets in late August 2012. These new Kindle tablets include 7-inch and 8.9-inch LCD IPS display devices running on modified Google's Android 4.0 operating system.

Since the launch of the first generation Kindle Fire, Amazon has captured a substantial Android tablet market share in just a few months. With the release of these new Kindle Fire HD tablets, Amazon hopes to capitalize on the momentum.

Consumers will have 7 different options depending on tablet screen size, memory storage, and Wi-Fi / 4G LTE connectivity. Listed below are the expected release dates for the new Amazon Kindle Fire tablets.

The new Amazon Kindle Fire tablets will be released in two phases. On September 14, 2012, Amazon releases the 7-inch Kindle Fire models which include the following Kindle tablets:

• Kindle Fire 7-inch tablet 8 GB Wi-Fi = $159;
• Kindle Fire HD 7-inch tablet 16 GB Wi-Fi = $199;
• Kindle Fire HD 7-inch tablet 32 GB Wi-Fi = $249;

In the second phase, on November 20, 2012, Amazon is expected to release the following 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablets in time for the Holiday season:

• Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet 16 GB Wi-Fi = $299; 
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet 32 GB Wi-Fi = $369; 
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet 32 GB 4G LTE = $499; 
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet 64 GB 4G LTE = $599.

As you can see from the above line-up, Amazon has taken quite the leap with the introduction of these Android tablets providing the consumer with a lot of choice.

For more details on the above tablets, visit Amazon Kindle Fire HD Tablet Review.

Top Samsung Android Smartphones

Samsung has been manufacturing Android smartphones for the past few years now and has been one of Apple's major competitors. Recently the two companies have battled over patent infringement, but Samsung continues to lead Apple in the smartphone arena.

One of the main reasons that Samsung has been able to dominate the Android market is because the company has been able to design smartphones that cater to a broad audience as opposed to just a single product like the iPhone.

I'm a fan of the Apple iPhone, however, I'm a bigger fan of Samsung smartphones and especially the customizable Google Android operating system which keeps getting better. I especially like the Samsung Galaxy series mobile phones that the company has been manufacturing since 2009. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone released in October 2011 was one of my favourites.

With the rapid advancements in technology and fierce competition, we continue to see newer smartphones with better features and a broader choice. Currently, my favourite Samsung Android smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy S3 which I believe is better than the iPhone 4S, of course, it's still a matter of choice.

One of the main reasons I prefer Samsung smartphones is because they have a larger screen and they run on Google's Android operating system. I use my smartphone more for consuming content and using apps, so a bigger screen makes sense. Some users may find the Samsung mobile phones a little too big, especially the new Samsung Galaxy Note. This unique mobile device, with a 5.5 inch display, is more of a hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet.

With the ever growing landscape of smartphones, it can be confusing when choosing the best mobile phone for your needs. If you're in the market for Android smartphones, you can check my reviews on the Top Android smartphones in 2012 which includes smartphones from Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, and Sony.

Google Nexus 7 Tablet Comparison

Google launched their first tablet PC, Nexus 7, in late June 2012 thereby further increasing the competition in the world of tablet computing.

This new 7-inch tablet has some good features and runs on Google's latest Android mobile operating systems, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Apple iPad continues the dominate the tablet computing landscape along with other popular tablets including Amazon's Kindle Fire.

So how does Google Nexus 7 compare to the competition. Well, let's take a quick peek.

When you compare Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire, overall the Nexus 7 has much more to offer in terms of features including a comparable price point. First off, Nexus 7 runs on an improved version of the Android operating system. It has a quad-core processor compared to the dual-core in the Kindle Fire. The screen resolution is higher. It has higher RAM and comes in two memory storage models (i.e. 8 and 16 GB). Not to mention, the Nexus 7 has a front-facing camera for video chatting.

However, when you compare Google Nexus 7 vs Apple iPad, the former is not quite a match. The iPad has higher screen resolution with a larger display; comes in 3 memory storage models 16, 32, and 64 GB; has two cameras; has better battery life; and supports 3G / 4G  LTE connectivity. Though, the Nexus 7 does have a couple of features that outdo the iPad like a quad-core processor, much more customizable OS and costs much less.

Having said so, depending on what you're looking to do with a tablet, the Google Nexus 7 maybe the right choice for you. For more detailed information on the Nexus 7 and how to pre-order it, you can visit: Google Nexus Overview.

Firefox 13 Review

Firefox 13, the latest Rapid Release version of Mozilla's browser was released on June 5, 2012. Having upgraded to this latest version and running the Peacekeeper Browser Benchmark test, it's a much better version than the earlier Firefox 12.

In fact, the last Firefox 12 version was one of their worst, as far as I'm concerned. It crashed frequently, especially during the first few days, though it got better later. I reported all the crashes to Firefox with strong critiques and details that they required to fix that issue.

Anyway, lest I digress, Firefox 13 comes with over 1,300 bug fixes, is much smoother, and faster overall. So what did Mozilla do to get Firefox 13 to run better than its previous version? Well, for starters they enabled smooth browsing by default.

The restored tabs that run in the background do not load by default, rather only the current open tab. Once you click on the other restored tabs, they start to load. This increases the start-up time and in the process less memory is used.

SPDY is also now enabled by default. SPDY is a networking protocol, similar to HTTP, which increases browser security and increases web page load time. This feature only affects those websites that use SPDY protocol like Google Search, Twitter, Gmail.

There are a couple of new features in Firefox 13. One of them is the New Tab and the other one is the redesigned Home Page. The New Tab now displays large icons of the most visited and most recent tabs. These icons can be customized by dragging them to different places on the page as well as pinning or deleting them. Web developers will see some improvements as well in Firefox 13.

The new redesigned Home Page now displays your default search engine as well as some menu options as icons like Downloads, Bookmarks, History, Add-ons, Sync, and Settings. If you haven't customized your Home Page, you can click "Home" icon. If not, you can type "about:home" in the browser URL bar to display the default Home Page.

Below are the results of the Peacekeeper Browser Benchmark test that I ran on Firefox 13 and Google Chrome 19. Overall, Firefox 13 did much better than Firefox 12 in all areas, however, Google Chrome still continues to outperform Firefox.

Below is an interesting Global Browser Usage chart which compares the top internet browsers year-over-year as at June 2012. As you can see, Firefox which was in second place has been overtaken by Google Chrome.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats - Browser Market Share

Smartphone Security, Safety, Privacy

Smartphone Security should be a top priority if you one of the millions of mobile phone users. With the advancements in mobile phone technology, nowadays, there is much can one can do using their mobile devices.

Stats show an ever-growing number of smartphone subscribers, including tweens and seniors. With this increase in subscriber-ship and versatility of smartphones today, we've seen increased activity of cyber crime.

Given that today's wireless technology allows us access to the internet, while on the go, people are doing much online including shopping and banking over the internet, using smartphones. No doubt, security on apps and web browsers is much better than it used to be, however, cyber criminals continue to find ways to penetrate and hack into smartphones getting access to sensitive and private data.

Although many of us understand the dangers lurking, we are not about to give up our smartphones. However, there are simple steps one can take to protect their smartphone and avoid becoming a victim of internet fraud and identity theft. Here are some Smartphone Security Tips:

• One of the simplest things you can do is password-protect your mobile phone. It doesn't take much to do it and you don't require any special app either. It can save you a lot of hassle if you lose your phone or it's stolen.

• Once you've setup your mobile device, make sure to backup the data. This can be achieved by syncing your mobile phone with any of your other devices like your tablet or laptop. Your smartphone may include a backup app as well. Alternatively, you can use one of the many security apps that have this backup feature.

• Taking about security apps, it's a good idea to install one on your smartphone. Some people may think that they don't require to install one of these apps. However, if you use the internet to browse websites and use social networks like Facebook, it's imperative that you have a security app installed.  These apps will help protect your mobile phone from viruses, malware, and spyware.

• Also, one of the cool features of many of these security apps is that they have remote tracking features which allow users to locate and track their lost or stolen mobile phone. You can even remotely delete your data on your mobile phone if you can't manage to physically find it.

• Treat your smartphone like your credit card. Don't leave it unattended because it maybe stolen and your sensitive data will fall into the hands of unscrupulous individuals. This could lead to stolen identify or internet fraud.

These are just a few simple things that you can do to secure your mobile phone. You can find lots of more informative and practical advice on smartphone security at my Smartphone Security Squidoo web page which includes videos and information on many other aspects of mobile phone security, safety and privacy.

Mobile Security Apps | Smartphone Wallet | Mobile Location Privacy | Smartphones & Kids

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a Google Android smartphone which provides a "pure Google" experience to its users. Released in late 2011, it is the 3rd generation Galaxy series Android device which runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

There have been some significant improvements over the earlier Google Nexus S Android phone. I've used Samsung's Nexus S mobile phone and though I like it overall, I much prefer the Galaxy Nexus.

Let's review some of the key improvements as we compare the Galaxy Nexus vs Nexus S:

• First off, the Galaxy Nexus has a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor which along with the improved 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, provides a much faster and smoother Android experience.

• Though, both the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus have Super AMOLED displays, the latter has a larger 4.65 inch screen with a much higher resolution.

• In terms of memory storage, both these Android devices come with 16 GB storage with no memory expansion slot. However, the Galaxy Nexus has 1 GB of RAM compared to 512 MB compared to the Nexus S.

• The Samsung Galaxy Nexus supports 1080p HD quality video and has a slightly better resolution front-facing camera. Also, the camera app, in the Galaxy Nexus, has the zoom feature.

• As far as battery life, the Galaxy Nexus has a longer-lasting battery. However, the battery life will depend on usage, especially when using it on a 4G wireless network and the higher resolution screen of the Galaxy Nexus.

As you can see, overall, the Galaxy Nexus is a far superior device compared to the Nexus S. Below is a comparison chart of the specification of the Galaxy Nexus vs Nexus S:

If you'd like see how the Galaxy Nexus stacks up with Apple's iPhone 4S, including a video overview, visit: Galaxy Nexus vs iPhone 4S.  

Firefox 12 Review

Mozilla released Firefox 12, its newest web browser upgrade on April 24, 2012. In keeping with their Rapid Release upgrades, since March 2011, this is the tenth Firefox rapid release version. We will continue to see new Firefox updates every six weeks or so.

During these rapid release updates, Firefox has changed tremendously. In some of the updates, we saw many new features, cosmetic changes, faster performance, and many new tools for Web Developers. Also, during these updates, thousands of bug fixes and security vulnerabilities have been implemented, making Firefox a better browser, in most cases.

Firefox got a cleaner and uncluttered look, tab groups, faster speed, and some cool features for Web Developers like HTML5, WebGL, and Web Console with Firefox 4. In subsequent updates, we saw the introduction of the "Do Not Track" feature which enabled users to opt out of tracking behavioural type advertising. In Firefox 5, there were improvements in CSS animation, improved canvas, memory and JavaScript.

In Firefox 7, Telemetry was introduced which allowed anonymous and accurate opt-in tool. This update also made significant improvements in the way Firefox managed memory, for a speedy browser experience. In Firefox 8 and 9, we continued seeing bug fixes, security and stability improvements, including the introduction of Type Interface (TI) to improve JavaScript performance.

In Firefox 10, some improvements were made in terms of minimizing the issues due to add-ons incompatibility, as well as the introduction of Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release). There were several enhancements for Web Developers like anti-aliasing for WebGL, support for CSS 3D Transforms, and full screen API support.

In Firefox 11, a feature for importing of bookmarks, history, and cookies from Google Chrome was introduced. As well as users were able to synch add-ons across all devices. We also saw the introduction of Page Inspector 3D View allowing developers to get a 3-dimentional view of web pages.

And finally, in Firefox 12, over 1,800 bug fixes were implemented. Though there were no new features, other than the simplification of one step in the upgrade process, there were several improvements for developers in areas like Page Inspector, Web Console, Scratchpad, Style Editor.

I've used all of the above mentioned Firefox Rapid Release versions. Overall, I've found positive improvements in terms of performance and speed. I ran browser benchmark tests on many of these Firefox upgrades and saw improvements. However, Firefox has been losing ground to Google Chrome which is better in terms of overall performance based on my experience and results from the browser benchmark tests. Also, since upgrading to this latest version, I've experienced several Firefox crashes which I've seldom experienced before. I've reported this to Mozilla, so hopefully they can resolve this issue.

You can check my detailed Firefox Reviews on each of the above Rapid Release updates. This last Firefox 12 update is not the best one that I've seen. Based on the Peacekeeper Benchmark test results (see below), it fell short when compared to the performance of Firefox 11 and lacks compared to the performance of Google Chrome.

Video Communication Online

The use of Video Communication online has increased tremendously in the past few years. As per stats, people prefer watching videos rather than reading long text messages and print.

This rise in the popularity of using video to communicate with one another has brought about many useful video communication platforms.

Whether you want to video chat with friends and family, or send video email; create YouTube video tutorials or music videos to showcase your pictures, there are many cool video applications available to use.

Many of these online video communication platforms are free to use. Over the past few years, I've used many of these video communication platforms, some of which are:

• iWowWe for video email and video conferencing;
• Skype for video chatting and instant messaging;
• Animoto for creating music videos and greetings;
• CamStudio for uploading video tutorial on YouTube;
• Window Movie Maker for creating and editing videos.

The above video applications can be used, both, for personal as well as business purposes. I've written a review of each of the above mentioned video platforms on this Squidoo web page. It includes video overviews of each of the above applications.

I've enjoyed using these videos communication platforms. Video is here to stay, so learn how to use these video tools to effectively communicate online.

Top Tablets in 2012

Tablets have continued to increase in popularity in 2012. Since Apple first unveiled its iPad tablet in early 2010, there has been an increased appetite, from consumers, for tablet devices. Apple followed up with an improved version, the iPad 2 in March 2011 and subsequently the New iPad in March 2012.

In 2011, Apple's competitors jumped on the  tablet PC bandwagon and unveiled their tablets. Some of the top tablets include the Samsung Galaxy, Amazon Kindle Fire, Blackberry Playbook, Motorola Xoom, Toshiba  Thrive, and many others.

If you are in the market to buy a tablet and wondering which one is right for you, check my Tablet PC Comparison Guide. You will find relevant and useful information, specs comparison charts, videos and reviews on the top tablet PCs in the market. You will also find a guide on how to choose the best tablet based on your needs.

Firefox 10 Review

Mozilla released its latest version of their web browser, Firefox 10.0.2 on February 16, 2012. Keeping with their Rapid Releases, it is Mozilla's 8th upgrade since March 2011.

Though there were over 1,400 bug fixes implemented in this new Firefox release, there are no significant changes especially in terms of new features. Most of the changes in Firefox 10 are to do with web development: WebGL, CSS Style Inspector, CSS 3D Transforms, API support and the like.

One of the major issues that Firefox users face with Rapid Release updates is the incompatible add-ons. Firefox is making the Extended Support Release (ESR) for companies. These releases will be maintained for a year or so which gives companies some time to work around add-ons.

This time when I upgraded to Firefox 10, I had no problems with my add-ons, most of which were compatible. However, my Hotmail still seems sluggish and I think it has to do with conflicting add-ons. If I run Firefox in Safe Mode, Hotmail seems to run just fine.

Check my Firefox Review, for a more detailed look at what's new including platform improvements, bug fixes, and Firefox release notes. Based on the PeaceKeeper browser benchmark test (see below) results comparing Firefox and Google Chrome, the latter still outperforms overall. I still find Google Chrome much speedier and less prone to hangups. See which internet browser is leading in terms of World Wide Usage.

Top Ultrabooks in 2012

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in January 2012 saw many top computer manufacturers unveil their ultrabooks. Some of the ultrabook models are already available and many more in the pipeline to be released later in 2012. If CES is any indication for setting trends, ultrabooks are set to trend in 2012.

For those of you who are new to this term, ultrabooks are lightweight, slim, and portable laptops with fast processing speeds. They are great for people who like the portability of tablets, yet want the power of a laptop. Intel will be launching one of its biggest marketing campaign later in 2012 to promote ultrabooks.

Companies like Toshiba, HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Acer, Samsung, and Sony have already joined, what seems like a competitive race to get a piece of the pie. I believe this competition is healthy and great for the consumer given that it will provide a range of choices depending on specifications, quality, and pricing.

Some of the ultrabook models that have already been released are the Toshiba Protege, Asus Zenbook, Lenovo IdeaPad, Dell XPS, HP Folio, to name a few. I've reviewed many of the top ultrabooks in the market as well as some of the upcoming one which you can check out at Intel Ultrabooks 2012.

Firefox 9 Review

Firefox has been a popular internet browser for several years and Mozilla has been striving to enhance the web browser these past few years. In early 2011, Mozilla started releasing Rapid Release updates of their browser starting with Firefox 3.6.

Since then we've seen several Firefox updates with the current stable release, Firefox 9.0.1. I've beta tested a few of the rapid release updates and am currently using the latest version of Firefox. Personally, Firefox has been my favourite internet browser, but the past couple of upgrades have not been their best.

Overall, I've enjoyed the enhancements, new features, security and safety upgrades, however, since upgrading to Firefox 8 and Firefox 9, my internet browser seems to have become sluggish running some websites. I've tested the same websites on other browsers like Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, and they seem to run fine.

Especially, my Hotmail got really sluggish with the upgrade to Firefox 8. The problem seemed to have gotten better with the Firefox 9 upgrade, but it's still not up to par. Running Firefox in Safe Mode seems to better the performance of the browser, but then I can't use any of the add-ons.

Check my Firefox 9.0 Review, for a more detailed look at what's new including platform improvements, bug fixes, and Firefox release notes. Also, I ran a PeaceKeeper browser benchmark test (see below) on Firefox and Google Chrome, the latter still outperforms overall. I find Google Chrome much speedier and less prone to hangups.

See which internet browser is leading in terms of World Wide Usage.

Picture Collage Maker (Christmas Edition)

Picture Collage Maker Pro from Pearl Mountain Soft is a cool desktop application with which you can transform your pictures into unique and personalized greeting cards, picture collages, posters, photo books, calendars, scrapbooks and other fun projects.

The software is easy to use and making collages is simple, using hundreds of pre-designed templates which make it fun to use. If you're creative, you can design your own templates too. To create your picture collages or greeting cards:

• Choose a pre-designed template; 
• Upload your pictures, save; and 
• Print or email your cards or collages.

Pearl Mountain Soft recently released their Christmas Edition of their Picture Collage Maker Pro which allows you to make cool Christmas cards and collages that you can be print and/or email to your family and friends. They will surely love the personal touch.

The short video below features many of the Christmas card templates available. Also, you can check out my full review on Picture Collage Maker Pro and try it for free.

Christmas Gift Ideas 2011

Christmas 2011 is just 27 days away and the 2011 Christmas shopping season is in full swing. With Black Friday behind us and Cyber Monday just around the corner, retailers are buzzing with shopping activity with special Christmas deals and discounts.

With so much of choice available, it's sometimes difficult to decide what Christmas gifts are unique and popular. Below I've compiled a list of Holiday Gift Guides to help you with gift ideas for the whole family.

Whether you're looking for gifts for him, gifts for her, gifts for boys, gifts for girls, unique gifts for teens, educational gift ideas for kids, gifts for movie lovers, gifts for fitness buffs, or gifts for Christians, you will find them here:

• Holiday Gift Guide for the Family
• Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Children
• Hottest Gift Ideas for Teens
• Christmas Gifts Ideas for Fitness Buffs
• Christmas Gift Ideas for Christians
• Holiday Gift Guide for Movie Lovers
• Frugal Gift Ideas for the Family

If you're looking for Christmas and Holiday Music, check this Top Christmas Albums for 2011. Some of the top Christmas Albums for 2011 are Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe, Michael Buble's Christmas, Tony Bennett's Classic Christmas, and Dean Martin's My Kind of Christmas.

Having said so, be sure to take precautions when shopping online. With the rise in online shopping, we've seen a rise in online fraud as well. You can check these Tips on Shopping Safely Online during the 2011 Christmas shopping season.

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, has special Cyber Monday Deals available not only on Monday, but for the full week. Check out all the Amazon Cyber Monday Deals below ~ Happy Shopping!

Ultimate Christmas Song Collection Buy at Amazon.com

Kindle Fire Retails November 15, 2011

Amazon Kindle Fire is set to retail in approximately 1,600 retail locations in the US market on November 15, 2011. Amazon unveiled its first tablet PC in September 2011 at which point it was made available on pre-order.

Priced at $199, it makes the Kindle Fire very affordable to consumers who could not afford tablets like Apple’s iPad 2, RIM’s Blackberry Playbook and the like.

Since its launch, the Amazon Kindle Fire has garnered a lot of attention from the consumer and analysts expect sales during the Holiday season to be impressive. In fact, as per a survey conducted by ChangeWave and RBC Capital Markets, it is reported that 26 percent of Amazon Kindle Fire buyers plan to delay their purchase of Apple’s iPad 2.

So far, Apple’s iPad 2 has been leading the pack in the tablet market every since they launched their first generation iPad. Other competitor tablets like the Samsung Galaxy, Motorola Xoom, Blackberry Playbook have not been able to gain any significant market share. Though the Kindle Fire can’t really be compared to the iPad 2, it’s in a class of its own and hopes to be a winner.

The Amazon Kindle Fire won’t be an iPad killer, at least in its current state for many reasons. You can read my detailed review on the Pros and Cons of Amazon Kindle Fire to see if it’s right for you. Once you’ve made your decision, you can pre-order the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Firefox 7.0 Review

The new version Firefox 7.0 was released on September 27, 2011. This new version and release is part of Mozilla's rapid releases which started in March 2011.

Overall, there have been improvements and several thousand bug fixes since Mozilla started their rapid releases. This new version Firefox 7.0 boasts drastic improvements in terms of memory usage thereby providing speedier web browsing.

I've been using the new version Firefox 7.0 for a couple of weeks and have conducted some performance benchmark tests on Firefox 7.0 as well as Google Chrome.

Based on the tests, Firefox 7.0 performs better than its predecessor versions, however, it's still not comparable to Google Chrome's overall performance. The results of the peacekeeper tests are listed below. Please note that these benchmark performance test results will vary depending on various factors. 

Steve Jobs Lives On

The news about Steve Jobs passing away, on October 5, 2011, flooded the media waves all over the world. He truly was one of a kind visionary, entrepreneur and creative genius considered as the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of our time.

Steve Jobs who battled pancreatic cancer, announced his resignation in late August 2011, as CEO of Apple Inc. He was only 56, but made a significant difference to all around him including his dedicated and loyal Apple fans.

Mr. Jobs received many awards and honors for his many accomplishments and contributions. But he will be remembered for his life filled with values, character, innovation and leadership. I’ve come across many quotes from Steve Jobs, but one that stands out to me is…”Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life”. There is much to learn from what this iCon has left us with.

Steve Jobs may have left us behind, but he lives on and will be remembered for a very long time. May Steve Jobs rest in peace and may his family and loved ones find the strength to bear his loss. Salute to an iCon!

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences, Apple encourages you to do so at: rememberingsteve@apple.com

Info Research Source: Wikipedia

Google+ Public Launch

Google+ (or Google Plus) finally launched its new social network to the public on September 20, 2011. Google+ beta was initially made available, on June 28, 2011, to a select few beta testers and required G+ invites.

Quickly, beta testers piled up and in the very first month, Google Plus attracted over 25 million users. If you're new to Google+ and wondering what's the buzz (no pun intended), well, it's a social network similar to Facebook in terms of its "look and feel".

Having said so, it's got unique features like Google Circles, Google Hangouts, Google Sparks, Google Huddle and many more. Initially, it may take a little while to familiarize yourself with the platform and features, however, once you do, you will enjoy using it.

To learn more about Google+ features, visit Google+ Project which also includes video overviews of the platform. I would suggest that you take the time to understand how this new social network works in order to use it effectively.

Also, I've created a Google+ Setup Guide which will walk you through, step-by-step, on how to setup your Google+ profile and social network. In case you have any questions or need any help, feel free to contact me.

9/11 Tribute & Reflections

The events of 9/11 changed the world forever and time seems to have flown by so quickly with the 10th anniversary less than a day away.

I wanted to take a moment and pay tribute to the thousands of victims and their families who experienced tremendous loss. As well as pay tribute and thanksgiving to the thousands of heroes who bravely put their own lives on the line.

I've put together a Squidoo web page titled "9/11 Tributes & Reflections" with touching video tributes. Take a moment to remember all those affected by this tragic event and share your thoughts on how the events of 9/11 touched your life.

May the victims' souls rest in peace and may their families be comforted as they remember their lost loved ones. Peace, blessings and love!

Google Chrome Review

Google Chrome is Google’s open source internet browser which was launched 3 years ago. Since its launch, Google Chrome has risen rapidly in comparison to its rivals, Internet Explorer and Firefox. In terms of overall usage share of the 3 web browsers, IE remain at the top, followed by Firefox, with Chrome gradually inching its way up.

I’ve used Internet, Firefox and Google Chrome extensively and have to admit that Chrome is very impressive mainly because of its speed. I’ve pretty much dumped IE, though still use Firefox for most of my web browsing. However, I’m starting to use Chrome more and more.

Some of the key reasons I like Google Chrome are as follows:

Speed: given that I do a lot of work online including blogging and building Squidoo web pages, I need a browser that is fast. I found Firefox quite sluggish in the past little while so turned to Chrome and I haven’t been disappointed with its performance.

Simplicity: I like my browser to be clutter-free and Google Chrome’s simple interface provides just that. In fact, when browsing web pages, you won’t even notice that you’re running Chrome. If you’re an Internet Explorer user, it may take a little while to get used to not seeing the menu items at the top.

Add-ons and Extensions: when Google Chrome first launched, they didn’t support any add-ons and that’s where Firefox had a huge advantage. However, that has now changed with thousands of Chrome extensions, though it may still take some getting used to if you switch from Firefox.

Tabbed Browsing: in Chrome is designed to withstand crashes. That is, if one tab hangs up or slows down, it will not drag the whole browser down, that because each tab is run independently of the other. However, this feature takes up more memory so if you have a slower computer it may not work as effectively.

Other Features: like the Omnibox allows you to use the browser address bar as a search box. Chrome allows private browsing, ability to translate web pages to over 50 different languages, cool tools for web developers and much more.

To get more detailed information on Google Chrome and video instructions on how to download Google Chrome, feel free to check my Squidoo web page on Google Chrome: Pros and Cons.

Firefox 6.0 Release

Mozilla released its latest Firefox 6.0 version of their internet web browser on August 16, 2011. Since early 2011, Mozilla has been making rapid releases to keep with the competition mainly Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

With the new Firefox 6.0, you won't find much in terms of cosmetic changes, though they have enhanced the start-up speed in Panorama (Tab Groups). There were over 1,400 bug fixes from the earlier version, as well as some security and stability issues resolved.

Web developers will find the new Firefox version a little more appealing with additions like a ScratchPad, latest version of WebSockets, a new Web Developer menu item, to name a few, as well as improved usability of the WebConsole.

You can check all the Firefox Release Notes for the detailed listing of changes.

Google Plus Beginner's Guide

Google+ (Google Plus) is Google's Social Network that rivals Facebook, as you have probably already heard of by now.

As per reports, Google+ has over 10 million users since it's launch on June 28, 2011, even though itt is still in beta testing and not open to the general public.

It's a little too early to say how Google+ will fair with rivals like Facebook and Twitter, however, from the initial wave of public interest, rapid changes and improvements to the platform, and many more enhancements in the works, it looks very promising.

If you are on Google+ and find it a little overwhelming to understand, I've created a Google+ Beginner's Guide to help you setup your Google+ social network. This guide will help you create your Google+ Profile, manage your Google+ Circles, configure your Google Plus privacy settings, invite people to join Google+ and much more. It includes easy to understand video tutorials.

If you are not yet on Google+ and would like a Google+ Invite, feel free to contact me.

Google+ Social Network Takes on Facebook

Google+ (Google Plus) is a brand new social network that I'm sure you've already heard of by now. Looks like the big G is ready to take on Facebook now, but it's too early to say how it will shape up.

The overall "look and feel" of Google+ is quite similar to Facebook, but it has unique features like Google Hangouts, Google Sparks, Google Huddle, Instant Upload and of course, Google Circles.

Google+ is still in its basic state at the moment because it's being back-tested with limited number of users. I've used Google+ for a few days now and one of the main features that I like is Google Circles which allows you to create your own cliques of friends. Circles are unique because they allow you to maintain privacy of your status updates, newsfeeds, etc. with only those cliques.

The other neat and unique Google+ feature is Google Hangouts which allows you to video chat with up to 10 of your friends from different Circles. I've created a Squidoo web page which provides a more detailed coverage of the key Google+ features with video overviews of each.

At the moment the social networking platform is not open to the public and is by invite-only. If you know a friend who is on Google+, you can request an invite. Though, I believe Google is still monitoring the influx of invites and rationing them out.

If you'd like a Google+ invite feel free to Contact Me and request an invite. Beware not to leave your email addresses on public forums and comment sections because unscrupulous people could harvest your email address and spam or scam you.

Happy Canada Day!

Wishing all you Canucks out there a Happy Canada Day! Hope you enjoy your long weekend and take the time to appreciate what we have in this great country. Not perfect by any means, but nonetheless blessed.

I was reading a recent article from Reader’s Digest about some Myths About Canadians, one that I found relevant to post this blog on Canada Day was the myth that Canadians Are More Informed than Americans. The article highlighted that Canadians often accuse Americans of being ignorant, especially when it comes to their own country.

Apparently, Historica-Dominion Institute polled Canadians on some history questions and they didn’t fair too well. For instance, 39 percent of Canadians couldn’t identify the year of Confederation (1867). 47 percent of Canadians did not know the first line of the national anthem.

Canadian immigrants who apply for Canadian citizenship need to pass a knowledge test as one of their requirements to secure their citizenship. This citizenship test covers various aspects of Canadian history, culture, economy, geography, government, aboriginal peoples of Canada and the like.

I’ve created several short and fun QUIZZES to help you test your knowledge about Canada. Take these fun quizzes and learn more about our beautiful country, Canada.

Have a safe and enjoyable Canada Day ya'll!

Wizzley: Make Money Writing Articles

Wizzley is a new online platform on which you can write articles and make money. It was launched in May 2011 and has attracted quality online writers and authors who write original content on the web.

This article writing platform is easy to use and provides a variety of modules to help you create unique articles. Some of these creative Wizzley modules include the Text module, Image module, YouTube Video module, Poll module, Link List module, as well as money-making modules like Amazon, Zazzle and AllPosters.

Wizzley shares a percentage (50% to 60%) of the revenue generated through the Google Adsense program with its authors. As well as members can earn income through sales generated via their affiliate programs mentioned above. Wizzley members can also earn an additional income by referring other members to Wizzley.

I joined Wizzley in June 2011 and have created a couple of Wizzley pages. Feel free to visit my Wizzley Profile and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

iWowWe Video Email & Conferencing

iWowWe is a video email and video conferencing platform which makes it easy to create and send cool video email messages to family and friends.

The video email system is free and easy to use, yet very professional. You can customize your video email with hundreds of templates, from the iWowWe library, to suit your needs.

The iWowWe library has hundreds of video templates to choose from for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, invitations to parties, celebrating new born babies, religious holidays, or just a video email message to say "hello" or "thank you".

You can even create your own templates from scratch with simple drag and drop features. The iWowWe system also includes video conferencing functionality at a small cost, however, video email is free. I'm enjoying using it...try it for free!

Making Picture Collages

Capturing special moments and other events on camera is something most of us do regularly. Turning those pictures into beautiful collages is a great way to present them as well as share them with others. With so many collage making applications out there, it is now easy to create your own unique collages. I recently came across one such application called Picture Collage Maker.

Most collage making applications mainly focus on collage making and few of them are flexible enough to allow customization. However, Picture Collage Maker allows you to use their library of collage templates as well as create your own from scratch.

Also, other than picture collages, you can create scrapbooks, posters, photo books, as well as personalized calendars. There are hundreds of pre-designed templates available as well as a variety of tools to help you create your own customized masterpieces. I've used Picture Collage Maker and have written a review on this SQUIDOO web page. Hope you find it useful and enjoy creating your picture collages.