New YouTube Features

YouTube has made some recent changes in the past couple of months so viewers and YouTube users can have a better experience. Some of these changes include more relevant videos in the Home Page feed for viewers who are signed-in YouTube. You can now better organize your video content into various sections as well as showcase different Playlists.

One of these changes includes  the introduction of a new “responsive” layout. YouTube content consumers use various types of digital devices with different screen sizes like TVs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The new responsive One Channel YouTube layout will make it possible for YT content to shrink and fit into all these different screen types.

To help YouTubers implement these changes and leverage from these new features, the YouTube Creator Academy organized a free online course. This two-week course, Maximize Your Channel, and was held between June 3 to June 17, 2013. I attended this online course and found it useful. I’ve already implemented many of things I learned during the course and am in the process of implementing others.

Some other new features that YouTube has implemented recently are: you can now receive an email notification once your video has completed uploading to YouTube. Also, the new Publish button helps you hold off on publishing your video until you’re ready. Until, the video is published, it will show as a private video. This is a good feature because you may not want the video to be public until you’ve completed filling out all the other information pertaining to the video.

YouTube has also implemented a pilot program to help some YouTube Partners offer paid channels. All these paid channels, currently have a 14-day free trial. In late May 2013, YouTube also announced the Social Star Awards which will be presented to the most popular in social media.

I like most of these changes, especially the ones related to the new One Channel YouTube layout. You can take a look at my channel by visiting AJGodinho’s YouTube Channel, to see some of the new One Channel layout features.

Bubblews Review

Bubblews is an online community which was introduced in mid-2012. It is a combination of a social network and blogging platform put together. I came across this online writing community in early May 2013, via a Google+ post, and was intrigued by this growing online website. 

I checked out the website and read many of the articles or bubbles (as they call them) posted by various Bubblews' members to get a sense of what the website was about. I have to admit that, initially, I was not too impressed with many of the post because I saw a good deal of plagiarism and copyright issues on many of the bubbles. However, I also found many serious online writers who were posting good quality content. Also, I saw many familiar faces from other online communities like Squidoo, Wizzley, and people from my social networks. So skeptical as I was, I decided to join.

On May 2, 2013, I joined Bubblews and started posting articles or blog posts, mainly from a "testing the waters" perspective. According to Bubblews' TOS (Terms of Service), you are allowed to post up to 10 bubblews or posts in a 24 period, and each post should include a minimum of 400 characters.

So what makes Bubblews different from other social networks and blogging platforms? Well, Bubblews shares 50% of its advertising revenue with its members. When members' account reach the $25 threshold, they are allowed to cash out via their PayPal account. So is Bubblews legitimate? Well, I've seen my Bubblews account being credited with money, however, I've not been active enough and have not posted enough to reach the redemption yet. However, I've come across many members who have cashed out and have received their payments.

My goal is not to just publish as many articles as I can, but rather to do so at a pace I'm comfortable at, since I'm busy working on other projects. On average, I've posted less than one bubble per day and I'm ok with that. At some point, I may increase my postings on Bubblews as I go along and find more time. 

Overall, I think that this new online community has a lot of potential to grow, but more importantly, I'm impressed by the commitment of the CEO, Arvind, to improve the site, as well as take care of the plagiarism and copyright issues. You can take a look at the Bubblews' Video Review I posted on YouTube and see how easy it is to create a Bubblews article:

Facebook Home, HTC First Smartphone, & Privacy Concerns

Facebook Home was unveiled, by Mark Zuckerberg, on April 4, 2013. It is basically a user interface (UI) designed for Android smartphones to replace home screens on Android mobile devices.

As per Mark Zukerberg, Facebook Home “is designed around people, rather than apps”. With Facebook Home activated on your smartphone, your home screen becomes a cover feed displaying updates from your Facebook Newsfeed. It acts like an automatic slideshow with users being able to interact with their updates.

With FB Home, you can now get notifications, not only from FB, but others apps like Gmail and other social networks. And finally, Chat Heads is a messaging system, via Facebook, which allows users to interact with friends via SMS messages. Though FB Home is your main screen, you can get to your other apps, however, it’s one extra step.

Facebook Home comes pre-loaded on HTC First, a phone specifically designed to provide an optimal user experience with Home. Though, the Facebook Home App is available for download on Android devices via Google Play. The HTC First is a mid-level smartphone with a 4.3-inch multi-touch capacitive display, equipped with a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, and weighs 124 grams. It has a 5 MP rear camera and a 1.6 MP front-facing camera. The battery life of the HTC First smartphone is approximately 14 hours. The HTC First is not designed to compete with premium smartphones like the Apple iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S4, rather it's meant to be an affordable mobile phone, which is exclusively available through AT&T.

Check the video below to see the HTC smartphone specs and Facebook Home in action on the HTC First:

When talking about Facebook, one has to raise the question regarding privacy concerns. In the past, Facebook has faced numerous complaints with regards to user’s privacy. For users who use Facebook Home as their main screen, given that Facebook Home will constantly be on, it raises the concern that advertisers will be able to track FB user’s every actions as they interact.

Many Android apps today get access to a lot of the data on the user’s smartphones, however, it doesn’t stop Facebook from data-mining FB user’s information so advertisers and Facebook can benefit from it. I know many users, especially those who are addicted to Facebook, will enjoy this new user interface. I don’t know about you, but I’m not too comfortable letting Facebook Home take over my smartphone and my life.

So I will not be using this app. In response to user’s privacy concerns, Facebook responded “doesn’t change anything related to your privacy settings on Facebook, and your privacy controls work the same with Home as they do everywhere else on Facebook”. Here is the link to the Facebook’s Official Response to Privacy Concerns.

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.