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New Netflix desktop browser interface looks great. Still needs a 30 sec. rewind like the iPad player IMO

todd — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:03:04 +0000

I read about the net Netflix desktop browser interface on GigaOm. I just took a look at it running in Chrome on a Windows 7 notebook and found it does indeed look good and run smoothly. There is one feature still missing, however. I wish Netflix would add in the 30-second rewind feature found in their iPad player. This feature is really useful when watching subtitled TV shows and movies.

Hangouts, the only reason to use Google+ just got better: Hangouts On Air

todd — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:01:03 +0000

Unless you are one of the social media elite with tens or hundreds of thousands of people circling you, Google+ has probably become a vast wasteland for you in the past few months. However, it has one feature that makes it worthwhile to keep your account alive, the multi-way video chat feature, Hangouts. The feature Hangouts On Air lets you broadcast a video feed to more than just the ten person limit for multi-way chats. And, it can also store video broadcasts for later viewing. It was previously limited to Google+ elite. However, now regular people like us can use it. I was surprised to find the feature is even active for my account which is usually the last to see new features. You can read more about Hangouts On Air here:

Google+ Hangouts On Air: broadcast your conversation to the world

Free additional 48GB of Dropbox storage. But, only for 12 months

todd — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:44:59 +0000

Dropbox is giving 48GB of additional cloud storage space for turning on instant photo upload (it can be easily turned off without giving up the space). However, the additional space is only available for 12 months. Microsoft’s SkyDrive is still the king storage space-wise for those who used the service prior to the recent upgrade. These people can opt-in to upgrade from the new 7GB default space given back to the 25GB available before the service upgrade last week.

You can read what I wrote about the upgraded SkyDrive service in this article for BYTE: Microsoft Boosts SkyDrive Software, Storage

Google Docs Document type upgrade notice

todd — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:04:25 +0000

The upgrade from Google Docs to Google Drive made a bit of an organizational mess of my folder structure. It used to be that everything was in a folder. However, dozens of files were placed in Google Drive’s root folder after the upgrade. I’ve had to open some files to decide which folder they belong in. One of the old Document type files caused the notice seen in the screenshot above to appear.

This document will soon be upgraded to the latest version of Google documents. Upgrade Now

So, what does this mean? Google provides documentation about this upgrade here:

Upgrade a document to the new version of Google documents

This is what a Document toolbar looked like before upgrading the document.

This is what the toolbar looked like after the upgrade.

The list below is what Google considers notable about this document upgrade.

- Real-time collaboration
- Advanced formatting tools such as a ruler, margins indentation, and tab stops
- More robust revision history
- Even more fonts
- Ability to view documents and spreadsheets offline

Amazon Prime Non-Prime for those in Alaska & Hawaii

todd — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:00:40 +0000

When Amazon launched Amazon Prime in 2005, I signed up and then had to cancel it when I learned they had charged me for the service but did not provide the two-day shipping service outside of the 48-contiguous states. I checked again a few days ago and saw a notice that it was Now available in Alaska & Hawaii. So, I signed up again and bought something to test the service. I select the two-day Amazon Prime shipping and completed the purchase. However, when I checked my order it said it would ship Parcel Post (slow boat). So, what is going on? I emailed Amazon Customer Support and got this response within 24 hours.

NOTE: To their credit (pun intended as you will see): Amazon gave me a token compensation in the form of a $10 credit for the misunderstanding.

I understand the rationale and appreciate the detailed explanation and certificate. However, I don’t think they should call the service for Alaska and Hawaii Amazon Prime if it does not include two-day shipping service.

Finally, while I knew about the free streaming video service that is part of the Amazon Prime service, I did not know that the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members which allows eligible U. S. Amazon Prime members who own Kindle devices to choose from thousands of books to borrow for free — including more than 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers — as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

Here’s what Amazon’s customer support sent to me via email:

I’m so sorry there’s a problem with the carrier chosen for your recent order.

I do understand about your concern that you’re a Amazon Prime Member and the order should be delivered within Two-days.

We’re unable to offer the same Amazon Prime shipping benefits available in the 48 contiguous U.S. states on packages shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico due to the high cost of shipping to these destinations. FREE Standard Shipping is available for these orders with delivery in 3-7 business days to most addresses. Faster shipping options are also available at a discounted rate.

I understand that the news is disappointing, but I hope you can understand our limitations. I should note that I did not have my item shipped to a P.O. box.

Unfortunately, there is no way to request a specific shipper.

We currently use UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service, and several local carriers for standard domestic shipments, depending on the weight of the package and the distance it has to travel from our fulfillment center. Packages shipped to a P.O. box can only be sent via the U.S. Postal Service. You can select two-day or one-day shipping to reduce the likelihood that your package will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. If you have a P.O. box, you may want to consider shipping eligible items to it.

To compensate for any inconvenience caused by this ship post delivery error, I’d like to offer you a $10.00 promotional certificate as an apology for the error. This amount has been added to your account which you can use the next time you order an item shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

I do understand the promotional certificate will not compensate for the ship post delivery of your order, please accept is as goodwill and gesture.

I understand that my reply may not be helpful but I hope you understand my limitations. Your patience and understanding is highly appreciated on this matter.

If you need any further information or for any unanswered questions, you can contact us via phone, chat, or e-mail by clicking the “Contact Us” button on any Help page (http://www.amazon.com/help).

Again, we are very sorry for any inconvenience you have experienced. We value your business and hope to see you again at Amazon.com.

Note: Offline sync is optional for Google Drive (formerly Google Docs)

todd — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:40:22 +0000

Google Drive was finally activated today (after waiting about 24 hours) for my account. I downloaded the Google Drive for Windows software and noted the setting option seen above. A big difference between Google Drive and other cloud storage services like Dropbox and Microsoft SkyDrive is that Drive does not copy the files to your local drive by default. To do so requires turning on the option (“Enable offline viewing”). This probably explains why Drive’s initial sync appears to be instantaneous while services like Dropbox and SkyDrive takes a while to get everything from the cloud.

Of course, if you have many GB or the maximum 1TB of storage on Drive, you might not want to have everything copied from the cloud to your local hard drive or SSD.

Windows RT (was Windows on Arm) missing Windows Media Player

todd — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:55:39 +0000

Microsoft announced the Windows 8 lineup today. There’s Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro for the x86/x64 architecture. Windows on Arm (WOA) has a new official name: Windows RT (you know lots of people will pronounce this “rat”).

Announcing the Windows 8 Editions

We already knew it would not be able to run x86/x64 software. But, what is somewhat new is that it would not get Windows Media Player either. We’ll probably see a Zune player instead. Also previously know was that RT is not able to join Domains, support Bitlocker (it has its own encryption), or serve as a remote desktop host.

Google+ wanted to be Facebook but became Flickr+Tumblr instead

todd — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:04:41 +0000

Google+ started as an interesting alternative to Twitter and Facebook last summer. It soon started to morph into something else though and I found myself visiting it less and less frequently. Part of the reason is that following even a few hundred people in circles is difficult given Google+’s lack of navigation and summarizing tools. It became too much of a chore to scroll through pages and pages of entries to find something interesting. The service’s insistence that active posts bubble to the top also means that I often see just posts from the social elite and not so much from the people I actually know and are truly interested. Yes, I can place people I know in a circle and just view that circle. But, moving from circle to circle is too much work for something that is supposed to be fun.

The Google+ Conference for photographers announced today confirms my own notion that Google+ has been overrun by people like me who post a photo or two or more per day. And, while I’m one of them, I think that this has made Google+ what it is today:

1. A place for the social elite to crowdsource information.
2. A place that occupies a part of the web ecosystem that Flickr once ruled and which Tumblr is now a major stakeholder in: A place to share photos, videos, and other media.

Firefox icon invisible in dock in Mac OS X Snow Leopard

todd — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:02:38 +0000

I found Mac OS X 10.7 Lion slowed my Macbook Air so much that I decided to leave my iMac running Snow Leopard. I just noticed that the Firefox icon is invisible in Snow Leopard’s dock. Hovering over the empty spot brings up a text tip. And clicking the empty spot with a mouse launches the software. However, the icon is invisible.

Netflix server problems: April 10, 2012 [UPDATED]

todd — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:03:08 +0000

I had hoped to get in a bit of lunch hour Netflix viewing today. But, it looks like it might be more difficult than usual based on the error message seen above. I’ve noticed Netflix access issues over the past few days. But, this is the first time I’ve seen this kind of message.

A few movie and TV show thumbnails appeared a minute or two after this messages appeared. However, personalized information such as recommendations and recently viewed are not available. The search box is missing too.

[UPDATE] The service problem is limited to viewing on a PC or Mac. Service to other devices, such as the iPad, is working.