Operating Systems on Your Browser?

Yes, you read that statement correctly.

MakeUsOf compiled four great operating systems (excluding the Apple OS, of course, because I hate Apple) that you can actually use on your web browser.

4 Classic Operating Systems You Can Access In Your Browser

I’ll be honest, I really like it. For some of you who do not know, I’m a big fan of old things. One thing that I love (because I grew up with it) is Windows Classic (so much, that with the help of tPenguinLTG, I made Two Shades of Classic) We had our first computer when my brother was born (I think) and all I did on that computer was play Minesweeper or Pinball. Of course, I didn’t have any passion for computers until my 8th Grade year, but I still had some fond memories with Windows that may have led to it.

If you enjoy computers (especially the classic operating systems like Windows 1.0, etc.), I definitely recommend looking at the article and going through the list of operating systems.

A small reflection: when I saw these old operating systems, I began to realise how much this world has evolved. To think that ten years ago, when the social media didn’t exist and computers were still far from their expected powerful prime, we had these devices that are just artifacts to us now.

I suppose that this experience is more of a nostalgic trip than it is a learning one. But I guess it works both ways. Learn the history, fellow readers. Learn it. It’s where it all began.

Keep Chewing!

Project Morpheus

A couple of days ago, Sony announced “Project Morpheus” as their latest product to enter the line for the Playstation system. It is their own virtual reality device for the Playstation 4.

As much as the hype go, this is very exciting. To think that Sony will be entering the virtual reality battlefield, with only Oculus Rift as their opponent, is by far one of the most interesting moves they’ve done recently.

They announced it at Game Developers Conference, where Last of Us won multiple awards. When they presented Morpheus, they used a modified version of the game “God of War” from the first person point of view. Could this be hinting at something for the next installation of God of War? Interesting…

Richard Marks, the senior director of research and development at Sony, mentioned that Morpheus is also planned to be used for other purposes, one in which he said that they have been working with NASA for an exploratory project.

The Morpheus will also work alongside the Playstation Eye and the Playstation Move systems, which will give it more usability when the time comes.

Honestly, in my opinion, Sony’s got it in the bag. As much as I try not to be biased, I think that the XBOX One’s got nothing on this project. Sure, Microsoft might go and make their own virtual reality system, but that would make them second in line (or third if you count the Oculus Rift). That also means that Sony beat them to the punch when it comes to innovating their young hardware. Also, the fact that Sony started working on this project hand in hand with the Playstation 4 means that they have high hopes for the console. I can’t wait for this.

Keep an eye out for more information!

Keep Chewing!

Source:

• Sony announces Project Morpheus, a virtual reality headset coming to Playstation 4

Dear Mr. Bill Gates

Dear Mr. Bill Gates,

Hi! I’m James. I’m an aspiring programmer who wants to change the world through technology, like you did. You are a legend and a role model to me. Your story defined an era that no book nor story can retell. I love your Annual Letter, highlighting great things that technology has done for us humans. I really enjoyed the Microsoft commercial that aired in the Super Bowl called “Empowering.” That video touched me. It tells us that technology continues to become more and more important in our society. You are one of those men and women to thank for being a pioneer of technology and the technological revolution. So, thanks.

I’d like to take this moment to say that I’m sad to hear that you are stepping down of a chairman position in the company. I want to congratulate you for the success Microsoft had in the past two decades, and I know that the company will continue to be successful. Of course, you’ll always be the Founder, but it’ll be quite different with you not leading the crusade. All I wish is that you continue to help the world, especially the youth, to embark on the journey that is Computer Science. I believe that the world does need more programmers (but not a lot; I don’t like competition) and I know that your vision of spreading the education of Computer Science throughout the United States is awesome.

I also wish Satya Nadella the best as he will be taking charge as the new CEO. Just tell him to promise us one thing: keep hard drives alive!

I hope you the best in your future endeavors and may you Live Long and Prosper.

Now, go fix Windows 8.

Seriously.

Yours Truly,
James (DR34DNOUGHT)

Empowering – An Amazing View of Technology

We live in a world where technology has become more powerful each and every day. There has never been a day where technology has not grown to another standard, improved in power and performance, and changed for the better. Yes, technology can both a blessing and a curse, an asset and a hindrance, a good and a bad. But what’s great about technology is that it keeps us moving forward. It has shown us our temporary limitations and it has brought us to greater heights. It has created a new world — a revolutionized world and society. Technology is great!

Over the weekend, the Super Bowl 48 was held in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where two of the top NFL teams battle it out for the Lombardi Trophy (although it wasn’t much of a battle if you ask me). The Super Bowl is not just known for its epic football game and halftime performances (Bruno Mars and the Hot Chili Peppers were awesome compared to Beyonce from last year), it is also a great place to place ads. Big companies pay millions of dollars just to get a thirty second commercial spot during the Super Bowl.

Microsoft had this heartwarming commercial. It truly highlights the amazing things that technology has done for us. The title is fitting; it’s called “Empowering.”

Quite powerful right?

Microsoft, you’ve won our hearts!

Now, please fix Windows 8.

Keep Chewing!

The Windows 9 Possibility

Prepare yourselves.

According to reliable sources, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 9 in 2015, thus skipping Windows 8.2. What does this say about Microsoft?

It’s bleeding out after shooting itself in the foot numerous times.

It’s an act of resilience. It’s another leap of faith (like Windows 8 was) towards the possible failure or success of the company. When all else fails, you cheat, right?

To be honest, it’s not really a bad decision. In fact, I personally admire their decision (if any of this is even true) because it shows that they are not planning to give up anytime soon. I can tell that they won’t be flying the white flag like Apple will in the near future.

Nonetheless, these are still rumours. The source, Paul Thurrott, seems to be quite welcomed in the community with his so called “leaks.” According to him, Microsoft will be doing an April’s Build conference (guess when), mostly about the tablets and the XBOX One. There is a supposedly planned vision announcement which can only lead to an announcement about Windows 9.

Take a look at this “coincidental” and interesting history for Microsoft and their operating systems:

All we can hope for Windows 9 is that it will have what we actually want. We didn’t ask for a tablet friendly user interface. We didn’t want the Metro tiles interface – that’s meant for Windows Phones and tablets!

We want actual usability. Oh, and the Windows Start Menu. That was revolutionary!

Keep Chewing!

LINKS

• Windows 9 coming in 2015, will try its hardest to distance itself from the Windows 8 train wreck
• Threshold to be called “Windows 9”, Ships in April 2015

The Strength of Sony

Sony: the company that changed (and continues to change) the world. It has been well known throughout the continents that Sony is an electronic Goliath. What started off as a small company turned into a massive, oversized monster that can eat other companies alive.

But, in the story of Goliath, there has to be a David — or in Sony’s case, Davids.

Companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung and Panasonic are always trying to topple the giant to its downfall, and much to avail, has failed through the years.

In my honest opinion, Sony, is probably (and this may sound controversial) the most powerful company in the gaming industry. Do you know why Sony is the king?

Sony is powerful in TWO different countries.

We know that Sony is a Japanese based corporation. They started their Japan and their HQ is in Japan. Simple enough, right? How about we take one product from Sony’s arsenal that has always been a big seller and a record holder: the Playstation. Sony, with respect to Sony of America, continually conquers the gaming world. They are bestsellers both in Japan and the United States. Of course, Microsoft has no chance in Japan, but the fact that Sony is seriously competing with Microsoft in their own home turf? That sends a statement.

Also, let’s not forget about Nintendo – another gaming company. You can argue that Nintendo and Sony have their horns locked in place, but I assure you, Playstation sales are far better than the WiiU sales. However, Nintendo does have Sony on a choke hold when it comes to portable devices (Nintendo’s 3DS and 2DS, only because of Pokémon). Nonetheless, Sony is strong in Japan.

However you want to look at Sony, behind the curtain of failures lies their success — and there’s no one stopping them now.

Except for, you know, Samsung in the smartphone game…

Keep Chewing!

Things to Expect For 2014

Technology always changes. It’s a known fact. Remember when CDs used to be the rave? Now, CDs are only good for, things that I can’t name at the moment. Our music became digital, software became downloadable online and movies are also becoming more popular in the digital format. I can say that the CD is the floppy disk of our generation.

Of course, as technology changes, our society changes. The world changes either for the better (email, social connection through the Internet) or for the worse (terrible websites, unnecessary activities) and we need to adapt to it. Personally, I’m still waiting for the hoverboards from Back to the Future, but that seems farfetched (yet achievable).

One of the technological feats that will change the world, specifically this year, would be the implementation of the robotics in our daily life. Amazon is trying to push their idea of using drones to deliver purchased merchandise to the home of the customer in 30 minutes or less. Think of it as delivery pizza – but with a four propeller machine instead of a human. It’d be nice to have a drone for yourself but you’d have to have some kind of next level security clearance just to learn how to fly one. Amazon thinks it will benefit not only the company as a whole but also the customers. I don’t know – it seems unsafe and difficult to set this idea up. AI technology has to be completely revolutionary just so that the drone can navigate. Also, building a mass of these drones will not be a walk in the park.

Wearable technology will also be popularized. Google started with this trend with Google Glasses. I still think a person wearing a pair will look like an idiot. However, if they can implement this into normal prescription glasses, I might give it a shot. Watches are also becoming technologically advanced. The Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble are big competitors in this market, although I’m sure Apple will make some sort of “iWatch” and send it out and every single Apple lover will get one. Once again, Apple gets their money and everyone has a useless, hardware and software proprietary device.

Gaming will also change this year. Valve and their infamous Steam Box are rolling out this year, according to Steam. There has been no announced release date. Instead, Valve said “2014” and that’s it. This means that both the PS4 and the XBOX One will have another competitor in the contest (face it, the Wii U can’t really compete). There are so many games that are anticipated this year like Watch Dogs and Destiny. Watch Dogs has been delayed to a later date, but Destiny has be destined to be released on September 9, 2014. I cannot wait for Naughty Dog to start talking about the next installment of Uncharted.

2014 is going to be a wonderful year for technology (and gaming). The power of computing will definitely continue to evolve and progress. All we have to do is watch out.

Who knows, maybe we’ll finally get Half Life 3?

Keep Chewing!

Beautiful and Fast

As much as I despise the user interface of Windows 8, I can’t talk crap about its speed. It’s fast and I won’t be arguing with the fact.

A friend sent me a video which I found very interesting. I see it as “comedic genius” coming from Microsoft and I find it to be a very effective way of marketing the product.

Is it just me, or is the girl’s face and the way she looked at the camera kind of scary? It freaked me out for a bit…

Keep Chewing!

 

Why I Love God Mode

The Control Panel is the panel for taking control of your computer. It serves as a place for options when needed. It is reliable, helpful and powerful, yet it may give frustration to the average user. I, myself, am not an average computer user but I still stumble upon using the interface of the Control Panel. Sure, it looks fairly simple, but I’d like to have something where you have all the possible (and maybe more) options to control and customize your computer.

God Mode is a “hack” (a hidden tool) on a folder where, when entering a certain code, creates a folder that turns into, in my opinion, a collapsed and expanded form of the Control Panel. It holds options that allows you to play around with the settings of your computer.

Personally, I love God Mode because it has all of these settings options and other things that I didn’t know you can do with a computer, all in one “folder.” It’s definitely worth a try.

To create God Mode is fairly simple. Follow these simple steps:

1. On your desktop, create a new folder.
2. Name it GODMODE.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. Remember that this is the full name. Simply copy this code and paste it as the name of the folder.
3. When done properly, it should change the logo to the Control Panel logo and keep the name that you gave it. You can replace “GODMODE” to whatever you want. Whatever is in the fancy brackets is important and should not be changed.
4. Open it and stare in awe at the magnificent power you now have.

Keep Chewing!

Five Gifts of Awesome

Having a hard time getting your special someone who is also a big computer lover/geek/gamer a present? Here are five things you can buy them as a gift (or gifts).

A New PC

Buying a PC will be difficult, therefore I do recommend the Speed Dating process for it. It’ll take some knowledge to buy the right PC, whether your family member needs a nice laptop for school or a desktop for more powerful processing. You also have to take into account if they play video games. Computer packages nowadays come with a keyboard and mouse, but maybe they’ll need different types of peripherals (i.e. gaming mouse, gaming keyboard). Figure them out so that you can figure out what they need for a new PC.

Hard Drive (Internal and/or External)

Storage is important! Hard drives nowadays are cheap and easy to buy. Your techie will surely love the gift because it’s thoughtful and it’s the thought that counts, right? Surely, they need the space, either for backup purposes or just for extra storage. You can never go wrong with hard drives. One terabyte of an internal or external hard drive would be great. They don’t cost much and most of them run on USB 3.0, which is the new USB standard for computers. This allows the hard drive to move around files at a rate of 10 Gbps! The price will depend on how much storage it can hold. Remember, one terabyte will not equal the exact capacity. Same thing for other storage capacities.

Headphones

Who doesn’t need headphones right? Music is such an important part of, well, anyone’s life. Whether they listen to their Rock ‘N’ Roll music from Kiss or listen to Classical music from Mozart. A pair of headphones is a great gift. Just make sure that whoever you’re giving it to, they don’t listen to Miley Cyrus.

Video Games!

The holiday season is the best time to stock up on summer games to play. You can buy brand new video games at an average price of $60. Also, consider buying them Steam gift cards if they play on the PC. That way, it won’t be much of a hassle for you and they’ll still love you for it. All you can hope for is that they won’t get addicted and just ignore you for the rest of the Christmas break.

New Gaming Console

This goes hand in hand with the PC, because most of the time, your techie friend likes to play on a PC. But, in the case that they don’t, Sony and Microsoft just recently launched their next-generation (or current-generation, considering they are already out) consoles. It’ll be tough to find one, considering most of them are sold out (except for the XBOX One).

Nintendo also announced nine (9) new console bundles for the holiday season. Prices are ranging from $99 – $299.99 (I’m only hoping that my parents get me the Nintendo 2DS Pokémon X/Y bundle).

It’ll be tough picking which one to get for whom, but hopefully this can help you this Christmas.

Keep Chewing!