Beyond

Normally YouTube videos are only viewable off-site by embedding the script presented onsite in your own html page. Now it’s possible to capture YouTube or Google video and save it as an .AVI, .MPEG, or .flv file with save2pc (lite). (The paid-for version also allows you to capture to .mov, .wmv, 3gp.)

Paste the URL of the video you want to capture into the link box on program’s GUI, press Start , and the .AVI, .MPEG, or .flv file will be downloaded into the selected folder in the "Save to" box.

From the website:

"save2pc allows you to easily grab and save desired YouTube video. The user interface of save2pc is very simple, so you don’t need any technical knowledge to use it. No need to use scripts for web browsers. Just run save2pc and start downloading!"

"save2pc is a completely FREE Software. It contains absolutely NO ADWARE, NO SPYWARE, NO REGISTRATION, NO POPUPS, NO MALWARE or other unwanted software."

It works with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista operating systems.

According to reports from sources such as Cnet, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 has been delayed until the second half of next year. (2009) Microsoft’s partners were expecting to get their hands on at least a beta 2 version early next year; however a Microsoft spokesperson indicated that things had been delayed somewhat.

This delay doesn’t bode well for Microsoft; who have given the surging competition every chance to get ahead of them with regard to their respective launch dates - Microsoft seem to have learned a valuable lesson from their hasty launch of Vista, though, and won’t be rushed.

Despite their cautious approach; Microsoft has given ground to their competitors - And maybe too much ground perhaps: Apple’s iPhone is selling at great gusto, and Google are ready to launch their Android-based smartphone - In fact they may have already done so by the time you read this. What do you think? Have Microsoft lost already?

The software giant hasn’t said much about WM7. The best we can gather is from leaked documents that suggest the inclusion of advanced touch and gesture recognition technologies, as well as advanced speech-control facilities. Other improvements are expected to include an improved browser that brings the rendering engine of Internet Explorer 6 onto Windows Mobile, allowing phones running it to display rich Web pages and web-based flash content.

Is this good enough in the face of the competition though? Will it be worth the wait, and most of all will it sell after their rivals have already launched their own offerings?

From the current apparent fault with the data supply to unreliable WordPress Stats Counter it would appear that Google Analytics use this counter’s data source as a source of information and data in the case of those blogs using WordPress software such as mine:

Yesterday (Saturday 13th September 2008) I noticed at mid-morning (British Summer Time) that the WordPress Stats Counter indicated that I’d only had 3 visitors since midnight. Assuming that I was in for a bad day I checked with the StatPress plugin I run, which indicated that I’d had ** visitors; still rather low for a Saturday; but it happens, and I got on with the day - Mainly online with IzeaFest.

Later in the day I noticed that the WordPress Stats counter still said that I’d only had 3 visitors, and again just before midnight. I checked with StatPress; which said that I’d had over ** original visitors; lower than usual for a Saturday, but reasonable. I checked Google Analytics; which also indicated that I’d had only 3 visitors.

Either this was the worst day I’d ever had and StatPress was an utter liar; or something else had gone wrong.

Today (Sunday 14th September 2008) I checked the WordPress Stats Counter in the morning; which said that I’d had zero visits; I also checked Google Analytics, which said same. I checked StatPress which indicated ** original visitors.

I checked all three again in the afternoon: Zero, zero, **; and again just now: Zero, zero, ***.

Verdict: The unreliable WordPress stats counter has broken down completely; and since Google Analytics has also started indicating that my blog is being mass-boycotted; I can only make a logical deduction that Google Analytics get their data from WordPress Stats Counter - Which has NEVER agreed with StatPress, and which displays inconsistent results; such as registering a hit on a particular page via a search engine, but failing to show that the target page has received that hit. Such as displaying a number of hits on a number of pages; but displaying a figure lower than the sum of the total number of pages in the final hits tally for the day.

While StatPress does show my own visits to the site as well as others and includes them in its final total, whereas WordPress Stats Counter ignores my own visits; I can tell you as a total certainty that I do not spend the entire day repeatedly visiting my blog to notch up visits. (That would be sad!)

So - Google Analytics: A very good service; but with a poor source for the information it gathers: Making it not so good.

OR could it be that I am not getting any hits; yet StatPress is generating them from thin air; including IP addresses, countries, browsers, operating systems… I doubt it very much. That is the alternative explanation.

I foresee someone commenting that StatPress also records the number of pageviews, visiting spiders, and RSS hits too: I can distinguish between shades of colour and between blue and orange. I’m not colour-blind. (I just use a black-and-white monitor. ) I can also read - In fact I’m rather good at reading. I have qualifications in English Language and Mathematics, in addition to General Science, Physics, and Electronics. Therefore I think I might have noticed beforehand: Thanks for thinking of it though.

I’m not overly impressed with Google if my theory is true; and it seems that it is from the evidence available. - Though having said that the service they give is free; so I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. - But I’d have expected better nevertheless, considering that they use the word "analytics", yet base such upon less-than-accurate data. That appears to be a bit cheap and tacky to my liking if indeed it is the case - Although having said that they must have to get the data from somewhere; and on the face of it this would appear to be a logical source were it not seemingly inaccurate.

WordPress do state that their calculations and data are generated using complex algorithms; therefore seeking to reverse-calculate the results may lead to a different answer: However in my mathematical learning if an equation reversed gives a different figure to the original data then either the equation or the method of operation are faulty; complex algorithms or not. - A bit like saying 1 + 1 = 3.14237 because I used a complex algorithm to work that out; so don’t be surprised if you can’t verify it by reverse calculation such as 3.1427 - 1, which doesn’t equal 1, as it should if the equation or the data were correct.

That’s it for now then: It’s late, but I thought I’d record this observation for posterity; considering that I’m sitting on my posterior typing this. - No; talking out of it is for mainly a percentage of the people who use blogspot.com and the like. (Do I hear a hornet’s nest stirring?)

If I’m wrong about any of this then I humbly apologise to those concerned; but I think I may well be onto something.

On that note I’m outta here.

After my continuing opposition to Apple’s products; in particular the iPhone; you’ll probably be surprised to hear that I’m glad that Apple have at last brought out a platform-update in the form of iPhone 2.1.

Apple have not only fixed most of the bugs that came with 2.0 but also have added a number of features.

I’m not an Apple user myself; so I’ll not go into all the tech details here; rather I’ll link you to this site for more on that.

But despite this all my previous commentaries still stand with regard to Apple. If you haven’t seen my previous commentaries in this blog you can find them by using the search facility, by clicking on “Apple” in the tag cloud, or through Google/Yahoo by inputting kkomp.com Apple into the search bar.

Apple are becoming the image of Microsoft in my opinion: They produce buggy unfinished software in their rush to get the product onto the market; after which they fix the bugs with an upgrade - Exactly what M$ did with Vista.

(My blog stats show that, despite Windows being the most-used operating system(s); the number of XP users who visit this blog is almost seven times the number of Vista users. (After Vista comes Linux in third place, followed by Mac OSX, and then Windows 98.))

Back in June 2008 I commented in a scoop that Apple had rushed the 2,0 platform through in order to get out ahead of the LG Viewty; which they saw as the major competition at the time. Well that tactic; while being more Microsofty than anything other than Microsoft themselves, worked; and the Viewty didn’t make it as major competition to the iPhone. It wasn’t only that though; the fact is that the Viewty is an excellent camera-phone; and in that respect alone is many times better than the iPhone. However what the Viewty doesn’t have is the ability to run Apps, and neither does it have an App store.

So in the light of the above; was it worth the rush? Was it worth it for Apple to produce a buggy product ahead of time just to beat a partially-competitive product from a rival to market?

Maybe; maybe not: But the proof of the pudding is in the eating - Jobsweh (Steve Jobs) gambled on it and it worked. I can’t knock it. I wouldn’t have done that myself - But that’s probably why Steve Jobs is CEO of Apple and I’m a blogger. No more need be said on that.

Apple have seemingly at last saved face: Good on them; kudos to them. It’s going to boost the Apple image, and no doubt sales figures will be affected in some positive way.

BUT why follow the Microsoft route? Because it works? It does; but there must be a better way; because it’ll end in being tarred with the Microsofty-brush; if that hasn’t started to happen already.

What do you think this move will bring for Apple? Do you agree that Apple are going the Microsofty route? How would you run Apple if you were Steve Jobs? Feel free to leave a comment.

Google’s Chrome is their goldmine?

http://www.pcmech.com/article/introducing-google-chrome-the-coolness-is-under-the-surface/

“11. Content licence from you”

“11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content, you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.”

Here’s the part of that I’m particularly concentrating on again:-

“By submitting, posting or displaying the content, you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. “

Analysing that further; piece by piece: -

“…any Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services…”

What is meant by “…the services…” ?

I quote, again from the same T&C agreement - This time section 1.1: -

“1. Your relationship with Google”

“ 1.1 Your use of Google’s products, software, services and websites (referred to collectively as the “Services” in this document and excluding any services provided to you by Google under a separate written agreement) is subject to the terms of a legal agreement between you and Google.”

So the browser - Chrome - is part of “the services”.

Rewriting that in light of the above, then: -

By submitting, posting or displaying the content, you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through Chrome.
In other words; submit your bank details, your credit card details, personal details…Any details through Chrome, and “you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute” them.

So much for security! Google’s chrome could well be their goldmine of information: Beware how you use it!

Addendum:
See also: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/google-chrome-license-agreement/

Today, after a week of iPhone battery jokes and chidings aimed at a certain iPhone user I know online, whose iPhone battery died very quickly on Monday last, I thought it an idea to have a look into the topic of iPhone batteries a bit more deeply with a little research. A quick Google search revealed 16,300,000 results for iPhone batteries. Quite obviously I wasn’t intending to read them all, and as it happened the first one that I clicked on inspired me to write this blog entry:

The following was what I found at http://www.apple.com/uk/support/iphone/service/battery/ : Basically it describes Apple’s method of further ripping off the customer post purchase in the event that their battery becomes useless and fails to retain its charge. (I wonder exactly how long that will be? Has anyone actually reached this point already? If so then do please feel free to comment. - Otherwise do feel free to comment anyway.)

The page in question is officially entitled “iPhone Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacement Program Frequently Asked Questions” and begins with the question “What is the iPhone Battery Replacement Program?”

Many iPhone users will be glad to know that there is an official battery-replacement program - Until they hear the cost of it. The article says:

“If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple Technical Support will replace your battery for a service fee. Be sure to follow these instructions for optimizing life span and battery life before submitting your iPhone for battery replacement. “

The instructions in question say; in a most roundabout and lengthy manner, that the more use you give your iPhone the less time your battery will remain charged: That’s quite logical I suppose. The catch is, as with all rechargeable batteries, the more you recharge the batteries the less you’ll get out of them: Fair comment. It then goes into great detail about ways of not using your iPhone so that the battery’s charge lasts longer. (Following which it instructs you to “Use your iPhone regularly”.) I find it rather strange that Apple made a product that is to be used as little as possible; but as we’ll note later, this is a caveat for the process of charging you a fortune to replace a dead battery. “Jobsweh(1)“, the god of all things Apple, is a greedy and profitmongering god who likes to milk his people for every dime that they posses after they sell themselves into bondage with him by buying one of his products.

The article continues:

“How can I set up my iPhone for the Battery Replacement Program?”

“You can take your iPhone to your carrier. You can also contact Apple Technical Support or take your iPhone to an Apple Retail Store.”

Yippee-doo; thank you Apple for being so helpful. Now here’s the sting in the tail:

“How much does it cost to participate in the program?”

“The program cost is £ 55 (includes VAT), plus £ 7.29 shipping and handling, includes VAT. All fees are in Euros. Service may not be available if your iPhone has been damaged due to accident or abuse. Please review Apple’s Repair Terms and Conditions for further details.”

EH?! Fifty-five quid to replace a f—ing battery! That’s over $100 USD; and only “if your iPhone has [not] been damaged due to accident or abuse.” - Accident such as the case accidentally disintegrating perhaps? Abuse such as allowing the case to disintegrate in the first place?

Moving on:

“How long will service take?”

“Service through Apple Technical Support normally takes one week (five business days) from the date the unit is shipped to us. Time may vary if it is done through your carrier or an Apple Retail Store.”

Oh the geeks are gonna love that! A whole week PLUS shipping time without the iPhone: $100USD+ to be without your iPhone for 2 weeks; maybe more? Apple are the biggest con out there today - And people moan about Microsoft! - Er, reality check: Wake up!

This may be the answer you’re looking for:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XlkKQoUlOQg

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———–

1. Credit to DedRyzing ( http://twofourtech.com/ ) for naming the divinity of Steve Jobs.

‘Time for another freebie - It’s been a while.

This program is written in dos; but it will run on XP in normal circumstances without the user doing anything other than clicking on the .exe file. (I’m not sure about Vista though: ‘Never tried it with Vista.)

This program is so small it will fit on a floppy, and it’s very much like the original 1970s arcade game in looks when it’s running. I wish I could remember who the program’s author is but I can’t: Neither can I find it on Google any more.

I discovered this program in 2001 and I’ve been playing it occasionally ever since: When you activate it it’ll take your entire screen but it won’t erase anything that’s on it. Press “Esc” to leave the program and return to normal Windows. It should also be OK running in Linux too; though once again I’ve only ever used it in Windows.

You can download it FREE from this link.

The controls are quite simple: Press return to start the game. To move left press the “Ctrl” key, to move right press the “Alt” key. To fire the canon press the shift key.

I was unable to get a screenshot in the time I had available to write this article; and anything I could find on the web didn’t do the program justice; so excuse the lack of my usual illustrations.

I hope you enjoy playing this relic from the 1970s: It was probably in vogue before a lot of you were even born. At the risk of showing my age I used to play it at the arcade in my teens.

*Disclaimer - This software is supplied as is; without warranty, guarantee, or any charge. I refuse to accept any responsibility for any problem that it causes you or that you may have with it: If you can’t accept that then don’t download it: Having said that it’s never given me any problems whatsoever. Please virus-scan the file before you run it so that you can be sure that I haven’t sent you malware, spyware, or a virus. (I haven’t; but do so anyway as it’s good practice.)

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A computer technician spills the beans and makes available the knowledge he has charged clients hundreds in service fees for.

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Mountain View, California: The Google car is out taking pictures for Google Earth and the Google geeks have been forewarned: There amongst the Google throng a particular banner stands out. Holding it up is Michael Weiss-Malik; a member of the Google Geo team.

Proposal 1.0 was a romantic low-key affair indoors alone together: Proposal 2.0, however, was the one that went public. http://www.marrymeleslie.com/ 

Now I wonder; have these proposals come out of beta yet? If so is this the final retail version, or will there be further updates? Will this version ever be replaced by a different proposal? A “Marry Me Danielle” or a “Marry Me Amanda” perhaps?

I sincerely hope not; or the distributor will have serious egg on his face for the rest of his days - And I really do think that this is a lovely gesture in a very geekly manner: Best of luck and happiness to them both; and may they live long and prosper.

I thought “Leslie” was a man’s name and “Lesley” was the spelling of the female version: Maybe he can’t spell, or he has a rather unpleasant surprise waiting for him?

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