Jun 20 2011
Somebody recently showed me how to merge Microsoft Word documents that have been reviewed by several different people! See Merge comments and changes from several documents into 1 document and Compare and combine documents in Word 2007.
I could have saved so much time if I had know this for the last six months!
Jun 17 2011
Recently I read a fascinating story about the origin of the bit and software:
Tukey is also credited in the “Annals of the History of Computers” as the person who, in 1946, coined the word “bit”, a contraction of “binary digit”, the term describing the 1s and 0s that are the basis of computer programs. Tukey suggested the shorter “bit” to computer experts at AT&T Bell Laboratories, where he was a researcher. “Bit” was easier on the tongue than the other possibilities they were considering, such as “binit” and “bigit”, so it stuck. Twelve years later, Tukey came up with the word “software” to describe the programs on which electronic calculators ran, first using it in a 1958 article he wrote for American Mathematical Monthly.
The source of this is Patent Law for Computer Scientists by Closa, D., Gardiner, A., Giemsa, F., Machek, J.
For more information see John Wilder Tukey.
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Jun 15 2011
I came across this concise summary of the differences between Google‘s Cloud Computing approach and Apple‘s Cloud Computing approach: Apple cloud vs. Google cloud: The philosophical differences.
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Jun 14 2011
I read Irish start-up to revolutionise in-game payments at E3 last week, and I was quite impressed. Well done!
My only reservation would be that SMS feels like a fading technology to me, but perhaps it can succeed with the intended target audience!
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Jun 13 2011
There was lots of talk about Apple‘s announcement of iOS 5 last week. For an overview of the new features read See new features included in iOS 5.
The most interests aspects are:
I am not an iDevice user, but I am becoming more impressed :)
Finally, Google Android vs. Apple iOS: Handicapping the 2011 death match gives a good comparison of iOS and Android.
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Jun 12 2011
When Apple recently announced that it was going to start taking a share of revenue on purchases made within applications on iDevices (yes – I made that name up) I thought that this would accelerate the move to HTML5 web apps.
The first significant player (at least that I am aware of) made the leap this week! The Financial Times! For more details read FT Bypasses Apple’s iTunes, Launches HTML5 Web App (Free Access First Week), and to download the app go to The new FT app for iPad and iPhone.
I really wonder if Apple has got the strategy wrong with this!
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Jun 10 2011
The first of the two final state maths exams that students do at the end of their second level schooling is in progress right now. Apparently, there are fewer students doing the highest level of maths than ever before: Leaving Cert honours maths uptake hits record low – report.
Welcome to the knowledge economy Irish style – a place where maths is not important!
Jun 07 2011
I previously described how I really liked the Motorola Xoom in Motorola Xoom. I really liked it when I saw it in Barcelona (at Mobile World Congress), but I must admit that I was disappointed when I saw it recently in a local shop. Perhaps it was because it had a very dull theme, and the iPad2 beside it seemed very colourful.
However, after reading Motorola Xoom A slab of 10in Honeycomb goodness today I find myself interested again :)
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Jun 05 2011
Wow – I recently read that Ryanair uses HTTP Cookies to remember when a user returns to book flights for which he/she previously checked the availability. Fair enough, but apparently Ryanair charges a higher fare in this case!
I do not know if this is true, but I think it would be unfair and deceptive. This sort of practice certainly strengthens the arguments for the current EU proposals regarding HTTP Cookies!
Jun 02 2011
Microsoft has been demonstrating Windows 8, and there is plenty of reporting online. For example, see Windows 8 Brings Entirely New Look And Feel, Unifies Touch And PC Interfaces and Windows 8 Is Gorgeous, But Is It More Than Just A Shell? (Video) (the latter has a good video).
I do not see how a single operating system can span so many different types of devices, and I think it is likely that they will end up with the worst of all worlds! Maybe I am too sceptical!
