Geek Software of the Week: File Property Edit!

This week’s new Geek Software of the Week is “File Property Edit!” Have you ever wanted change ALL attributes on a file in Windows? Now you can! Even the hidden, highly specialized attributes!

File Property Edit – Edit file properties and attributes for Free.

“With just several clicks, you can easily change the files’ attributes, including ‘create time’, ‘modify time’, ‘last access time’, ‘read-only’, ‘hidden’, ‘system’… and modify their properties, such as document summary properties, photo’s EXIF properties, MP3 ID3 tags (V1 and V2), and AVI RIFF Info tags. With the powerful file and folder browse feature and the drag and drop support, you can add a group of files and directories. The 1-click Undo feature allows you to rollback all the changes you just made. It also supports quick preview feature, which allows you to see the picture’s thumbnail while you edit it, and the export properties feature, which allows you to export the file properties into XML file or CSV file.”

Michael Dell Has Bought Back Dell!

Dell is now a private company again!

Dell going private through $25 billion buyout

The Verge – “Michael Dell has finally wrestled control of Dell, the company he founded, back from its shareholders. A board vote this morning ends month of speculation on whether it would approve Michael Dell’s multibillion-dollar offer to take the company private. Dell’s offer saw strong competition in the form of a counteroffer from ‘activist investor’ Carl Icahn, but Icahn ultimately pulled the plug on his attempt, saying that it would be ‘almost impossible’ to win today’s shareholder vote.

The plan to take Dell private was almost approved back in July, but a series of postponements delayed the decision. Since the idea was first floated, Dell has had to up his offer, and the final agreed package is worth $13.75 per share with an additional $0.13 dividend, or a total of approximately $24.9 billion. Though the final vote hasn’t been released yet, CNBC says that it’s been told that 65 percent of votes were in favor of the buyout. ‘I am pleased with this outcome and am energized to continue building Dell into the industry’s leading provider of scalable, end-to-end technology solutions,’ Michael Dell says in a statement following the vote.

What does this mean for Dell as a company? Announcing the acquisition back in February, Michael Dell said it will ‘open an exciting new chapter for Dell, our, customers, and team members,’ delivering ‘immediate value.’ He intends to shift the company more heavily toward enterprise services as the PC industry continues to slow in the wake of tablets and smartphones. It’s no secret that making the turnaround a success will be hard work, and among Michael Dell’s reasons for going private was that it would allow the change to occur outside of the public’s eye.”

Dr. Bill.TV #305 – Video – “The I Lost a Light Edition”

Google apologizes, Microsoft buys Nokia, the next Google Android version will be ‘Kit Kat,’ LibreOffice gets commercial support, Livestream now has a Roku Channel, Find out if a web site is safe, GSotW: f.lux, Malls are dead; the Internet killed them!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

AMAZING Audible Deal – September ONLY! – Click HERE!

Keep your family safe on the ‘net! AVG Family Security – Click HERE!

AWESOME Roku Deals – Click HERE!

TechPodcasts Network

International Association of Internet Broadcasters

Blubrry Network

Dr. Bill Bailey.NET

f.lux Computer Screen Adjuster


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/AlHc0s2y97w

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/74110904


Dr. Bill.TV #305 – Audio – “The I Lost a Light Edition”

Google apologizes, Microsoft buys Nokia, the next Google Android version will be ‘Kit Kat,’ LibreOffice gets commercial support, Livestream now has a Roku Channel, Find out if a web site is safe, GSotW: f.lux, Malls are dead; the Internet killed them!

Links that pertain to this Netcast:

AMAZING Audible Deal – September ONLY! – Click HERE!

Keep your family safe on the ‘net! AVG Family Security – Click HERE!

AWESOME Roku Deals – Click HERE!

TechPodcasts Network

International Association of Internet Broadcasters

Blubrry Network

Dr. Bill Bailey.NET

f.lux Computer Screen Adjuster


Start the Video Netcast in the Blubrry Video Player above by
clicking on the “Play” Button in the center of the screen.

(Click on the buttons below to Stream the Netcast in your “format of choice”)
Streaming M4V Audio





Streaming MP3 Audio

Streaming Ogg Audio

Download M4V Download WebM Download MP3 Download Ogg
(Right-Click on any link above, and select “Save As…” to save the Netcast on your PC.)

Available on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/AlHc0s2y97w

Available on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/74110904


News Flash! Malls Are Dead!

Empty MallSo, I was thinking, have you ever noticed that malls are pretty much gone? We had a really large mall sorta near our house… Within a few miles anyway… And it is totally closed down! There are a few straggling “hangers on” businesses left there, but for the most part, the mall is empty.

Think about the malls in your neighborhood, or your city, what is their current state? They’re probably lonely places to be these days. Why, you may ask? Because nobody goes there anymore! It used to be that going to the mall was an American pass-time. It’s something everyone did! Now do you know anyone that goes to the mall? Probably not. Or, if you do know someone that suggests, “Hey let’s go to the mall!” You look at them funny and say, “What?” Again, why do you do that? Because malls are going the way of the dodo bird!

And what has replaced these oases of economic exploration? Why the Internet, of course! Why traipse through a mall when you could go to Amazon.com and order literally anything you want?! It’s simple, it’s convenient, and hey, if you have Amazon Prime you don’t even have to pay shipping, and you get it in two days!

And, if you’re searching for something really odd that they may not have down the local five and dime, you can always use Google and quickly find a site that sells whatever the strange and mysterious thing you’re looking for is! So, lean back in your easy chair, fire up your laptop, and order over the Internet… And, remember you’ll be responsible for shutting down local businesses everywhere!

I was thinking about all this because I was considering the ways that the Internet has changed American society. This is only one of many of the ways that society is experiencing changes based on the Internet. How many can you think of?

Geek Software of the Week: f.lux!

This GSotW will adjust your computer screen to match the time of day. It is supposed to make your eyes more comfortable. I am trying it… give it a go yourself!

f.lux Computer Screen Adjuster

“Ever notice how people texting at night have that eerie blue glow?

Or wake up ready to write down the Next Great Idea, and get blinded by your computer screen?

During the day, computer screens look good—they’re designed to look like the sun. But, at 9PM, 10PM, or 3AM, you probably shouldn’t be looking at the sun.

f.lux
f.lux fixes this: it makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.

It’s even possible that you’re staying up too late because of your computer. You could use f.lux because it makes you sleep better, or you could just use it just because it makes your computer look better.

f.lux makes your computer screen look like the room you’re in, all the time. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again.

Tell f.lux what kind of lighting you have, and where you live. Then forget about it. f.lux will do the rest, automatically.”

Livestream Live Events Are Now Available Via Roku!

Livestream live events can now be viewed on your TV by way of your Roku box! Pretty neat! I lot of podcasters use Livestream to show live video podcasts. Now, you can watch on your HD TV in your living room!

Livestream for TV!

“Now you can watch your favorite Livestream events on the big screen from the comfort of your living room!

Discover live, upcoming, and archived events ranging from local news stations to major brands in fashion, entertainment, music and sports.

Watch adaptive bitrate live and archived HD video, ensuring the highest quality possible for your connection.

The easiest and most affordable way to broadcast live events on millions of Roku equipped televisions worldwide.”

LibreOffice Gets Commercial Support

LibreOffice SuiteNow businesses that are “nervous” about using an Open Source Office Suite can relax! Some businesses Do seem to have a problem with using Open Source software, because there is no one vendor to stand behind it. Some IT managers talk about, “I need one throat to choke!” Well, now, Collabora can provide paid, commercial support to your company and ease your mind!

Open-Source LibreOffice Gets Commercial Support

eWeek – “Developers from SUSE Linux join the effort to provide support for LibreOffice, an OpenOffice fork.

The open-source LibreOffice office productivity suite—a widely deployed application on Linux operating systems with development led by The Document Foundation—is gaining new backing today with the launch of commercial support from Collabora Productivity.

SUSE Linux has been one of the key contributors to LibreOffice since its inception in September 2010. LibreOffice got its start as a fork of the OpenOffice open-source collaboration suite that is now an Apache Software Foundation project. Key contributors to LibreOffice from SUSE Linux are now joining Collabora, including SUSE Distinguished Engineer Michael Meeks.

‘I’ve moved from SUSE to Collabora Productivity—where I’ll be working on turning the huge market opportunities around LibreOffice into great service for our customers, and improvements across the board to LibreOffice,’ Meeks told eWEEK.

Meeks said that he’s pleased with how LibreOffice is doing from a quality and deployment perspective today. Using that as a base, Collabora will be able to provide commercial support for large-scale deployments.

‘That will include an enterprise-enabled, long-term supported Collabora LibreOffice release, along with bug fixing and security updates,’ Meeks said. ‘For those clients requiring customization and fine-tuning, Collabora will offer consultancy services.’

Additionally, Meeks added that Collabora will also partner with those in the community who have already invested in LibreOffice deployments to back-stop the support they already provide.

The Document Foundation recently announced that it would be benefiting from the support of Advanced Micro Devices. AMD is investing its resources to improve the Calc spreadsheet program to take advantage of new silicon innovations.”

The New Android Version Will Be “Kit Kat!”

Google (Cross-posted from the Hand Held Hack) Android versions have been odd. “Gingerbread” and “Jelly Bean” and such… but now it is “Kit Kat!” OK, I like Kit Kat bars!

Android KitKat unveiled in Google surprise move

BBC News – “Google is calling the next version of its mobile operating system Android KitKat.

The news comes as a surprise as the firm had previously indicated version 4.4 of the OS would be Key Lime Pie.

The decision to brand the software with the name of Nestle’s chocolate bar is likely to be seen as a marketing coup for the Swiss food and beverage maker.

However, Google told the BBC that it had come up with the idea and that neither side was paying the other.

‘This is not a money-changing-hands kind of deal,’ John Lagerling, director of Android global partnerships, told the BBC.

Instead, he said, the idea was to do something ‘fun and unexpected’.

However, one branding expert warned there were potential pitfalls to such a deal.

‘If your brand is hooked up with another, you inevitably become associated with that other brand, for good or ill,’ said Simon Myers, a partner at the consultancy Prophet.

‘If that brand or business has some reputational issues that emerge, it would be naive to think as a brand owner that your good name, your brand equity, would not be affected.’

Nestle has faced criticism in the past for the way it promoted powdered baby milk in the developing world. It has also had to recall numerous products, most recently bags of dog food following a salmonella scare in the US.

The Android-KitKat brand marriage is a creative and possibly clever idea.

Many consumers, in markets around the world, know what a KitKat bar is and generally will have positive associations with that name.

The risk however is that should one of these two brands has a recall or scandal, it will taint the other.

For example Kellogg’s dropped Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps in 2009 after pictures of him smoking marijuana were published in the press.

A study later suggested the firm’s reputation had suffered as a consequence.

Google has also attracted controversy of its own, including a recent report from the US government suggesting that Android attracts more malware attacks than any other mobile OS.

Google also announced that it has now recorded the system being activated on a smartphone or other device more than one billion times.

Cold call

Since 2009, Google and its partners in the Open Handset Alliance have codenamed each Android release after a type of treat, with major updates progressing a letter along the alphabet.

Previous versions have been called Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (short for frozen yoghurt), Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean.

Although the developers had referred to the forthcoming version as KLP in internal documents, Mr Lagerling said the team decided late last year to opt instead for the chocolate bar.

‘We realised that very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie,’ he explained.

‘One of the snacks that we keep in our kitchen for late-night coding are KitKats. And someone said: ‘Hey, why don’t we call the release KitKat?’

‘We didn’t even know which company controlled the name, and we thought that [the choice] would be difficult. But then we thought well why not, and we decided to reach out to the Nestle folks.’

Mr Lagerling said he had made a ‘cold call’ to the switchboard of Nestle’s UK advertising agency at the end of November to propose the tie-up.

The next day, the Swiss firm invited him to take part in a conference call. Nestle confirmed the deal just 24 hours later.

‘Very frankly, we decided within an hour to say let’s do it,’ Patrice Bula, Nestle’s marketing chief told the BBC.

Mr Bula acknowledges there were risks involved – for example, if the new OS proved to be crash-prone or particularly vulnerable to malware it could cause collateral damage to KitKat’s brand.

‘Maybe I’ll be fired,’ he joked.

‘When you try to lead a new way of communicating and profiling a brand you always have a higher risk than doing something much more traditional.

‘You can go round the swimming pool 10 times wondering if the water is cold or hot or you say: ‘Let’s jump.”

Secret story

Executives from the two firms met face to face at a secret event held at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February to finalise the details.

To promote the alliance, Nestle now plans to deliver more than 50 million chocolate bars featuring the Android mascot to shops in 19 markets, including the UK, US, Brazil, India, Japan and Russia.

The packaging had to be produced in advance over the past two months. But despite the scale of the operation, the two firms managed to keep the story a secret,

‘Keeping it confidential was paramount to Google’s strategy,’ acknowledges Mr Bula. ‘Absolutely nothing leaked.’

The Android team also took steps to preserve the element of surprise, notifying only a ‘tight team’ about the decision.

‘We kept calling the name Key Lime Pie internally and even when we referred to it with partners,’ revealed Mr Lagerling.

‘If we had said, ‘The K release is, by the way, secret’, then people would have racked their minds trying to work out what it was going to be.’

Most Google employees will have learned of the news only when a statue of the Android mascot made out of KitKats was unveiled at the firm’s Mountain View, California, campus.

‘A lot of things, especially in tech nowadays, become public before they are officially supposed to be,’ said Mr Lagerling.

‘I think it’s going to a big surprise for a lot of people, including Googlers.'”

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