Show #86

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Tech Headlines [Koby] (Computers, Cameras, Cell Phones, Big News)

• Firefox 3.0 Released
• Firefox 3.0 was released this past Tuesday.
• It contains the latest security and some new spankin' features
• It also includes a new look and feel with new buttons and icons
• Biggest Changes:
• Theme - now integrates better with operating system. So Linux FF utilizes Linux icons, XP with XP icons, & Mac icons on the Mac
• New Location Bar. The place where you type the web address has gotten a major overhaul, it is now one part location bar, one part search, and one part bookmark locator.
• New Bookmarking engine, keeps tracks of sites you visit frequently, new "star" feature allows you to pick your "cream of the crop"
• Can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.com
• Mozilla is reporting that Firefox 3 was downloaded over 8 million times in 24 hours (8,290,908)
• Mr. Tech's Toolkit
• This will help you get your non-compatible extensions working.
  
• Yahoo/Google Deal
• Covered very well by the good folks at TechCrunch
• Google and Yahoo have entered into a non-exclusive deal where Yahoo will run Google Ads next to Yahoo search results
• The ads can be intersparsed with Yahoo ads as well as as from other providers
• The deal is expected to bring around 800 million/year to Yahoo's revenue and 250-450 million operation cash flow
• This means that the Yahoo/Microsoft talks are officially over
• Also, the Department of Justice has already launched an investigation into the deal, but doesn't think there will be too much of an issue as the deal is not very anti-competitive in nature.
  
• AT&T, Comcast, & Time Warner Look to Meter Internet Usage
• Time Warner is already testing metered bandwidth in Beaumont, TX
• Comcast said it is looking to give priority to certain kinds of traffic during peak hours
• and AT&T said that limits on heavy use were inevitable.
• All this means that the future of the internet and how you choose to use it might be called into question as more companies look to make the heavy users pay more for bandwidth
• The basic strategy here is that there will be different tiers of accounts as the amount of bandwidth (how much you download) increases, you'll need to pay for a more expensive plan.
• This harks back to the dial-up internet days when you got "x" number of hours on AOL (or Compuserve/Prodigy).
  
• "The water is free the pipes are not" - Leo Laporte on This Week in Tech
• As media moves to IPTV and digital downloads, everyone's internet usage is going to increase so the question then becomes, "who are the heavy users?"
  

Tech Picks [Derek] (Software, Hardware, Websites, Reviews)

• YouMail - VM replacement
• TXT versions of VM
• Multiple Phones VM
• Mobile Web Checking
• Step-by-step Walk Though
• Beware of Forwarding Expenses
• Customize Greetings for Each Person
• Similar to GrandCentral just with no personal #
  
• RunningMap
• Runners, cyclists, hikers, and outdoor enthuiasts
• Yahoo Maps API
  
• Setup Your Wireless Network
• From Microsoft
  

Gamer's Corner [Steven] (Conferences, New Developments, Game Reviews)

• No Steven this Week, Out: Anniversary