Truth be told, patches and upgrades are something that is quite normal in the software world. The process is normally as follows: An issue is found; the developers of the software create a patch and then sends that patch to all authentic users. The users then depending on their individual settings receive a notification of an update being available, which then leads to a software download on their device. This is the normal process and in general it is free. The idea is simple, you have already paid for the software once and then everything thereafter is the responsibility of the software company.

The above is the normal scenario but Adobe saw fit to use the issue as a chance to get users to update from Creative Suite 5.5 to version 6. The vulnerabilities were found on both Mac and Windows based machines. This lead to a lot of very unhappy Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 users. I think this situation has hurt the image of Adobe in a big way and it will take time for them to rebuild the trust that they broke.

At least Adobe management reacted to the outrage and have subsequently done a complete u-turn. They will now provide free updates to the affected users.

“We are in the process of resolving the vulnerabilities addressed in these security bulletins in Adobe Illustrator CS5.x, Adobe Photoshop CS5.x and Adobe Flash Professional CS5.x, and will update the respective security bulletins once the patches are available.”

I wonder how many users who paid for the update are now asking for a refund?

HP have unveiled the Office Jet 150 Mobile which aims to change the way we perceive printers. This printer is aimed at the people who travel a lot (road warriors). The printer is supposedly a world first – “a mobile all-in-one  printer”.  Portable printers are a relatively new concept but the HP Officejet 150 Mobile is a huge attempt by HP to differentiate themselves from other printer manufacturers.

The specifications for this printer according to HP:

Produce professional-quality documents on the go, using built-in Bluetooth wireless technology. Make quick copies, easily scan while on the go, and print from selected notebook and mobile devices.

• Print Speed: Up to 22 ppm black, Up to 18 ppm colour
• ISO Speed: Up to 5 ppm black, up to 3.5 ppm colour
• Wireless capacity: Yes, Bluetooth 2.0
• Paper Handling: Up to 50 sheets input tray

I wonder if we are beginning to see the start of a new trend, where more products are going to be portable? I would also love to be able to look in a crystal ball and see how the adoption of the HP Officejet 150 Mobile would be?

1. Hendrik on The Microsoft ARC Wireless Keyboard.

• http://youtu.be/CmYr5UQHS6I

2. Sennheiser HD215 Headphone Review.

• http://youtu.be/MclimxV-xhk

Regular readers will be aware that Sony and Microsoft are also facing similar issues and it may continue. The problem is quite simple, not one of Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo had any per-warning to the effect that the iPad and iPhone would have on their gaming divisions. There have been millions of iDevices sold. At the rate which Apple sales are growing, it is a matter of time before Apple joins Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo in the console gaming ecosystem.

Microsoft has made no public comment when the Xbox 720 will be launched. Sony has been tight lipped over the Sony PlayStation 4 but both companies are increasingly in need of a product that will re-energize their sales. The one company that has not even been mentioned is Nintendo. What is launching after the Nintendo Wii? Is the Nintendo 3DS going to be updated with a new product?

Nintendo has been put on notice by competitors… How Nintendo responds in the coming months will provide clues as to their future.

As soon as users click on the update,  the software is moved on to the users computer. The Flashback virus has most probably created a bot network. (A bot network consists of tens of thousands of compromised machines called drones or zombies that run malicious software.) Apple has since released a patch for this issue. It is recommended that Mac users immediately download the software to ensure that the issue is resolved.

The official Apple explanation is a bit hazy as they don’t go into a lot of detail. It makes sense, by not communicating the issue these virus makers have no idea how it is resolved.

Java for OS X Lion 2012-002 and Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 7
Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.8, Mac OS X Server v10.6.8, OS X Lion v10.7.3, Lion Server v10.7.3
Impact: Multiple vulnerabilities in Java 1.6.0_29

Description: Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Java 1.6.0_29, the most serious of which may allow an untrusted Java applet to execute arbitrary code outside the Java sandbox. Visiting a web page containing a maliciously crafted untrusted Java applet may lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user. These issues are addressed by updating to Java version 1.6.0_31.

If you are not sure whether your Mac is one of the 600 000, then the best would be to check for software updates. Download the patch and then your Mac should be a bit more safe.

Think about it for a minute. What is the one company most people that use computers “despise”? Microsoft through their dominance in software went through a period of time in which they were seen as using anti-competitive behaviour to bolster their pockets. Love them or hate them, most people that use a computer daily “touches” one or other Microsoft product through the day.  Steve Ballmer, the CEO that has lived in the shadow of Microsoft founder Bill Gates seems to have finally turned the corner. Microsoft is making great strides with Windows Phone 7 products and the entire market is waiting for Windows 8. If media reports are correct then Microsoft 8 will be a huge new product for Microsoft.

At the moment the operating system industry contains three big players; Microsoft, Apple with Mac OS X and the open source software Ubuntu (which is founded by South African Mark Shuttleworth). The software product cycle that most of these products are found in, goes something like this: A public Alpha version of the new software is available for download for early adopters (I mean really early adopters). Then a version is launched that contains the completed product and it may contain bugs.  If a very large issue is made public by the press or vulnerability is found by users, an update (Apple) or a service pack (Microsoft) is sent to the users that have authenticated their installation. The service pack can be seen as a patch (think Band-Aid) to resolve the issue. Over time, the manufacturer will then make announcements as to when the official support ends for a specific version. The correlation between these announcements and the newer version getting press is something to have a look at.

With this in mind Microsoft has announced that support for Windows Vista has ceased on 10 April 2012. Thus only one version (Windows 7) will be supported alongside Windows 8.  It is the classic up sell that is done by most brands. So new notebooks and desktop computers will I suspect feature Windows 8 later on in the year.

Microsoft has also announced that there will be multiple versions of  Windows 8  released (the amount of products mentioned in the press vary at the moment). I am looking forward to seeing what the impact of Windows 8 will be as well as what the average PC user thinks about it. One thing is for sure, Microsoft is continuing on their dominant path…

With autumn here in full swing, I cannot help being excited. I know you must think I am crazy but as the long summer days are becoming distant memories and the chill of winter is on the horizon, many people might be turning inward. On the other hand, I will be taking full advantage of the colder days and my comfort lies in the endless opportunities within fashion.

Fashion is what allows us to truly be who we want to be. The opportunities to be fashionable and on top of your game when it comes to the latest trends are endless, with an array of shapes, colours and fabrics to choose from. Adding coloured leggings to a simple black dress, coupled with knee high boots, will give an ordinary winter outfit a memorable spark!

Finding what styles and shapes suit us is no longer a difficult task with all the many international trends available. Thankfully at PriceCheck we understand that making these choices can be a bit overwhelming and so we offer you the perfect remedy for these winter blues. Even though I am a techy at heart with my iPhone always close by, there is nothing better than lifting the melancholy of winter with wonderful accessories or a coat!

I suggest a few simple additions to your wardrobe, such as a structured trench coat, chunky wrap snood or even an awesome pair of boots…

Have a look at all that we have on our site here!

The commodore 64 is a device that I own and have given an honorary place in my gadget collection. It was initially played like there was no tomorrow and as technology has evolved it has gotten full of dust. I can vividly remember the terrible graphics and the constant jarring of the hand held controller but in all honesty it was pure gaming. No sound, no special effects just hours of fun.

As time went on, SEGA arrived with their “Megadrive” and then Microsoft and Sony launched their challengers. Nintendo only arrived late on the scene and disrupted the industry with their motion based gaming.

Success with the C64 aside, Tramiel was ousted from Commodore in 1984, and from there he purchased Atari for a song after the home-gaming console market crash significantly which devalued its brand. From there, Atari under Tramiel launched 32-bit Atari ST computer in a bid to combat the Amiga home computer. In recent years Atari has evolved into a developing house that creates games for a variety of devices (PC, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii).

Jack Tramiel might not have been as well known as Bill Gates or Steve Jobs but he played a part in both the personal computing and console gaming industries.  Mr Tramiel, thank you for the hours of fun and for making me someone who loves both PC’s and console gaming. It really is the end of an era.

Microsoft has already made it well known that the new Xbox, the Xbox 720 wont be making an appearance in 2012. Personally, I think that Microsoft is trying to get many more companies developing apps and software that showcase their Kinect product. I don’t think anybody could have  imagined just how popular the Kinect has become. This leads me to the challenger from Sony, the Playstation 3.

It seems Sony has decided they need to ensure that the Playstation 4 (seen below)  is released before the Xbox 720. It makes sense as the PlayStation 3 was a year late to market and Sony has been on the backfoot ever since. According to various media sources, Sony Computer Entertainment, the division responsible  for the PlayStation range seems confident that they will be first to market this time.

Sony has also announced that the current PlayStation 3 will be using Amazon’s Instant Video to provide more PlayStation user video content. Sony is ensuring that the PlayStation 3 is becoming more than just a console.  I think they want to position it more as an entertainment centre which could lead to more sales. At the moment the extra video seems to be only available in the US, but I recommend that local PlayStation owners check the marketplace for any official noticfication.

The Motorola RAZR was the first Android based cellphone that I have used. After using the Motorola XOOM tablet, I had high expectations. Android has given Google a product that ensures Google users can access their services (Gmail, Google maps etc) while being on the move. As I encountered with the Motorola XOOM, Android ensures a quick and very easy interaction with your Google products. It is funny, using my normal cellphone I can definitely feel the difference between a product that has deep connections to Google products and one that does not.

The RAZR is a big phone and has a pretty large screen that features only three buttons. The large size makes it a bit difficult to put into pockets. I also noticed that although the large screen provides an excellent viewing experience, it is resource heavy. I got one and a half days of battery usage when using the phone. Heavy email and social media usage took that down to about one whole day. I had some small issues with the screen and pressing buttons on it. Unresponsive periods of time occurred when I pressed a button on the home screen which lead on some occasions to nothing happening. Initially I thought it was the classic case of the battery being almost empty and then like the remote, by pressing it harder, it would solve the problem. It is not a deal breaker but just something RAZR owners will need to be aware of.

The Android marketplace (now called Google Play) is a pleasure to go through. Lots of apps are found in the store, from games to productivity tools. There is a definite comparison to the Apple apps store in terms of variety and what is particularly refreshing with Google Play is that payment is done in Rands and not Dollars.

I must confess, I did not open the user manual once and that normally is a very good sign. There is a logical flow of where things are found. It is simply a matter of browsing the various menu screens and remembering where items are found.

The one thing that I did have a slight issue with is the Wi-Fi browsing that the RAZR provided. Sometimes when walking away from the Wi-Fi connection that is found in one room lead to the entire signal disappearing, thus I lost connection to the Internet. I checked whether the settings were all properly set (which they were) or whether the Wi-Fi router was at fault and it provided inconclusive evidence. So RAZR owners make very sure that you have proper Wi-Fi settings set and maybe consider getting a Wi-Fi booster at home.

The verdict:
I had a very enjoyable 2 weeks with the Motorola RAZR and for those looking to experience Android 2.3 (not the latest version), I can definitely recommend it. It is a slick device that provides a very nice experience for browsing the Internet, social media and has deep integration with the various Google services. Heavy Google users will love this device.