Yesterday, Google announced the Data Liberation Front, "whose singular goal is to make it easier for users to move their data in and out of Google products." While this should give users some peace of mind that they won’t be locked into Google products, and even attract some people to Google products, it does raise an important question. Specifically, do we rely on Google too much, such that we should think about spreading our eggs among other baskets? For many of us, it seems that our lives are in Google. I’ll be the first to admit that my productivity is dependent on Google. I use Google Apps, Gmail, Reader, Voice, and Docs, among others. Are you doing this, too? Is this unwise? I’d like to know what you think, in both the poll and comments after the jump.
Archives (page 189 of 199)
Recently, I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the beta of real-time video-sharing service, Redux. So far, the experience has been awesome! Redux has provided me with an easy way to discover and share video from all over the web. By connecting me with multiple users and groups sharing all manner of interesting things (from funny, to serious, to music, to downright strange), I can watch video from YouTube, MetaCafe, Funny or Die, College Humor, Hulu (if I were in the US…), Viddler, blip.tv and more (see image for full list). Other services are supported as well, but you get linked out to another window with a handy Redux title overlay that you can use to continue to share and comment from.
All of this is updated in my personal stream, in real time, where I can comment on the fly while watching the videos I choose; as well as thumb up content, share on Twitter and Facebook, and follow users and groups that share videos that are more to my taste.
Perhaps my favourite feature, though, is TV Mode, which I will explain in a moment. First, I have something for you folks! Redux is still in closed beta, but the community is already thriving. I happen to have some 12 invitations left and I may be able to get more. I’ll let you know how you can get your hands on them after the jump.
It is time for another digest of recent content on 40Tech’s Posterous site, where we post content that is too brief for this site, but too long for Twitter. Since the last digest, our Posterous site has taken a look at the following items:
Turn By Turn GPS Navigation for GPS for $35 Bucks?? — CoPilot Live 8 – An affordable GPS app for the iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile (Touchscreen and Smartphone) looks intriguing, given the price.
Google is Listening to My Google Voice Suggestions – Google has made some improvements to Google Voice that address two of our earlier concerns.
If any of those headlines interest you, check out the 40Tech Posterous site.
Last week, Lifehacker posted an article detailing how to recover your Firefox master password using a freeware password recovery tool, Firemaster. Firemaster generates password guesses on the fly, coupled with other procedures, to rapidly attempt to crack your password. If you lose your master password, you lose access to ALL of your passwords, so being able to recover it is great, right? Maybe not. If you can use Firemaster to crack your password, so can anyone who has access to your computer.
A few months ago, we took a look at three password managers, and fell in love with LastPass. How would LastPass hold up to tools like Firemaster? Read more
The beta program for streaming gaming service OnLive started last week. Not far behind OnLive is Gaikai. Both services claim to bring high-end video games to low-end hardware, by streaming the graphics to you via your broadband connection.
Because all of the "heavy lifting" is done on OnLive or Gaikai’s servers, the system requirements for end users are low. In fact, the OnLive website claims that "[a]ll you need is a PC running a current version of Windows XP® or Vista®, or an Intel®-based Mac running a current version of OS X." Similarly, Gaikai’s site claims that "you can play the latest cutting-edge games anywhere there’s an internet connection – on any computer, even if it’s a few years old and misses 3D graphics hardware." Such impressive claims raise more than a few questions. Read more