It is time to start thinking about Windows 8. OK that’s enough. Windows 8 is primarily aimed at the tablet or touch based computer market. Yes there is a PC version and yes it has been adjusted for regular mouse and keyboard users but according to organisations like Gartner it is not all that suitable as a corporate replacement for Windows 7. With the previous longevity of Windows XP many organisations are just starting to move over to Windows 7 as a now well established and stable operating system so Windows 8 is going to have to be very good to tempt all but the most leading edge companies from moving off Windows 7 any time soon.
Last week I wrote about social media. Since then I read one article that highlighted a number of sources that in summary suggest if you are not part of the social media phenomenon then you could be classified as “suspicious.” Forbes reported that HR departments in the US are wary of younger job candidates who do not use Facebook. If they don’t have such a site some bosses may suspect it had to be deleted because of problems. A Slate.com writer advised young people not to date anyone without a Facebook account. Slashdot suggested that no Facebook account could be a sign of a mass murderer. It is good to be old.
Privacy is always in issue in the digital age. Google has been caught out collecting all manner of information during their StreetView runs by grabbing all they could from any WiFi nodes they passed by. Australia has joined a number of others demanding that any data so collected must be destroyed, with third party confirmation. Apparently Google has been a bit naughty and did not delete it all back in March of 2011. SO here is the thing. This data would have been sorted, collated, cross matched and from this all manner of summaries and demographic information created. Deleting the raw data at this point would be a bit like the kind of thing we all do every couple of years to make space on our hard drives.
So when was the last time you had some Raspberry Pi? Not that isn’t a spelling mistake because this Pi is a tiny $20 computer about the size of a credit card. If you pay an extra $10 you get twice the RAM and an Ethernet socket. The device is based on the ARM 11 processor and starts with 128 MB of RAM. It comes with HDMI out, composite RCA support, SD car reader, and audio out and 1 or 2 USB ports. It weighs about 45 grams and equivalent in power to a 2004 era laptop. It runs Linux loaded via the SD card. It is designed for kids to learn about computers and is comparable to and has more features than machines $100 or more. You can plug in a keyboard and mouse, will connect to the TV and can be used to do normal computer things like browse the Internet, edit documents, play music and video up to 1080p and can work as a media center or even a home automation device. It can be used in robotics and should provide a lot of fun for a child so inclined.
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