Google just announced its odd Google Media Server, a Windows app that finds photos, music, and video and makes it available to DLNA devices like the PlayStation 3, XBox 360, and most Media Center PCs. The Google Media Server can connect a PC to any device that supports Universal Plug and Play, or UPnP, a set of computer network protocols that enable devices to share data across a home network.

The Media Server, which only works on Windows machines, requires the user install Google Desktop applications on the PC. The server uses the technology for its administration tool and leverages Desktop Search to locate media files on the PC and on the Web, where the most popular video site is Google-owned YouTube.

There is other media server software out there, but Google adds two tricks: it can also pass video from YouTube and photos stored on Picasa Web Albums from the Internet to the television.

The Google Media Server control panel allows the administrator to set up permissions for the device so any device or only selected devices have access to the server.

Since the gadget is still very early in its development, users may find bugs in the software, and Google has a feedback page so users are able to share their thoughts on what they like and don’t like about Media Server.

Source: Tech Crunch

Today, as Gates prepares to step down from day-to-day management of the company, another fact is clear: The modern Microsoft remains a company in search of a second act. True, it remains one of the world’s most profitable enterprises, making more profit in its 2007 fiscal year than Apple, Google, Yahoo, Oracle, and Adobe combined. But the cracks in the Microsoft hegemony aren’t just showing, they’re growing.

Gates’ responsibilities is going to be handed over to two executives: Craig Mundie, who takes charge of advanced strategy and policy; and Ray Ozzie, who gets Gates’ old title of chief software architect. Gates remains company chairman.

Gates leaves behind a world of technology and a reputation that will likely grow in stature over time. The company he and Paul Allen founded and that Gates really relentlessly drove for over three decades created an unrivaled universe of extraordinarily popular and successful products, not the least of which is Windows.

There’s an assumption that marketing is a seedy side of business (often because it’s lumped together with PR). Truth is, a good product could go nowhere without smart marketing (and PR). Bill always got that.

With Gates now leaving the building to go off to run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mundie and Ozzie have been left with that small job on their hands.

Source: PC Magazine

The total number of PCs in use today has broken the one billion mark says Gartner and is going to double in 2014. It is now growing at a rate of just under 12% a year. The firm is not counting the number of PCs shipped every year, but the number of machines it believes to actually be in use.

“Whereas mature markets accounted for just under 60 percent of the first billion installed PCs, we expect emerging markets to account for approximately 70 percent of the next billion installed PCs, “said Luis Anavitarte, research vice president at Gartner.

Emerging markets will account for 70 percent of the next billion PCs to come online, Gartner analysts suggested. They named dropping prices and improved Internet access as factors driving that trend.

Geographically mature markets in the US, Europe and Japan contain just 15 per cent of the world’s population but account for 58 per cent of the installed base of PCs. However, continually falling PC prices and better wireless communication will drive adoption in developing markets.

Source: Computerworld

PC World reports the following tools to speed up the performance of your daily life.

• Supercharge Excel: This program from Data Instruments Group adds handy features to Excel, improves existing ones, and makes the application easier to use. For everything from tracking down broken links to generating median values to trimming errant spaces, this software is certainly worth the price of admission–plus you can try it free for 15 days. DigDB for Excel costs $59 per year.

• TrustFax: To use the service you scan the document in the multifunction printer, upload the file to the TrustFax Web site, and send it off. It doesn’t get much easier than that. It costs $30 a year for a fax number, 50 outbound and 150 inbound fax pages, and online storage.

• SmartDraw: Sometimes you need to draw things like boxes, circles, and arrows. That’s when you turn to SmartDraw, a business-graphics app from the company of the same name. The listed price is $297. But, it gives discount from time to time.

• AskSam: This database lets you store all sorts of data, from Word documents to e-mail to Web pages, that you can retrieve with simple, free-form word searches. ‘Add Web page to AskSam’ feature works only with Internet Explorer. Standard version costs $150 and faster one cost $395.

• FolderShare: It creates a mirrored image of your most important folders - like your Favorites, Pictures, and Documents - so they’re the same on all your computers. Sharing with friends, co-workers, and family is easy when you add and update files in a shared library. Install FolderShare on all your computers, and you can access all your files from any computer on the Internet.

Source: PC World

Most of the computer users came across the situation where the screen says “A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down…”. Here’s what to do when Windows throws the dreaded Blue Screen of Death your way, and how to restore your OS even if you’ve lost the original restore CD.

When you encounter a BSoD (Blue screen of Death), there’s not much you can do except grumble about lost data, reboot your machine. If you start getting them regularly, however, you have a problem that must be addressed. But, the interesting part is that BSoD screens actually contain some useful information. Please, note down the description and technical details of the problem from the screen.

Then please, reboot your machine and search the web with those problem description. It may be related bad device driver that you changed recently. If that is true, please, do the following.

1. Select Start, Run (in Vista, Run is enough), type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
2. Double-click the device in question, click the Driver tab, and then click the Roll Back Driver button.

Otherwise, if you recently added new hardware to your system, installing a more recent version of the driver may fix the problem. Check the vendor’s Web site to see whether there’s an update.

Sometimes a bad RAM module can create the problem. In that case, you can use a free program downloadable at Memtest to test your RAM. This is not a windows program. You can download this .iso file as a CD image and convert it a bootable CD by using Nero. Then, boot and see what Memtest says.

It may be overheating that is causing the problem. Please, open the cabinet of your PC and use an air canister to clean the dust. While the cabinet is open, please, check to see any loose connection internally.

Occasionally, Registry may be the culprit for the problem. You can try running System Restore or use Registry clean up. PC World recommends ToniArts’ free EasyCleaner and ChemTable’s $40 Reg Organizer for this purpose.

If all of the above attempts fail, back up your data and take it to a registered professional.

Source: PC World