Microsoft Considers Buying Gator (Claria)?
If Ed Bott is right that Microsoft has been in purchase discussions with Claria (previously known as Gator, the uber-hated spyware company), no number of Scobles could fix their image.
Say it ain’t so.
Link: Ed Bott - Microsoft to buy Claria?
Update Link: Ed Bott - More on Microsoft and Claria
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Hat tip to Marc Orchant.
Personal Devices Update
So far so good with both devices, however I feel a pang of jealousy each time I see one of my US-based co-workers using their Pocket PC phones. On the other hand, my Pocket PCs weren’t phone-enabled, so this BlackBerry has them beat in the connectivity category. I also love being able to respond to email in a more timely fashion.
The Creative Nomad MuVo MP3 player is making a kick-ass podcast player - although so far I’ve only used it to listen to the first few chapters of Jon Stewart’s audiobook version of America, the Book. I love that it remembers my position in the MP3 when I turn it off. I’m not quite so fond of the on/off button which doubles as the play/pause button, since you have to hold it down for over 5 seconds to turn the device on or off, but that’s a minor detail that I’m sure I’ll get used to. Again, so far, so good.
Google Earth
Interesting new software offering from Google: Google Earth
Satellite imagery of the whole world.
Link: Google Earth
Hat tip to Jeremy Wright.
My New Personal Devices
In the past two months, I’ve had two Pocket PCs die on me. For someone who hasn’t been without a PDA in nearly eight years (almost all of that with a Windows CE based device), this is extremely disconcerting. I use my PDAs for everything from eBook reader and MP3 player to email client and task and appointment scheduler.
Without the means to go purchase the Dell Axim X50v I’ve been pining for, I’ve had to make alternative arrangements.
So, my work-issue BlackBerry 6750 has become my defacto PDA, and I’ve just acquired a Creative Nomad MuVo 512MB MP3 player from the discount bin at my local FutureShop.
No doubt the MuVo will make a better MP3 player than my Pocket PC did as it is dedicated to that task, but it remains to be seen whether I can deal with the lack of LCD screen on the device.
The BlackBerry is intruiging as I dig into it, with equal parts frustrating. I’m writing this right now on it using the thumbpad, and it’s tolerable, albeit slow. The email access it provides, however, can’t be beat.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress with my “newâ€? devices.
