One of the things I like about Google’s Chrome browser is its streamlined interface which leaves more room for Web content.  Evidently, the folks at Microsoft and Mozilla also like Chrome’s streamlined interface.  The Beta of Firefox 4 has a Chrome-like interface and, although the Beta of Internet Explorer 9 won’t be released until next month, it is rumored to have a Chrome-like interface.

I don’t often advertise the Web sites I develop, but I recently developed a site with an interesting concept. Two retired couples are traveling across the U. S. in their motor homes and conducting video interviews to find out what people on the main streets and back streets really think about our country.  The site’s address is http://realamericaspeaks.com/.  Be sure to check the Blog and the Videos page.

My wife read an article about streaming movies over the Internet and thought it sounded like a good idea.  This is the same woman I had to work hard to convince to get AT&T U-verse TV (Internet Protocol TV) and Vonage telephone service (Voice over Internet Protocol), so I jumped at the opportunity when she seemed interested in streaming movies over the Internet. I signed up for a Netflix plan that allows 1 DVD out at-a-time by mail and unlimited instant viewing of movies and TV shows, all for $8.99 per month.  I watched some Netflix movies and TV shows on my PC;  they were available almost instantly and looked great on a 25" flat screen monitor. 

What I needed next was a way to watch the material on our large screen TV in the living room.  I had been thinking about getting a new Blu-ray player, so I ordered one with built-in wireless.   Unfortunately, the Blu-ray player turned out to be a disappointment.  It couldn’t find my wireless network automatically so I had to enter all the information manually.  After a short period, it lost the wireless connection and I had to enter all the information a second time.  When it lost the connection a third time I boxed it up and returned it.  I’m not mentioning the brand of Blu-ray player because I may have received a defective unit.

After doing some research I decided against purchasing a Blu-ray player with built-in wireless.  Instead, I purchased the top-of-the-line Roku HD-XR player and I’m very happy with that decision. The Roku HD-XR is very small (5" x 5" x 1.8") with an even smaller remote.  The HD-XR model features extended range wireless (Wi-Fi N dual-band) and a USB port for future expansion. All that for under $130.00!  Below are photos of the Roku HD-XR (front and back) and the remote:

I connected the player to the TV, plugged it in and it immediately found my local network and asked for the security code.  Roku offers a number of channels; some require a paid subscription and others are free.  Free channels include flickr, Mediafly, Pandora, Revision 3, and TWiT.TV.  Premium channels include Netflix, Amazon on Demand and MLB.com. It was easy to add my Netflix account to a Roku channel and to add the Roku player to my Harmony One universal remote.

The quality of movies is better than I expected.  We have a 46" Sony Bravia TV and standard definition and high definition material streamed from Netflix are comparable to similar material on cable or satellite. I can’t vouch for the fact that Netflix has 17,000 movies and TV shows available for instant viewing, but there is plenty to keep me, my wife, and our grandchildren satisfied for a long time.  I have yet to find any new releases available for instant viewing, but you can order an unlimited number of DVDs (with one out at any time) as part of the $8.99 monthly subscription. 

The one disappointment I have with the Roku/Netflix service is that we must use our PC to add movies and TV shows to the Netflix Instant Queue before we can watch them on our TV, but that inconvenience is about to end.  Roku will soon release a free upgrade that will allow browsing, searching, and selecting Netflix catalog material from the TV.  You can get a sneak peek of Roku’s new Netflix interface by clicking the PLAY button on the video below.

 

These girls, photographed at their prom, are the Oak Ridge Lady Trojans basketball team.  The Lady Trojans – the girls that other teams derisively referred to  as "Barbie Dolls" – recently defeated teams such as Oakland Tech, Berkeley, and Long Beach Poly to win the California Division I Championship.

Our oldest granddaughter, Megan, is a starter on the Oak Ridge High School Lady Trojans and on March 27, 2010, the team won the California Division I State Basketball Championship by beating the reigning Division I champion, Long Beach Poly, by a score of 55 to 42. Read more…

In the right column, just below the Search box, you’ll see the "Giveaway of the Day." "Giveaway of the Day" is a site that offers free licensed software for one day. The software must be downloaded and activated on the day it is offered. Check back often because each day a different software package is offered. Here’s today’s software package:  If you see something that interests you, get it today because it won’t be there tomorrow.

The February, 2010, issue of Consumer Reports includes a report on lab tests of netbook, laptop and desktop computers. The brands tested were Acer, Apple, Asus, Compaq, Dell, eMachines, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. Here are the categories and CR’s choice for "best of class" in each category:

Netbooks, 10 inch display
Samsung N120-12GBK (Win XP)

Netbooks, 11 to 12 inch display
Acer Aspire TimelineAS1810TZ-4013 (Win 7)

Laptops, 12 to 13 nc display
Sony Vaio GN-SR520G/B

Laptops, 14 inch display
Sony Vaio VPC-CW17FX/W

Laptops, 15 to 16 inch display
Apple MacBook Pro 15 inch MC118LL/A

Laptops, 17 to 18 inch display
Apple MacBoook Pro 17-inch MC226LLO/A

Desktops, Full-Sized
Dell Studio XPS 8000-2361JBK

Desktops, Compact
Dell Insirion 537s

All-In-One
Apple iMac 27-inch MB952LL/A

 

This computer, running Windows 7, is the best computer I’ve ever owned.

You can read about my latest computer purchase here.

I always try to purchase computers from Costco Wholesale because Costco extends the manufacturer’s warranty to two years from the date of purchase, because Costco Concierge Services offers excellent technical support, and because Costco has a very liberal 90 day return policy. Costco Warehouse stores offer a limited selection of computers, but there is a much wider selection online at Costco.com. In addition, online purchasers have been able to custom configure Dell and HP computers. Unfortunately, the online computer selection has narrowed somewhat because Costco is not currently offering Dell computers online. According to the Dell site, a few Dell systems will be carried in Costco Warehouse stores. I’m sure there are many Dell enthusiasts who hope that the absence of Dell computers from Costco online is only temporary.

UPDATE: It looks as if Dell computers are returning to Costco.com. The January Coupon Book, which is valid from 01/07 – 01/24/10, has an offer for a Dell Studio XPS 8000 (online only), and Costco.com is currently carrying several Dell laptops.

I notice that Costco.com is offering relatively high end and gaming systems from iBuyPower, Velocity Micro, and ZT Systems. I’ve read mixed reviews of those systems, but I can’t imagine that Costco would continue to carry a brand that was causing a lot of customer dissatisfaction. If you have purchased one of those brands, please contact me and let me know of your experience.

I recently upgraded from Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium. I would have liked to have done a clean install, but I didn’t have the time required to reinstall the many programs I use. At the beginning of the installation process, the installer performed a compatibility check and found a few programs that might not be compatible with Windows 7. It recommended that the programs be uninstalled before proceeding with the upgrade. After that the upgrade went smoothly but, when I tried to run programs under Windows 7, I got an error message advising that Windows couldn’t verify the digital signature of the file. After doing some research, I discovered that the Norton User Account Control (UAC) should have been uninstalled before upgrading, but Norton UAC wasn’t listed during the compatibility check, For those not familiar with Norton UAC, one of the features that gave Windows Vista a bad name was Vista’s UAC. I, like many Vista users, replaced Vista’s default UAC with the free Norton UAC, a more user-friendly and more secure UAC.

I was able solve my problem by booting Windows 7 in Safe mode and uninstalling Norton UAC. If you are planning to upgrade to Windows 7 and are using Norton UAC, uninstall the program before upgrading. By the way, the UAC in Windows 7 is much improved over Vista, as are many other features of the OS.