I've been an avid PeerGuardian fan for years. Yes I'm paranoid about Internet activity and big brother (shh...they're watching!) About a month ago I became curious to know why PeerGuardian lacks so much development. Hadn't seen any updates since PG2 RC1 Test2. The lists hosted on Bluetack frequently failed to download (server flooded with too many requests). I was a bit annoyed and decided to find some answers. Headed off to the Phoenix Labs forum where I saw numerous postings from a user named "fakhir" who mentioned to use the lists hosted on I-Blocklist. Gave it a shot and I wasn't disappointed. Not only did the lists download (fast too!) but it solved my list corruption issue.
I also came across some chit chat about PeerBlock. Where? I can't recall exactly....must have been on the Phoenix Labs IRC channel....I think. Anyhow, I downloaded PB and was amazed already by the installation process. It took my current lists (some still hosted on Bluetack) and migrated everything over to I-Blocklist. I went from 17 lists to 10! I didn't know the "Government" list was in "Level1" but PB recognized this and migrated everything. Ran my usual test afterwards, pinged 3.0.0.0 which is General Electric in the "Level1" list. Came back unreachable and was logged in the history window as being blocked (sweet!).
I'm officially happy and a bit less paranoid....(I'll remove my tin foil hat now). The development team led by Mark Bulas (head dev) have been pumping out numerous interim releases since August. Currently I recommend using the latest Public Release (1.0). Its stable and has gone through alot of testing.
PB is supported on the following platforms: 2000/XP/Vista/7. The driver is signed for those of you running 64-bit Vista or 7. Remember, a signed driver requires a code-signing certificate ($$$). Please do consider making a donation to help towards next year's certificate.
Support is available through many channels which are mentioned below. Please note that the site is still new and a work in progress.
Forums (great source for help)
FAQ (common questions are answered here)
User Guides (screenshots, detailed instructions and much more!)
Apart from what I mentioned before the main site http://www.peerblock.com also offers news, a development blog and a bug tracker (extremely handy). I encourage everyone to visit the site (this means you!).
Special thanks to the developers, website admin & designer, forum mod, documentation group and the beta team........oh Mark too :) Truly, a great group of guys working hard to improve PeerBlock.
A big Thank You to Phrosty over at Phoenix Labs for all the development work done in PG over the years. Much appreciated!
For those of you who would like to support I-Blocklist and have some bandwidth to spare then please visit http://www.iblocklist.com/support.php
Become a Fan of PeerBlock on Facebook.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
80s Music Worth A Download
As you can tell I'm very big on 80s music. I always wanted to post lots of tune lists but never got around to it. Mind you I could go on for pages and pages. I'll keep it short and what ever comes to mind.
Aretha Franklin - Freeway Of Love
The Queen of soul music. Love the pink cadillac in the video.
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Goes a little like this...Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (LOL)
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
People should listen to this song more often. Bobby knew what he was doing.
Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
The first music video to be played on MTV. Which debuted on August 1, 1981 at 12:01a.m
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
Eileen in the video is Maire Fahey, her sister sang for Bananarama.
Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight
Sung as a duet with Ronnie Spector, lead singer of "The Ronettes".
Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran So Far Away
The lead singer still freaks me out to this day. Still made a good theme for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Flying Lizards - Money (That's What I Want)
Play this song on payday. Video sucks, lyrics suck even worse, but I love the chorus.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
I hear this song and I think of the Chef in the movie "The Wedding Singer". He wore a shirt labelled "RELAX".
Jackie Wilson - Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher
The man died way too young (49). Had a heart attack on the Dick Clark show and fell into a coma. The Commodores made a tribute to Jackie (along with Marvin Gaye) with a song called "Nightshift".
Jefferson Starship - We Built This City
References "The City By the Bay" (San Francisco), "The City That Rocks" (Cleveland) & "The City That Never Sleeps" (NYC).
John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire
Written for the movie which honors Rick Hansen (wheelchair athlete) or as the songs says "Man In Motion".
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
S A F E T Y, safety, safety, dance, dance. Still can't understand why he's prancing everywhere in this video.
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
I prefer the remake by the German group Novaspace. But the original is obviously good.
Ohio Players - Fire
Hell's Kitchen TV theme. A 2 minute skit in the movie "Ladder 49" starring Joaquin Phoenix (who can't act if his life depended on it.....jackass).
Patrick Swayze - Hungry Eyes
Not a bad singer. Made a great addition to the soundtrack. RIP.
Paul Young - Everytime You Go Away
Great song, never knew it was written by Hall & Oates.
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Yes, Rick. Its an annoying song but I like it dammit!
Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl
We can all relate to falling in love with your best friend's girlfriend.....or something along that line.
Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
Yes, he's too sexy for his shirt! Practically played at every wedding.
Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling
Gained much popularity from "Top Gun". But baby, believe me I know it. You've lost that loving feeling...
The Go Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
Ok, I only added this cause I'm in love with the lead singer Belinda Carlise....pure hotty......Shibby!
The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
This song holds a special place in my heart. I danced to it at my wedding with my sister (we couldn't stop laughing).
The Proclaimers - I Would Walk 500 Miles
I don't have to elaborate on this song. We all know it, love it & sing it.
Thomson Twins - Hold Me Now
One of the most edited videos in the early 80s. See for yourself, lots of split-screens.
Tiffany - I Think Were Alone Now
Girls don't lie. You sang this tune when you were younger. Its one of my ringtones (loser!).
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Love this song! Talks alot about poverty and striving to survive.
I'll post more as time goes by. I can only think of so many!!!
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Aretha Franklin - Freeway Of Love
The Queen of soul music. Love the pink cadillac in the video.
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Goes a little like this...Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (LOL)
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy
People should listen to this song more often. Bobby knew what he was doing.
Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
The first music video to be played on MTV. Which debuted on August 1, 1981 at 12:01a.m
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
Eileen in the video is Maire Fahey, her sister sang for Bananarama.
Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight
Sung as a duet with Ronnie Spector, lead singer of "The Ronettes".
Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran So Far Away
The lead singer still freaks me out to this day. Still made a good theme for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Flying Lizards - Money (That's What I Want)
Play this song on payday. Video sucks, lyrics suck even worse, but I love the chorus.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
I hear this song and I think of the Chef in the movie "The Wedding Singer". He wore a shirt labelled "RELAX".
Jackie Wilson - Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher
The man died way too young (49). Had a heart attack on the Dick Clark show and fell into a coma. The Commodores made a tribute to Jackie (along with Marvin Gaye) with a song called "Nightshift".
Jefferson Starship - We Built This City
References "The City By the Bay" (San Francisco), "The City That Rocks" (Cleveland) & "The City That Never Sleeps" (NYC).
John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire
Written for the movie which honors Rick Hansen (wheelchair athlete) or as the songs says "Man In Motion".
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
S A F E T Y, safety, safety, dance, dance. Still can't understand why he's prancing everywhere in this video.
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
I prefer the remake by the German group Novaspace. But the original is obviously good.
Ohio Players - Fire
Hell's Kitchen TV theme. A 2 minute skit in the movie "Ladder 49" starring Joaquin Phoenix (who can't act if his life depended on it.....jackass).
Patrick Swayze - Hungry Eyes
Not a bad singer. Made a great addition to the soundtrack. RIP.
Paul Young - Everytime You Go Away
Great song, never knew it was written by Hall & Oates.
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Yes, Rick. Its an annoying song but I like it dammit!
Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl
We can all relate to falling in love with your best friend's girlfriend.....or something along that line.
Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
Yes, he's too sexy for his shirt! Practically played at every wedding.
Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling
Gained much popularity from "Top Gun". But baby, believe me I know it. You've lost that loving feeling...
The Go Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
Ok, I only added this cause I'm in love with the lead singer Belinda Carlise....pure hotty......Shibby!
The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
This song holds a special place in my heart. I danced to it at my wedding with my sister (we couldn't stop laughing).
The Proclaimers - I Would Walk 500 Miles
I don't have to elaborate on this song. We all know it, love it & sing it.
Thomson Twins - Hold Me Now
One of the most edited videos in the early 80s. See for yourself, lots of split-screens.
Tiffany - I Think Were Alone Now
Girls don't lie. You sang this tune when you were younger. Its one of my ringtones (loser!).
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Love this song! Talks alot about poverty and striving to survive.
I'll post more as time goes by. I can only think of so many!!!
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Monday, September 21, 2009
Faisal Butt at the Comedy Nest
I don't usually post videos but this is a bud who I used to work with at HP. Hilarious back then and still today. Enjoy!
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Monday, September 7, 2009
Facebook At Work
Many of us visit Facebook pretty much on a daily basis. Regardless if your at work, home or on the road. I personally visit the site more than I should....but I have no life!
Many organizations and educational institutions block the site due to the amount of traffic it generates on their network. Also to reduce employee downtime. Many of us have found alternate ways of accessing the site. Personally, I use Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones on my personal Blackberry. It gives me direct notification when something happens. Although annoying at some points it does alleviate the need to constantly login. For those Iphone (shrug!) users a dedicated page is accessible at http://iphone.facebook.com
No matter how much organizations & schools try to block the site most people will find a workaround. From what I gather tons of people are using online proxies. An example of this would be http://vtunnel.com Effective but not trustworthy. Well I can't speak for that site since I don't know the guys behind it. Many proxies can't be trusted and you can never guarantee the site won't capture your password/content.
Many people don't realize that their are legitimate ways to access the site without compromising security. Facebook is available in SSL (https://www.facebook.com). Similar to online banking it uses a RSA encryption algorithm with a 1024-bit key.
Soon to be released Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com) will be another address which will be added to the blacklist. Still in beta, only selected users were invited to take part in testing. Don't bother trying the url since it will redirect you back to the main site.
Mobile Facebook (http://m.facebook.com) is probably the best option. Made for mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, etc. Doesn't offer the same layout of the main site but all the essential items are there. Photos (reduced), groups, notifications, status updates, uploading photos, etc. Best of all it offers HTTP login for those not using a mobile device. As an added benefit its not heavy on traffic.
If you really want to go the extra mile you can access the site using an Iphone emulator. Tons of which can be found online. Firefox has the add-on available here https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8148 By navigating to http://iphone.facebook.com and using the emulation software you'll be able to view Facebook in a Iphone format.
Not matter what security measures are put in place users will find a way to circumvent them. The new generation of uses are becoming tech savy. Workarounds are available online (with guides too). From any administrator point of view nothing is really "locked down". Welcome to the age of the Internet!
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Many organizations and educational institutions block the site due to the amount of traffic it generates on their network. Also to reduce employee downtime. Many of us have found alternate ways of accessing the site. Personally, I use Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones on my personal Blackberry. It gives me direct notification when something happens. Although annoying at some points it does alleviate the need to constantly login. For those Iphone (shrug!) users a dedicated page is accessible at http://iphone.facebook.com
No matter how much organizations & schools try to block the site most people will find a workaround. From what I gather tons of people are using online proxies. An example of this would be http://vtunnel.com Effective but not trustworthy. Well I can't speak for that site since I don't know the guys behind it. Many proxies can't be trusted and you can never guarantee the site won't capture your password/content.
Many people don't realize that their are legitimate ways to access the site without compromising security. Facebook is available in SSL (https://www.facebook.com). Similar to online banking it uses a RSA encryption algorithm with a 1024-bit key.
Soon to be released Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com) will be another address which will be added to the blacklist. Still in beta, only selected users were invited to take part in testing. Don't bother trying the url since it will redirect you back to the main site.
Mobile Facebook (http://m.facebook.com) is probably the best option. Made for mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, etc. Doesn't offer the same layout of the main site but all the essential items are there. Photos (reduced), groups, notifications, status updates, uploading photos, etc. Best of all it offers HTTP login for those not using a mobile device. As an added benefit its not heavy on traffic.
If you really want to go the extra mile you can access the site using an Iphone emulator. Tons of which can be found online. Firefox has the add-on available here https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8148 By navigating to http://iphone.facebook.com and using the emulation software you'll be able to view Facebook in a Iphone format.
Not matter what security measures are put in place users will find a way to circumvent them. The new generation of uses are becoming tech savy. Workarounds are available online (with guides too). From any administrator point of view nothing is really "locked down". Welcome to the age of the Internet!
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Saturday, September 5, 2009
I Love My Job, You Heard Me Right
"Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. " - Confucius
That quote may not apply to everyone but it does for the select few who truly love their job. In my case I couldn't think of doing anything else. Tech support, PC support, network admin, support analysis, deskside support......the list of names goes on. My official job title stands as PC Support but you can label me as whatever you want.
I love my job! No, I'm not crazy. I genuinely enjoy doing anything computer related. Although it wasn't my desired choice of career I've come to grips that this is where I belong. Ask me 10 years ago where I was heading in life and I would have said Police tech. Since I was a child I wanted to be the man behind the badge. Kicking ass, taking names and being the police. Solving problems and facing fear day to day. Sounds like a pretty lucrative career doesn't it? It did for me at the time but I guess it never really fanned out. They caught on to my donut eating habit :) I do have some regrets about not going the distance but I shouldn't complain. I was pushed towards something I knew I'm great at.
I wake up in the morning and first thing I do is grab my Blackberry and see which help desk tickets are new. Getting to work I think about what needs to be done or how to troubleshoot an issue I haven't fixed yet. Then I get into work and the chaos starts (literally before I open the office door). People coming to me for help & answers (Who da thunk it!). Sure I can't answer them all or I may not have a solution. But Tarbanac I'll do my up most to fix it.
You may think fixing problem after problem isn't much to boast about. It isn't really. But the amount of knowledge I gain from every problem only expands my knowledge further. Plus, it is pretty satisfying spending 2 hours on an issue and narrowing down the culprit to a corrupt dll file, a missing update, rootkit, etc. I swear some days I feel like a doctor (minus the salary) trying to diagnose the unknown. Although a doctor gets more social recognition for his job. Does he see most of his patients on a daily basis? Does he know their history off the top of his head? I think not!
Minimum 15 calls per day is what I do. Mondays are usually hectic, Wednesday slow, Friday is last minute rush issues. Putting out fires everyday is similar to police work....well without the danger of being shot....but a keyboard can be construed as a lethal weapon. The cop dream still lives on but I'd rather save it for Halloween or the shooting range.
Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they will. Sometimes we don’t even see it coming. That’s the way life is.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sys Admin Day
Although I wasn’t working that day I still wonder if anyone would notice SysAdmin Day for Network/System Administrators. Many admins and tech support personnel don’t get enough credit. Ya I’m gonna start ranting but dammit we deserve some recognition. Now I’m not saying our jobs are more important than others in any organization but we do play a vital role. We maintain the network, security, printing, email, PCs, landlines , PDAs, crackberries and cell phones to name a few.
We are constantly bombarded with issues that are critical, severe or merely pointless. Our job isn’t specific to one area but many. Unlike mechanics who can refer to a manual or diagram we fly by the seat of our large pants. No day is planned in advance. Putting our fires is what we do (pretty well I might add!).
We don’t have all the answers nor can you expect us to know everything. But dammit we try! I'm not a machine JIM! Expected to diagnose a problem within minutes. I don’t know why Outlook crashes on startup but I’m gonna find out. Is it a bug? Are you missing a service pack? Is Office corrupt? Is there an add-in which is causing a conflict? Will the event viewer tell me something useful? Profile issues? When was the last time it was working? Is the problem related to a code 16 error (16 inches away from the screen)?
Worse yet we're expected to keep up with new technology and trends. Come on! I can’t afford all the new toys and gadgets. I can barely pay my ISP bill per month. Thanks Microsoft for pumping out a new operating system every 3 years. How many version of Office can you manufacture. I take 5 years to master 1 o/s only to lag behind by 2. I haven’t tested every single anti-virus software out there. I just choose one that’s reputable and stick with it.
Spyware and viruses…..another headache of every day tech life. We don’t know how you got it but we're definitely going to remove it. Yes it will cause your browser to crash and produce numerous pop-ups. Some irritating while others just generally funny. To me if have you porn popups then you must have been doing something wrong. I don’t want to hear the laid back story…."I was at home doing online banking and all of a sudden”. Just admit what you did. Ya got bored, the wife/girlfriend wasn’t there that night and you felt compelled to be naughty. Now I have to rescue you before she finds out. To me its more embarrassing having a tech cleanup the junk than walking out of a XXX video shop.
3rd party applications really piss us off. What in the world were you thinking when downloading a free Jessica Alba screensaver. Did you really think it was free & PG13 ? Or that nothing came bundled with it. I’ll never understand the need for people to customize their screen-saver when they’re not even there to watch it!!!
Facebook…you know I’m gonna trash this one severely. I’m an avid user and love the site to death. But don’t ask us for alternate ways to login when its being blocked at your work. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn’t it? If you spent more time working and less time socializing then maybe most companies wouldn’t waste resources to block the site. Since it generates so much traffic on networks. Its called lunch people! Use it for personal time, it doesn’t start at the beginning of your shift.
Live Messenger….I use it, you probably use it too. I contemplate why people use it so much at work. Do you really need to be in constant communication with your kids or family abroad? They work too you know! I’m really sure they‘re interested in what your doing on a daily basis (hmm, let me guess working?). Don’t install this app! Your bogging down networks.
YouTube! Favorite site for videos but honestly do you really need to spread the video of the day around the world. Who cares what stupid stunt was performed or how a wardrobe malfunction made its way to the information super highway. These videos aren’t small, bigger than most allowed email attachment size (10MB).
Your probably thinking that I.T. guys believe their above most people and don't have the time to waste on requests. This is not true. Every request is equally important....no matter how stupid it can be. I love computers, I know how to fix them. I adore what I do and I couldn’t ask for more. To be wanted feels good and is extremely rewarding. But ask me to fix the kitchen sink or repair a piece of drywall I wouldn't know where to begin.
Appreciate your on-site network admin. Despite the fact they have to run around all day and put out fires, they don't need you to give them a hard time cause something was done by user error or the system isn’t up to new standards (never is). We don't stand around all day and watch movies. Nor do we wait for the phone to ring. We can do without the attitude and perhaps a small thank you once in a while. The kinder who are with him/her the better chance you'll get at a faster response.
Most of which I'm writing is not based on personal experience from my job directly. It consists of previous jobs, feedback for other techs out there. Also a general overview of the industry. Just remember, treat your computer like a car. Keep it clean and you’ll get tons of miles out of it.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
We are constantly bombarded with issues that are critical, severe or merely pointless. Our job isn’t specific to one area but many. Unlike mechanics who can refer to a manual or diagram we fly by the seat of our large pants. No day is planned in advance. Putting our fires is what we do (pretty well I might add!).
We don’t have all the answers nor can you expect us to know everything. But dammit we try! I'm not a machine JIM! Expected to diagnose a problem within minutes. I don’t know why Outlook crashes on startup but I’m gonna find out. Is it a bug? Are you missing a service pack? Is Office corrupt? Is there an add-in which is causing a conflict? Will the event viewer tell me something useful? Profile issues? When was the last time it was working? Is the problem related to a code 16 error (16 inches away from the screen)?
Worse yet we're expected to keep up with new technology and trends. Come on! I can’t afford all the new toys and gadgets. I can barely pay my ISP bill per month. Thanks Microsoft for pumping out a new operating system every 3 years. How many version of Office can you manufacture. I take 5 years to master 1 o/s only to lag behind by 2. I haven’t tested every single anti-virus software out there. I just choose one that’s reputable and stick with it.
Spyware and viruses…..another headache of every day tech life. We don’t know how you got it but we're definitely going to remove it. Yes it will cause your browser to crash and produce numerous pop-ups. Some irritating while others just generally funny. To me if have you porn popups then you must have been doing something wrong. I don’t want to hear the laid back story…."I was at home doing online banking and all of a sudden”. Just admit what you did. Ya got bored, the wife/girlfriend wasn’t there that night and you felt compelled to be naughty. Now I have to rescue you before she finds out. To me its more embarrassing having a tech cleanup the junk than walking out of a XXX video shop.
3rd party applications really piss us off. What in the world were you thinking when downloading a free Jessica Alba screensaver. Did you really think it was free & PG13 ? Or that nothing came bundled with it. I’ll never understand the need for people to customize their screen-saver when they’re not even there to watch it!!!
Facebook…you know I’m gonna trash this one severely. I’m an avid user and love the site to death. But don’t ask us for alternate ways to login when its being blocked at your work. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn’t it? If you spent more time working and less time socializing then maybe most companies wouldn’t waste resources to block the site. Since it generates so much traffic on networks. Its called lunch people! Use it for personal time, it doesn’t start at the beginning of your shift.
Live Messenger….I use it, you probably use it too. I contemplate why people use it so much at work. Do you really need to be in constant communication with your kids or family abroad? They work too you know! I’m really sure they‘re interested in what your doing on a daily basis (hmm, let me guess working?). Don’t install this app! Your bogging down networks.
YouTube! Favorite site for videos but honestly do you really need to spread the video of the day around the world. Who cares what stupid stunt was performed or how a wardrobe malfunction made its way to the information super highway. These videos aren’t small, bigger than most allowed email attachment size (10MB).
Your probably thinking that I.T. guys believe their above most people and don't have the time to waste on requests. This is not true. Every request is equally important....no matter how stupid it can be. I love computers, I know how to fix them. I adore what I do and I couldn’t ask for more. To be wanted feels good and is extremely rewarding. But ask me to fix the kitchen sink or repair a piece of drywall I wouldn't know where to begin.
Appreciate your on-site network admin. Despite the fact they have to run around all day and put out fires, they don't need you to give them a hard time cause something was done by user error or the system isn’t up to new standards (never is). We don't stand around all day and watch movies. Nor do we wait for the phone to ring. We can do without the attitude and perhaps a small thank you once in a while. The kinder who are with him/her the better chance you'll get at a faster response.
Most of which I'm writing is not based on personal experience from my job directly. It consists of previous jobs, feedback for other techs out there. Also a general overview of the industry. Just remember, treat your computer like a car. Keep it clean and you’ll get tons of miles out of it.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
Why Blackberry Is The Shiznits!
I've been supporting and using Blackberrys for the past couple of years and its come a long way. But I never imaged it would get to the point where it has built-in wireless sync, GPS & 3G.
One of the first models to come out was the RIM 957. Shaped like a pager it was colourless with text only. You had to manually synchronize your contacts, appointments, tasks & memos via a USB cable with Desktop Manager software. The device had limited memory. I recall a support call where a user had over 1,000 contacts and it couldn't fit in the device. It had wireless email forwarding to the device via BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) or BIS (pop3).
Then came the 6000 & 7000 series. Full qwerty keyboards, bigger screens with colour, increased onboard memory. Trackwheel on the right side which clicked when scrolling. GPRS data connection.
The early 8000 series was an improvement with performance and a newer handheld o/s. When the Pearl & Curve came out I was blow away. Built-in GPS, Wifi, enhanced Bluetooth, working off a EDGE/1X EVDO network. 64mb-128mb of onboard memory. Trackwheel is replace with a trackball. Facebook, Live Messenger, MySpace, Yahoo Messenging, Google Talk are among many of the applications available by default. 2 megapixel camera with a video recorder. A minor upgrade from handheld o/s 4.2.1 to 4.5 which enabled the video camera but also changed the layout of emails with headers and the body being boxed separately.
Blackberry 1.5 was deployed and pushed down via service book updates. Allowing integration with your existing address book and Facebook. Auto updating the contacts frequently with new profile pics, birthdays, events, mobile numbers and current email addresses listed in profiles. Instant notifications on the home screen without the hassle of constant emails notifications. Ability to upload pictures, tag and post comments with a simple click. The new interface pretty much avoids you from using the web browser to login and see status updates.
The ability to transfer videos, pictures, mp3s to a MicroSD. Choosing an mp3 as a ringtone without paying a download fee. Choosing your own wallpaper based on images loaded on card. Even zooming into a section of the photo which you set as a background. With a basic USB cable you can enable Mass Storage Mode support via USB for the storage device (no drivers needed). Desktop Manager released Media Sync for Windows Media Player or Itunes.
The ability to have 1 BES email account with up to 10 BIS accounts. Wireless sync for contacts, memos, tasks, appointments. Backing up all contacts through your service provider without the need for Desktop Manager. Actually you really don't need Desktop software at all unless you plan on backing up the entire device prior to swap. Such as service book entries, auto text, sms messages, bookmarks, keystore, themes, home screen icon customization. Almost forgot the best part....wireless BES activation! God knows how many times that saved me at work. Ship out a new Blackberry, no need to backup the device since everything is stored on the BES. Activation is done over the air via RIM relay servers. BES activation passwords are enabled. IT Security policies to block certain apps and web sites (ex: Facebook). WAP browser that fully supports JavaScript.
The Bold & Tour incorporates the same features as above but the handheld software has a new theme. Still running on 4.5 software. 3G voice/data connection and 1GB of onboard memory. Faster GPS and WAP browsing. Not a big fan of the keyboard, keys are stuck together and not spaced out like the Curve. Performance is amazing thanks to the increased memory. Photo slide show is faster compared to the Curve, whereas the Pearl you need to manually skip.
Storm has a touch screen with SurePress technology (extremely annoying!!!). 480 x 360 pixel color display compared to 320 x 240. Camera no longer support 2 megapixels but 3.2! Supports H.264 videos. The phone is worth it but many users can't get over using touch screen typing. Storm 2 will be making its first appearance in Europe soon. WiFi will be added to the device. No word if it will be HSDPA (3G) compatible.
With everything mentioned above from the top of my head its easy to see why Blackberry sales are high. Popular among teens & corporate users. Iphone will always remain as a competitor but with RIM being in the market for so long its doubtful they will steal a big chunk of the market.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
One of the first models to come out was the RIM 957. Shaped like a pager it was colourless with text only. You had to manually synchronize your contacts, appointments, tasks & memos via a USB cable with Desktop Manager software. The device had limited memory. I recall a support call where a user had over 1,000 contacts and it couldn't fit in the device. It had wireless email forwarding to the device via BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) or BIS (pop3).
Then came the 6000 & 7000 series. Full qwerty keyboards, bigger screens with colour, increased onboard memory. Trackwheel on the right side which clicked when scrolling. GPRS data connection.
The early 8000 series was an improvement with performance and a newer handheld o/s. When the Pearl & Curve came out I was blow away. Built-in GPS, Wifi, enhanced Bluetooth, working off a EDGE/1X EVDO network. 64mb-128mb of onboard memory. Trackwheel is replace with a trackball. Facebook, Live Messenger, MySpace, Yahoo Messenging, Google Talk are among many of the applications available by default. 2 megapixel camera with a video recorder. A minor upgrade from handheld o/s 4.2.1 to 4.5 which enabled the video camera but also changed the layout of emails with headers and the body being boxed separately.
Blackberry 1.5 was deployed and pushed down via service book updates. Allowing integration with your existing address book and Facebook. Auto updating the contacts frequently with new profile pics, birthdays, events, mobile numbers and current email addresses listed in profiles. Instant notifications on the home screen without the hassle of constant emails notifications. Ability to upload pictures, tag and post comments with a simple click. The new interface pretty much avoids you from using the web browser to login and see status updates.
The ability to transfer videos, pictures, mp3s to a MicroSD. Choosing an mp3 as a ringtone without paying a download fee. Choosing your own wallpaper based on images loaded on card. Even zooming into a section of the photo which you set as a background. With a basic USB cable you can enable Mass Storage Mode support via USB for the storage device (no drivers needed). Desktop Manager released Media Sync for Windows Media Player or Itunes.
The ability to have 1 BES email account with up to 10 BIS accounts. Wireless sync for contacts, memos, tasks, appointments. Backing up all contacts through your service provider without the need for Desktop Manager. Actually you really don't need Desktop software at all unless you plan on backing up the entire device prior to swap. Such as service book entries, auto text, sms messages, bookmarks, keystore, themes, home screen icon customization. Almost forgot the best part....wireless BES activation! God knows how many times that saved me at work. Ship out a new Blackberry, no need to backup the device since everything is stored on the BES. Activation is done over the air via RIM relay servers. BES activation passwords are enabled. IT Security policies to block certain apps and web sites (ex: Facebook). WAP browser that fully supports JavaScript.
The Bold & Tour incorporates the same features as above but the handheld software has a new theme. Still running on 4.5 software. 3G voice/data connection and 1GB of onboard memory. Faster GPS and WAP browsing. Not a big fan of the keyboard, keys are stuck together and not spaced out like the Curve. Performance is amazing thanks to the increased memory. Photo slide show is faster compared to the Curve, whereas the Pearl you need to manually skip.
Storm has a touch screen with SurePress technology (extremely annoying!!!). 480 x 360 pixel color display compared to 320 x 240. Camera no longer support 2 megapixels but 3.2! Supports H.264 videos. The phone is worth it but many users can't get over using touch screen typing. Storm 2 will be making its first appearance in Europe soon. WiFi will be added to the device. No word if it will be HSDPA (3G) compatible.
With everything mentioned above from the top of my head its easy to see why Blackberry sales are high. Popular among teens & corporate users. Iphone will always remain as a competitor but with RIM being in the market for so long its doubtful they will steal a big chunk of the market.
**The following Facebook note is uploaded automatically via Blogger from http://www.garymachado.com **
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