Translations on the fly with Internet Explorer 9

Among the many features that make IE 9 once again my default browser, after a Firefox hiatus, is the "built-in" translation service that can be easily accessed by right-clicking on a word or expression and then selecting "Translate with Bing" in the menu. Sure enough, the service easily detects the source language, no need to select it from a list of languages, and then provides a translation in the target language, which usually is English (or any default language you may choose). See the example above, while on a jobs Website in German. This free service for online automatic translation is Microsoft translator, also known as Bing Translator, which allows real-time, in-place translations of the Websites you are reading or your own Website for a global audience. Explore the Translator V2 API & Widget, mobile tools, the ESL (English as a Second Language) Assistant and even an English Language Search for Chinese Speakers. Developers and linguists will be delighted.

Linksys AE1000 wireless adapter: just forget it

The Cisco Linksys AE1000 "High Performance Wireless-N USB Adapter" does not even install neither in Windows 7 nor Windows Vista. The setup program, no matter what you do trying to follow the "instructions" on the screen, does not go beyond the screenshot shown here. The "wireless connection manager", mentioned here, does not exist in Windows 7, it's a thing of the past, so at this point of installing this adapter the situation turns hopeless. Trust me, I've tried everything conceivable. Long story short: product returned for a full refund.
There are three more reasons for disappointment: 1) the package has the "Compatible with Windows 7" logo, acting as a bait, 2) the only "help" available in the user guide is "Double-click your CD-ROM drive" (in my computer) and then, on page 4, "After you have installed the Adapter" (!) ... and 3) other unsuspecting customers were equally disappointed. Whatever happened to quality assurance?!

The promise of T-Mobile 4G. Just about that: a promise

This post should have been written two months ago when, of necessity, not having other choice and simply because I like T-Mobile, I decided to purchase the services of T-Mobile broadband. The customer service representative in the store was very helpful and knew her lines, but she did not give me straight answers to whether this wireless broadband service was in fact 4G-capable, that is, fourth generation wireless. Not at the moment of signing a 2-year contract and not a month later when I brought up, once again, the issue of slowness and not being able to watch YouTube videos and video news clips without a hiccup. Even with the best broadband modem or "laptop stick", in their parlance, the T-Mobile® Rocket 2.0 4G Laptop Stick, I get ridiculous download speeds, how about 6 kilobytes or maximum 30 kilobytes per second? (!), and that's in Manhattan, not in the middle of nowhere,  not to mention that watching an online video is frankly frustrating because the signal keeps reloading (20%...30%...). This post was motivated by reading an article at ZDNet where the authors state that "T-Mobile is actually fourth among the big four in the US when it comes to maximum network speeds, and explain how T-Mobile and AT & T "conjured 4G networks out of thin air." There, they have an explanation for what I perceived from the very beginning. Oh, and if you go to a store of T-Mobile or AT&T and even Verizon, they invariably, and by coincidence (?) don't have a live demo of the 4G capabilities, go figure. The answer, however, is pretty simple: they don't have much to show for it. Period. Not in my experience.

Windows Vista Resource Kit, the best reference

 Since the times of the Windows 3.1 Resource Kit (1993?) I always get my copy of this essential guide to everything Windows. This Windows Vista® Resource Kit is the best education you can get on this great operating system in a language you can understand, but also with a great technical level. In addition, you'll have good and documented information not only when it comes to fixing a rogue computer but also when you want to have an intelligent and meaningful chat with IT people or other PC enthusiasts.

Windows 7 is an improved Vista, but it is, in essence, Vista

Windows 7, for unsuspecting users, is an improved Windows Vista with some additional features thrown in. For example, among the improvements, multitasking is easier, finding files and programs is faster, connecting to company networks is more secure with a built-in defense against spyware and other malware, and you can keep your data in a more private and secure way. The additional features include faster start-up, sleep and resume, faster navigation in a busy desktop with lots of open windows, easier setup and connection to wireless services, better management of printers, cameras and other devices, including the ability to connect to your home PC media library remotely, etc. Go to this Microsoft page, "which one is right for you", to learn more...

The only problem with the naysayers is and will be when...

...they are part of an IT department, the guys to whom (usually IT-clueless) management listens to. Let the rest of folks keep their sacred preconceptions about Windows Vista. Yesterday, while starting a casual conversation with someone in an office environment, out of the blue this person starts bashing Microsoft with the usual rants and how Google is more this and more that, yadda, yadda, yadda, and interspersed it came out a "Vista was cr**"...BUT he "really liked" Windows 7. I have to say to this, once again, what I said back in 2008: Windows 7 = The Mojave Experiment II. The whole issue is really amusing. And I also say it again: to each his own. Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc., all of them create good stuff. Luckily creativity and innovation will never be anybody's or any company's monopoly. Windows Vista will be around for many years to come. Check the official Microsoft Vista website.

Is Vista more stable than Windows 7?

Consider this: Vista, except for a spell of crashes in its early days, does not crash ever in my old machine, and I think it seldom does in other machines, but Windows 7 Ultimate, in a brand new laptop (a Latitude E6510) has crashed more times in 2 months than all my Windows Vista and Windows XP experience combined! Simply unacceptable. So the questions is: Is Vista more stable that windows 7? But I'm probably ahead of myself, and, of course, let's give that OS the benefit of the doubt and wait till the release of SP1. Read more about how I finally stopped getting blue screens in Windows 7!