Windows Multiple desktop like Linux

I definitely prefer atleast dual desktops to work with and coming from the world where have used Linux and Mac OS both support Multiple Desktops in full glory - I was bit disappointing with my Windows 7 Installation that i am working with these days.

Gave a quick google to find if a full 3rd Party solution is present for dual(or Multiple) desktop in Windows. But I din't need to go further. Microsoft bought a company Sysinternals which has a tool which enables this hidden capability in Windows 7.

So yes you have Windows Multi-desktop support by default in OS but looks they disabled it.

Here it goes - download this 61k utility (yes its not in MB's only in KB's) 

I am still working with kinks of moving an open App from one desktop to other - but this is good to start with.

Moving to a bigger screen size Phone and 4G 800Mhz FD LTE supported phones.

I am somebody who prefers to just use enough technology that it helps in real work and not be a distraction [something I find it otherwise - Colleagues, friends, kids all being addicted to iPad etc - Not realizing the fact that even Steve Jobs himself didn't let his kids get on to iPad/gadgets in early age - here].

I can continue ranting on this but i will keep that for another post. My predicament is my 3.5 each Cupertino designed phone is finally something that i want to move ahead from. Small screen for feedly posts that I prefer to read or the news that I follow + that spreadsheet table in email is being notoriously asking me to change.


So i start looking for available options 4G LTE options in market. But why companies are selling LTE models which support only 1900 or 2300MHz freq for 4G. Reliance Jio which is planning to launch 4G countrywide is bound to use the ~800/850 Mhz along with RCOM (news - ET here and more here) and serve 4G over that. So current 4G phones in market will not support those (?).

Let's check that.

1. Meizu M2 Note - which has a iPhone 5C like build, only bigger screen - supports following networks :

(Source: Meizu India page, and Amazon.in listing)

2. Xiaomi Mi4i - Another Full HD screen, 4G phone.

(Source: Mi.com India Page.)
Trouble understanding conversion to actual frequency being supported by this India version.
Here:

As is clear Xiaomi Mi4i also doesn't support the band that Reliance Jio might actually launch 4G services on making this 4G Phone buy not worth it.

Lets try another one. Branded Samsung (Hey were rated no #1 Brand in india - How (?) - that's another story)

3. Samsung Galaxy A7 4G - Surprisingly Samsung has been able to account the Plans of Indian Service provider to have 4G service offered on ~800MHz. They do support 4G FDD-LTE on ~800 Mhz.

•  4G FDD LTE  - B1(2100), B3(1800), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B20(800)
•  4G TDD LTE -  B40(2300)

(Source: Samsung India Product page for Galaxy A7).


I checked out of curiosity for one of the other Popular sellers in Market Lenovo K3 Note.

4.  Lenovo K3 Note:
4G LTE (FDD): Bands 1/3/7, LTE (TDD): Bands 38/39/40/41
See the equivalent Frequencies for this band here - yet again this doesn't support ~800MHz 4G frequencies.



Search is on - I will find a model which serves my requirement. But posting this here as I find all 4G offerings aplenty available in market - being tagged as 4G devices, Indeed they are, but may not remain usable once the services are launched. Only the Samsung galaxy A7 looked ready for this. Let me know in comments if any other good current model support 800 Mhz Bands for FDD LTE.

Why not to upgrade to Yosemite ?

My idea of computer is that its a content creating device unlike tablets and smatphones are just content consuming devices. And hence a much more reliabity of things is needed on a Laptop/Desktop than anything else.

Apple has inbuilt a reminder mechanism on Mac for updates and Yosemite upgrade has been popping up for months - I don't like disrupting already working flows and hence had defered any upgrades.

Since Yosemite finally moved to a stable 10.10.3 version now - I wanted to take a look if its good idea to move to Yosemite.

For starters the human interaction part of any computer is important for seemlessness - this includes display. Now a non starter for me was Helvetica Neue font in Yosemite - though this might have been taken as measure have consistency with iOS - but going back to definition iOS and OSX device have different ways to be used - different sizes these device come in.

Looks various user are already outpouring on this --
http://gizmodo.com/designers-explain-why-apples-new-os-x-typeface-is-a-str-1585123982
and
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1768362

Further github now has a way to change the default font to Lucida Grande (which has been default for all OS versions by Apple till now):
https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite

But then again why to upgrade to OS which doesn't provide anything extra that really adds/helps to my flows/work. This is just the first one issue I see as non starter - But forums are full of thread on  new Photos app - again added to have consistency with iOS is also a step back in terms of functionality of iPhoto.
links here - http://www.imore.com/ios-8-kills-iphoto-messy-transition-photos

Yet to explore what more could be wrong with Apple's new OS Yosemite. But I might remain on OSX 10.9.x for sometime more till there are security updates for this 1.5 year old OS.

iOS 8.3 update on iPhone 4S, Apple pls get into security fixes only mode.

It surprises me that feature that is highlight for an iOS update is Emoji  [The upgrade text in for iPhone says that], and still people go berserk almost about the products [read 1 million Apple Watch devices pre-booked on day1]. Though iOS8.3 might have various other security updates but it surprises how people react to it.

That's people choice, but seriously there are more pressing things in world then to think about this emoji. :)

I am not updating to iOS 8.3 because of multiple threads in Apple support communities opened anew after iOS8.3 upgrade by users.
1) The cable not recognized issue - here
and 2) issue with wifi being intermittent - here

If looking for complete list of fixes in iOS 8.3 look here - official Apple page.

Point is Apple should get into security only fixes for devices like iPhone 4/4S instead of keeping them feature heavy and possibly issues like this. I swear by the performance of iOS 7.1.2 on iPhone 4S[which i don't have anymore]. iOS 8.x has been comparatively slower but usable for certain.

Frequent Firefox Updates.. (Solution Use Firefox ESR)

Are you bugged with Firefox update just happening too frequent. I am one of the people who actually uses the option that notify me for updates and I update software when I am not really not working up on something.. I believe in minimalistic things as far Operating systems and Application are concerned. Operating Systems and Applications are there to help you do the work - be it booking a movie ticket/Paying a bill or a full fledged coding work. I belong in second category.

Things important to me:
1. All security patches updated for browser.
2. A Working fast browser

Not important to me. (or things that don't work for me) :
1.  Bloating of software with new features - none of them i would use.
(I actually cant remember any major feature given by Firefox that adds to my productivity - its same browser capabilities that i need)
2. Continuous bloating of the software when running in memory. as of now firefox when used with 1 new tab still uses 150mb of active paged memory.


Other day i found solution to this.
Firefox ESR. [Extended Support Release]

Firefox maintains multiple release channels - Beta update, Release channel and this is one another channel ESR. This channel receives security updates and nothing else for 9 iterations of Firefox release channel updates.

eg. Firefox 17.0 will continue with series 17.0.1(includes security updates in Firefox 18) and .2(includes security updates in Firefox 19) and so on with finally upgrading to Firefox 24.0.2(which would be equivalent to Firefox 26 security updates). Now this numbering can change if there are out of turn important fixes but still these won't be botheration as you can choose when to install and these security updates i have seen to be in Kilobytes at max.

Link to download Firefox ESR in your language/platform here.

You would be surprised to see that this is part of Firefox charter to not offer this release channel directly from there home pages. see last point in here :)


Let me know if this helps or you have found other solutions to this.

Laptop - evolution - Asus Taichi - Windows 8

Always there is time in technology arena that something so good comes-in that it has potential to change the way things work and that time is now. Laptop Generation is continuously being bombarded with innovations and design and recently the Tablet market creating its own space. But I ended up seeing the grand offering Asus Taichi showcased at Computex 2012. Innovative dual display sleek design of Asus Taichi is a sign enough to see what could be expected in Laptop arena in coming days.


Asus Chairman Launching Asus Taichi at Computex 2012:
(see the demo though I found it little hard to follow to slowly speaking Asus Premier, No Offence. ;-))

One of the important things that i think for laptop are the displays - I read a lot on laptop. And Asus Taichi pack HD IPS display with resolution 1920x1080. Primary display which lets you use it as a laptop and When the lid of laptop is closed metro UI is available on the secondary screen and its just a touch thin device. Running Windows 8 this is available in 11.6 and 13.3 inch models. This also packs in the Ivy-Bridge Corei7 processor with 4GB RAMs, so performance isn't something that should be doubted about these laptops.  It just looks polished - I am one of the few folks who doesn't like android interfaces on Tablets. (The reasons there of I will put in another post). I doubt that this would be available in India anytime soon.

Let's hope Asus decides to launch it here too.

Reviving the blog.

2012 has come back with lots of things that I want to get back to, and that includes reviving this blog. My focus on technology is to make things simpler and easier -  to reduce time it takes to do something - to do something innovatively - or maybe to just do the normal chores more peacefully with ease.

Examples of me keeping things simple.

1. Used Nokia N70 high tech phone of its time for last 4 years until recently when I changed to an Android.

2. I still have a AMD Sempron 2500+(1.4Ghz only, muhhahah) k8 architecture Desktop which my mom uses at home. We decided not to upgrade as it is still faster than many PC;s and works as breeze. Just keeping pace with my Macbook Pro.

3. Look at my old post why we don't need faster more power wattage CPU here.

Coming back on reviving this blog.

I will keep myself on themes:

1. Doing faster - easier 

2. On Applications that enable us doing so..

3. Mac - what keeps or helps getting my work done - which can be of use.

4. My experiments and optimization for android for keeping it simple and quick to do things.

Chow for now!