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Early Adopters Prefer Windows 7 Over Windows 8

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Metro UI
Windows 8

Windows 8 might very well be the most hyped Windows operating system of our time. Whether or not it lives up to the hype remains to be seen, according to some. Others have already given out the verdict. All of these are opinions, though, but if you’re one for hard data, you will be interested in the results of a survey conducted by Forumswindows8.com.

Windows users will recognize this site as the biggest Windows 8 help and support forum. So, if there is a reliable source, it’s going to be them. The site polled Windows users on their Windows 8 experience so far. The result? It seems that most users prefer Windows 7! [Read more…] about Early Adopters Prefer Windows 7 Over Windows 8

Digital Spell-checkers Killing Words?

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Spell-checker
Language is dynamic. That is one line that I have said one time too many, but no one can really deny its veracity. Whatever language you look at, it changes over time, with words dying and being born all the time.

But did you ever think that software that we take for granted may be contributing to the death of some words? This is what researchers found out after conducting an analysis of digitized text. The text featured languages such as English, Hebrew, and Spanish, and they dated from 1800 to 2008. Thanks to the digitization efforts of Google, the researchers were able to get hold of the materials for analysis. [Read more…] about Digital Spell-checkers Killing Words?

Bugs in Your Open Source Code

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Code much? I have to admit that all I know about coding has long been forgotten. While I am not that old, my university days are now part of the hazy past. Those were some good times, but as life often goes, I have branched out to other things quite unrelated to coding.

I am pretty sure we have some readers who are engaged in this activity on a regular basis, and if you are one of them, you might be interested in this infographic created by Source Ninja. ((Source Ninja Blog)) Titled Bugs in Your Open Source Code: The Financial Time and Cost of Defective Software, the infographic provides details on the impact of software defects. [Read more…] about Bugs in Your Open Source Code

The 10 best same-device multiplayer games for the iPad

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iPad owners who keep to themselves aren’t maximizing the experience. With a relatively large 9.7″ screen and support for multi-touch, Apple’s tablet PC is also great for entertaining several people.

Here we feature 10 different iOS apps that will turn your iPad (or iPad 2) into the life of the party, courtesy of some fun two- or four-player multiplayer gameplay.

All the following apps support multiple players on the same device, so no online connection is necessary. You’ll only need one iPad to have fun with friends of family members, meaning even those who don’t have an iOS device (the iPhone, iPod touch, or the iPad) can still participate.

Monopoly for iPad ($9.99)

The star attraction of this modern version of the classic real-estate boardgame? Tabletop mode, where the game orients itself to the active player. It’s this feature alone—not to mention the faithful recreation of the Monopoly experience—that makes this game worth playing with up to three human or computer-controlled opponents.

[Read more…] about The 10 best same-device multiplayer games for the iPad

5 kinds of programs you should install on a new Windows PC

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So you’ve unpacked your new desktop or laptop, or just finished a reformat. What programs should you install on your brand new Windows installation? Here are 10 suggested application categories, listed in the order they should be installed.

Keep in mind that the following suggestions are meant for a new Windows installation. As a long-time user of Microsoft’s operating system, I’m aware that even Windows 7 has many disadvantages compared to Linux and Mac OS X. Yet in terms of versatility and availability of programs, Microsoft’s OS remains supreme. [Read more…] about 5 kinds of programs you should install on a new Windows PC

Software Gives Computers Sense of Humor

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AIWork on artificial intelligence has been going on forever, and even huge developments have been made in this area. We hear and read about smart computers on a daily basis. We visit online video platforms to watch the awesome creations of scientists. However, we have to admit that there is still a long way to go before computers or robots can match the human brain (in some respects, at least).

While other researchers, engineers, and computer scientists are busy trying to achieve the ultimate AI setup, Chloe Kiddon and Yuriy Brun have come up with something that will give us more amusement than anything right now. They have created a software that adds a human aspect to computers – a sense of humor.

You have to admit that while we love the idea of an emotion-less and 100% efficient robot, the idea of interacting with robots with humor involved is even more appealing. Think of Iron Man and his robot cum fire extinguisher.

More than a generic sense of humor, though, the software gives computers the ability to understand specific kinds of jokes. Imagine this scenario.

My friend and I were driving home from school when a car suddenly pulled out in front of her car and she had to slam on her brakes. I said, “I hate it when they pull out when they know you are coming!” (That’s what she said.) ((Source: TWSS -Yes, there IS a web site for that’s what she said jokes!))

If you don’t get the joke, I suggest you do a quick search on the phrase “That’s what she said”.

So anyhow, the two computer scientists created the system DEviaNT (Double Entendre via Noun Transfer) using jokes found online to train the computer. ((Via Physorg)) The end result? A computer that can tell you “That’s what she said!”

Can’t think of a practical use of this software right now, but who cares?

Image via Trinity