As you can see, Opera is at the tail end in the number of users, but this version and a little publicity might move Opera ahead. I would like to see that because although it is not well known, Opera is an excellent browser. Opera has always been innovative and feature-filled, and with this version, they have redesigned the browser as well as added some useful features.

First, Version 10 has a nice clean interface. Along with the Google Chrome browser, it is simple and uncluttered and that will appeal to many users. Opera has a feature called Speed Dial. This is something that I use every day. In the Firefox browser, Speed Dial is available as an add-on, but in Opera, it is built-in. When you open a new tab, you see a selection of websites that can be customized. They appear as large squares. It is very easy to make each of them open one of your favorite Web pages. For instance, you can have one go to your favorite news site, another to your stock portfolio, another to the local weather, etc. Internet Explorer 8 has a similar feature, but it picks your most-visited websites to put in the squares. In Opera, you get to choose your favorite sites. I like that much better.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that Opera is very eye-friendly. The Speed Dial icons are not little thumbnails. They are quite large. Opera also has another feature that is easy on the eyes. When you first use Opera, you will see the names of the websites that you have opened on the tabs just as you would in Internet Explorer or Firefox, but if you find the handle in the center of the bottom of the tabs and drag it down, Opera will display large thumbnails of the Web pages that you have open in each tab. This is not only a useful feature, but it is helpful if you struggle to see the many small things on the screen.

I have always known Opera as the browser that offers the highest amount of zoom. Now, Internet Explorer and others have caught up, but in this version, the zoom feature of Opera has been made even better. If you have aging eyes or failing eyesight, you will love this feature. The normal zoom is 100%. In Opera 10, you can zoom as high as 1,000%. Normally, when things get that big you have to scroll horizontally to read everything. A neat new Opera feature called “fit to screen” offers a solution for this problem. Just click the “fit to screen” icon at the bottom of any window and the screen is redrawn to fit horizontally. That means everything is much easier to read at large sizes.

Another striking new feature of Opera 10 is the Turbo mode. This compresses Web pages to speed up surfing on sluggish connections, including dial-up connections. Although the pictures are a little grainy in Turbo mode, if you are still on dial-up or have a slow Internet connection, this mode will noticeably speed things up.

Opera 10 also has an email application and plenty of other features. It is a free download at www.opera.com. You can try it and use it right alongside of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or any other browser. Why would you want to try Opera? First, if you are adventuresome and like to try new things. Second, if you have aging eyes or failing eyesight. Third, if you are on a slow Internet connection. Fourth, it’s free, so you have nothing to lose.

I tried deleting the Normal.docm file. No luck. I scanned for viruses. None found. So that brought me back to the Windows Update. I went to System Restore (Programs – Accessories – System Restore). Since Windows had just updated, Vista was nice enough to give me the option of going back to just before the Windows update. I performed the System Restore. Voila!! Everything in Word is now working again.

This was a weird one. Luckily the solution was easy. If you use Vista and Word 2007 and your computer just updated. Check out your Word program and make sure that it is working properly.

It is smaller because they have removed the mirror box that is typically used to reflect the picture into the view finder in a digital SLR. Instead Panasonic has added a live electronic viewfinder. While previous electronic viewfinders leave a lot to be desired, this one is terrific! The camera also has a 3″ flip-out rotating LCD display.

The G1 is based on a Micro Four Thirds lens system that also uses smaller lenses. All-in-all, the camera is more complex to use than a simple point-and-shoot, but it takes great pictures and may be a good entry into the semi-professional world of digital photography.

The G1 has a big brother called the GH1, which also takes high-def videos. Here are my Pros and Cons on the G1:

Pros

• Very good image quality
• Sturdy build
• Excellent electronic viewfinder
• Small & lightweight
• Snappy performance
• Automatic Settings
• Great dust reduction technology
• HDMI output
• Excellent LCD screen that flips out and rotates
• Comes in body color choices
• Good selection of features like digital red eye reduction, face detection
• Good image stabilization

Cons

• Limited lens selection
• Complex controls
• No movie mode

You can read my full review and view pictures on the Hardware Secrets website.

Google Chrome is a relatively new web browser that some are turning to because of its simplicity, speed, and security. Chrome has the cleanest, most uncluttered interface of any browser that I’ve seen. It also has some power features that I’ll talk about later in my full review.

Ian gave me a little insight into the goings-on at Google. They are working hard at taking Chrome to the next phase. This phase will include an extension system for Chrome. This is a system that will allow users to take the simple interface of Chrome and to add only the icons, features, and tools that they feel they will use. This is very similar to what Firefox calls “add-ons”, and it has made Firefox very useful and very popular. Firefox, however, has a pretty complex interface. When you choose additional add-ons, it can get fairly crowded-looking. With the simplicity of the Chrome interface, the addition of extensions could make it a very appealing web browser.

I’ll keep you posted as I hear more, but if they do it right, you can expect Chrome to give both Firefox and Internet Explorer a run for their money.

I just found an great solution. Someone at a company called Burton Technologies came up with the brilliant idea of creating a soft in-ear

flexible overlay for the hard ear buds. They are called Acoustibuds. You simply pull them on over the hard earbud. They are flexible and can be angled so they can be adjusted to fit the shape of your ear canal.

Acoustibuds on iPod Earbuds

Acoustibuds on iPod Earbuds

It took me about two minutes to angle them properly for my ear and I immediately found them to be comfortable and to have a very secure fit. In fact, I even wore them while I worked up a good sweat on a treadmill and they still stayed in place.

I was also amazed by the fact that the music sounded better, although after I thought about it, that might have been expected. Since the Acoustibuds fit better in the ear, the sound obviously goes into the ear better. Also, they block out outside sounds better.

These would be perfect with the iPod Shuffle since you must use the hard Apple earbuds with the Shuffle. I also found that I can use them with my Jawbone and other Bluetooth headphones.

For $19.99 you get two different sizes in the box. One fit my ears, the other fit my husband’s, so they were perfect for us.

At last, a simple idea that works!

That’s why a website that i visited recently called Casino Examine.com intrigued me. This website offers recent online casino and gambling related news, a list of US-friendly online casinos, and most important to me, online casino game rules. It explains slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, Keno, video poker, and other casino games. It gives basic rules, variations, strategy, and tips.

Casino Examine.com also gives reviews of online casinos that includes a rundown of the playability, graphics, type of software, minimums, and other pertinent information including telephone numbers.

Online gambling is big business. Playing at casinos online can be different than gambling in person. I am not encouraging everyone to play, but if you do, check out a site like this first. Get information about the online casino itself, and learn all that you can about the games that you will be playing. Don’t get carried away by the pretty graphics and the thrill of the game. If you play responsibly, you can have fun and be happy with the outcome.

In the test versions that I tried, Internet Explorer 8 was flaky and unstable. Its biggest problem was that it displayed many websites incorrectly. In this version Microsoft actually adhered to more web standards than it did with previous versions, which is good. The problem, however, is that most websites were set up to display properly in previous non-standard versions of Internet Explorer and so they didn’t display correctly in IE 8. At one time, Microsoft published a list of websites that were incompatible with IE8, and that list included many large websites like Apple and the New York Times. Believe it or not, Microsoft’s own website was on the incompatible list. In test versions, my Compu-KISS website crashed the new browser. Many websites displayed with broken menus and misaligned text. In fact IE8 had so many problems with so many websites that Microsoft added a compatibility button on the right side of the address bar. This button could be used for any websites that needed compatibility with a previous version of Internet Explorer to display correctly. In test versions of IE8, I used that button a lot.

So I was totally amazed when the final version of Internet Explorer came out and most of the incapability problems were fixed. Not only do the Apple and Microsoft websites display properly, but so did  compukiss.com and other sites that were previously problematic.

Somehow Microsoft pulled off a complete turnaround. The incompatibility button is still there, but in more than a week of heavy use of the new browser, I didn’t have to use it at all. In fact, I only encountered a few minor glitches. What’s more I thoroughly enjoyed this new browser.

Microsoft has improved security with internet Explorer 8 and has also added some useful features. The first new feature is called Accelerators. In IE 8, when you highlight a word or phrase on the screen a small blue arrow appears. Click on that arrow and you can choose what you want to do with that selection. For instance, you can email it, translate it, search for it, and/or map it. This is extremely useful. Highlight an address and you can get a map in two clicks. Or you can search for the highlighted phrase without having to go to your search engine and type it in. Of course, Microsoft Maps and Microsoft Live Search are set as the defaults, but you can easily change that to other services like Google Maps or Yahoo! Search. In fact, you can easily add Accelerators to perform a variety of tasks. You can add one look up any word in a dictionary or in Wikipedia. You can get a stock quote, convert currency, get a traffic report, and much, much more.

Web Slices is another new feature. You can add a web slice to your Favorites toolbar. This allows you to keep track of a frequently updated websites. So you can easily watch any item on eBay or check a stock price. When new information becomes available from the web page you choose, it will be highlighted alerting you to the change. Although there is not a lot of support for Web Slices yet, I’m sure there will be in the future.

Like Firefox and Chrome, the Internet Explorer address bar now functions as an all-in-one location. Put in a search term and it will try to find what you are looking for. Put in an address and it will go there. It is, however, still not smart enough to know when it should add the www and the .com so that you can just type ebay or coke, and get to the right site. This is one of the things that Firefox does much better.

IE 8, however, does have a smart way of handling tabs. When you open a new tab from an existing page (right-click and say Open in New Tab) it opens directly to the right of the page you are on and it’s tab is color coded the same as the page you clicked from. These tabs form an easy-to-identify group. You can also drag a tab to a different group and it will be properly color-coded and become part of that group. Novices may not think much of this, but heavy-duty surfers who research or work with several different subjects at once will find it quite useful.

IE 8 also has the ability to reopen the last tab you’ve closed. Now if you inadvertently close a tab, you just press Ctrl-Shift-T to reopen it. You can also right-click on any tab and pick the web page that you want to reopen in the Recently Closed Tabs choice.

Internet Explorer 8 has quite a bit to offer. But some of its features may not be welcome to some. I am talking about the InPrivate browsing session which will not keep any of your surfing history. This has already become known as “porn mode”, and it is sure to be used by smart teens to cover their tracks when they visit places that mom and dad might not approve of.

I have installed IE8 on several computers including older and newer machines running Windows XP and various versions of Windows Vista. On some computers I had to turn off the anti-virus software to get a good install, other than that, IE 8 has installed and performed seamlessly. You may want to give it a try. It has some great new features and it is a free download that you can find at Microsoft’s website.

NOTE: Since this was written, many people have had trouble with IE8. Please read my article on this:

Internet Explorer 8 Causes Many Problems

The New Zune

The New Zune

That said, I want you all to know that Microsoft did a spectacular job with the 2nd generation Zune. It is small and sleek. It sounds great. The software is dynamic. It handles a wide variety of different audio and video formats. Microsoft has added a lot of content to their Zune Marketplace including videos and TV shows. They are even starting to produce their own original content.

Microsoft also changed the subscription service in a way that really benefits most subscribers. Now, for $14.99 a month you get to listen to almost all the 3+million songs and you get to keep 10 tracks a month to keep in your permanent collection. It’s like purchasing a CD a month and getting a whole lot more!

If you just want to play your own music on a portable player, the iPod is good, but if you are a real music lover the Zune is for you. It lets you listen to all of the music you love and the Zune Community helps you find new music as well.

I looked at the Zune 4 which is a 4GB flash memory model that sells for $100. My full review of the Zune, including pictures and specifications is posted at Hardware Secrets. Be sure to check it out!

To use the Genius you must give Apple permission to keep a list of your music. They say this is not linked to your iTunes ID and is only used for the Genius application. Genius also has a toolbar which can suggest new music that you may like.

All-in-all, this is a useful and welcome addition. Another welcome addition is that iTunes is welcoming back NBC television shows and that those shows and others will now be available in HD. Check out the free episodes that you can download by using the link below. I’ll do the same and let you know what I think.

Apple iTunes

Just as an aside. Apple already has a Genius bar in their Apple store. Why couldn’t they think of another name for their “Genius” iTunes feature. I guess they haven’t hired enough geniuses to handle thinking up new name!

Cnet says that Chrome is faster than Firefox, IE, and Safari, and in my unscientific testing, I agree with that it is faster. Two of its features, sandboxing of tabs and better handling of JavaScript won’t be terrible noticable to the average user, but certainly add to the speed and stability.

The most noticable thing is that the browser takes up less screen space. by moving the tabs to share the space with the title bar and removing the text menus, the browser functions take up less screen space. By putting the lone toolbar on a very pale background, everything looks cleaner and less cluttered. I am impressed with the new  look.

Chrome's Clean Look

Chrome's Clean Look

Chrome has a dual-function address bar called the Omnibar. It doesn’t matter if you type in a URL or a search phrase. The browser will determine what you want and present you will the proper results. Like the Awesome Bar introduced in Firefox 3, the Omnibar gives you a drop-down box with choices that are usually quite accurate.

The best feature that I’ve found so far is the ability to drag a tab anywhere you want it — including to a new window.  I also like that you can start the browser with nine thumbnail representations of your most-visited websites. Just click on any one to open it in a tab. This is a take off from Opera and from a Firefox add-in called Speed Dial. However, in Opera and Speed Dial you can customize your choices which you cannot do in Chrome….something they need to add.

Chrome offers an Incognito mode that hides all traces of your web browsing. Although this feature was popularized by the Safari browser, not everyone will use it. Certainly it will be helpful if you are buying a present for your wife or mistress or visiting porn websites, but may not be very useful to those of us who don’t need to hide our tracks. I would rather see Google not keep records of our search history like the search engine Ixquick has done.

Other things I like:

• The clearly marked tab with the plus sign that opens a new tab
• The fact that when you click on History in the Tools menu, your entire history opens in a new tab
• Holding down the Back button give you a list of the last nine sites you visited and a way to get to the full history

Things I don’t like:

• There is no way to easily manage bookmarks
• I was able to import bookmarks from IE & Firefox, but not from Google Bookmarks.

I will be investigating the ability of Chrome to run applications within the browser, which seems like it may be a way for Google to take over the computer desktop. In the mean time, if you want to try something new, Chrome is free and it is quite usuable. With future improvements, it may become good competition to IE and Firefox.

Download Chrome directly from the Google Chrome Website.