TechBytes: eBooks Now Available For Macs
In TechBytes, Windows 7 phone on the way, Wi-Di laptop review, a day to unplug.
March 19, 2010— -- Amazon is looking to expand the market for its eBooks. The company has introduced a Mac-compatible versionof its digital book reading software.That means you'll now be able to buy eBooks from Amazon's Kindle online store, then read them on your Mac computer. The software will also let you sync apple devices with Blackberries and Windows PCs. Amazon's Kindle store offers more than 450,000 eBooks.
Microsoft confirmed that two familiar features won't be on the new Windows Phone Seven . The mobile device won't run Adobe's Flash Multimedia Web graphics software. It also won't let users cut and paste with applications and messages. Microsoft hopes to launch the Windows Phone Seven in time for the holiday season. The company says it decided to go ahead with the launch, despite the missing features.
How would you like to put movies or video from your laptop right onto a big screen TV? Now you can. Intel's new device, the wireless display or Wi-Di, puts laptop content right onto a TV, without any cables. It only works with three specific laptops. They're made by Dell, Toshiba and Sony.
USA Today's Ed Baig tried Wi-Di out. He said the video briefly stopped a few times, but he was still pleased.
"Overall I'd say the experience was pretty good despite a few video hiccups, but you're going to want to see it on more machines and you're going to want to see the minor playback glitches solved," Baig said. You can read Baig's full report at USAToday.com.
Many people can't imagine putting down their iPhone or Blackberry for even a few minutes. So how about 24 hours? A Jewish group called Reboot is urging people to turn off their wireless devices at sundown tonight, and leave them off until sundown Saturday. That would coincide with the Jewish Sabbath, or day of rest. Some churches also urged their members to give up iPods for Lent..