New Commodore Amigo (Credit: Commodore USA)

The Commodore 64 (Wikipedia article) was a major hit when it was first introduced in 1982.   In an interview with CBS News, Barry Altman, CEO of the new Commodore USA “the Commodore computer was the first of the type called all in one. The entire computer was based inside the chassis of the keyboard and that computer turns out to be the most popular, most sold units of any kind of computer of all time.” Altman said that “30 million units of that Commodore C64 were sold representing over $18 billion in sales.”

The company went out of business in the ninetines.  The new company is coming out with a line of 3 computers all with that all-in-one confirguration.  Users provide their own monitor.

Altman said that he is bringing back the name because “the  name Commodore and the Commodore Computer was the most popular computer of all times “even though a product has not been introduced in the last almost 20 years the name itself has brand recognition that parallels and rivals the greatest in the industry.” He said that Commodore has an 87% ranking.

Models of the new Commodore 64-bit include the Phoenix and the Amigo. Prices start at $495 for the “bare bones” model version that comes with Ubunto Linux. Windows 7 models start at $695.

Journalists have been invited to an event at Facebook headquarters on Wednesday where, according to the press invite, “Mark Zuckerberg and other senior executives from Facebook will discuss details regarding enhanced, simpler privacy controls.”

This comes on the heels of an op-ed piece that Zuckerberg wrote for Monday’s Washington Post where he acknowledged that “There needs to be a simpler way to control your information.”

In an e-mail to blogger Robert Scoble, Zuckerberg further admitted, “I know we’ve made a bunch of mistakes, but my hope at the end of this is that the service ends up in a better place and that people understand that our intentions are in the right place and we respond to the feedback from the people we serve.”

Zuckerberg has been responding to criticisms about changes in the company’s privacy policies that many people have labeled as not only sharing too much information but being too complicated. Facebook will reportedly offer a more simplified set of privacy controls which, unlike the status quo, doesn’t require a user manual or a video (like the one I did last week which you can view below) for average people to figure out.

As usual, I’m writing this column in Microsoft Word. But I’m now using Office 2010 — the newest version of the popular software suite that went on sale Wednesday for businesses. The consumer version of Office 2010 will be available in June. That’s when Microsoft will also release its free Web version of Office, which will provide scaled down access to Word, PowerPoint and Excel when you have a live Internet connection.

Although I was able to test the entire desktop suite, I wasn’t able to play with the latest version of the Web apps. But I did try out a “technical preview” that allowed me to create and edit a PowerPoint presentation online and import a presentation I developed using the desktop version of Office.

Microsoft did a good job of integrating the online and offline programs. For example, you can display a PowerPoint presentation you created in Office on the Web (complete with animations). And if you wish to edit it with the richer set of features in the desktop software, you can click “Open in PowerPoint.”

On learning that Microsoft will be giving free access to Web apps, I wondered whether the company worries that might cannibalize sales of its desktop software.

Microsoft spokesperson Janice Kapner said in an interview that “we see the cloud as an opportunity for the company. By putting up Web application and letting people use a familiar user experience and fidelity… we get to engage with people who might be using pirated software.” She added: “We think it’s an opportunity to increase our connection with customers and, over the course of time, actually increase our market opportunity.”

Besides, Microsoft is playing catch-up with Google, which already offers a suite of Web-based applications to compete with Office. Google’s response to the introduction of Office 2010 was to put out a blog post called “Upgrade here,” suggesting that businesses consider “upgrading Office with Google Docs.”

Microsoft’s new desktop software has a similar look and feel to Office 2007, which is good thing because, unlike the transition from the version prior to that, users don’t have to go through a big learning curve. When Microsoft launched Office 2007, they took away the familiar menus in most programs and replaced them with a “ribbon” that displays available commands. The ribbon might be an easier interface for novices, but it slowed me down because I had become very familiar with the old interface.

With Office 2010, they put the ribbon on all of the programs, and they now give users the ability to customize it by creating their own tabs (like menus) or by adding commands to existing tabs. I find that helpful because I can now put commonly used options where I can find them quickly.

Another big change is the way it integrates pictures and video into PowerPoint, and pictures into Word and Excel. When you insert a picture, you can now do some basic editing from within Word, Excel and PowerPoint, including removing the background from an image — a cool feature that isn’t even available on some graphic editing programs.

With PowerPoint, you can now trim a video to adjust the beginning and ending, and when you save the PowerPoint presentation, the video is saved with the file instead of elsewhere on the computer. That means you can now move that file to another computer and still be able to view the video.

One excellent addition to Office is actually a bit retro. Even though they maintain the ribbon, they brought back the File menu with its familiar commands such as new, print, save and so on. When you click on the File menu, you also get what Microsoft calls “the backstage view.” That gives you more information about your file as well as more options, including “save and send,” which now allows you to “save” the document to the Web, which will post it to your Windows Live account.

You need to set up a free Windows Live account to use this feature, but you get a whopping 25 gigabytes of free “cloud” storage to save and share documents. You have the option to save the document to a folder that only you can access or to a public folder that allows you to share it with others. This service is available even if you don’t have Office 2010 — at http://skydrive.live.com.

While the upgrade is relatively subtle, the improvements are noticeable. But for many people, Office is fine the way it is and there will be no compelling need to upgrade. Prices start at $149 for the Home and Student edition, but there are discounts available for K-12 students and teachers. Business and professional editions range from $280 to $500.

At an April 21 developer event, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a new program called “instant personalization” with partner sites to bring personalization to other sites throughout the web.

With instant personalization, Facebook users who log into websites like Yelp can click “like” next to a company or service and have that information shared with their Facebook friends from both within Yelp and within Facebook. It also allows partner sites to access information from your Facebook profile, but only information that you already share with the general public. Currently, Facebook is testing this as a pilot program with Yelp, Pandora and Microsoft.Docs.

Zuckerberg also announced a change in Facebook’s privacy policy, allowing application developers to keep user data stored by Facebook indefinitely instead of reloading the data every 24 hours. The audience, made up mostly of application developers, cheered because the change made it easier for developers to maintain access to information they need.

But some users had a different response. A growing number of vocal Facebook users have expressed concern that both the instant personalization and the permanent storage of information by app developers are proof that the company is further encroaching on its users’ privacy. Personally, I would have been more comfortable if the new features were opt-in rather than opt-out. But before you get worked up over them, consider that you don’t have to click “like” on Yelp or any other site. If you don’t click that, you don’t share your preferences.

Opting out of Instant Personalization program (click on image to enlarge)

But if you are really unconformable with the idea, you can also opt-out of the program by visiting the Facebook Privacy Settings Page, clicking Applications and Websites and clicking Edit Settings next to “Instant Personalization Program.” At the bottom of that page you can uncheck the box that says “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites.”

Optional settings for Applications (click on image to enlarge)

While you’re on the Applications and Websites privacy page, look at your other options.  In addition to opting out of Instant Personalization,  you can edit:

• Block applications
• Ignore Application Invites
• Control Activity on Application and Games Dashboards

Making a public statement

Think of clicking “like” as making a public statement. If I click that I “like” Fuki Sushi  in Palo Alto (which I do), it’s telling other Yelp users that I, Larry Magid, like that restaurant. It would be as if I stood up in the restaurant and announced to all in earshot that I like it. There would be nothing to stop someone in the restaurant from sharing that information with others, even people who weren’t present at the time.

Application developer access to your data

It’s important to remember that the only change in the privacy policy is that developers have permanent access to users’ data. Of course there is always the possibility of abuse. But the only data they are getting is data you made public in the first place. Facebook says that it has a team of people in place to review developer privacy procedures and that they can suspend or remove an application if the developer violates privacy polices.

Too complicated

If all this sounds too complicated, that’s because it is, and that is my biggest complaint about Facebook. I don’t think they’re evil or trying to find ways to misuse personal data, but I do think they’ve created a privacy regime that’s simply too complicated for many people to understand.

Disclosure: My non-profit organization, ConnectSafely.org, serves on Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board and receives funding from Facebook.