It is Christmas time again? Each year always seem to fly by even faster than the previous one! Before you know it, the Christmas presents will be unwrapped, the tree will start to wilt (do people even have real trees any more?), and we’ll be staring down the barrel of a brand new year.

But it is around this time of year that it is pretty easy to reflect on the losing of Christ from Christmas. While the odd Christmas hymn may sneak into the unlimited airtime “Snoopy’s Christmas” is given in our shopping malls, the focus will be – as it has for decades – on the holiday and the presents and the BBQs…and much less on Christ.

But, rather than lament this, there may be some opportunities to use some of the new social technologies that have taken such a hold on the world this past year to remind people that Jesus is the reason for the season. You can be as subtle or as overt as you like.

Take Twitter for example. This Christmas season there will be of tweets about how good the food is at Christmas, or how hard it is to find the right gift, or how good it is to be off work. Why not tweet that you’re looking forward to Midnight Mass? Or that you’re glad for the preparation time that Advent brings?
Or what about Facebook? You can adorn your profile page with a number of apps to remind people that you remember why it is called Christmas. How about starting with the “Keep Christ in Christmas” group?

None of these need to be over-the-top, or come across as forcing your beliefs on others. Rather take this opportunity to look at what these technologies say about you, and what you believe in this Christmas.

When the much-delayed Windows Vista was released three years ago, it met a frosty reception from end users. The improved features delivered didn’t come cheap – Windows Vista needed a grunty system to work at it’s best, and out of the box had a number of issues which stopped it working to it’s greatest potential. Fast forward to October this year, and Microsoft has released the replacement, Windows 7, to far more positive reviews. Windows 7 is a fantastic advance on Vista’s solid foundation which can now be strongly recommended.

The most visible change to Windows 7 is the interface. The toolbar has been revamped dramatically – now allowing you to pin your most commonly used applications to the toolbar for quick and easy access. In a nice small touch, moving windows around is easier too – you can drag windows around to maximise and minimise quickly and easily.

On the entertainment side, Media Centre has received a number of improvements, the best for New Zealand being full compatibility with Freeview HD. You can add a TV card to your PC and be up and running with full HD TV in no time at all.

For more information, check out this very detailed review: http://bit.ly/4NuaVx However, if you’re in the market for a new PC for Christmas, you can buy a Windows 7 system with no worries.

Finally, Microsoft has also released a free security package, timed – Microsoft Security Essentials. Based on the same technology platform as their enterprise package, this free solution is an excellent option for home antivirus and antimalware protection. This is available for both Windows 7 and older operating systems – right back to Windows XP. Check it out at www.microsoft.com/security_essentials

Want to hear more about other platforms? Let us know at www.catholic.geek.nz.