Random Thoughts

Transformers DotM Target-Exclusive Voyager Starscream

2011-12-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

I've been posting mostly to Twitter (MichaelWPollard) and to Facebook for those who know me, but this comment, while it will be short, is better suited to a blog post.

I just got the Target-exclusive Starscream Voyager figure. Yes, I'm referring to Transformers. This is the one that's a remake of the Revenge of the Fallen version, in gray with silver tattoos and a red canopy, marketed as a Dark of the Moon figure.

Dave Van Domelen has mostly good comments about the model, and I didn't get the one before because they never got cheap before they sold out. $15 with Target's current sale is pretty cheap for a $30 retail.

The model, design, coloring, and transformation are all pretty good. Unfortunately, quality control is slipping a bit, as sometimes happens with recolored rereleases, which I'd hoped wouldn't happen for a Target version, but it's really got some rough spots. Specifically in two areas.

First, there are two sets of fins, each of which can be detached rather easily. On mine, these were both attached backwards - and they were also attached to the wrong sides of the figure.

Second, the one of the fin joints has a connector tab about 1/4" long that fits in a slot. This tab has a bump in one end and a hole in the other. Unfortunately, one bump is almost non-existant (which means it obviously won't grip its mating hole very well), and one hole smaller in diameter than the bump - which means it won't fit in. The notch width allows the fin to fit in its place, it just doesn't hold on very well.

That said, Starscream looks great in jet mode. And he looks... like the movie version in robot mode. Which is better than the first movie figure, but still suffers from Michael Bay's reimagining of Transformers. Starscream's supposed to be egotistical about his appearance, which is easier if he doesn't look like an ape. But the jet is great, except for hands that are rather obvious sticking out the back. It's a lot better than having whole arms hanging from the underside, which often happens with Starscream lately. And the missiles can mount under the wings. You know, like real jets do. They won't launch there, but they look good.

Support.com: Computer technical support by American techs

2011-06-23T07:12:00.004-04:00

I mentioned my new job when I started, but haven't said anything to really promote it. And yes, for disclaimer, I work with them.

But if you need software support, Support.com is a really good place to get it. All the support techs are in North America, so they understand and speak English. Service satisfaction is guaranteed. And subscriptions are the most popular service - for $19.99 a month, you can call anytime you have a concern.

For what it's worth, we find most computer problems are caused by malware - viruses and such. They've gotten good as slipping around security software. But we don't rely on scanners - we use a variety of tools and techniques to find and remove malware.

And we operate 24/7. I work nights, so I know that first-hand... :P

Support.com on Facebook
Support.com on Twitter

OK - I found I have posted before about Support.com - here.

Ooma: Still a good deal, just no longer a great deal

2011-06-23T06:47:00.003-04:00

Seems Ooma has decided to increase their fees. These are supposedly all taxes and fees that are being charged to them, but I'd note that their primary competitors in the VoIP arena do not charge them. Ooma now charges $30-$50/year in taxes and fees, but the service charge for MagicJack (which is lousy, but still a competitor) is $19.95/year, and netTALK is $29.95/year, both including any taxes and/or fees.

Now, one could argue that Ooma's equipment and service are both better than either of those (and this is definitely the case for MagicJack), and that the cost is still well less than most competitors (such as Vonage at $19.99/month), but I wonder why Ooma has to charge these junk fees when closer competitors don't.

For those unfamiliar, Ooma promises free phone service for life, after the purchase of the equipment. But some time back, they added the asterisk: Taxes and fees are required. These started at, if I remember correctly, somewhat under $12 a year.

Fortunately, some older users (such as myself) got grandfathered in with no annual taxes/fees - for now anyway, but some that were $12/year, who had been considered grandfathered at that rate, just got news that their costs are going up.

Dell Sales and Technical Support: Poor in Technical and Support.

2011-04-19T18:47:00.005-04:00

Update: See the Comments for follow-up.

I contacted Sales via chat looking for a computer recommendation. My requirements were simple: A Sandy Bridge (second-generation) Core i5 processor and the ability for 3 simultaneous displays.

The agent said that a Radeon HD 5670 video card would work for me, and gave me this link. He may have said that I needed a 5770 and linked a 5670, but the Dell chat system removes all model numbers from the chat logs.

He then gave me a quote, and I bought the complete quote, even though it had some items I didn't want. (I didn't want the security software and didn't need the speakers, but a later agent who tried to take them off wound up with a much higher price for less, and apologized, "I'm sorry the promotions changed").

Similarly, I didn't argue much concerning specific card models because different cards have different features, and your configurator gives very little detail about the actual cards. I mentioned that a forum post said that the system will only handle three displays if one of the ports is DisplayPort, and the agent said that the onboard video includes DisplayPort and that I can use them together. I pointed out that the pictures do not indicate DisplayPort is onboard, and he responded, "yes, but it is guaranteed as included."

The agent gave me a quote, and I bought from the quote provided. I realized only later that the quote only had a Radeon HD 5450, not the 5670 he had originally specified. Again, since the limitations are, to my understanding, based on offered ports and not the chipsets, and since the configurator gives zero information as to the ports or any other specific features of the cards offered, I am relying on the agent's expertise.

When I got the computer, I set it up. And had difficulties getting three displays to work. Both onboard ports were capped and disabled in BIOS; presumably there is a reason for this. I expect this is due to the system design; it's quite common that onboard video does not work with an add-in card. But the onboard video did not have DisplayPort anyway, only HDMI and VGA, despite the strong assurances of the sales agent. The add-in card has HDMI, VGA and DVI, and despite being told that it would not support three displays, I tried anyway, unsuccessfully of course.

Then I contacted Technical Support via chat. And was told that three simultaneous displays requires "Ati 5770". Nevertheness, he connected to my computer and played with my system settings for the next hour, and of course ended the same as it started: only two displays would work at a time. Any two of the three, but only two.

His solution: He will send me a DVI splitter, which will let me connect two single-link DVI monitors to the dual-link DVI port. Which means I am limited to single-link displays and separate audio cables. I was going to use a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter which would pass audio, and would like the ability to go to a higher-resolution display later, such as the Dell 3008wfp or U3011.

In summary, I seem to need an ATI Radeon 5770 card to meet one of the two only requirements for the system. But the sales agent linked a 5670 which he insisted would work. And he then quoted a 5450. And their "solution" is to use a splitter rather than actually fixing the problem.

"Interesting and Different" for supper

2011-03-27T00:46:00.000-04:00

On the idea of "interesting and different", I fixed something a little "different" for supper. A 36oz can of white hominy, 15oz can of garbanzo beans, a pound of smoked sausage (1/4"-thick half-slices), and cajun seasonings (1/2 tsp each black pepper and paprika, 1 tbsp each dry chopped onion and jarred minced garlic, and 1/4tsp cayenne power). Simmered all but the sausage for probably 10min while cutting the sausage, then another 20min.

Never used hominy before, but got some for free - nobody else wanted it, and I didn't want to see it wasted. The out-of-the-can texture could be best compared to popcorn packed in water. It tastes like lumpy grits, so it actually works quite well with lots of stuff, just very different than regular corn. Made a really good down-home soup. I'll gladly get more hominy next time it comes up - for free anyway.

Chrome Laptop: Good battery life.

2010-12-21T12:21:00.002-05:00

After allowing the laptop to stay on the charger overnight, I've been using it cordless for the past several hours (looking up directions and fixing baked unbreaded chicken wings). I've been at it for probably 1 1/2hr, and the battery status shows I've only used 12%.

10hrs battery life without sleeping? And with wireless enabled the whole time? Not bad, as an early rough estimate. If it handles sleeping like Windows CE/Mobile, it probably uses very little power while sleeping (remember, it has almost instant to/from sleep), and could probably go a week (or more) between charges with light use.

1 1/2hrs to fix some wings? Yea, I'm slow in the kitchen, but this included cleaning the wings/removing tips and the loose folds of skin, preheating the oven, cleaning out the dishwasher, etc. But not the actual baking - they're cooking now. I've got a timer app going in another tab, and a second instance of the app ready for after turning them.

And now that this post is done, the battery meter is down by another 1%. I'm also slow with typing and editing my thoughts. :)

Chrome OS

2010-12-20T21:17:00.002-05:00

I just received a Google Chrome OS laptop, a small laptop that runs a beta (pre-release) version of the new Chrome OS operating system (which is redundant, I acknowledge - "OS" stands for "Operating System"...).

Initial notes: The outer box had nothing about what it was or what was inside, other than a warning that a lithium-ion battery was inside. The inner box box is covered with a diagram of what I must conclude is supposed to be a "better mousetrap." Inside were the unit, the battery, the charger, and two sheets of paper. The larger one only had a very brief overview on the buttons and info about the service (wifi and 3G, all info is automatically synced, apps are available frm the Chrome store). The smaller one had diagrams of how to install the battery, and how to plug in the charger, and a safety guide that was written to be fun to read. It actually said not to blend it, then commented that we'll never know if it will blend. Later it mentioned the operating temperature range, and said that it was redundant because they had already said not to bake it. Oh, and the larger page said that 3G service is included for two years with 100MB/mo, and additional plans are available. The only thing I'd question is that the smaller one said not to use it until the battery was charged - yea, right - I plugged it in to charge, then turned it on, letting it finish charging while I play with it. I'm typing this on it now.

The OS is Google Chrome with a few additions on the Tools menu to handle stuff like touchpad click speeds and touch-to-click. If you are familiar with the Chrome browser, you know most of Chrome OS.

The display is about 12.2" (based on a measuring tape) and doesn't seem very high-res, but it's perfectly suitable for the purpose. I didn't see any settings other than hardware brightness buttons, so I'm not sure what the resolution actually is. There is a built-in camera, but I don't see any info on the resolution or any controls for image quality. Since the only OS is the web browser, there is no picture-taking or video-recording software, so I couldn't use that to determine the camera resolution.

There is one USB port, primarily (if not exclusively) for a mouse, and there is a VGA port - but again, I didn't see any settings for it.

An interesting point is the touchpad. There are no separate buttons, and touch-to-click doesn't work until the initial OS setup was complete. Then I found that the touchpad itself is a mechanical button. That's right, you can mechanically click anywhere, not just via tap. That's more precise, since you don't have to lift your finger from the pad - you just push a little harder. But once the OS is going, you can use the more common tap-to-click too. And the pad is multi-touch, at least some. You can tap with two fingers to right-click and you use two fingers to scroll, scroll-wheel style.

The keyboard has large chiclet-style (short throw) keys. The large keys make touch typing easy, despite the small unit size. There are no F keys (and no Windows or Context menu keys) or numeric keypad, though the keypad is rarely on a unit this size anyway -- and I'll have to get used to Ctrl-W instead of Ctrl-F4 to close a tab. And there is not Caps Lock, for what it's worth. Where the Caps Lock normally goes has been replaced by a dedicated Search button, which opens a new tab with the Omnibox (address/search box) selected. (Though this can be changed in the Settings to work as Caps Lock instead...)

Also, it has almost instant wake/sleep. The system opened a tutorial on first start that says the wakeup takes 1.12 seconds. You can do a real power-off if you want, but it's not needed.

All info is tied to a Google account, like bookmarks; they're automatically synced with desktop Chrome if you have sync set up there. And apps are synced -- they don't have to be installed per-device. Oh, and there is no wired network option.

About my only test so far on performance is a simple Flash test. It has both Flash 10 and Adobe Reader embedded. I played the trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and it stuttered some at 480p, much less at 720p. Fine; use it for browsing; use something expensive for video. My only fear on that side is that it probably won't handle more involved Flash-based games very well.

Anyway, this will be my primary browser for a while, as I said I would do in my trial submission. I'll try to post regularly, but any lack of posts just means it acts as Chrome should.

WootOff!

2010-08-17T18:24:00.003-04:00

Looks like Woot will be having a WootOff tomorrow!

Why do I think so? They sent me a coupon, together with the suggestion to "check Woot every day for more to choose from—on some days (like, say, tomorrow) a LOT more!"

YAY! Lots of good deals, and lots to waste money on - just less than one would normally waste on the same stuff!

Music brings emotion

2010-07-28T03:16:00.003-04:00

This isn't my normal type of post here, but that's OK - It's my blog, and I can write what I want to - :)

You know how something, a song, a place, a type of weather, will sometimes bring a feeling with it? At church, in our choir, we are preparing an arrangement, "Press On", by Dan Burgess. In this arrangement, there's a phrase, "when we're deaf to the song".

I get a little teary at that spot, and I attributed it to a generic idea of not being able to hear the beauty of music. But this time, I realized - and remembered - that there's more to my feeling than that.

Some time back, probably around 2000, a friend of mine got an ear infection. She lost both eardrums, and became completely deaf in both ears. (Fortunately, they grew back, over time.) And she played violin. She had to keep up her practicing. But she could not hear, and there was a chance she would never hear again. And she cried. And those who knew her cried with her.

And here I am a decade later, crying myself when the memory is brought up, even just vaguely, by the lyrics of a song.

AVG: False Virus Reports on Many Websites

2010-07-15T01:12:00.001-04:00

AVG is reporting lots of sites, including Yahoo webmail (includes AT&T) as having a Framer virus. It's a false positive... An update is needed, as soon as possible...

AVG's comment: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=57851763662&story_fbid=132114656826512

UWantSavings.com: Good Customer Service

2010-07-02T22:05:00.007-04:00

I have not ordered much in the past from UWantSavings.com, but on my recent order, I was so impressed by their customer service that I had to add them to my Good Deals list.

They offered 100 Sharpie-brand markers for $29.99 with free shipping. Not just regular Sharpie markers, but a wide variety - regular, fine, broad, highlighters, Professional-series markers, and so forth; these usually sell for about 50¢-$5 each, depending on the variety, and this has no shipping or sales tax. Further, since they offered a free Restaurant.com $50 gift certificate with a purchase of $50 or more, I got two sets. Yes, 200 markers might last me a while, but I know that Sharpie-brand markers will hold up until I need them.

The day of delivery, I got an email with a bold banner instructing me to "check the porch - your order has been delivered!"

I found the box by the door, and I, being a conscientious shopper, counted them. There were 194. I emailed, hoping somebody might send an email apology and drop a half-dozen pens in an envelope in the mail.

That's not what they did. I got an email THE SAME DAY confirming a return and credit for the entire cost. Not just one set, but both. And not a RMA, but an updated receipt specifying that they had already been returned. (Granted, I have not seen a credit clear my account yet.)

And today, three days later, I received a box by UPS with 100 more markers. No receipt, statement, bill, anything - just 100 markers. That's customer service in action.

Computer upgrade, just not as I planned...

2010-06-17T23:41:00.003-04:00

At work, there was talk of our personal computer hardware. I said I was planning on upgrading mine. I just did so, but not in the way I intended - though I still plan on doing that later.

There has also been talk of using a second computer for side tasks, like email or minor web browsing, to take those tasks off the main computer. Not just a seperate monitor, but a separate PC. I decided to follow up on that idea, and started at PacificGeek.com, where they sell cheap refurb systems, like an HP P4 3.2GHz for $99. That would work fine for web browsing. But after upgrading the memory from 256MB to 2GB and the HD from 20GB to 200GB, it would cost closer to $250.

So I decided to look at the Dell Outlet. Sorting by price quickly showed a computer at $289 for an Athlon Dual Core processor with 4GB RAM and a 250GB hard drive. I did some comparisons between models, decided I liked the cost/performance Inspiron Desktop 570, and filtered to them to try to find the one I looked at earlier.

Because of the place I had been in the list, I was at the end after applying the new filter. And I saw the one at the end, for $399. I wanted to see what made it worth $100 more than the one next to it. And I found it had an Athlon II X4 630, 2.8GHz quad-core, with 6GB RAM and 1TB drive. Either the processor or the extra RAM is worth the $100, but this has both. Additional bonuses over the cheap one at PacificGeek include DVD-RW, 7.1 audio, and both VGA and HDMI. And I added the 3yr support for $99, since I prefer 3yr warranties to 1yr on stuff like hard drives. I figured the $50/year for years 2 and 3 is worthwhile since some drives will die in that time and, and the warranty will pay for itself. (In comparison, any component warranty would require I mail the old part off, at a cost of another $10; this includes next-day in-home repair.)

And I added a nice Dell 21.5" full-HD monitor for $139, which is less than the generic 21.5" I got last month from TigerDirect (my job practically requires multiple monitors; it becomes much easier with 3). And all of it was with free shipping - the stuff's supposed to be here Tuesday. And 5% cashback by using a link from DiscoverCard.com was a nice bonus.

It is all $668, with sales tax. Just for comparison, ordering new would cost $990, for the same stuff. $399 for the PC, $139 for the monitor, $99 for the warranty, and $31.85 in sales tax. OK, so it's $668.85...

I normally build stuff myself. Simple breakdown, based on cheap prices: $90 for Windows 7 Home Premium, $80 for the hard drive, $25 for the DVD-RW, $150 for the RAM ($50/2GB), $35 for the case, $20 for the power supply... and I'm out of money already. Still have to get the motherboard, processor, keyboard, and mouse. And some of those parts might have 90-day warranties, certainly not three-year on-site. So, I might could beat the normal price, but not the outlet price - not even close.

Ooma: No Google Voice Extensions for the Hub

2010-06-17T12:36:00.003-04:00

Ooma has just clarified that they will not offer Google Voice Extensions to users of their traditional Hub product line, but only to those who purchase the new Telo product.

This is despite the fact that the Telo was not even available for months after the original planned release of GVE. GVE was originally slated for spring/summer 2009 with Telo scheduled for a holiday 2009 release.

The Google Voice Extensions was a key feature in my decision to go with Ooma, and was the main reason why I later expanded my system with two Scout units. I find it hard to justify $350 in new equipment just to get features that were announced for my current equipment.

Supper - cajun roast chicken

2010-06-09T14:00:00.001-04:00

I'm fixing a chicken for supper. It's a 6lb whole chicken in-a-bag I got cheap near its end date. Took it home and stuck it in the freezer - the thick plastic it was encased in did really well.

I was planning to fix it Friday (frozen does fine in a Crock Pot, as long as you allow plenty of time), but I read the directions - turned out it has the giblets inside it. Some like them for gravy, but I don't, and they're not supposed to be cooked together anyway.

One main way to defrost big things is to soak it in water, the other is to put it in the fridge. I chose to combine ways, partly since I then wanted to wait several days, and partly because I thought my fridge might be too cold to thaw it. I put the chicken, still in plastic, in a stock pot (which I thought I might need, since the chicken wouldn't fit entirely in my Crock Pot), covered the chicken with water, covered it and put it in the fridge. The next evening, I checked on it - the chicken was encased in almost 1/4" of ice. I dumped the water and loose ice, removed the coating ice (which was mostly loose), and refilled the water. Checked it again Monday, and the water was still water and the chicken seemed soft. Drained the water and put the chicken back in the fridge, still in the pot, for later.

Last night, I took the chicken out, opened it, removed the paper-wrapped giblets, and, per the directions, rinsed the whole thing inside and out. Not difficult, since it's hollow all the way through from top to bottom with holes on each end.

Then I decided to pull the skin off. I normally do that before cooking pieces. And this was much easier than with pieces - it was basically like taking its clothes off. Slid a knife under the skin and "unzipped" it down the front. Then pulled the skin off one-piece-pajamas style, over the legs and such. The wings wouldn't cooperate; the skin tore around one wingtip, but I had to cut the skin around the other. Then I pulled off the larger fat globs; not all, since it will add flavor. Then I re-rinsed it.

Washed my hands, put the skin and fat in the bag the chicken came in, put that in a small shopping bag and tied that shut, then put that in another bag and tied that shut. Then put it in the trash.

Sprinkled cajun seasoning inside the chicken, and put it in the Crock Pot, where it's now squishy enough to fit. Then sprinkled a tsp of seasoning on top, and put 1/8c of water on that, to have the seasoning run down the sides. Sprinkled another 3tsp across the top, to cover all visible areas well, and sprayed water over it to wetten it all.

Then put the crock in the fridge until this morning. Put it back in the holder about 9:30 on high (to warm up), then on low about 9:50. The pot's now got liquid about half-way up, a perfect gravy base. It's likely already almost done, but I don't get off for another 6 1/2 hours. That's another good thing about Crock Pots - they don't overcook, other than maybe veggies getting too mushy.

I think I'll start looking for these more often.

ADHD...Something

2010-05-06T08:49:00.001-04:00

Have you seen the commercial for help with organization for ADHD? The website was ADHD... something. And there was a phone number too...

(Just imagine all the stuff I'd post here if I didn't get distracted...)

Latest purchases: video card and monitor

2010-05-04T19:28:00.002-04:00

In the past week, I have made two investments in my new job.

The new job is technology support from home, and this role requires I have a lot of windows open at the same time. Web-based email (in addition to my personal work-oriented and personal-oriented email accounts), two lists of approved tools, a list of procedures, the procedure I'm currently working with, a softphone client, a phone status window, a call status window, two chat programs (one as backup in case the other fails), three chat sessions (team, supervisor, and tech advisor), and our combination ticketing/remote support program that is best run full-screen. Oh, and web pages researching any issue questions. Then you add my notes during basic training, break-fix training, and various policies and procedures.

In all, two monitors (one 24" 1920x1200 and one 22" 1680x1050) are completely full with overlapping windows.

So, last Thursday, I ordered a video card. A PCI card, since my computer only has one PCIe slot and cards that can handle more than three monitors are VERY expensive. (This one.) It's by Sparkle, a company known more for their power supplies, but with a lifetime warranty on their video cards if you register your purchase with them. It can handle full-HD and HDCP (copy protection normally used for things like Blu-ray movies). Unfortunately, PCI can't handle the bandwidth (simultaneous information) to support full-HD video (1920x1080 at 30fps). But it will do just fine for what I need. And besides, it's the best we had for years... Even better than most people had for years - it's got 256MB of DDR2 memory. Back when computers only had PCI for video, most computers had less than 256MB of main memory.

So, when the card came in yesterday, I installed it. I connected up a 17" CRT (conventional tube) monitor I had sitting around. And I found out that:

1 - the monitor only supports 1024x768 at higher than 60hz, and 60hz at high resolutions has visible flicker on a CRT. It'll do 1280x1024, but only at 60hz. And that gives me a headache almost instantly. So, I'm stuck with 1024x768.

2 - It puts out a lot of heat. I already have two LCD monitors on my desk, and a tower computer with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo (processor), 4 1GB DIMMs (memory modules), seven hard drives (RAID5 with 6 500GB drives installed three years ago and a separate boot drive) and a primary video card. So, I already have far more heat than I want.

So, another investment in the job. Today I ordered a monitor, after receiving an email from Buy/com. It's by AOC (this one), a 21.5" LCD display that supports 1920x1080 for $143.99 total. It will put off less heat than my CRT, and double the viewable area. And comes with 3-yr warranty on most, 1-yr on the actual display, and the first 90 days includes free shipping. It was actually from TigerDirect, but sold through Buy.com. The price was $149.99, less a $6 coupon (automatic with the link from the webpage) and free shipping. Interestingly, the direct price is $154.99 plus shipping. As a bonus, the reviews are very positive. Good color, good menus, good brightness (technically, it's pretty standard), good contrast (30000/1 static).

Anyway, I better make sure I work out with the job. I've got to pay for this stuff.

Support.com

2010-04-24T03:25:00.003-04:00

I will start Monday working for Support.com.

This is a company (publicly-traded and all that) which offers computer support. Pretty much the only requirement of your computer is that it runs Windows XP or later and can connect to the Internet. We will fix problems, install software or accessories, configure a home network, and so forth. Support.com offers subscriptions starting less than $17 a month on an annual plan ($19.99 on a month-to-month plan), or we will meet specific needs on a case-by-case basis starting at $49.99.

Avoid Internet Explorer (and definitely don't use F1 if you do use IE)

2010-03-03T10:14:00.002-05:00

I'd seen this, but didn't think enough about it at the time to pass it on, Then I realized that lots of other people may use Internet Explorer, which I don't.

There's a website hack that lets any website do anything on your computer, if it can persuade you to just press F1 (Help).

All it needs is you to use Internet Explorer. You can have all your updates installed, and you can have antivirus running and fully updated, but this still works. They think it requires Windows 2000 or XP, but it's better to be safe, even if you have Vista or Windows 7.

Sometimes legitimate websites get hacked and have problems like this one, and the owner may not even know for a while.

So - don't press F1 in Internet Explorer!

Better yet, don't use Internet Explorer - use Chrome or FireFox instead. They're not only safer, they're faster.

Apple iPad: Misses all sorts of marks

2010-01-27T15:26:00.004-05:00

The new Apple iPad. The device that has been anticipated for years. The device that was expected to make laptops (and netbooks) obsolete.

The problem is that it doesn't.

It has a 9.7" 1024x768 resolution screen. That's only about 79DPI (dots per inch), not a very high resolution for a screen that size. In comparison, a lot of new phones have 3.6" 800x480 widescreens, which equates to about 250DPI. Note that it's also not widescreen, which most devices are now. Even the iPhone -- and every MacBook -- is widescreen. I'm not sure, but (other than the items that use a large portion of the front for physical controls) this may actually be the only non-widescreen Apple device.

In addition, it's an LCD screen, not OLED that most new cutting-edge phones use. LCD drains the battery more, doesn't have as bright of colors or as good of contrast. It tends to get washed out if used in bright light, like, say, outdoors.

Worse, it uses the iPhone operating system. You can't use Mac programs like Microsoft Office or OpenOffice.org. Yes, the iPhone interface is popular and well-liked, but you can't edit a spreadsheet with it, or not with the same programs you're used to.

Some have referred to the new iPad as a large iPhone. But the iPad can't make calls.

There's no camera, like the iPhone has.

There's no GPS, like the iPhone has.

It can't run multiple programs at the same time, though this is like the iPhone. But unlike any other smartphone out there. You can't, say, stream online radio while surfing the web at the same time, like you can on any other smartphone.

It can't play Flash content, which many websites use. No Hulu, no Youtube.

While tablet PCs generally serve as laptops without a keyboard, the iPad has no real expandability. No expansion slots, and not even a USB port. It's designed - again, like a large iPhone or iPod Touch, to dock with your computer and use iTunes to sync. Which means it's not a replacement device; it's an extra one.

And the price. The cheapest one is $499, more than most netbooks. The highest is $829, about the same as a MacBook. But without the ability to do most of what a MacBook can, and in fact is designed to connect to a MacBook rather than replace it.

If they come out with a version that actually uses a full Mac operating system, they may have a winner. But this isn't it.

Snowy Weather: Amazing

2009-12-19T00:00:00.003-05:00

It started snowing about 2 o'clock this afternoon. Over the next hour, about an inch of snow fell, and another inch fell over the next hour. There were between four and six inches by 6 o'clock. It's now midnight, and it's still snowing. That's just background for my post.

I look out my back windows and look out. My backyard is wooded, sloped away from the house, and there are only trees for several hundred yards. It's as light out now at midnight as it was at 5. Maybe part of that is due to the streetlights in the neighborhood, though they do not directly reach my backyard. Maybe it's in part due to the lights from I-81 Exit 5 about a mile away. My backyard woods are clearly and evenly illuminated, without shadows, though all in a ghostly bluish cast. It's beautiful.

I thought about going out, except, it's cold outside and it's warm in my house. :)

Sarah Palin on Toinight Show/Conan O'Brian

2009-12-14T22:24:00.003-05:00

No, this isn't a political post. It's "quotes" from her book - by William Shatner - and her response.

Interview and potential job: Tri-County Technical College

2009-12-07T19:44:00.006-05:00

I know most of my posts are more of a technical nature, but it is, after all, my personal blog.

I had an interview last week at Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, SC. I really hope this works out, and for a number of reasons.

1 - It would be a good job. It's a tech support role, which is what I like to do. The lowest-listed starting pay, while less than what I made at UFS, would be enough to meet my needs, and the salary range had room to beat what I made there, especially considering that the position also has upgrade options (the job for which I applied is Level I, implying at least a Level II). But it seems that everybody in the department pretty-much does everything, so there's lots of variety. They have a lot to support, giving a fast-paced environment. But without on-call support, which I've almost always had.

2 - I just want a job. I've been getting lazy, sitting around. Granted, I've been trying to get a job; they're just not very available. And, unfortunately, many employers look on a long period between jobs as a strong negative, regardless of the reason.

3 - It is back near "home". I was in northeast Georgia for most of my life, about a half-hour drive from here; we came up here regularly, as it was the closest area with decent restaurants. My sister lives in north metro Atlanta, about a two-hour drive from here. The church I used to go to is about an hour drive; not close enough for every week church, but close enough for special events. And I actually lived here for a year and a half, albeit when I was in first and second grades. Well, by "here", I mean the county, not just the specific town; Pendleton's pretty small, but Anderson is a decent size, complete with Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and a mall. We drove here from NE GA to go to Pizza Buffet in Anderson (used to be a Pizza Inn; it changed names, not management), the best pizza buffet around. It's also the closest Outback, Red Lobster, and (now) Best Buy. When I lived in NE GA, the closest Best Buy was in Greenville.

4 - My parents are probably going to move here - with a job in the same town - within the next year.

So, yea, I hope this works out. It will be tough to manage, what with selling my house and having to hand off my ministries at church, but they say that anything worth doing doesn't come easy.

Microsoft: Not helping...

2009-11-07T20:38:00.002-05:00

I am having an issue with Windows Media Center. It might be a small thing, but I wanted to check with Microsoft to find out. (WMC locks up with a black screen when I try to play a DVD full-screen.)

I went to Microsoft's site for support, to Microsoft.com/Windows and the support link. It was actually a string of links. When I got past the license agreement (I am not supposed to distribute the code for any fixes they give me),. I got to a page that asks for my Product ID.

The page offers to find my ID. I tried that, and the same page came back, with the option deselected, but no error or other message.

I then entered my Product ID (it's listed in System Properties, at the bottom), and this time I got a message, "The product ID provided could not be processed because of a system or network error. Please try again in a few minutes."

Then I logged into my Microsoft account, via the link provided on the page, and tried again. This time the automatic method gave me a message, "We could not find your product ID number automatically. Please enter a product ID number below." Ummm, the System Properties lists my Product ID; why can't your ActiveX control find it? I tried the manual method again, with the same response.

And for what it's worth, for the support anyway, I am using IE8, with all updates installed. And my Internet connection is working fine, as demonstrated by this blog entry.

Windows 7 Party

2009-10-22T21:50:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a long few days. I finally had the party, and, with the help of my parents (who were invited and came early, everything went very well.

No, I don't live with my parents. I live about 9 miles from them. But I'm a single guy with a house to himself (and three cats; and several computers, if they count as family) and no close female friend (well, not human - one of my cats is a girl), and I can use all the advise on cleaning and organizing I can get.

I've spent the majority of the past week, and parts of the past month, getting ready. That long? Yes - remember, I'm a single guy with three cats. I rarely use the living room, so the cats had taken it over. Scratching posts (one small professional rope-wound one, one homemade larger rope-wound one, and two 2x10 boards 5' long, one on the floor and one clamped vertically to a table), balls (small ones with bells inside, plastic baseballs, tennis balls, 6" rope-wound balls), felt mice, rope spools (and the packing material they came with, since they weren't intended initially as cat toys but as post winding material), and sofa stuffing (from underneath, fortunately). I spent three hours or so Tuesday night/Wednesday morning just vacuuming the sofa. Cat hair, and lots of it... I had to dump the vacuum cleaner bin twice, and it was over-full each time. Oh, and the litter box was in the dining room. Not as bad as it sounds - it's an automated Litter Robot that doesn't smell bad, but it's still an eyesore in a public area, but I've moved it to the basement now (an unfinished half-house basement that I hope to make a den over the next few weeks), and I plan to make an full enclosure (with a door, of course, and opening sides/top for maintenance). For the party, I moved the cat food and water downstairs too, and when moving them back, I moved them to the dining room rather than the kitchen, along with the majority of the toys. The only cat things I put back in the living room are the upright board and the small rope post at the board's base; they're easy to relocate quickly if needed, and don't create clutter.

I had way more food than I needed. I invited 17 people and one RSVP'd. I talked with two yesterday, and they said they would come, and a third who probably would. But out of seventeen, I had five - including my parents, who had already munched on the food (especially the stuff with cream cheese) before the party. So I have lots of leftovers. Fortunately, most of it's fruit-filled pastries (turnovers, bites, pies), and I like eating those for supper - light and sweet, and relatively nutritious due to the fruit. I had steakhouse bread, the dark, small loaves places like Outback use, and they will work well for sandwiches, treating them like mid-size sub rolls.

Oh, and several of them very much want to get Windows 7. My parents will probably get a Family Pack since they have two computers, one with Vista and one with XP. My mother wants the new window management features, like Snap, Shake and Reveal.

Windows 7 Release Version, Very Initial Thoughts

2009-10-11T00:45:00.002-04:00

I have just finished installing Windows 7 on my computer (from the House Party pack).

My computer isn't that great, but it's decent. It's a Core 2 Duo 4400 "Allendale", about 2 1/2 years old. It has 4GB RAM, the minimum recommended amount for a 64-bit installation which I used.

It took about an hour from beginning (initial boot to the DVD) to working (which I am using right now).

I knew that it runs a lot faster than Vista and frequently than XP, but I was not expecting it to INSTALL that much faster than the recent predecessors. And that's with the 64-bit version that's larger (and has higher requirements) than the 32-bit version.

Fortunately I saw online that with my Gigabyte P35-series motherboard I need to disable two settings in BIOS first; those settings allow the processor to dynamically adjust speed to reduce power usage, but Windows 7 doesn't like the way this board does it. But keep in mind this is a three-year-old board. It works fine - and fast - if you just disable those two settings. Sorry, I can't remember what they were, just that the first was a three-character acronymn, the second was a four-character acronymn, and they both has "1"'s in them.

Stargate: Universe

2009-10-03T23:21:00.003-04:00

Stargate: Universe just had its premiere episode.

General idea: Stargate Atlantis meets Star Trek: Voyager meets Battlestar Galactica.

On Atlantis, a reference was discovered in a database to an eighth chevron. One stargate was discovered to contain this eighth chevron, a gate which also had an incredible power source, which was required to power the gate to connect with the eighth chevron. Connecting with six chevrons uses relatively little power; connecting with seven (to a neighboring galaxy) requires a lot of power, such that only a ZPM can power it without being quickly drained. Eight chevrons use more power than we can generate using any known power source.

SPOILER: Highlight the space to reveal the text.

This eight-chevron combination wound up connecting to a spaceship far from Earth, with the eighth chevron indicating distance. Only one such eighth chevron was in the database, perhaps indicating only one ship had a gate onboard, but it seems many ships have been sent out, discovering habitable worlds, and building and locating stargates on these worlds. The ship the Stargate crew are on was sent unmanned, with a gate onboard to allow personnel to join the ship after it had already traveled a great distance. But the ship cannot power the gate sufficiently for a return trip, and the world containing the gate they came through was destroyed in the process. (Think of the Caretaker in Star Trek: Voyager; the ship was sent on a one-way trip with no way back. One could also make a comparison with Farscape's wormhole.)

We now have a group of people which have been thrown together, many unwillingly, with different goals and backgrounds. We started with a Senator and his daughter onboard. The Senator gave his life to buy the others time, but we still have his daughter. We have several IOA members who question the purpose and efficiency of the Stargate program and the intentions of those work with it. We have SGC members, some of whom are newly out of training and some of whom thought they had completed their duty tours. And we have an individual who was drafted after solving a long-standing mystery that was coded into a video game, an individual who is very smart but has exhibited little initiative or purpose in life so far.

They wind up at the end of the two-hour episode on a ship with one day of usable air, which is traveling through hyperspace AWAY from Earth and is currently billions of light-years away.

These people have two overall goals:
First, repair the ship so that they can survive to the second goal.

Second, find a way home. This part is in essence very similar to Star Trek: Voyager. Maybe this will be with the stargate that brought them here, but it is believed that the ship doesn't have enough power to do so. They may also be able to take control of the ship and reverse course, but, like with the Voyager, it may take a very long time to get home. And the third possibility is to settle on a habitable world.

But first, they must survive.

End spoiler.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season 2

2009-10-03T01:37:00.004-04:00

Season 2 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars just had its first show (well, two shows back-to-back) tonight. My thoughts?

After last season, the creators said that the next season would pick things up a bit. Did things pick up?

Well, I'm reasonably sure the first season was rated PG. Few troopers ever died; it was mostly droids getting wasted.

This season is PG-13. For good reason. In the first show, we saw troopers get directly shot, taking multiple hits before dying. In the second, we saw lots of troopers get killed; one had his helmet blown off by weapons fire and his body was subsequently shown floating off in the weightless environment. And we saw a Jedi get tortured to death, full pain displayed, and all on-screen. This is going WAY beyond lightsaber duels.

Many people don't like The Clone Wars because it's animated. But it's not a kids show. If you like Star Wars movies, you'll like this. If you can get past that it's animated. (It also means that parents of younger kids should use the same caution they would for any other fast-paced, action-oriented, war-themed TV show. It's called Star Wars for a reason.)

Windows 7 Kickoff Parties - Free Windows for Hosts, Gifts for Attendees

2009-09-25T19:58:00.006-04:00

Windows 7, after many years of discussions,planning, and testing, will be released to the public on October 22. Kickoff parties - house parties - are scheduled all across the country. People have a great incentive to host a party - the host gets a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, Signature Edition, and party collectibles that are intended primarily for decoration, like a table centerpiece and such. And guests get stuff too - the first ten attendees at each party get promotional totebags.

But that's just icing on the cake. The cake is Windows 7, the best version of Windows yet. It has all the security of Windows Vista, but more speed than XP.

Windows 7 has better hardware and software compatibility than Vista (which has GREATLY improved over the last several years), but in the event you still have a problem, the business versions of Windows 7 can actually run a program in Windows XP. The program sees Windows XP (real Windows XP, not just a compatibility mode), but you still get the advantages of Windows 7.

Windows 7 still has the Aero interface, which gives you features like translucent title bars, 3D effects, 3D program switcher, and much more, if you want to use them (some don't like Aero - they think it's too flashy, and granted, it does slow the computer down slightly), but Windows 7 has other interface improvements that don't require Aero.

The taskbar (the row at the bottom of the screen) can permanently dock programs you use frequently, just like Macintosh OS X - If the program's not running, just click to start it. You can use gestures for actions - like dragging a window to the top of the screen to make it full-screen, or drag it to the top of the screen to make it half-screen (great for working on two things at once), and if you have two or more displays, you can "throw" a window from one to the other. You know, like they show in movies, but for some reason you couldn't really do.

Media features are greatly expanded. You've been able to share media with others, but now, with supported devices, you can select something on your computer, say a slideshow, video, or music, and have it play on another device, say a networked media player that's connected to a TV, or a digital picture frame.

For instance, you can have a digital picture frame on the living room mantle, send a slideshow to it and tell the frame to play the show, all from your computer. That way, you don't have to manually load the pictures on a flash card, take it to the, say, living room, plug it in, and tell the frame to start playing. Now, when you have new pictures on your camera and transfer them to the computer, you can update the picture frame at the same time and have it immediately start showing the new pictures.

If you have a stereo (or a media player connected to it) that can access network music, you can tell it to start playing some new music you just bought. After all, the stereo sounds better than your computer speakers.

You can record TV on your computer, like a digital video recorder you could lease from your cable company, only without the monthly fee (your computer will need a TV tuner device that you can buy at any computer store). You could do that with Vista. But now, you can get a device that uses a CableCard (which some TVs and most cable boxes use) and you can watch (and record) the premium channels that you needed the cable box for before. With Vista, you had to special-order the entire computer to be able to do that; now you can just get a USB (plug-in) device. And devices will be available in a few months that can record - in high-definition - four different channels at a time.

And on modern computers, Windows 7 is much faster than Windows Vista, and depending on exactly what you're doing, it's frequently faster than XP. Windows 7 will run well on computers that Vista wouldn't even run on. I've installed it myself on an old (about eight years old) computer that I got as soon as XP came out. And guess what? Windows 7 runs just fine on it, albeit a little slowly. But XP was also a little slow on it as well...

I'm very much looking forward to Windows 7 being readily available. I'm looking forward to the speed. I'm looking forward to the features. And I'm looking forward to the party.

If only I had the money... 13" ultra-portable looks great

2009-09-18T22:54:00.002-04:00

ASUS has just put out a new "ultra-portable", that is, something between a netbook and a full laptop, that looks great. If only I had $800 to spare, I'd really be tempted. (Right now, that $800 goes to the house payment...)

Basically, what it comes down to for non-techies, is that it is priced closer to a netbook, and has battery life closer to a netbook (and better than many). But it is as fast as many current-generation laptops. As one example, it can handle 720p HD video, which most netbooks can't handle.

Specifically, netbooks generally have an Atom processor and 1GB of memory. But this has a version of the Core 2 Duo instead, with 4GB of DDR3 (newer and faster) memory.

As a bonus, this comes with Vista Premium, while netbooks only have seven-year-old XP or Linux, a non-Windows operating system that you have to totally relearn, because they can't handle Vista, which this handles quite well. And this comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7 when that comes out next month, which will increase its performance significantly.

More details, for those so minded:

HotHardware just reviewed this unit, and tested it against units that cost a lot more; the Dell Studio XPS 13 was the only one that beat it in all performance tests, but that costs 50% more (almost $1200 for a 500GB drive and LED-lit screen vs the ASUS for $799 that incudes both standard) and has less than half the battery life (2:23 vs 4:53). It's advertised by ASUS to have 12 hours battery life, but that's probably sitting idle; the testing was done with a bright display and WiFi on (includes Wireless N on-board, and Bluetooth). It's also lighter - 3.7lb vs 4.9lb). And much cooler, thermally-speaking - a regular Core 2 Duo may be faster than the ultra-low voltage version this uses, but it's also a lot hotter. That means it's harder on the legs if it's really used as a laptop.

And, nice to my preference, this one has a wider screen - 1366x768 vs 1280x800); it trades 32 pixels in height for 85 pixels of width. The reviewer didn't like the glossy screen, but I do. It may be a "fingerprint magnet", but a piece of microfiber cloth will clean that up easily enough. Glossy means deeper blacks, though it also means you may get more glare. It's a matter of preference. It's not the 1920x1200 I had on a 15.4" Dell I used to have, but it's better than most. And it also costs half the $1400 that the Dell cost ...and this one is also much faster, has four times the memory, and a larger hard drive... If only I had $800 to spare...

Commercial Caution: Don't blindly accept what you hear

2009-07-14T22:40:00.004-04:00

Let me start by saying that most comments on commercials aren't for or against the topic. I stick those comments in the Political Thoughts blog.

I just heard a commercial from "Go Red for Women," a group that sponsors cancer research.

The commercial stated that "one out of three women will die from breast cancer this year."

Really? Does that mean that there will be no women left in three years? I guess we don't need to worry so much about global warming, uh, "climate change" after all, since we'll die out after this generation anyway, what with no women left and all...

Edit: It's "one out of three women will die from heart disease this year." Sorry for any misunderstanding, but it doesn't change my point.

Movie review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-26T21:29:00.002-04:00

I just saw "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". My thoughts: Mixed, but overall much better than the first.

A quick review of the first movie:

"Transformers" from two years ago was less than I would have liked. This was partly due to Michael Bay's trademark "shakeycam" and quick-cut style, that makes it hard to tell exactly what's going on and leaves the viewer slightly nauseated.

More of the dissatisfaction was due to the decision by the production staff that the general public needed the first movie to introduce the general idea of the Transformers, living alien robots who have normal thoughts, hopes, dreams, and even emotions much like humans. As such, much of the movie was focused on humans, not robots.

A degree of dissatisfaction was in the juvenile sexual and biological humor.

In comparison, the sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", had even more juvenile humor than the first, however, the Transformers themselves were not as actively involved in this humor as in the first movie. (Caution: much more crude language than the first movie. Not for young kids.)

Again, much of the movie content was focused on the humans, primarily on Sam and Mikaela's relationship and Sam's parents' relationship with him. However, despite the parents being involved through much of the movie (letting us learn much more of their personalities and of the family relationships), these interactions did not pull from the Transformers for whole scenes at a time like before.

The big improvement in "Revenge of the Fallen" is that the focus throughout is primarily on the Transformers. They are primarily "in character"; while some characters are more slapstick in personality than others, characters are consistent. And much more character is developed, particularly among the Decepticons, which was a real lack in the first movie. Most of the banter is in English, as is appropriate since they have now been here for two years. And there is good banter between them.

Action does come far more often and more strongly than in the first. In the first, there was little injury. Jazz was significantly damaged (referred to as dead) and one human was skewered by Skorponok, but that was about it. In this one, we see humans getting blown up (though not bloodily - we see firey explosions) and stepped on (again, with blunt trauma, not bloody), and we see lots of Transformers getting slagged. We see them with holes melted through themselves and fighting on. We see then repairing themselves with internal self-repair mechanisms, reattaching limbs, using parts from others for repair, and returning to battle. In fact, it seems (which answers a host of questions) that they can be repaired from most injuries unless the head itself is destroyed. Which indicates that perhaps Jazz can be repaired, provided proper resources. (Side note: As many already knew, Jazz is not in this movie. He will not likely return in his old form, as the GM Pontiac line is being shut down and Jazz's Solstice mode will no longer be promotion for GM as it was before.) This movie is far more violent than the first.

We see large numbers of Transformers on both sides, many getting slagged without so much as an introduction by name. We meet others who were surprises, and some who have aspects of their original animated series story involved (not giving any spoilers here). We see Cybertron, though many fans might not like how it looks - remember, the planet's dying with the absence of the AllSpark.

As far as the Fallen himself, let's just say this. It's not an analogy or figure of speech, not just a title on the movie, and NOT Megatron. His backstory is not the same as in the original storyline, but it's a lot closer than many had hoped.

For the production itself, yes, Michael Bay still had a lot of "shakeycam", but it's a LOT better than before. There were battle scenes where the camera was far enough back that we could see several fights going on at once. And yes, we could see several entire transformations. For those who might complain that the transformations weren't always executed the same way, they need to just remember that these are very complicated transformations that can be done a number of different ways for the same final modes; many of the toys can even be transformed different ways, say arms before or after the torso. But overall, it's easier to see what's going on. Not perfect, or even close to perfect, but better.

And there's plenty of room for a sequel. Or several.

As another side note, the Abingdon Cinemall for this week has Motormaster on display, a Kenworth K100E semi restored and refitted after the original series Stunticon leader, self-proclaimed "King of the Road". With some modifications after the designs from the movies.

Michael Jackson just died

2009-06-25T19:05:00.003-04:00

Michael Jackson just died. He had a heart attack an hour or so ago, arrived at the hospital in a coma, and just died at the hospital.

I grew up with "The Jackson 5" TV show on Saturday mornings (an animated psychedelic musical ride) and music like "Beat It" (though I liked Weird Al's "Eat It" better...). Several generations are familiar with the Jackson 5 renditions of songs like "Rockin' Robin" and "ABC".

He'll be missed by many. But young boys the world over are relieved.

Moon / Space missions

2009-06-17T00:31:00.003-04:00

OK, it's a toss-up, regular blog or political...

NASA has regular space missions. Some say they are useless. There's also the point that they're expensive in a time that we're having economic problems.

My thoughts?

First, on the economy, that's a valid point. My first thought was that we could delay missions for now until we can better afford them. Then I realized that large economies are built around these industries; if we shut them down, that would just cause more economic problems, albeit in specialized sectors. If it were planned properly, maybe, but we now have people and companies relying on these missions for their incomes and salaries.

Second, on the missions themselves:
Step it up! We should have manned stations on the moon by now. And civilian colonies on the moon. We've been visiting for FORTY YEARS! Why are we just playing with it? Most of the missions we're doing are with obsolete equipment. The only good these missions do is to enable scientific labs on the space station. Why have we not developed better propulsion systems? Better defensive systems? Antigravity systems?

It seems like our space administration is, like most in government, more interested in saving their own jobs than actually developing new tech and making new discoveries. How else can you explain our more advanced space tech being 20-year-old shuttles? If the problem is that they don't have sufficient funding, maybe they need to use the money more wisely. They're not getting anything done as it is. Maybe they, like many government agencies, are paying too much in too many salaries, and not on the research and equipment.

Vacation Bible School

2009-06-17T00:13:00.002-04:00

We're having Vacation Bible School this week at church (Victory Baptist Church, Bristol VA), Monday to Friday 6-8PM each night. I'm driving a van to pick up some kids, and I'm in the adult class, the first time we've had an adult class.

We have 14 adults, and about 150 kids. The adults had a variety of soups to pick from for supper, as well as sub sandwich sections (big subs sliced in sections); the kids had lunchmeat wraps, bologna, turkey or ham, lettuce and shredded cheese on a soft taco tortilla. There were a variety of sides as well, like grapes, cantaloupe, marshmallows, and something else. I liked the potato soup a lot, but there were a lot of other good soups as well, like a veggie beef soup and a chicken noodle soup. And they were all homemade.

We left a little early today to take the kids home because a storm blew up. It got raining really hard on the way home, though not to the point of being unsafe. But some trees had blown over and there were branch pieces everywhere. When we (the kids and I) were almost to their house, we came across a tree over the road and we had to backtrack some and go another way. It wasn't too far out of the way though, just a fun side trip. After I dropped them home (the rain had pretty much stopped by then), I started back to the church to work on video. And I came across a main road blocked by a tree, with police turning people around. The alternate route was a long way out of the way. I could have found another one if I had realize just how far out of the way it was... It took about an hour and a quarter to get back to the church; it should have been about a half hour round-trip.

Recycling: Advertisement should be stronger

2009-06-11T14:33:00.003-04:00

An advertisement is currently being aired (I believe by the EPA) that says that "you probably already recycle cardboard, glass and plastic". But rechargeable batteries can also be recycled.

These batteries can be separate AA (or other size) batteries that you charge in a separate charger, but they also include the battery in your cellphone, laptop computer, media , portable game player, cordless electric shaver, cordless drill, etc.

This ad is inaccurate. Cardboard, glass and plastic CAN be recycled. Rechargeable batteries NEED TO BE recycled. They contain toxic materials. These components should neither be burned nor added to landfills. In addition, they contain rare materials, like lithium and cadmium, that need to be reclaimed and reused.

Even if you don't recycle in general, rechargeable batteries need to be recycled. Most stores that sell them have drop-off locations.

Pay controls for everyone

2009-06-11T14:30:00.002-04:00

I normally keep political comments to my political blog, but this is important.

The government wants to control all pay rates in all public companies and has just gone public on generalities.

See this blog post for more info.

Hulu: Mixed Results

2009-06-09T17:19:00.002-04:00

Hulu is a great idea. They would seem to be trying to have all recent TV available online, either directly or redirected to other sites. With one exception, that being series that are available on DVD; for these, usually the most recent five shows are available.

How well is this executed? Mixed.

The concept is great. Watch TV whenever you want, from your computer or even your phone, and in HD. Their revenue comes the same way as broadcast TV - commercials. Sometimes there's one long (60 second) one at the beginning, but usually they are at the usual break points. Though there's usually only one 15-30 second commercial each break, not six.

They usually have the latest several episodes of new television series, though usually with a week delay. They have some movies, though in numbers that they're just a bonus, not a deciding factor.

But shows from networks other than the main companies (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW and their affiliates) are often not on Hulu. BBC America, for instance, doesn't have their content on Hulu; they offer it on iTunes instead, on a paid subscription basis releasing new shows as soon as they've aired. That means no Doctor Who, Torchwood, or Primeval.

Hulu offers a Hulu Desktop application that offers Media Center-style features and even works with Media Center remotes (on Windows) or Macintosh remotes. The menus are easier to navigate than through the webpage, and media suggestions are made and easy to use. For instance, after completing one episode of a television show, the next episode will be suggested.

The Hulu website allows searching for a specific series, and while series are not sub-categorized by season, searches can include this, such as "Babylon 5 season 2". Content is also listed by genre, referred to as Channels, such as "Science Fiction" or "Animation and Cartoons". While these groupings aren't perfect (Family Guy and Death Note are in the same group as Casper the Friendly Ghost and The Pink Panther), but it's better than nothing.

Searches can be difficult to narrow, including descriptions without a clear way to change this. Also, the TV shows and movies are intermixed. As an example of both issues, a search for "Alien Nation" turns up eight listings. Five of these are movies ("feature films"), two are TV show excerpts that refer to the "Alien Nation" series, and one is listed as a "full episode" titled "Retro Minute" that, as the name indicates, is only one minute long. While selectable filters by title are listed, each movie is listed separately (one episode each). No episodes of the "Alien Nation" TV show are currently available.

Content is often incomplete. For instance, Babylon 5 only has the first two seasons and none of the movies (the site says they have requested permission for more seasons). On the other hand, as I mentioned above, Alien Nation has five movies and no TV shows. Stargate SG1 only has the first three seasons and Stargate Atlantis only has the fifth season, though in their defense, these series are available on DVD. Smallville has five episodes from the fifth season (hosted at ABC Family), five episodes from the sixth season (hosted at The CB), and two episodes from the last season (hosted at CWTV).

The quality is also a little lower than I'd like, though better than YouTube. "Standard Resolution" is only 360 lines, not TV's standard definition of 480 lines. Going to "High Resolution" gets you up to SDTV 480 lines, but not the 1080i of HDTV. And programs are stereo even when the original was encoded with surround.

The biggest problem is broadcast quality due to streaming the programs. I have a 6Mb connection over fiber optic, a quality connection with high speed and low latency, but the stream still stutters. I have a Core 2 Duo computer with 4GB RAM, but the video is still not smooth. I can understand this some, considering they have to be experiencing great demand. But they need to give me the option of downloading the content so I am not tied to the Internet speed. And the video smoothness appears to be a problem in the media player interface, since at that point the video is already on my computer. This program in large part serves to insert the commercials which are not in the original video file.

There is a way around the problems, albeit one that requires a little patience. A program called Hulu Downloader allows downloading the Hulu programs. The standard version is free, and it does not have any spyware or ads (other than opening the home page on closing, if you're using the free version). But it does have some quirks; it sometimes crashes, it sometimes loses its connection to files and won't restart them, and the free version will only capture the standard-quality recordings, but that's a compromise for a free version. It's also a little slow, a little better than real-time. So, I simply start transferring the next few shows while watching one I already have. It also can only handle three files at a time; I just close and restart the program every three files.

Paid programs that also do the job are available, but the whole idea is that TV is supposed to be free. I have read reports of other programs that can transfer a recording in only a few minutes. These seem to run $30-60, but I haven't looked into recommendations too closely; I wanted free.

If I have one of the shows already on my computer, it plays fine. The video is smooth, unlike through the web page. The video is a standard FLV Flash format, and Media Player Classic plays it just fine. I like getting MPC from Codec Guide since they include all the codecs you might need (which tell the program how to handle odd file formats like Flash) as well as the latest version of Media Player Classic. I don't keep the files; I just watch them and delete them in standard DVR fashion.

Downloading the content does not pose any copyright issues as these programs are licensed for broadcast; courts have already held "time-shifting", recording programs now for playback later, to be legal, as long as the user has legal access to the live program. As a note, the downloaded file does not have any commercials. Ironically, when I download the file to avoid the quality problems of streaming video, Hulu also loses their revenue stream (no pun intended). I wouldn't mind the commercials, but Hulu decided to handle things that way.

Summary:

Hulu usually has the latest several episodes of new television series. Basic cable would only have one show a week, so being able to catch up past weeks is just bonus. Just make sure Hulu carries the shows you are interested in before making any changes to your subscriptions.

Video quality when watching a stream is lower than I would prefer. If you're not as picky as I am, this might not be a problem. If this is a problem, you might want to get a downloader program, and you might want to consider paying the $30-60 they run.

Quick thought: GoToMyPC vs LogMeIn

2009-06-08T17:08:00.002-04:00

GoToMyPC has been advertising on the radio for some time. LogMeIn has started doing so more recently, and not as heavily. My thoughts?

LogMeIn has a basic free service. GoToMyPC only has paid services. Most people use the services simply to remotely access a computer, such as accessing your work computer from home, as if you're sitting at the other computer. LogMeIn Free does this just fine, and just as securely (non-hackable, etc) as the paid versions. The paid versions (GoToMyPC or LogMeIn Pro) add things like remote printing (print while you're connected to your office computer, and the printout goes to your printer at home), sound (hear the sound when you get a new email or watch a training video), and file transfer. Sure, these are nice, but they may not be needed in your situation. (LogMeIn Pro also adds "Mini Meeting", a feature similar to one GoToMyPC charges extra for, named GoToMeeting, though limited to one user at a time.)

A big factor, however, is that LogMeIn handles computer accounts similarly, whether paid or free, and a single user account can handle multiple computers. For example, you can have a Pro account to access your office computer. Your employer may see the need and pay for it (it's only $12.95/month or $69.95/year). But you can then install the free version on your home desk computer (check your home email), your media center computer (schedule a TV recording, download a video you just heard about before you forget about it), and your parents' computer (to provide support). All of them can be handles through a single account - you just log into the website and pick which computer you want to use. If you need to access a lot of computers (server support from home without complex VPN configuration), you can create groups to sort them (home, work, servers, family).

More useful in a business environment than at home, you have a lot of options, say, creating user accounts (for telecommuting office workers) while retaining administrative privileges. And there is a support version so users can request support and you can help them, without even having the software installed in advance. Administrative and reporting tools are also available.

But the real key is simplicity. My sister has a home business in Georgia. My mother handles her accounting, and has the accounting software installed on her computer at her home in Tennessee. If my sister needs to look at something, she can use LogMeIn Free to check it, and they can save big bucks because they don't need an expensive multi-user accounting package.

My mother called me with a question on laying out a flyer. I used LogMeIn Free to access her computer and see what she was trying to do; I could then walk her through what she wanted.

But it is safe. It requires several sets of usernames and secure passwords. To access a computer, I first have to log into the LogMeIn website with an account that is authorized to access the computer in question. (I can use my own username and password since my sister's account has me as an administrator.) I then have to log into the computer with a local username and password - I can't log in remotely unless I could log in physically. If the computer accounts don't have passwords, a substitute passcode will be required. Though it does not have the restriction of Remote Desktop - the computer login does not automatically log me into the computer; I can log in or out as necessary with any credentials I may have, all under the same remote session. And all information is sent encrypted.

Kudos to Target Pharmacy

2009-06-06T20:14:00.003-04:00

Thursday I went to Target to get a pharmacy prescription refilled.

As usual there, the lady told me that the prescription would be ready in 10-15 minutes. When I came back, she apologized that my prescription had expired. It seems that prescriptions are only valid for one year, so if the prescription covers refills for a year it's easy for the prescription to have expired before the last refill is obtained.

She then said that she had already contacted the doctor's office for an extension and was waiting for a reply. She said to check back tomorrow (Friday) or Monday; and since I only had one pill left, she gave me three more to cover the weekend.

On Friday, I called since I had to be in the area anyway. While I had to navigate the phone menu to get someone, when I did get someone, she remembered me right away. She said that they had heard back from the doctor and that my refill was ready.

When I got to the store a few minutes later, she had my refill waiting, with 87 pills instead of 90 to make up for the three she gave me the day before. She said that the doctor had called with the prescription 10 minutes after I left and they had filled it right away.

In comparison, the most popular pharmacy chain in the country, Walmart, would have required I wait in line for 15 minutes just to check the status of the refill. On my first check, the response is usually that they just got the request, even if I had placed it two hours previously in the hope it would actually be ready. They usually then say that they will "put a rush on it" and to check back in 30-45 minutes (down from the 60-minute normal wait). When I get back, I again have to wait in line, and will probably be told that they are "filling it now - give them another 15 minutes." In another 15 minutes, I have to get back in line. So, I have my prescription in-hand 1 1/2 hours later (45 minutes wait, plus 15 minutes wait, plus two waits in line at 15 minutes each). Not including the time between placing the order though the refill phone number and when I first went to the store. Target's wait is only 10-15 minutes total, no excuses, no waiting lines. And that is only if I had not even mentioned the refill before; if I had requested in advance, it would have been ready with no waits at all.

But when, in this case, the prescription had expired, if WM had handled it themselves at all, they would not have handled it the same day; I would have had to wait until Monday, just to go through the above process all over again. And they sure wouldn't have given me a few pills against the prescription to cover the weekend - I would have just been out. Target did it all themselves and quickly, without me even asking.

So, Target saved me at least 1 1/2 hours. And frustration. And they have the same price of $4/30 days and $10/90 days for generics that Walmart does.

If you want them to, you can actually have them automatically refill your prescriptions and let you know when they're ready for pickup, handy if you have several. And it would have avoided my expiration problem...

New blog, updates to come...

2009-06-03T02:41:00.000-04:00

I'll import the posts from my old blog as soon as I can.

First Blog Post

2009-06-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

This is my first post in my blog on Blogger. I have been using a custom-created blog, but that didn't provide for public comments Since my website is hosted by Office Live, I first tried Live Spaces, but that doesn't seem to allow much flexibility. I figured I try Blogger, since it seems to be well-recommended.