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2012 Resolutions – nearly new

December 15, 2011 in advice, hardware, software | Permalink

Here is that time of year again, new resolutions and some old ones that I didn’t get to.

Check all UPSs (uninterruptible power supply). Make sure that only the computer and the monitor are plugged into the side that says battery and surge protection. All other things, especially printers, should only be plugged into the surge protection side. A laser printer will “kill” the UPS if it is in the battery side. Test it to see if it is still working by pulling the UPS plug out of the wall.
Review data backup scheduling and locations. Make them more frequent than you want to type entries back into QuickBooks or retype all of those documents, or recover your contacts and calendar. Take backups offsite if that is important.
I love sticky notes; especially the different colored ones when used on a white board. They are great for planning and linking tasks. When workers are scattered about, you have an alternative. trello.com lets you put that whiteboard and sticky notes approach on the web. So, time to test it.
Scan old financial records and then pitch the paper versions. Not much more to say than to do it, just have to set aside a small block of time on a regular basis to get this done.
Change to using indirect lighting for the computer at night.
It may be time to put black tape over all of those blinking little lights on computers, printers, routers and other electronics. But, then I will give up that nightlight.
Is it possibly the year for a tablet? Just watch the prices of the iPad competitors.
Really and actually organize bookmarks/favorites and integrate them all using xmarks.com
Clip and save it all, start using evernote.com
Oh, and buy that best new computer, but wait until latest model is out <G>. Seriously, you buy a new computer when you realize that your time is worth more than what you waste with your slower computer, even at a dollar a day you can buy a new computer every two to four years.

Cords and Connections

August 11, 2011 in advice, hardware | Permalink

Portable this, digital that, wireless connections and yet I find that I have to keep track of so many different connecting cables, power adapters and chargers that it feels like I have to have a second bag, apart from my clothes.

When going away with your devices, what do you bring? Of course, bring the charger(s) (wouldn’t be great if all used the same type.) It helps if all of the cell phones in the family are of the same model. Replacement batteries for the camera would be good but even more important is the transfer cable so that you can move or copy pictures off your camera card onto a friend’s computer and then a CD or flash drive, (especially useful if you don’t carry a laptop on vacation.) More importantly, you want to practice how to transfer your photos, especially from your phone/camera. Practice this ahead of time if you haven’t done it and figure out if you need to bring any special software for the phone/camera to talk to the computer. Bring a flash drive so that you can take those pictures with you, especially if you want to make prints at a photo store. For digital video cameras, you might want to bring that S video, RCA or HDMI cable so that you can show your raw footage on a TV.

If you have an iPod or iPad, bring that USB connector cable, if for nothing else so that you can charge it. But, you may also want to move things off and on your iPod/iPad with someone else’s iTunes software. The safest way is to ask them to set up a new user, PC or Mac, and then you won’t mess up their iTunes settings.

I find it useful to bring an extra extension but the main rule is to not rely on your friends or relations to have the cables you need.

Tips to Keep Your Gear Safe During Electrical Storms

May 9, 2011 in hardware, privacy | Permalink

Surge protectors are the way to go, either a good one as part of an Uninterruptible Power Supply, or something for fast clamping. Or, to protect everything you can get a whole house surge protector. Anytime your surge protector trips, you should consider replacing it, even though there is a reset button, the electronics won’t work as well for the next surge. Of course, the cheapest surge protector could be unplugging all electronics before the storm. No matter what kind of surge protection you use, you should always have a back up of your computer.

<http://www.geeksugar.com/Gadget-Safety-During-Electrical-Storms-16022695>

Protecting an old hard drive from snooping

This is just plain fun, you have an old hard drive you have taken out of a computer you are donating to someone, and you want to ensure that the data can not fall into nefarious hands. Why not take it apart and harvest some fun powerful magnets, get some fine shiny round reflectors to use in the garden against some kind of pest (not sure about how well that actually works) and know that you have made life harder for the spies.
<http://lifehacker.com/5797029/how-to-dismantle-and-destroy-a-hard-drive>

Create an Apple ID in iTunes Account Without a Credit Card

It may look impossible to create an Apple ID without putting in CC data, but you can do it by trying to install a completely free app while not signed into an account. Then you can find an option for “None” at the end of payment options.
<http://www.labnol.org/software/apple-id-without-credit-card/19299/>

Ease Neck and Shoulder Tension Quickly with Desk Yoga

I know I should do this more. And there are other GAIAM yoga exercises, just look at some of the other suggestions to the right of this YouTube video.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBh7NQwlFIA>

How to Brighten Up a Specific Part of a Photo with Virtually Any Image Editor

Using any image editor, not just Photoshop, that has the ability to use layers and lighting adjustments, you can heighten the lighting that dark part of your otherwise wonderful photo.
<http://lifehacker.com/5797565/how-to-brighten-up-a-specific-part-of-a-photo-with-virtually-any-image-editor>

’11 Resolutions

December 20, 2010 in advice, hardware, office, software | Permalink

Learn a programming language, it sounds scary or unneeded but it can be fun.
http://scratch.mit.edu/ or http://sketchup.google.com/ might get you going. Scratch is fun as you are dragging around actions element to make a “story” but what you are really doing is called Object Oriented Programming, a common programming “style.”
Work on better ergonomics, keyboard and mouse, move every 15 min
consider a trackball, Logitech and Microsoft make some, consider that you will have to use it for a few days and don’t be afraid to return it and try a different type.
Stop computer use right before bed, late night use of active light sources, things like a computer screen or even an iPad, upsets the body’s ability to go to sleep.
Decrease email interruptions, turn off alert sound, switch to 30 min check
Most of us can not help seeing what just came in when we hear the new message chime but checking email frequently is a great way to avoid being productive. Turn off the chime, change the checking interval or even close the email program to keep focused.
Change passwords, use easy remember system or encrypted keychain
Since web site do seem to get hacked and people don’t like to use different passwords, it would make sense to use different passwords on different sites. Since we don’t like to do that, then changing them all on a regular basis might be good. Or use a password storing program to keep track of the different ones so that you don’t fall prey to the “One Ring to rule them all” scenario.
See “Passwords, where to keep them”

http://scobie.net/index.php/2010/02/16/passwords-where-to-keep-them/
Use less paper and ink, light printing, fonts with less ink
Find out how to use the draft mode and black ink only on your color printer. And, if you are really trying to cut down ink, take a look at Ecofont
http://www.ecofont.com/en/products/green/font/download-the-ink-saving-font.html
or the study by University of Wisconsin-Green Bay that convinced them to change to Century Gothic

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/03/font_change_could_save_money_p.html
Check UPS function, replace if tripped and make sure correctly set up
UPSes, uninterruptible power supplies, a.k.a. battery back ups, do wear out as they get used or triggered. Also, make sure you don’t use them as an easy plug in place for a space heater, the battery will die almost faster than you can turn the heater back off. Most all UPSes have a surge-protect only side and a batter+surge-protect side, use the battery+ side only for your computer and monitor, use the other side for printers and such. And, try not to plug extension cords into a UPS and avoid plugging the UPS into an extension.
Verify backups actually have what you want
Before you need to rely on your backup, take a little time to see if you can find something you did last week. If you can’t figure out how to recover your data, try learning it before you need it in a panic.
Neaten up cords and “boxes” with Velcro, zip-ties, staple gun, boxes, ikea hacks
Get the heavy duty Velcro and you can stick all of those extra “boxes” and power cords to the side, back, or underside of whatever you use as your computer desk. Use zip ties and a staple gun to make loose loops to corral all of the cables, tacking them to the back or underside of the desk. If you like Ikea, take a look at some Ikea hacks at

http://lifehacker.com/5711774/hack-your-way-through-the-ikea-catalog-this-weekend
Recycle and dispose of computer, other electronics
In this area, Charlotte Street Computers will accept old computers and such to recycle. They are not supposed to be put in the trash.

http://ecycleme.com/

iPad mania

March 16, 2010 in hardware | Permalink

April 3^rd is the day the rest of us may experience what could be either a laptop screen without a keyboard or just an iPhone on steroids. So, what can the iPad really be?

Although I am not one of those blessed with time and access to play with one of the prototypes, I did get excited at the announcement. My first thought, what a great thing to have on the coffee table at a party. During any argument, you could look up the real answer, or find out the titles of the last three movies by that actress whose last name you can’t remember. Then I thought, how cool would it be for quiet writing in a coffee shop without having to be hidden or scrunched over a laptop with the lid up, hiding from the rest of the table and shop. But, wait, how clean will the “keyboard” stay, after all it is just “glass” that I can wipe off (actually it is something with “fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating,” so finger prints won’t really stick around.) It has to be an improvement over the food crumbs that I shake out of my keyboard each month. And, I could doodle on it, right? Read books, watch movies (you say it is a small screen?, my kids already watch movies on iPods without complaint.) listen to music, handle email, plan my day … It really seems like those pads in Star Trek, giving the hint of what might come, like the ones in Avatar.

But, I didn’t order one on March 12^th, why not? Well, I like to keep at least a few things open at the same time, the iPad does not seem to multitask which isn’t a surprise as the iPhone doesn’t either. (There are rumors that the next version of the iPhone/iPad operating system might handle multitasking.) There is no camera on this pad, meaning I can not make a video call to the parents, for example. No USB connector, but what would I want that for? Oh, I might want to print out something, some pages from an ebook, an email, a receipt from a web site, hmmm, not quite the everyday basic laptop replacement I am searching for. And, I would have to buy another data plan for this device, currently AT&T is the only US cellular carrier covering the data needs of the iPad.

So, I guess I am not an early adopter, helping to figure out what this can do. But, I am sure that imaginative engineers will come up with something, just as they have figured out how to add microscope capabilities to camera-equipped cellphones so that these nearly ubiquitous devices can be used in remote or rural areas for blood testing.

Apple iPad, http://www.apple.com/ipad/

NY Times article on cellphone as microscope, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/business/08novel.html

How much clearer can I be?

August 3, 2009 in arrgghh, hardware | Permalink

In “chatting” with HP support, I thought I asked a simple question, “I can not find instructions for locating both RAM slots in PF087UA#ABA laptop. I have looked through all available support docs on hp.com help site made available for this product. Please let me know where the 2nd RAM slot is.”

And, then we go back and forth about where the RAM is and things likes “So If you want to upgrade the second slot’s memory in that case you need to take this notebook in local store, they will change it. ” and then I ask that simple question of …

bill scobie : So, why, if there is a 2nd RAM slot can I not get instructions for accessing it?
Sandeepkumar : The second memory which is listed under keyboard that will inbuilt with the motheboard okay.
Sandeepkumar : So you can upgrade the first you can upgrade it with the 2GB’s memory..
bill scobie : So, if I take it someplace, they can or can not upgrade the slot under the keyboard, as you said above.
Sandeepkumar : Yes, if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the slot under the keyboard.
Sandeepkumar : *upgrade the memory
Sandeepkumar : if you take this notebook to any local store they will surely upgrade the memory under the keyboard.
bill scobie : Any local store? And what instructions will they use?\
bill scobie : It feels like you are hiding instructions from me.
Sandeepkumar : They will open the keyboard and some parts then they will put the new upgraded memory in this slot..
bill scobie : OK, how about this. Are there instructions for safely removing the keyboard and some parts?
Sandeepkumar : Trust me I am not hidding you any instruction.
Sandeepkumar : No, for the user is not possible it will done by only hardware person or hardware technicians.
bill scobie : Let me repeat, I am a hard ware tech. I am trying to find out the safest and least destructive way to do this for a client.
bill scobie : Why am I being stonewalled?
Sandeepkumar : Okay
bill scobie : Most laptops, including many by HP, put both RAM slots in one location, or they make available instructions for access the other.
Sandeepkumar : Please take out the keyboard then you will find the second slot for memory.
bill scobie : I have had the “pleasure” of replacing hard drives in Powerbook G4s, usually at least a half hour process and many screws to remove. This simple information getting is taking almost as long.
Sandeepkumar : I really appreciate your effort you are really doing well.
Sandeepkumar : Please try to take out the keyboard then you will get the slot for memory.
Sandeepkumar : If you have any additional queries please feel free to let me know. I will try to do my best to assist you.

Sandeepkumar : Is there anything else I may help you with?
bill scobie : I would like the instructions for remothing the keyboard.
bill scobie : Screws?
bill scobie : Plastic to break?
Sandeepkumar : Let me check…
Sandeepkumar : If I find it ….
Sandeepkumar : Please give me 2 minutes..
bill scobie : Thank you.
Sandeepkumar : You are most welcome..
Sandeepkumar : I am still researching this issue; please give me two more minutes.
Sandeepkumar : Please take down the steps.
Sandeepkumar : Keyboard removal…
Sandeepkumar : Before you begin: Remove the battery.

And here I gave up, I found the screws myself, on the underside of the laptop, removed them and then the keyboard on the top was easy to remove (without following HP instructions to remove the “expansion memory/wireless LAN Minicard” and related stuff)

I started out this journey with a clear product number and HP could not give me clear instructions for finding the second RAM slot.

At least I can find clear instructions for replacing a hard drive in an Apple PowerBook G4, 1.25 Ghz, and that only takes about 1/2 hour. less than the time of this chat session with HP.

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