Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > March
March 2007
I’m going shopping and taking your credit cards
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m careful with my money. But when it comes to spending your money, hey, the sky’s the limit.
So today I’ll send you off on a shopping trip with my selections for must-have technology.
This isn’t a list of trendy gadgets that would be fun to have. Instead it’s stuff that I truly think you should have. I’ll avoid the obvious as best I can. For instance, past columns have talked about improvements needed for PCs upgrading to Microsoft’s new Vista, or essential anti-virus software. If you haven’t gotten those messages by now, I doubt this column will convince you.
So, in no particular order, here are items and technologies that any home PC user must have.
Power to the PC
A UPS is an uninterruptible power supply, and you just flat need one. If the power goes out, the UPS will give you time to shut down your computer without losing data. But a UPS includes voltage surge protection and also protects you from lightning damage arriving over your telephone, cable or electrical lines.
That’s not all. In a pinch, you can use the battery-powered AC from the unit to charge cellphones and laptops during a power outage. I favor the APC brand of UPS - they’re easy to find at stores and work great. Prices have dropped, and you can buy a UPS for about the same price as a good voltage surge protector.
Flash … this just in
USB flash drives are the lipstick-sized devices that provide portable data storage. The tiny drives easily slip into your pocket or onto a key chain but carry much more data than a CD. Just plug them into a USB port to use them.
Unlike hard disks, they use solid-state memory. So they’re lightning fast. There are obvious uses for flash drives, including moving data from one computer to another. I like to carry one along on a trip, instead of a laptop. Then I can get at my data on a borrowed computer or one at a hotel or friend’s house.
Microsoft’s new Vista provides a new reason to buy a flash drive. Simply plug the drive - I’d suggest a 1-gigabyte or 2-gigabyte drive - into a USB port. Vista will automatically ask you if you want to use that flash memory as a way to speed up your computer. Both Lexar and SanDisk make good drives. You should be able to find a 1-gigabyte model in the $30 to $40 range.
Take the safe route
A router - either wired or wireless - lets you create a computer network in your home. The obvious reason is sharing an Internet connection. But routers also let several computers share one printer.
I know people who have just one computer but still use a router. Are they crazy? Maybe - but not for having a router. Modern routers include a technology called NAT that creates a firewall to keep the bad guys out of your machine. And while it’s a bad idea to use both two software firewalls, it’a great idea to combine a software firewall with the hardware protection provided by a router.
Hold that pose
It’s time to put your film camera on the mantel with the other antiques. If you don’t yet own a digital camera - or if the one you have is several years old - it’s time to pick up a new one. After all, you’ll be going on vacation soon and there are all sorts of warm weather activities to picture.
There’s no longer any reason for the average person to use a film camera. Not only do digitial cameras provide excellent image quality, the old problems are gone. The first generation of digital cameras had two big flaws: (1) The picture quality was fine on the Web but looked terrible as a print or enlargement; and (2) there was a long lag between the time you pushed the button and when the picture was taken.
You’ll save money by never again buying film. And processing is done electronically and for free. You’ll also save on prints, since you’ll only make prints of the shots you actually want to keep.
OK. You have the shopping list; get busy.
Disagree? Or maybe you have additions. Lets talk about it.
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By reading this, you just proved you’re special
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’re reading this, there’s something you need to know about yourself.
Odds are that - as an online reader - you end up with more information than someone who confines his reading to the print world.
Now that’s a surprise, to me at least. It is the reverse of conventional wisdom. But a new study says online readers are more likely to finish a story than those who read the print version of the story.
It’s another case - if the survey results hold up - of how confusing this major shift toward online news really is.
You can read the entire story here - and since it’s online the odds are that you’ll read 77% of the story, instead of print readers who will read about 62%.
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An MP3 player that automatically refills itself
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Like what seems like most of the human race I have an MP3 player. And the music stored on it is - predictably enough - some of my all time favorites. But I don’t spend much time sampling new music and the play list gets a little old.
That’s why a new service and new MP3 player interests me.
Here’s how it works. Lets start with the Web site first - you can listen to about 100 Internet stations and the site uses what you like to learn your preferences - offering music based on that.
So far - no huge deal. Other sites do that too. But things get more interesting with the next step.
The music service plans to offer its own MP3 player. It’ll connect to the site whenever you are in range of a wireless network - at home, at work, where ever. While connected it will use the profile of your musical tastes to fill the player with new tunes that fit your tastes.
You have the option of buying and keeping the music you like. Seems like a good idea to me - you can read about it here.
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A new - and dangerous - Web site
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Plenty of Web sites are annoying, some are dangereous. There’s a new one that has the potential to create all sorts of problems, including in your own home.
My guess? You’ll be reading about it soon when it’s shut down.
Here’s why it has the potential to create massive problems.
The Web site lets you enter a phone number and it’ll then automatically call that number. Imagine how that will take crank calls to the next level. Ex-boyfriends, fired employees and the masses of disgruntled humans in this world will love it.
You can read about the site here..
You’ll notice that there’s no address for the crank calling site - either in the posting that is linked above or in this post. No way. I even worry that I’m doing the wrong thing mentioning this at all but - as a colleague noted a few minutes ago - you’ll be reading about this site soon when it’s closed down. So I don’t feel right ignoring it.
I did log on the crank site and tried it out. It’s a shame but it works perfectly.
Will you find it with a Google search? Maybe, but - thankfully - it takes some real searching.
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A cellular disaster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not a fan of cellular phones. Like most everyone else, I own one. And the junk drawer at home is full of discarded models. My wife is a real estate agent and she spends so much time using one that I worry that her ears will get flattened out. For her, maybe for you, they are a necessary evil.
I remember - working at newspapers - using the earliest models. They reminded me of the radios we carried around in the Army. I’d pack a big satchel with a whip antenna all attached to a regular telephone handset. I’m operating by memory here but - because of the big battery required - I think those things weighed about five pounds.
Today’s cells are tiny, of course, but even more aggravating. At work, it’s not uncommon to be in the elevator while two different people hold personal conversations via cellphone. You have to wonder what’s so important that it can’t wait 2 minutes until they reach a regular phone in the newsroom.
I’m glad to see that I’m not alone. John Dvorak, a technology writer who has been a favorite of mine for many years, has a long rant about cellphone here.
Look, I know they’re not going away. But maybe because mine is ringing right now - and it’s not daylight yet - Dvorak’s column touched a sore spot.
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A free way to check out suspect Web sites
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How worried are people about stumbling across a Web site that either will try to defraud them or plant spy software on their computers?
Very.
A new free program that helps identify suspect Web sites has been downloaded more than 38 million times since it was launched a year ago. You can read about it here.
If you want to give it a try, the free download is located here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Crime
The hard drive to disaster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s a large walk-in closet in my bedroom. The mess inside provides a good argument for proper hard disk maintenance.
Let me explain what my closet and your hard disk have in common.
My closet ends up being a place to stash things I’m too lazy to throw away or properly store. Getting to my shirts and pants involves an obstacle course of suitcases, camera bags and bags of clothes headed to the cleaners. The more of that kind of stuff I throw in there, the longer it takes to get to the clothes I need.
When your PC’s hard disk gets cluttered, the same thing happens - it takes longer to retrieve data. More ominously, a cluttered hard disk increases the difficulty of retrieving data if the disk crashes.
This slowdown is significant, but it is not irreversible. If your hard disk is a mess, you’ll notice the speed increase after following my tips.
Clearing the clutter
Windows comes with a decent program that tries to rearrange the clutter: Disk Defragmenter, more popularly called Defrag. Since the path to that tool - and even the way to use it - varies in small ways depending on the version of Windows you own, just enter the word - defragmenter - in the Help section of your copy of Windows. That’ll take you to Defrag, in the System Tools folder stored inside the Accessory folder.
Run Defrag about once every two months, more often if you frequently add and remove programs and data from your PC.
Did you notice that I called Defrag a “decent” program when I first mentioned it? That’s because it works OK but isn’t the best defragmenting program around. Microsoft’s free Defragmenter is a dumbed-down version of a commercial program called Diskeeper. The home version of Diskeeper costs $30 and can be obtained here. I think the free version is adequate for most home users. But there’s no doubt that the commercial version is superior.
I wish I could tell you that your hard disk will never crash or die if you defrag regularly. Instead, I can tell you that - if you own your PC long enough - the hard disk will die.
Putting stuff away
It’s important to prepare for that inevitable death. Windows Vista comes with an excellent backup program that can save your neck when your hard disk dies. Windows XP also includes a backup program, but it is just barely adequate. There are some excellent commercial backup programs that make life a lot easier, including Norton’s Back-Up & Restore (about $60).
Norton also makes a program called Ghost (about $70). Instead of just saving your files, it creates a complete copy, a virtual image, of your hard disk. I have expert techie readers who swear by Ghost. I think Vista owners are well-served by the free backup program and those running XP should consider Back-Up & Restore or another commercial backup program. But the true wireheads amongst you might want to consider Ghost.
Backup copies can always be made using CDs or DVDs. These are especially good options for photos, as they also allow you to show your collection on other computers. But I use an external hard disk and like that system a lot. The disk connects to my USB 2.0 port. When the backup is done, I disconnect the external drive. That way if my computer gets fried by a lightning strike, the external drive and the data it stores are safe.
You can take that safety to the next level by storing your backup copy at a remote location - just as businesses do. A fire or other disaster would destroy backups stored at the business - just as they would at your home.
There are many commercial services that offer online backups, usually for a price. Some offer free accounts with limited storage.
Here are some Web addresses for some of the popular ones: XDrive can be found here; Or look for @Backup here and check out Carbonite here. There are also numerous online photo organizing programs, such as Snapfish or Shutterfly here, where you can upload and store your shots.
Throwing out the trash
So far we’ve found ways to defragment your disk and offered various options for making backup copies. But we really haven’t cleaned up the mess. That is especially important if your hard disk is more than 70 percent full. You are reaching the point where the performance of your computer is taking a hit.
I’ll bet there are at least three programs installed on your computer that you don’t use. Why not zap them right now and get some space back?
Just go to the Control Panel and then to the Add/Remove software icon and send them to the trash heap. Be ruthless. If you have the installation CDs for these programs, you can easily change your mind later.
Windows also has a tool called Disk Cleanup that can help finish the job. Again, I recommend using the Windows Help tool to find the program - that way I don’t have to explain the route for each version of Windows.
Once you run Disk Cleanup it’ll find files that you can safely delete, including temporary Internet files.
You can also scan folders that contain digital images, videos and music files. You’ll probably want to keep all family photos and music files that you’ve purchased. But you may run into stuff that you no longer want or need.
Once you’re done, you’ll have an uncluttered hard disk with lots more space. I wish I could say the same for my bedroom closet.
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Next - water-cooled PCs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This isn’t exactly news of the weird but it will tell you a lot about how far we are stretching today’s technology when it comes to PCs.
There’s a serious effort to sell a cooling device for the processor in your PC - it uses circulating water to pull the heat away from the processing chip.
The need and possible market for such a device - it’s supposed to be a Do-it-Yourself installation - shows what a big deal heat build-up is for home computers. As manufacturers have pushed for high and higher speeds, the temperature of the processor has zoomed up close to practical limits. Right now most processor chips are cooled with a fan but - as the ad at this link says correctly - water does a much better job. (Think of the cooling differences for air cooled and water cooled car engines).
While a notion like this may seem bizarre to some of you, it wouldn’t to ‘overclockers’ - folks who, often as a hobby, try to force existing chips to run faster than their rated speed. Doing this at real extremes has caused hobbyists to turn to all sorts of methods - including liquid cooling - to keep the chip from french frying.
My thought? Nah. While it’s an innovative sort of product it isn’t one for the mass market. The real hope for mass market home PCs is the use of multiple chips - or single chips with multiple processors - as is being done right now. That way you can run the processors at lower speeds for lower temperatures - but use the multiple processors to get better performance. It’s old hat technology, something mainframe computers have done for a long long time and a technique that PC makers are beginning to adopt.
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Constructing a future with a soldering iron
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My interest in technology started before I was a teen. A friend’s father had a small electronics plant and I would sometimes be allowed to take home discarded components. Then, at 13, I became a ham radio operator - running a small 75-watt station and using Morse Code to talk to other amateur radio operators at a rate that seldom exceeded five words a minute.
In those days a lot of the equipment I used in that radio station was either assembled from kits or created with the components I was given at the electronics plant.
Creating something - whether it is a painting, a deck in your backyard or some archane bit of ham radio equipment - teaches you how things work in a really practical way. You may not understand all the fancy theory but you get an intuitive sense of how things work.
Electronics kits were popular gifts back in those ancient times. HeathKit and other companies offered easy-to-assemble kits (well they were supposed to be easy anyway) for very little money. That sort of thing isn’t as popular anymore.
In fact, I remember - a few years back - visiting the computer science department at a major university (not Georgia Tech by the way). One of the professors told me that most of the gear used in that lab was now assembled by paid technicians. He said that work had once been done by graduate students but - as he put it - “it’s hard to find one now who knows that it’s best to grab the cold end of a soldering iron.”
His view - and I don’t know enough about the graduate student scene to know if it is true or not - was that students loved to write software but didn’t enjoy messing with hardware very much. If that’s right, then there are some real opportunities for students who enjoy the hardware side of electronics.
One way to encourage that would be to give them an electronic kit to assemble. There still are companies out there that offer these kids. I’ll link to one that I have used and know to be honest.
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Extended Warranties - a real sucker bet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the most frequent questions from readers is about extended warranties. Lord knows they push these things at the store (you won’t be shocked to know that, even in stores where salespeople work on salary, not commission, there’s a spiff for selling the warranty).
My position is that these things are seldom worthwhile. Here’s why I think that. You are essentially placing a bet that the cost of repairs on your gadget will be higher than the cost of the warranty.
It’s a bad bet. My proof? The seller of the extended warranty is making a wager too. The warranty folks are betting that - on average - they’ll pay out less than they make. And believe me, that’s true … otherwise the warranty folks would go out of business.
I’ve also heard from readers who think extended warranties are a good idea. I’ve even received e-mails from folks who won their bet by a large margin. That’s not surprising … the notion here is that some people will profit and some will lose. It’s just that more consumers lose money than make money.
But I also understand why people worry about extended warranties … if you drop several thousand buying an HDTV or notebook computer, you have a right to worry.
I found an article - it seems objective and well-researched - that treats the topic in a much more comprehensive manner than I have. If you’d like some help before placing your own bet - take a look here.
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Changing the world one gigabyte at a time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Most of us realize that the Web has changed the way the news business works. I get much of my local news online now at this Web site. If I want to hear the news or watch it, I can do that too using Web sites for TV and radio stations.
That’s a big deal and is changing the business model for newspapers, magazines and broadcast stations.
It’s also changed how advertising works. I spent a decade or so in that business working for national advertising agencies and for a giant corporation. That was years ago but - even back then - the expense of creating a slick television commercial was enormous. Even so, that cost was overshadowed by the expense of buying time on television stations for that commercial.
That’s why a story I saw on the Drudge Report about a new political ad struck me. It’s been called the most stunning ad yet for a presidential candidate. But there’s no advertising agency to credit since it was created in secret. And - more important - there’s no big budget. It apparently was created by an amateur and it definitely needs no TV budget. Instead, it appears on You Tube.
There’s no need to imagine how the Web has created a giant power shift - it’s already a reality - you don’t need big bucks to create a blog, a Web site or a political ad. Remember the old “power to the people” chant? That’s sure happening. It’ll be interesting to see how that power is used.
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Turning new Vista into old XP
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Imagine what it would be like if someone put your car’s brake pedal on the right and the gas pedal on the left. There wouldn’t be enough wreckers in all of Atlanta to handle the mess.
That’s how some of my readers feel about the way Microsoft rearranged some of the controls for Windows with its new Vista. It’s confusing enough to learn to use a new operating system, but when familar controls have been switched around you’d have to be a Ph.d to cope with it all.
Maybe that wouldn’t help, either. Dorothy A. Spencer, a Ph.D. and director of the Health Sciences Library at East Carolina University is in an snit about the new look of Vista. She recently bought a new computer with Vista installed. Let her explain:
“I have had the machine for three weeks and the most I can do with it is play FreeCell. Two very basic users how to books have not helped. The pictures in the one book do not even match the screens on my Vista desktop. If a computer is supposed to aid in work productivity Microsoft sure didn’t get the memo. Things should be easier, not harder”
Hang on Dorothy, there are ways to change the look of Vista back to the good old days of XP.
Changing the changes
Lets start with the change that bugs me the most. Vista comes with Internet Explorer 7, a new version of the Web browser that also can be downloaded and installed on XP machines. Microsoft apparently thought it would be nifty to totally remove the pulldown menus. That means hunting around for mysterious icons to accomplish anything more complicated than calling up a Web page.
You can temporarily get the menu back by holding down the ALT key. To make the change permanent, open Explorer, hold down the ALT key to find the Tools menu, then select Menu Bar. Once you’ve done that, the menu will appear each time you use Explorer.
Some people are just wild about the new Aero graphics of Vista. Frankly I don’t get it. Besides, the fancy 3D look requires more work from your video card.
Turning off Aero isn’t difficult. Just click on a blank space on the computer desktop, then select Personalize from the menu that pops up. Next go to Window Color and Appearance. Just remove the checkmark from the box that says Enable transparency and go back to the old Windows look.
Getting Control
The Control Panel is the heart of Windows - no matter what version you use. That’s where you can add and delete programs, change printers, tinker with network settings and perform most maintenance tasks.
You can literally get lost in the beauty of the new Control Panel. Heck, I get lost all the time. I’m used to quickly navigating the XP Control Panel and want it back.
That’s easy to do.
Click on the Start button, and select Control Panel. On the left side of the window you’ll see two options: Control Panel Home and Classic View. Once you click on Classic View things are back to the way they were in XP and Windows 2000.
Powering down
Vista has even changed the way you turn the machine off. I actually like that change. Windows is put into a powered down state instead of turning completely off. So you still save power but the system starts up immediately when you need it. If you leave a program open, it’s still open and ready to use when you go back to work.
Some people don’t like the change, and there’s an easy way to put things back to pre-Vista. Just click on the Windows Control Panel and use the search box. Type in “power”.
You’ll be taken to a page that offers various shutdown options. Wend your way though the menus and select the setting you want, including the familar one to shut the computer off.
My guess is that many of the changes to the controls will become second nature after a few months. But for me and for many of my readers that day seems a long way off.
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Memory in a flash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’ve ever used a flashdrive you know how fast it is compared to a hard disk. After all a hard disk is a meld of mechanical parts - including disks that spin around 7,200 revolutions per minute - and electronics. But a flashdrive is solid state - no moving parts - and storage and retrieve times happen, well, in a flash.
That’s why the increasing ability to make relatively large flash memory drives is a big deal. Once they reach a size that is useable as main storage for a computer there will be a huge difference in how fast the computer works. Retrieving and storing data on the hard disk is the weak link now that can’t be fixed by faster processor chips.
So the fact that SanDisk has introduced a 32 gigabyte drive that is compatible with most notebook computers is a big step in the right direction. You can read about it here.
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Vista - Just say no
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It looks like I’m not the only one recommending that folks hold off for a while before upgrading to Windows Vista - the federal Transportation Department is holding off too.
OK, as the article here notes, that’s not unusual. Most businesses and large agencies are cautious about moving to new versions of operating systems. And it’s the same here at the newspaper, my PC is running Windows XP (my Mac is using 10.3.9).
It was also sort of interesting to note that Internet Explorer 7 and Office 2007 are off-limits for now too.
Linux advocates will be cheered to learn - down lower in the story - that the FAA may abandon Windows and is considering Linux.
Love Windows, hate Windows - it doesn’t matter - I think most home users would be smart to wait a while before moving to Vista.
Permalink | | Categories: General
A laptop computer that truly is secure
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This may not sound like a huge deal to you, but news of a laptop with built-in security sure seems earthshaking to me.
Laptops are easy to steal or lose and there have been some major problems in the last few years when laptops owned by employees of database businesses and government have been stolen. All the data that was so carefully (we hope) guarded back at the office was easily accessible because it was also stored on the laptop hard disk.
I’ll link to the story about the new laptop here - the big deal of this story is the hard disk used in the laptop. Instead of securing the data with software, the information is encrypted at the hardware level. That makes getting to it darn near impossible. I hope that this same type security will soon be built into all laptop computers.
My own laptop wouldn’t be very interesting to thieves, unless they want to check up on how I’m doing in my favorite online game, Guild Wars. But even for those without highly sensitive data on the hard disk … who wants some crook looking through e-mail, family photos and such?
The company believes the system is so secure that - according to the article “any U.S. company that loses a laptop using the Seagate drive in conjunction with the launch security management system from Wave Systems, will not have to give public notification of the loss, even if the data is of a highly confidential nature.”
I see why companies would love that - but am not quite sure how a company can make that offer, safe or not it seems it would be up to the individual policies of the government agency or business involved. But - that said - it still seems like a really promising development.
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Vista - the first 30 days
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’re still using Windows XP you may feel a little left out since most of the talk nowadays is about Vista.
First, congratulations - you were smart to wait, by and by all the manufacturers of video cards and printers will have drivers for Vista (other than hardware that is too old to be supported) and some of the opening day jitters for Vista will be over.
You can read a bit about some of the ups and downs of Vista here - including a problem that I’ve had with my video card driver. As you’d expect, you’ll read that some people love Vista and others hate it. But the problems noted in the article jive with my own experiences.
But I also wanted to link to a story that offers some excellent tips - here - on how to speed up Windows XP. There’s still a lot of life left in that software. I know in my own home, just one of our six computers is running Vista, the rest are chugging along on XP.
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Software: when it’s free, it’s for me
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I learned everything I need to know about buying software at the grocery store.
My family usually buys store brands rather than more expensive brand-name products. In most cases, it saves money and the food tastes just as good.
In the computer world, there are programs and Web sites that work just as well, and sometimes better, than the big-brand products. And, sure, sometimes it’s best to go for a brand name - just as is true at times at the grocery store.
Today, I offer a shopping list with plenty of free programs as well as some of the name-brand stuff.
Anti-virus: You can easily go free here. I’ve touted Grisoft’s AVG many times, and I’m glad to do it again. Not only will you get a fine antivirus program, you’ll never pay subscription fees for updates. I’ve been impressed by the performance and by the frequency with which the company updates the free product. You can download the program here Please note that this program is only free to home users and can only be installed on a single computer for free.
Anti-spyware: Here’s a time when free is for me, but there are commercial offerings worth considering. I’ve used SpyBot Search & Destroy, download it here: for a long time. It works fine for me. And it’s free. I’ll stick with SpyBot, but there may be better programs if you’re willing to pay. One that has received terrific reviews is Spy Sweeper, read about it here. It’s a judgment call: Go with the free product or pay about $30 for a program that performs a bit better.
Office software: I wish I could recommend free software for this, but I can’t. If word processing and spreadsheets or presentations are a big part of what you do, stick with Microsoft Office. There is a free alternative that you can download here Open Office It has plenty of fans. But I’ve seen instances where it could not open a word processing file I needed. For those who simply want to write documents and are not worried about compatibility, it’s a noble free effort. For others, stick with the brand names.
Web browser: All my favorite choices are free. I like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 just fine. But some readers have had difficulties after installing it. There’s a safe and free alternative called Firefox. You can download this nifty browser here. Just as is true with Microsoft’s product, it’s free. Internet Explorer is by far the most common browser out there. But if you ask a geek, you’re likely to find a Firefox fan.
An inside view. I can set you free here with a program that has all the answers. Do you stutter and stammer when a tech support person asks what version of software you are using, or wants details of the hardware you use? There’s an easy way to find out almost every answer, no matter how technical. Just download Belarc Advisor here: You’ll sound like an instant expert even if you aren’t.
Close the windows: I like Windows Vista a lot, though it helps that I run it on a relatively fast computer with plenty of RAM and a $250 video card. I’m not about to change to a free version. But for those of you with an older computer that has trouble meeting the specifications for Vista, or those who just don’t like Windows, there’s a free substitute worth considering. If you’re ready for a little high-tech adventure, follow this link and read about it. Then, to get your feet wet, download the program to a CD. You can try it directly from the CD without installing it - a low-risk way to find out if it’s for you. If you like it, as many do, just install it on your computer and say goodbye to Windows.
For special occasions: It’s likely there will be a time when you need a program for a one-time use. Before you spend big bucks, try these two sites: Tucows or Download.com You’ll find a search feature that will offer free or inexpensive programs for download in almost any category that you can name. If you need a program to create flash cards for the kids, or something that will calculate the board feet of lumber required for your new deck, trying to find a free program makes a lot of sense.
OK, I’m heading for the grocery. And with all the money I save on software, I may even try some of the high-priced spread.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Categories: Columns
Cellular horror stories
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nothing confuses me more than cellular telephone charges. Rate plans are so complex that it’s hard to comparison shop and deciphering the bills sometimes requires two CPAs, Madame Evelyn the Psychic and a quart of iced tea.
In my family, we’ve had several instances when we’ve had to try to navigate through customer service to get a charge explained or to get a billing mistake straightened out.
But my own experiences are mild compared to the real horror stories out there about mistakes by the cellular providers and charges that shouldn’t be on the bill at all. You can read some of these stories here.
How has it been for you? Any horror stories - or, for that matter - any stories about exceptionally good service?
Permalink | | Categories: General
X-rated spam on the decline
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Even as recently as a year or so ago, I could count on the fact that the bulk of the e-mail spam in my in-box would be of the x-rated variety.
But nowadays, the x-rated folk seem to either have gone away or the spam filtering has targeted them. For whatever reason there’s less of the stuff.
By the way, unless you have friends all over the world, there’s a great way to quickly spot the spam in your in-box without even using an anti-spam program.
I simply arrange the e-mail by time. The stuff that arrives during the early morning is almost always spam. Most of my buddies and co-workers are asleep at 1:30 a.m. but the spammers use automated software that doesn’t need sleep. So a huge percentage of the spam I get arrives in the early morning hours.
By the way, do you have any thoughts on why x-rated spam would decline - the article wasn’t much help in explaining the why of this.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Categories: Viruses, spam, adware, etc.
Defrag and live to fight another day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Computer gamers - I confess to being one - have a trick to speed up their PCs. That can mean the difference between being hacked to death by an opponent’s sword and keeping your cartoon figure alive.
Cleaning up and organizing the computer hard disk is a part of the arsenal of most serious online gamers. The speed differences are dramatic.
Defragmenting the disk regularly keeps the game moving at top speed. It’s a good idea for you too.
But if you’re using Windows’ built-in defrag utility - well, that’s better than nothing but not the premium way to go. There are add-on programs that do a much better job.
You can read about that - and other hard disk topics - here. If your PC has slowed down then this (along with checking for adware and spyware) can really help.
Permalink | | Categories: Do-it-Yourself Projects
The coming revolution in your den
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The real advances in consumer electronics are going to take place in your den. Years ago Bill Gates and others talked about how the TV and the computer were going to be seamlessly wedded.
That’s slowly started to happen. But look for it to really pick up steam this year. Within a few years most of us will have a PC built into our home entertainment system.
There have been unsatisfactory - at least to me - attempts at this with Web TVs and other low rent computers made to work with your TV. But the big driver for the fast change I’m talking about will be the digital video recorder.
It’s already the best-loved gadget in my house. It records in full high definition and does so many things that VCRs (remember them?) and even fancy high def DVD players and recorders can’t do.
You know there is a big battle - I didn’t think it would go on this long - of formats for high definition DVDs. And that’s an important battleground since the HDTV is now becoming a relatively common appliance.
Since there is a format battle people are afraid to sink their money in a high def DVD player - who wants to be stuck with a stack of DVDs and a nice player that could become orphans?
Two things will happen, one is predictable, one may not be.
The battle will eventually be decided - that’s a safe bet.
But I think - maybe not so obviously - that the DVR, the digital video recorder, will eventually send both formats to the junk heap. Think about it - the stage is really set. These recorders use a computer hard disk - not a DVD - for storage. So what you record on them isn’t going to go out of date. You’ll be able to back up the movies you store onto your home computer network. And with hard disk storage space so cheap these days, the hard disk becomes the equivalent of an iPod. Your shelves don’t need to be cluttered with DVDs and finding and playing your movies from the hard disk is a breeze.
And it also sets things up for the next step - downloading videos from Apple or Amazon or - before long - a lot of different vendors. Once the trend toward using a hard disk for recordings becomes apparent, the next step will be full-blown home servers that allow better control of the TV, that couple online schedules with automated ways to operate the TV, and let you play your games on a TV.
All this stuff is possible now but I’m talking about a commonplace computerized appliance that becomes almost standard equipment for your home entertainment center.
When that happens, the sky is the limit - think of what you could do - wireless connections from that home server let you watch programs from any part of the house. Instead of desktop and laptop computers scattered around the house, you’d just need small wireless work stations that would use the computing power of that home network server.
It’s interesting to me how one small change could spark a major revolution in how home computing is done.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: HDTV
Preparing for a digital disaster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s talk about what to do when disaster strikes.
I don’t mean the kind that comes with high, shrieking winds. The sound of this disaster is a low moan - the moan that comes from you when you discover your PC is a useless beige doorstop.
Maybe the hard disk has crashed, or maybe there’s some other weirder problem that makes the PC totally useless. We’re not talking glitches here, but rather a full-fledged PC disaster.
I can’t prevent that. In fact, I can predict it will happen to you, just as it has happened to almost everyone who has used a computer longer than three years. But I can help you prepare for the disaster to come.
Your first line of defense is regularly backing up data. If the hard disk goes permanently south, you’ll need the backed-up data to avoid losing all your family pictures, letters, e-mails, financial information and other information on the machine.
Backups are easy, especially if you have an external hard disk that plugs into a USB port. Windows Vista automates the process, but these external hard disks - you’ll find one that works just fine for around $100 - work with earlier versions of Windows and include software that will automate the backup.
The next step in our disaster plan is to organize all the installation CDs and DVDs for the programs you use. If you end up replacing a hard disk, you’ll need to install those programs all over again. Your backup won’t help here : you need the actual installation discs and authentication codes to install them.
So store the critical discs in a box. My guess is that, when it comes to programs you actually use, there will be 10 or so discs.
It’s not really junk
The next step comes naturally to most guys and is learned behavior for females. Create a junk box - maybe a big cardboard box or a large empty desk drawer - and store away components you have replaced. Mine contains a couple of video cards, a keyboard, a hard disk, a couple of - jeez, is it mice or mouses? I also have a monitor tucked away in a closet.
If component failure puts your computer out of business late at night - just when you need to finish a project for work or send a critical e-mail - your junk box can often get you running again. Even a defective mouse or keyboard is enough to stop you from computing. And for those of you with a more technical bent, replacing a video card on the fly might be salvation.
Another reason for a junk box: If you’e unsure of the cause of a problem, substituting devices one at a time can help you diagnose the problem. Lets say your monitor is flickering. That could be caused by the monitor or a video card. If you plug in another monitor and the flickering continues, you have a good idea the problem is with the video card.
Manual labor
Don’t put the junk box away yet. Throw every manual you own in the box - the one that came with your computer, all the manuals for printers and other accessories, and for your software. We’re all so accustomed to getting our help online these days that manuals get forgotten - I admit that many are forgettable. But when your computer isn’t working, you are cut off from online help.
OK, you can put the junk box in the closet. But there are still a few things left to do. Write down - we are talking paper and pen - critical telephone numbers you might need during a computer disaster. Include the help lines for your computer and other devices; you won’t be able to go online and find them.
Finally, make sure your dial-up modem - if you have one - works and you have the dial-up numbers for your ISP. If the disaster involves your DSL or cable service and your computer still works, you may be able to get online the old-fashioned way. Most high-speed Internet accounts come with a limited amount of dial-up time. And many computers, even new ones, include an internal dial-up modem. If yours does not, you can spend $30 or so to buy one.
Now, join me in hoping that all this preparation is a big waste of time. I doubt it will be, but this is one time when I’d be delighted to be wrong.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Columns
Programs move from store to Web
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s been like a slow breaking curve ball - ok, sorry, baseball is the one of the few sports I follow anymore and I’m distracted by the thought of spring training.
But this trend really has been slow to develop. I’m talking about taking regular applications - the kind you have been buying at the store - and turning them into programs you use online. You don’t own the software or install it on your computer. Instead, you go to a Web site and use the program there.
I’ts something the industry has talked about for years. It’s happened, but not nearly as fast as predicted.
The lastest news - that Adobe will take some of its editing programs online may be a sign we’ll see more of this soon. In the case of the Adobe products, including a light version of PhotoShop.
Soon you’ll be able to go to a Web site and use the program at no cost. The revenue for Adobe will come from advertising. Keep in mind that it won’t be a fullblown version of the program, but a light edition (or as the software publishers like to spell it, a lite edition).
There’s also a chance - not mentioned in the article linked earlier - that some companies will offer the use of their products on a rental basis. For example, instead of buying an expensive program, you’d pay to use it when you needed it. That’s always seemed like a good idea to me and one I think that will be at least tested more in the next year.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: General
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