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February 2008
I hear you. Well, sort of.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m blessed to have poor hearing. It’s made my life easier.
I have no trouble hearing honking horns or having a conversation. So I have it good compared to many. But my hearing loss is real enough that I can credibly ignore my wife when she hands out unpleasant chores.
If you dread chores, this would be a good time to be hard of hearing yourself. Today I’m going to hand out eight easy chores - each one can be done in minutes - that will make your computing experience better.
Crawl under your desk (Lord, I love giving orders) and untangle that mass of wires. Then label each one. Here’s what I mean: the line that goes from your router to your main computer might be labeled Main 1, the line from the phone jack to your phone is Phone 1, the identical cable to your DSL modem is DSL. You get the idea. Once you’re done, things will be neater. Trip over one of these lines and you’ll probably break it, or pull some hunk of equipment off the desk. Even if you’re not clumsy, you’ll be able to find the right cable fast next time something goes wrong.
Defrag your hard disk. XP users can just run the built-in defragmenting program. Vista also has a defrag program but I think it’s worse than XP’s. I recommend a $30 program called Diskeeper located at http://www.diskeeper.com. XP’s defragger is a dumbed down version of this excellent program. Even XP users might want to consider it. Maybe you’ve been told that defragmenting the hard disk isn’t important in Vista. That’s not true. If you are unsure how to use defrag, type “defragment” into the Windows help menu.
If you have a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) then test it. Unplug it from the wall so it’s forced to switch to battery power. First check to see if any critical device (monitor, computer, router or DSL modem) goes off. You’ll quickly see if you’ve plugged in your devices incorrectly. Most UPS devices have outlets on one side for devices you want to keep running during a power failure and outlets on the other side for devices that simply get surge protection (but don’t get juice in an outage). It’s easy to mistakenly plug something into the wrong side. I’ve done it. Next, leisurely shut down your computer. If the UPS’ backup power plays out before you can do that, it’s time to either replace the UPS or its battery.
If you don’t have a UPS, get one.
Check to see that your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are up to date. If you don’t have one or both of these programs, then get them (you can check my technology blog at ajc.com for free ones).
Optimize Windows so that it runs faster and more efficiently. Since there are several steps to this, including some I’ve already mentioned, I’ll give you a Web page that tells Vista users how to do everything from check your hard disk to get rid of unneeded files. Here’s the link. If you use XP, go to this link.
If you don’t have this program - Belarc Advisor - download it now at http://www.belarc.com. It’ll inventory your computer and hardware and provide the sort of answers a tech support guy might ask. It also will show activiation codes for your installed programs, which can come in handy if you ever lose them.
Make sure you’ll be able to use your computer if you forget the password. That involves making a password reset disk. For Windows XP, go to this Web site to learn how. For Windows Vista, go to this Web site.
If just one of these tips saves your neck some day, you’ll be glad you were able to hear me out.
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Framed by Chinese hackers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you have a digital picture frame - used to display your photos without the use of a computer? If you do, you may have a big problem.
Chinese hackers have planted a stealthy program in some of the frames made there. The purpose: To steal your passwords.
The frames in question seem to have been sold at Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Target and Costco.
Not a pretty picture.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Viruses, spam, adware, etc.
Save everything - except squirrels
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I blame my recent poverty on squirrels.
You never want to find out how much it costs to squirrel-proof a house. Unfortunately I did. The bill, combined with general worries about the economy, has had me nervously glancing at my main savings account - stored in a popcorn tin with a picture of a cowboy on the front.
Maybe you’re in the same boat. And maybe you’re also a tech enthusiast like me. So today I’ll offer some ways we can save money - and ease our economic anxieties - by trimming tech expenses.
Television
Until recently I paid about $83 a month for cable television service. That included a premium channel and a wide selection of programming. I downsized to a package that costs about $50 a month. For that money, I still get HDTV service and a digital video recorder built into the cable box.
It was a painless switch. I don’t miss the premium channel (I can use video on demand or rent a DVD and watch what I want, rather than what happens to be offered). If I needed to save even more, there are even cheaper cable packages. For the real bottom dollar, I could drop cable, use an antenna and still get over-the-air HDTV.
I’m not going to get into specific cable packages that may or may not be available to you, but the bottom line is: Take a hard look at your current package and explore cheaper alternatives.
Savings: In my case, anywhere from an easy $33 a month, to a more painful $83 a month if I dropped it altogether.
Internet service
I use a DSL service that costs $38 a month. That’s for the extra fast connection I need for my job. There are other two options from the same provider, offering slower speeds for $33 and $20.
Most people could get by fine with the $33 package, or even the slowest DSL connection at $20. And some people, like my mom, could check e-mail just fine with a $10 a month dial-up connection.
Savings: $5 to $28 a month.
Computers
It’s been my habit to replace my main machine every year and a half or so, again with excuse that I write about computing.
This year I’ll drop that habit - at least until my budget balances. I need to follow some of my own advice: Only replace your computer when it can no longer do what you need it to do in a satisfactory manner.
Savings: If the average user could postpone a computer purchase for just one year, that’s anywhere from an expense of $600 to $2,000 postponed. That’s an expense postponed, not avoided, so I won’t include it in my final savings total. But it will reduce your expenses.
Telephones
We have two land lines and two cell phones. For various reasons, including my job and my wife’s work-from-home job, we’ll stick with that.
But many families have a second line that isn’t needed anymore. Maybe the kids have grown and no longer use the second line. Or that line may have been installed in the days of dial-up Internet service.
Take a hard look at your own situation. The money saving choices range from simply dropping an unneeded second line to doing as my stepdaughter does - using a cell phone and no land line at all.
When it comes to long distance service, we use our cellular phones when we can. But some of our friends use Voice over Internet Service such as that from Speak Easy (http://www.speakeasy.net/) and Skype (http://www.skype.com). That comes in especially handy for people who make frequent overseas calls.
It’s hard to put a hard dollar amount on it, but most folks could save $5 to $30 tightening phone expenses.
Energy consumption
Your technology pulls some watts. One plasma TV I’ve seen draws nearly 600. Most I checked were in the 150 to 250 watt range. But, when you consider that some small electric heaters draw 500 watts, that’s still quite a load.
Add in another 187 watts for an xBox360, 100 to 250 watts for a desktop computer and you get the idea.
The fix here is simple: Turn off your gadgets when you aren’t using them. You’ll be lucky if the savings here tote up to much more than $5 a month, but you’re also helping the environment.
The savings here if you follow all my tips - even if you take the easy savings and avoid major sacrifices - amount to about $50 a month. That’s not enough to rent a villa in the south of France, but it will start a nice fund to prepare you for the horrible day when squirrels invade your attic.
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Plug in your shirt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some day you may plug your iPod into your favorite plaid shirt, or use the power of your khaki pants to recharge your computer.
A professor at Georgia Tech has helped develop clothing that generates electricity as you move about. That technology is still in a very early stage, but the military - for obvious reasons - is interested too. After all, the modern army uses a lot of high tech helpers that draw power. But, the battlefield isn’t the best place in the world to find an AC outlet.
For civilians, it could mean that business travellers wouldn’t have to worry about finding a way to recharge a laptop computer, or cellular phone. And if it was no longer necessary to depend on the battery life of your gadgets, then the day of truly mobile computing and communicating would be here.
You can read about the development here.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: General
Born to die
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If your computer had a tattoo, it would say: “Born to die.”
Maybe the hard disk will go first. Or a lightning strike could turn the whole thing into a paperweight. It’ll die young, or die old, but some day it’ll go.
In some cases, you’ll be able to replace a hard disk, or add a new video card or even just replace a cable to give the computer a second life. But other times, your computer will be gone forever.
It pays to be prepared.
That’s why I harp on making a backup copy of important data. Think for a moment about what your computer holds - photos, family finances, e-mails, recipes and documents that couldn’t be replaced. I don’t know how to put a dollar figure on that, but I’m guessing they’re worth more than the price of the computer.
You can back up your data with an external hard disk, CDs, DVDs or online back-up services. I won’t go into details here but you can find earlier columns about that here on my blog and by using Google to search for what others have written.
But having a backup plan isn’t all you need.
Take some time to find and store all your program installation disks. Even with a good data backup, you’ll need to reinstall favorite programs separately. Also take note that most programs require activation codes. So make sure you have those codes handy. If you can’t find something, now - without the panic in the air - is a great time to look.
I keep most of these disks in a large plastic bin. I’m no neat freak, but I make a point to return the disks to that bin any time I take one out.
A few programs come with really elaborate carriers - applications like PhotoShop with its multiple disks comes to mind - so I keep those programs together on a shelf in my office bookcase. Next to them I have all the manuals.
I also store a list of passwords and codes. I don’t take any special steps to hide them, and I made sure my wife knows where they are. If I shared a house with someone less trusted, I would hide them. Ditto an office environment.
It’s important to save passwords, since most of us have too many to remember. Many of the Web sites I use require passwords and it’s possible I could forget some of them.
My log-ins for Internet service and e-mail accounts are also on the list. I’m not likely to forget them. But there is a reason for saving them anyway. At least four times a year, I get e-mail from a reader who needs to log on to a computer that belonged to a deceased relative. It’s not a pleasant thought, but - just as is true for the computer, there’s a clock ticking for everyone.
Spare yourself
Next, keep in mind that even a small problem - some cheap part failing - can bring your computer to its knees. A bad keyboard or mouse can put you out of business, or at least make doing any work awkward. And if your monitor goes, well, you can’t compute what you can’t see.
That’s why I keep spares around. It doesn’t make me popular with my wife, but having some of those things has helped me out in a pinch more than once.
If you’ve stayed with me this far and plan to follow any of my tips, you’re in better shape than most. But there is one other optional step you can take. I’ve prepared a DVD that contains many of the specialized drivers I need for video cards, printers and the like.
In most cases, Windows will find drivers or you’ll have them on the Windows CD. And you should be able to find them on the Web. But I like having the drivers handy in one place. It would make getting my computer up and running again faster and easier.
You may never need any of these things - odds are you’ll replace your computer before it dies. But if you do find yourself in this sinking boat, you’ll be happy to have a way to bail it out fast.
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Don’t drop out, tune in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Follow today’s tips and you could aggravate your spouse and spend money on out-of-date technology. You might even annoy your neighbors.
Sound good? I thought so.
I’m talking shortwave radio. I’m also talking about becoming a shortwave hobbbyist the old-fashioned way, as opposed to over the Internet. That means buying a shortwave receiver and, in extreme cases, stringing up some wire between trees in your backyard. Just think how that wire in the sky will bother fussy neighbors.
And since these are analog broadcasts as opposed to digital, you and your family will be subjected to squeals, crashes of static and signals that fade in and out. In return, you’ll open a door to tremendous surprises. I can only compare it to fishing: You never know what you’ll catch.
You may happen upon the captain of a transatlantic flight speaking with a controller in New York on a stormy night. You’ll also hear commercial broadcasts from countries whose names you can’t even spell. That’ll let you listen to news in a form that’s not digested into a soundbite.
If you like, you can listen to ham radio operators like me; visiting with each other from across the world as comfortably as if we were on our front porches.
I can’t promise that shortwave listening is for you. I limit myself to writing about this topic to once a year, but each time I hear from people who made the plunge and loved it. Some of them are returning to a childhood interest and others are trying it for the first time. I’m always pleased and a little surprised at the appeal this hobby still holds.
I always start by recommending a book I consider more important than the radio you end up buying. It’s called Passport to World Band Radio. You can read about it and order it here: http://www.passband.com
It’ll go into more detail than I ever could about antennas and shortwave listening. It also includes a schedule of most major shortwave broadcasters including frequency and time.
But, most important, it includes truly fair and impartial reviews of various shortwave receivers. You’d be a little nuts to buy a shortwave receiver without reading this first, as there is a wide range of sets at various prices.
Of course, some will not read the book.So I asked the editor-in-chief of the book, Larry Magne, to offer a few suggestions for radios in the $200 and under category. Here’s a summary of what he said:
“For best overall shortwave listening, along with portability for travel, the $160 Sony ICF-SW7600GR rules the roost.
“Similar, but simpler to operate and with slightly nicer sound, is the $150 Eton E5.
“For modest pricing and pleasant sound, the $100 Kaito KA-2100 gets the Kewpie doll; it is also sold as the CCRadio-SW for $150.
“Money to burn? Try the Eton E1XM at $500. Add $60 worth of options and an XM subscription and you’ll also hear XM satellite broadcasts.”
These radios can be found online by putting the product name in Google. They include a built-in antenna that will let you avoid the problem of getting that wire up in the tree (although you can, if you like, connect an antenna to most of them). So that takes care of the neighbors.
You can even listen with earphones. That may preserve harmony at home.
If you do decide to put up a wire antenna, follow my advice and use a fishing rod to throw a weight over a tree and then pull up a support rope. I’ve had near tragic results trying it with a crossbow.
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The dangers of being wired
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve enjoyed the rise of HDTV for a reason that has nothing to do with watching the programs.
Reader interest in the topic takes me back to 1993, when I started writing about computers. The topic was still so esoteric that people couldn’t get enough plain talk about it.
HDTV might not be as mystifying as an old DOS operating system, but a lot of folks are pretty confused. So today we’ll try to provide some plain talk on just one aspect - the cables and wires you’ll need to get the most out of an HDTV system.
First, lets look at coaxial cable. It often is used to connect your set to the signal source: satellite dish, cable box and, in some cases, the over-the-air antenna.
It’s not a glamorous role. Coax is just a supporting actor, but an important one. Coax can also be a bad actor. Homes with old coaxial cable - perhaps installed with the house’s first cable service - are often like a house with leaky plumbing. When coax goes bad a huge hunk of your signal literally leaks out of the cable.
Outdoor coax, often used to connect to a satellite dish, or to connect your home to the cable company, starts to wick up water inside the cable. Old cable inside your home or cable damaged by water can make a huge difference in the image you see on the screen.
What can you do about it? Replace really old cable inside your home if you can. Also, check the connectors at the end of the cable to see that they are securely attached.
For cable runs are outside your home, make sure the place where the connector joins the cable is watertight. You can get a special gummy tape - it feels like clay - to help. This Web site lists outlets that sell the sealant: http://www.coaxseal.com/
That’s not the end of what bad wires and cables can do to you. Other cables and wires connect your set to cable boxes, satellite receivers and DVD players.
When you can, use HDMI cables for these connections. If you can’t do that, use component cable connections. Don’t know an HDMI cable from component? This Web site will help you understand the various methods of connecting and their virtues and faults:
For those of you who like to know the downside, here’s a page that notes one problem with HDMI: (My recommendation to use HDMI when you can still stands).
Size counts when it comes to cables. The signal is transmitted on the outer surface of the wire or cable. So the bigger the surface, the more efficient the wire or cable. That’s why those giant cables are so popular. There’s solid science behind them.
Monster (monstercable.com) was one of the pioneers. They’re fine cables. But you’ll pay a monsterous price, $150 or more for the very best of the HDMI cables.
That’s more than I can afford. So I use large cables, but a cheaper brand. Browse the cable selection at a big store that sells a lot of HDTVs or check out a Web site such as mycablemart.com. Unless you’re running a video studio, you probably won’t see the difference in image quality.
Unlike with that fancy big HDTV set, your friends won’t be impressed by your wires and cables. But if you follow my advice, they will be impressed by the picture on that set.
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