June 05, 2006 

My Last Blogger Post

http://eric.senf.org is now my new home. During my last site redesign I realized that Blogger just wasn't enough. I also figured that if I was going to go throug the trouble of switching blogs I should also use a domain name which was mine.

I have quite enjoyed my Blogger experience though, as I have delved deeper into blogging, Blogger could not keep up with the features I desired. I have moved into the TypePad realm, powered by MovableType, which many think is the strongest blogging platform out ther.

I will continue my postings on that site and leave Blogger sending my thanks and regards.

-Eric

6/05/2006 05:02:00 PM | |

June 03, 2006 

To TypePad or Not

I have been using Blogger for some time now, and as I get more involved in my bolg I find many things pointing to TypePad which uses the Movable Type APIs. I am faced with quite the decision, suck it up and stay on Blogger or switch to TypePad's $90/year service. This would, obviously, change the address of my blog, which is a drawback. There are many really cool things that I could do with a TypePad blog which I cannot do with Blogger. Some of the most compelling features are; Categories beyond using Technorati tagging within Blogger, improved moblogging support, and, Nokia Lifeblog support. Anyone that's reading this should prepare for an address change on my blog. I try and ensure my Blogger side is maintained for long enough to move my articles and keep a redirection in place.

6/03/2006 03:27:00 PM | |

June 02, 2006 

Back Yard Today


Back Yard Today
Originally uploaded by ericsenf.

Here is this weeks pic.

6/02/2006 07:17:00 AM | |

June 01, 2006 

Material Found to Become 2 Dimensional at Quantum Critical Point

Recent research, shows that at the lowest temperature point at which the change of state occurs -- called the Quantum Critical Point -- the Han purple pigment actually loses a dimension: it goes from 3D to 2D. Technorati Tags: Science

read more | digg story

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6/01/2006 01:23:00 PM | |

 

Macintosh Products Guide | Universal Applications

Macintosh Products Guide | Universal Applications: "Listed here in the Macintosh Products Guide are over 2,000 Universal applications, which you can search by keyword or browse the list of featured applications below."
Handy for all those looking for Universal Binary apps for new Intel based Macs.

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6/01/2006 05:08:00 AM | |

 

Factoid from the April/May 2006 issue of Seed

I was reading the April/May 2006 issue of Seed this morning and came across this interesting factoid.
$5.6 billion 1 month of was in Iraq < $6.0 billion 4 years of comprehensive US energy R&D.
That's food for thought.

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6/01/2006 04:58:00 AM | |

May 31, 2006 

Symantec patches antivirus worm hole | CNET News.com

Symantec patches antivirus worm hole | CNET News.com:
Recognizing the urgency to deliver a fix, Symantec worked over the weekend--a holiday weekend in the U.S.--to deliver patches. 'Since it was publicly reported, we did have to go into emergency mode and deliver patches for the products,' Weafer said.
This is something that anyone running Symantec AV should be aware of as there is the potential for a damaging worm based on their anti-virus system.

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5/31/2006 07:09:00 AM | |

May 30, 2006 

The PocketMod - Nerd Origami

HolditThe PocketMod dubs itself as "The free disposable personal organizer" and for the cost of a piece of paper and a bit of toner or ink it's worth taking a look at. I saw the link to this site on Digg today. I had to try it out and after a quick layout, following the simple instructions, I had made my PocketMod. This reminded me of another favorite origami-style site I blogged about a couple of months ago, Letterfu. If you try this out, post a comment and let me know what you think.

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5/30/2006 08:13:00 PM | |

May 29, 2006 

Test Article From Ecto

I am testing a new Blog editing tool called ecto. This is done by Kung-Foo.tv, the same group that does 1001, the Mac OS X flickr tool.
With ecto you can write and manage entries for your weblog(s). The advantage over using your weblog's control panel is that you can compose entries offline and use the extra features ecto offers, such as spellcheck, creating links, attachments, and much more. ecto is designed to make blogging much more easier and yet give the users as much power as possible to manage their weblogs.
This is simply a test of some of the various features of this new program.

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5/29/2006 05:27:00 PM | |

May 28, 2006 

How to Make a Spider from 5 Crisp Dollar Bills

Note: This is too cool; I will have to try this one tomorrow.
Once in a while you're likely to have a bad reaction. (I once made one for a tip, and popped it up on the bar. When the girl turned around and saw it, for just that split second, it looked real. She let out a scream, and must have jumped three feet straight into the air. She was slightly arachniphobic. Oops.)
read more | digg story

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5/28/2006 09:02:00 PM | |

 

My Mac is Dead...Again

My Mac Book Pro puked again. Two days ago I picked it up from the Apple Store where they replaced the logic board. Today, same symptoms; fortunately we were planning on a trip to the Mall of America. It's going to be way too hot for an outside day today. I will push Apple to give me a new laptop, which I think is quite reasonable. I will have more photos and postings while out for the day. UPDATE: Well, with typical Apple "service with a smile," another visit to the Apple Store revealed an issue which was believed to be a failure in SMC software and the new deep sleep function on the MacBooks. That is essentially like hibernate on Windows XP though initiated when there is total power loss. You can essentially put the computer to sleep, pull the battery and there is enough power left to save RAM to disk. The guy at the Apple Store were interested enough in this issue they asked if they could have my computer for a couple of days for testing. If they couldn't figure it out they would upgrade my computer and keep this for "research". hrrm... At least I can talk to a person and I'm not stuck on the phone with one of my buddies in Ban-galore.

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5/28/2006 09:03:00 AM | |

May 27, 2006 

CompUSA sucks


CompUSA sucks
Originally uploaded by ericsenf.

The ork-staff of CompUSA (aka. Comp-Usless) never cease to amaze me. I wanted to buy a $700 phone and not only could anyone tell me anything about the phone, they didn't have a demo model, and I was told they can't take the phone out to let to let me look at it.

When will retailers realize that this is one of the few things they can offer to me as a customer that online retail can't.

CompUSA proved to me each time I visit why I should never visit again. I will stick to ordering online and not be doing business with them.

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5/27/2006 10:00:00 AM | |

 

Start of Memorial Day photo stream

Start of Memorial Day photo stream Originally uploaded by ericsenf. Another pond pic while having coffee in the back yard.��I will post new pics to my flickr photo stream through the holiday weekend.

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5/27/2006 09:08:00 AM | |

May 26, 2006 

Dinner table fun

Dinner table fun Originally uploaded by ericsenf. Balancing fun. The central fork is on the glass and the other 3 forks & spoon are balancing on single points of contact. The kids were quite impressed.

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5/26/2006 05:05:00 PM | |

 

Solutions

Solutions to three of the biggest problems on the domestic agenda.
  1. Instead of a fence along the Mexican border, build a moat along the border from the Pacific Coast, along Texas to the Gulf.
  2. Ship the dirt dug out from building the moat and ship it to New Orleans. Use it to fix the levees.
  3. Take the alligators that are eating people in Florida, give them a home in the newly built moat.
See, now isn't that easy? A solution that would amaze the best of engineers. :-D The following was explained to my by a co-worker. Another co-worker also blogged this which can be found at http://etherdust.com/entries/2006/05/000157.html.

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5/26/2006 12:05:00 PM | |

 

Thermal Paste Claim on MacBook Pros FALSE

The thermal paste application, doesn't make a signficant difference. The real issue seems to be that the system firmware designers have optimized for a quiet machine at the expense of the temperature.

Note: I wanted to post this due to the amount of questions and comments that I received. I have a Mac Book Pro, it's hot, thank God I'm not having more kids and thus not worried about laptop-side-effects.:-D

read more | digg story

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5/26/2006 07:15:00 AM | |

 

Back yard today


Back yard today
Originally uploaded by ericsenf.

A picture of the back yard sunrise today. This is week 2 of this project.

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5/26/2006 04:50:00 AM | |

May 25, 2006 

Apple Store


Apple Store
Originally uploaded by ericsenf.

I stopped by the Mall of America Apple Store last night to pickup my Mac Book Pro. I seem to have fried the logic board in it after a month of ownership. I have been reading about the thermal paste issues, though more recently, have read that re-application of the paste doesn't make significant difference. I will chalk this up to a bum system.

This is the first Mac I've owned that required any kind of hardware repair so I'm not doing too bad. It's also nice to have a local Apple Store, and Pro Care, to get next day turn around on hardware service.

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5/25/2006 06:00:00 PM | |

May 23, 2006 

Gas prices in Wisconsin suck

I was in Milwaukee Sunday and had to fill up. Gas was 2.95 versus 2.61 in Minnesota.

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5/23/2006 08:47:00 AM | |

May 22, 2006 

Photo Album - An Evening in St. Paul


An Evening in St. Paul photo album on my .Mac site.

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5/22/2006 07:16:00 PM | |

May 19, 2006 

Apple’s 5th Avenue Store already has a 30-foot scratch

Macenstein » Macenstein Archive » Report: Apple’s 5th Avenue Store already has a 30-foot scratch

"... Our customers have kind of gotten used to the look of beautifully designed eelctronics hidden in bulky rubber protective cases, and we think they will be excited to see the look carried over to our flagship store as well."
OK... this is funny. -Eric

See some info on the new 5th Ave. Apple Store at the following URL: http://www.apple.com/retail/fifthavenue

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5/19/2006 11:39:00 AM | |

 

Back Yard Today

This is the first in a series of photos. I plan to post a sunrise photo a week until I get bored of this. This photo was taken from my kitchen window, looking east.

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5/19/2006 05:55:00 AM | |

May 16, 2006 

Apple MacBook Released

Apple has released the MacBook, the upgrade to the popular consumer iBook. This offers an Intel Core Duo processor, built-in iSight and Front Row. The prices start at $1099 and go up to $1499. I still dig my MacBook Pro, but this is an impressive system for the price and my Core Duo Macs are extremely fast systems for many compute tasks I have recently thrown at them.

I will be at the Mall of America Apple Store today and will take some pics and post further impression later today or tomorrow.

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5/16/2006 06:24:00 AM | |

 

Symantec CEO says: Go buy a Mac!

It doesn't appear that Symantec CEO John Thompson's next computer will run Windows. "We think more people ought to buy them," Thompson said of Apple's Macintosh computers. The "target-rich" environment created by Windows vulnerabilities means that virus writers and hackers have set their sights on Windows PCs, he said. WOW! -Eric

read more | digg story

5/16/2006 06:21:00 AM | |

May 13, 2006 

David Weiss: A Tour of Microsoft's Mac Lab

David Weiss: A Tour of Microsoft's Mac Lab This is a neat site. It's worth the virtual wander through the halls of the MS Mac Lab -Eric

5/13/2006 08:54:00 PM | |

 

Five Fundamental Architectural Flaws in Windows Solved In Mac OS X

Five examples of fundamental Windows architecture design flaws, the endless headaches they cause for Windows users, and how the issues are handled more elegantly in Mac OS X. This is a well written and analytical article presenting how Mac OS X addresses the design flaws in Windows. Least privileged access is one of the largest holes in my opinion. Trying to run a Windows system with least privileged access is near impossible though is the way of Mac OS X, and many newer versions of Linux. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/13/2006 08:46:00 PM | |

 

Macworld Reviews Open Source Antivirus: ClamXav 1.0.1

"If you don�t think the virus threat to your Mac is dire enough to spend any money protecting against it, ClamXav will get the job done. It�s based on a well-established open source project (clamav), and provides a decent level of protection (thanks in part to daily updates of its virus definitions)." I have used ClamAV on Mac OS X server as a mail gateway product. The company I was with used this and successfully filtered hundreds of thousands of messages with it. More often than not, ClamAV beat Symantec, McAfee and most other commercial vendors to market with definition updates. This is a good OS X front-end to a great open source AV product. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/13/2006 08:41:00 PM | |

 

Despite the Scurrying to Market, Apple Got Intel Right

Despite their rush to market, Apple knows how to do Intel systems right, and as the catalog of Intel-native OS X applications fills out and users get used to the idea of running Windows on Apple hardware, iMac and MacBook Pro have a solid shot at mainstream leadership I have to agree with this Linux Insider review. Being a UN*X fan gone Apple, I am extremely impressed with the power and design of my 15" MacBook Pro. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/13/2006 08:39:00 PM | |

May 12, 2006 

Half the music on iPods stolen, alleges Real boss

Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser has tacitly alleged that iPod owners are music thieves, a claim that echoes the words of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Note: This is such a preposterous statement. This takes that approach of, since we do buy (aka rent) music, which requires ongoing licensing fees, it must be stolen. I pride myself in the fact that my music library is legit. I buy frequently from iTunes. What changes if I had a MS/Real player? Would I feel better about myself?

I think NOT. My iPod rules. There must be a reason that iPods and iTunes are so popular... it's not because I am stealing music. It's because I am buying.

read more | digg story

5/12/2006 06:12:00 AM | |

May 11, 2006 

Key Isolation Features in Mac OS X

Apple built OS X with security in mind. As part of that central security theme, OS X has been designed using three key isolation features: System Isolation, User Isolation, Memory and Application Isolation

read more | digg story

5/11/2006 01:24:00 PM | |

May 08, 2006 

SGI files for Chapter 11 protection | CNET News.com

SGI files for Chapter 11 protection | CNET News.com :-O SGI made quite the wonderful and high-end computers in their time. I hope, though doubt, they will recover.

5/08/2006 12:16:00 PM | |

 

Random Picture

Just a random picture to test my blog

5/08/2006 08:53:00 AM | |

 

Beatles lose Apple court battle!

The Beatles have lost their court battle with Apple Computer over its iTunes download service. Note: This is great and seems to be quite the rational decision from the courts. I wonder how long it will be until the Beatle's are available on the iTunes Music Store. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/08/2006 06:52:00 AM | |

May 07, 2006 

Template updates

My next round of blog template updates are good enough to post. I'm not completely happy with the setup yet. I needs further style-sheet (CSS) tweaks until I will be satisfied. This is good enough for a Sunday-morning, phase-one update. Time for another americano. -Eric

5/07/2006 07:03:00 AM | |

May 06, 2006 

Learn how to use Apple's Automator

This site's full of tours, examples and downloads. Very nice resource for any one curious on how to use that fancy Tiger app. Note: Awesome... Learn Automator-Foo -Eric

read more | digg story

5/06/2006 04:30:00 PM | |

 

Random comment of the day

I am excited that there is a Mill's Fleet Farm near our house in St. Paul. Things just seem a but more mid-west now. -- Eric Senf - http://ericsenf.blogspot.com

(Sent from my BlackBerry)

5/06/2006 09:18:00 AM | |

May 03, 2006 

IT Commandments: Ignore them at your own risk

IT Commandments: Ignore them at your own risk by ZDNet's David Grober -- Here's a stone tablet's worth of rules that no IT shop can afford to break.

5/03/2006 10:05:00 AM | |

May 02, 2006 

Fresh Creation - The Apple Commercials Archive

Fresh Creation - The Apple Commercials Archive This URL was posted as a comment on a previous post and I though is was a cool enough link to dedicate it's own post. Thanks Martijn!

5/02/2006 07:49:00 PM | |

 

Upcoming Black Eyed Peas Concert

OK... I'm getting excited about this. I just received my notification email for the show this weekend. This should be a great first concert in the Twin Cities.

5/02/2006 01:46:00 PM | |

 

Watch the 6 New Mac Ads

Daily Show correspondent at the White House press dinner. Now in Mac ads. Someone is catching on... Note: I saw the first of these ads last night while watching 24. These are great. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/02/2006 06:45:00 AM | |

May 01, 2006 

Macbook Pros are to hot, cool them down.

This user disassembled his Macbook Pro, only to find that Apple had placed the thermal paste incorrectly, he then put in his own paste which cooled it drastically. Note: I will be stopping by MicroCenter this week and cracking open my MacBook to perform this mod. I will hopefully have this done this week. -Eric

read more | digg story

5/01/2006 11:43:00 AM | |

April 28, 2006 

Learning the shell

Here is a great guide on the UN*X (and Mac OS X) shell (aka Terminal). A great read for all those wanting to learn or brush up on their shell-foo.

read more | digg story

4/28/2006 11:27:00 AM | |

April 25, 2006 

ABC News: The Great Microsoft Blunder

ABC News: The Great Microsoft Blunder: "I think it can now be safely said, in hindsight, that Microsoft's entry into the browser business and its subsequent linking of the browser into the Windows operating system looks to be the worst decision—and perhaps the biggest, most costly gaffe—the company ever made. I call it the Great Microsoft Blunder." Note: Look at the cost vs. benifit. Many of the MS security woes would be a non-issue without IE. Note: I know the logo looks bad. I need to go back to a white background on my blog template. :-S

4/25/2006 01:04:00 PM | |

April 23, 2006 

Running Windows Apps natively on OSX without Windows!

Robert X. Cringely offers an intriguing reason behind Apple's recent strategy of Boot Camp: '... I also believe that Apple will offer in OS X 10.5 the ability to run native Windows XP applications with no copy of XP installed on the machine at all. This will be accomplished...by Apple implementing the Windows API directly in OS X 10.5.' Note: The day Apple announced they were moving to the Intel processors I said to various colleagues the reason for this was to support Windows applications natively within Mac OS X. I would initially presented the case with the "virtualization" argument, e.g. VM Ware. Cringely presents an interesting realization in running Windows XP apps by way of native Windows API support within Mac OS X.

read more | digg story

4/23/2006 08:07:00 AM | |

April 20, 2006 

100 Interesting science facts

Some that caught my attention: 67- Around a million, billion neutrinos from the Sun will pass through your body while you read this sentence. 68-...and now they are already past the Moon.

read more | digg story

4/20/2006 02:12:00 PM | |

 

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows Vista February 2006 CTP (Build 5308/5342) Review, Part 5: Where Vista Fails

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows Vista February 2006 CTP (Build 5308/5342) Review, Part 5: Where Vista Fails: "Shame on you, Microsoft. Shame on you, but not just for not doing better. We expect you to copy Apple, just as Apple (and Linux) in its turn copies you. But we do not and should not expect to be promised the world, only to be given a warmed over copy of Mac OS X Tiger in return. Windows Vista is a disappointment. There is no way to sugarcoat that very real truth." Note: HA! This has unfortunately become so true. MIcrosoft had great visions for Vista/Longhorn though it's just become a Mac OS X copy. I am glad I opted for a MacBook Pro to run a "real" OS and dual-boot into Vista.

4/20/2006 12:07:00 PM | |

 

First EV-DO ExpressCard for MacBook Pro

Gearlog announces: "Today a prototype of the first EV-DO ExpressCard/34 to hit the market."

read more | digg story

4/20/2006 11:45:00 AM | |

 

Apple reports 8,526,000 iPods sold in one quarter!

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2006 second quarter ending April 1, 2006. International sales accounted for 43% of the quarter's revenue. Apple shipped 1,112,000 Macintosh computers and 8,526,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 4% growth in Macs and 61% growth in iPods over the year-ago quarter. Note: Just do it, you know you want one. -Eric

read more | digg story

4/20/2006 11:20:00 AM | |

April 18, 2006 

MacBook Pro - New Bright Shiny Pebble (BSP)

I could no longer resist. I cannot be without a Mac laptop, which I find quite bizarre. I guess that should just admit that I have become an avid "Cult of Mac" member. I have resisted that lable for a couple of years but each time I try to move away from a Mac as my primary computer I always find myself missing many of the applications and features only available on this platform. iLife is great fun but having a real terminal window and being able to run all of the cool UN*X based OpenSourced software is just something that I cannot be without for long. This should show up by the end of this week. Now I just hope it is raining this weekend and I don't have reason to be outside in the wonderfully warm spring weather working on the yard. Apple - MacBook Pro: "Powered by a dual-core Intel engine. Up to four times the speed of the PowerBook G4. Eight times the graphics bandwidth. With built-in iSight for instant video conferencing on the move. And Front Row with Apple Remote to dazzle everyone in the room. Wait no more. MacBook Pro starts at just $1999."

4/18/2006 09:30:00 AM | |

 

Don't Wait for Mac OS X: Leopard's Full Screen Apps - Do it Now

I wanted to share a combination of apps and tips that's been working well for me (thanks in part to the great comments over in that thread). Using MenuShade, SpiritedAway, and BackDrop. read more | digg story

4/18/2006 09:27:00 AM | |

April 17, 2006 

Microsoft offers Apple security advice

Microsoft offers Apple security advice: "Stephen Toulouse, communications manager for Microsoft's security response team, has blogged that Apple needs a 'security czar' to batten down the hatches against an growing number of attacks on the company's OS X." I can say that Microsoft's years of beating have put them into a very responsive position from a security standpoint. I would agree that Apple would only benifit from taking a more proactive stand on security. They are the platform of choice for many security professionals.

4/17/2006 07:14:00 PM | |

 

Updated iTunes Playlist

I have updated Eric & Christy's Top 50 iTunes play list. This reflects our top rated songs filtered by most played. It's been a few months since I updated this. Click here to visit this playlist on Apple's iTunes Music Store. You will need iTunes to view and preview this. You can download iTunes for free if you are one of the few people that don't already use this.

4/17/2006 06:52:00 PM | |

April 14, 2006 

My "Tech News" widget

I have finally found a way to easily create a news roll widget for my home page. This is done using two different "Web 2.0" services. The first step is to make a custom RSS feed using Frankenfeed from Big In Japan. This provides a free service that allows me to aggregate content from multiple RSS providers. I used RSS feeds from Slashdot, Mac Rumors, CNet, etc. and combined them into a single custom RSS feed. This is really easy and takes 2-3 minutes. Next, I used another service called Freedo Style which presents the UI for the previously created feed. Visit the Fredoo Style web site and create and customize your news widget to your liking. This provides a code snippet that is loaded in into my Blogger template though could be placed on any web page. This took 2-3 minutes. Once done I will now have a neat little widget that allows me to display recent headlines from a number of my favorite web sites. I can sign into my Frankenfeed site and add or delete RSS feeds from my custom feed, Freedo Style then detects the changes and they are reflected on my Blogger site. Easy and free!

4/14/2006 11:40:00 AM | |

April 09, 2006 

A Day @ The Walker

I posted some cool pics from a day spent at The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Check them out if you are interested.

4/09/2006 12:45:00 PM | |

April 05, 2006 

Apple supports Windows XP booting on Intel-based Macs

Apple - Boot Camp, announced today, is a beta that will allow for booting of Windows XP on the newer Intel based Macs. It states, "Once you’ve completed Boot Camp, simply hold down the option key at startup to choose between Mac OS X and Windows." Now they just need to get their OS X based Windows XP virtualization environment built into OS X so it can natively run Windows applications.

4/05/2006 06:32:00 AM | |

April 03, 2006 

An interesting anti-spam appliance

Spam Cube™ | Plug it in. Stop spam. No subscription fee. I read a very interesting review on this product. This is the way anti-spam, security, etc. should be setup; a simple appliance with no recurring fees. I may order one of these though my .Mac email accounts for the family and my personal Gmail account do quite well at keeping spam free.

4/03/2006 01:11:00 PM | |

March 31, 2006 

elgooG - The Google Mirror

elgooG is an interesting "mirror" of Google.

3/31/2006 07:33:00 AM | |

March 30, 2006 

The Joy of Tech's Spin on Apple's 30th

The Joy of Tech has a great perspective on what would happen in the event of Apple NOT releasing a cool new product for their 30th aniversary.

3/30/2006 08:10:00 AM | |

March 27, 2006 

Food for thought

I came across this photo and though that it offered interesting perspective.

3/27/2006 06:38:00 PM | |

 

Was Douglas Adams right?

This is for all of the Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy fans. It seems that Douglas Adams Ultimate Answer of "42" may have be correct after all. Seed: Prime Numbers Get Hitched: "...Keating and Snaith not only explained why the answer to life, the universe and the third moment of the Riemann zeta function should be 42..."

3/27/2006 07:43:00 AM | |

March 26, 2006 

The Origami/UMPC Project revisited

I have been keeping up with the news on the new Ultra-Mobile PC platform announced by Intel and MS. My primary source of info has been the Paperback PC site. Initially I was extremely intrigued with the UMPC thinking this would be a device on the lines of the Newton though taking advantage of many of the modern tech advancements like wireless networking, digital media, etc. Unfortunately this is being released in a premature state thus being under powered, over priced and not enough battery life. I would totally appreciate a "bridge" device — something larger than my cell phone but smaller and more portable than my laptop. The UMPC platform does not appear that it will deliver this year thus I will wait until; Apple releases a similar device, or, MS finally ships Vista. My other option is waiting for hell to freeze over which seems more likely that the previous two events.

3/26/2006 07:37:00 AM | |

 

The 411 on directory assistance | CNET News.com

The 411 on directory assistance | CNET News.com Here was an good article on free — or more proper, advertiser driven &mdash 411 information serivces. I will be testing a few out and posting furhter information on which I prefer. Is there anyone else that feels that upwards of $1.25 is criminal for a directory service call?

3/26/2006 07:19:00 AM | |

 

A bit of a redesign

I have updated my blog design. For the base I chose the "Folio" template on Blogger Templates. They provide some nice high-quality templates. "Folio" plus about an hour of tweaking and tuning got my site to an acceptable point. Feel free to let me know what you think.

3/26/2006 07:16:00 AM | |

March 08, 2006 

[video] A sneak peak at Intel's mini computers | CNET News.com

[video] A sneak peak at Intel's mini computers | CNET News.com More coverage from the Intel Developer Forum.

3/08/2006 06:18:00 AM | |

 

[video] Intel shows off the newest little PCs | CNET News.com

[video] Intel shows off the newest little PCs | CNET News.com Coverage from the Intel Developer Forum.

3/08/2006 06:18:00 AM | |

March 07, 2006 

Origami minitablets

Photos: Origami minitablets | CNET News.com I will have more information on this as it develops. This WILL be my new tool (sic toy) to obsess over. I have wanted a gadget like this since I stopped using my Apple Newton MessagePad 120. The only thing that would potentially distract me from this device would be if Apple would finally release a tablet in this form-factor. I have used numerous PalmOS, and PocketPC devices and they are all too small to be anything but a novelty. I have used numerous TabletPCs and they are too big to be a good tablet and too under-powered and small to be a good laptop. This would appear to be a great platform for email, web surfing from the couch, eBook reading, etc. I hope they include some digital ink capabilities as I might even consider replacing the Franklin Planner with a device of this size. oohhhh.... Bright Shiny Pebble!

3/07/2006 05:50:00 PM | |

 

Jargon File: Batman factor

I came across this Jargon File reference today while doing some research for a paper I am writing--Batman factor. Being the IT pager person for my employer over the past two weeks I was running a Batman factor of 2 minimally (BlackBerry + SkyTel Pager) and sometime 3. I can attest for the fact that when one is at large sporting a Batman factor of 3+ there are the odd stares and whispering. I am lucky my chick digs geeks ;-)

3/07/2006 02:06:00 PM | |

 

Blogger Categories in 5 minutes (A different approach)

Websites, Mashups and more: Blogger Categories in 5 minutes (A different approach) Now that I am ready to expand the content of my Blog I need to find an elegant way to categorize articles. This site had an approach that I will further pursue.

3/07/2006 06:25:00 AM | |

 

Open-source Networking

I have been following some news on a startup company called Vyatta who's "developing a line of enterprise-grade, open source, network infrastructure products". This is complemented by an article on CNN titled "Will telecom go open-source?" This router platform is based on XORP. This platform is robust and could produce hardware which would drastically drop the cost of enterprise-networking gear. Another interesting note is that XORP has received funding from Microsoft.

3/07/2006 06:11:00 AM | |

March 06, 2006 

Cisco dials SIP in VoIP U-turn

"... Cisco also is opening up its IP call control products to an outside developer community by adding native support for SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions). The company will verify that third-party applications and client devices work with Cisco's SIP-compliant products, though not Cisco's pre-standard extensions to the standard..."

http://www.techworld.com/networking/news/index.cfm?NewsID=5505

Note: It seems like Cisco may become a VoIP system which plays nicely in the sand box with others. I personally feel this is an extremely positive move and eliminated my largest complaint about Cisco VoIP systems. -Eric

3/06/2006 01:11:00 PM | |

March 04, 2006 

RIM and NTP settle!

BlackBerry Cool - RIM and NTP settle! RIM agreed to pay NTP $612.5 million dollars to settle the patent suit open since late 2001. Due to the fact that RIM has raised over 20% in after hours trading it would appear the market thinks this is a positive move for RIM. No more worries of a BlackBerry shutdown. RIM can now move into release of many interesting rumored products including a consumer focused BlackBerry device. I still think the US patent and copyright systems are horribly broken but that it another discussion.

3/04/2006 07:16:00 AM | |

February 24, 2006 

hello - The Origami Project

hello Take a look at this site on 3/2/06 as MS will be launching a new project which is generating quite a bit of speculative buzz.

2/24/2006 11:22:00 AM | |

February 22, 2006 

Apple Safari may automatically execute arbitrary shell commands

US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#999708: "Apple Safari may automatically execute arbitrary shell commands" This is likely a sign of Apple's increasing popularity. No platform is exempt from vulnerabilities though not all platforms are created equally. It will be interesting to see if this is the beginning of increased attacks directed to Mac OS X.

2/22/2006 01:36:00 PM | |

February 16, 2006 

The First Mac OS X Virus? (A New OS X Trojan)

Mac Rumors: The First Mac OS X Virus? (A New OS X Trojan) It was only a matter of time that this occured. I hope that AV vendors quickly get a clue on how to protect OS X systems as offerings from both Symantec and McAfee pretty much suck.

2/16/2006 10:20:00 AM | |

February 15, 2006 

Adding style to the hand-written note with Letterfu

Letterfu - Letter-writing without envelopes, cutting or glue In a day of e-mail, PDAs and mobiles sometime pen and paper add a touch of style, that is simply hard to match, to a note or message. I found this site and think this ads further style to letter writing. Visit the Letterfu site, pick a template you like, grab some nice paper, and send someone a note. Letterfu provides several nice templates you print on the back of a written page. The page is then folded, following the on page template, into it's own envelope. This has been added to my bookmark bars and will be something that I and the tribe use frequently.

2/15/2006 06:55:00 AM | |

February 13, 2006 

Microsoft's new phone may squeeze Blackberry

globeandmail.com : Microsoft's new phone may squeeze Blackberry Competition is a good thing. As much as I like my BlackBerry there are always improvements that could be made to a device. It will be interesting to see what MS produces to "compete" with RIM. All PocketPCs/Windows Mobile devices that I have used have quite the tortured user interface. RIM's BlackBerry is a device that is simple, powerful and highly usable. With that said, it could be better and likely will evolve if there is real competitive pressures.

2/13/2006 06:38:00 AM | |

February 09, 2006 

RIM Releases Workaround Details

BlackBerry Cool » RIM Releases Workaround Details

2/09/2006 10:59:00 AM | |

February 06, 2006 

Dell Axes HD-based MP3 Players

BetaNews | Dell Axes HD-based MP3 Players Dell is out of the portable music player market further lessening the iPod competition. I am not surprised to see this due to the fact I have had numerous Dell mall-kiosk-orc-staff tell me they would carry their iPod though Dell "makes" them sport their device.

2/06/2006 02:55:00 PM | |

February 03, 2006 

Options in the event of a BlackBerry shutdown

from The Onion

2/03/2006 06:49:00 AM | |

February 01, 2006 

Fifth NTP Patent Rejected

BlackBerry Cool » Fifth NTP Patent Rejected This should be intresting to follow. It looks like NTP's claims have been deemed invalid at the US Patent Office. I am sure there will be appeals but this likely moved the burden of proof to NTP.

2/01/2006 02:10:00 PM | |

 

Mac Theme Release For The Blackberry

BlackBerry Cool » Mac Theme Release For The Blackberry This is just geeky-cool serving little purpose. I will liekly try it out though.

2/01/2006 06:43:00 AM | |

January 31, 2006 

Win32/Mywife.E@mm file-destroying worm

You should be aware of the Friday, February 3rd payload of this new worm.

Microsoft Security Advisory http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/904420.mspx

Business Week article http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8FFQMJO0.htm?campaign_id=a pn_tech_down&chan=tc

1/31/2006 11:16:00 AM | |

January 27, 2006 

Cingular Patenting the Emoticon :(

BlackBerry Cool - Cingular Patenting the Emoticon :( [This is anotherridiculouss example of how broken the patent system is - Eric]

1/27/2006 08:57:00 AM | |

January 24, 2006 

Editing tips from the NSA

Three common mistakes

There are a number of pitfalls for people trying to amend a sensitive Word document for public release as a PDF. Here is the NSA's advice on typical traps.

Redaction of text and diagrams Covering text, charts, tables or diagrams with black rectangles, or highlighting text in black…is not effective, in general, for computer documents distributed across computer networks (i.e. in "softcopy" format). The most common mistake is covering text with black.

Redaction of images Covering up parts of an image with separate graphics such as black rectangles, or making images "unreadable" by reducing their size, has also been used for redaction of hardcopy printed materials. It is generally not effective for computer documents distributed in softcopy form.

Metadata and document properties In addition to the visible content of a document, most office tools, such as (Microsoft) Word, contain substantial hidden information about the document. This information is often as sensitive as the original document, and its presence in downgraded or sanitized documents has historically led to compromise.

Source: NSA Information Assurance Division report

Quoted from: Editing tips from the NSA | CNET News.com

1/24/2006 08:24:00 PM | |

January 23, 2006 

Supreme Court rejects BlackBerry appeal

Supreme Court rejects BlackBerry appeal | CNET News.com: [This sucks... RIM needs to get this settled.]

1/23/2006 08:10:00 AM | |

January 20, 2006 

Happy birthday, Brain.A

Happy birthday, Brain.A | CNET News.com The computer virus is 20 years old today. What a wonderful ride it's been since then. I wonder what the total 20 year GDP impact of av-software and related flaws, patching crappy OSes, etc. has been due to this.

1/20/2006 07:25:00 AM | |

January 19, 2006 

The Million Dollar Homepage - Own a piece of internet history!

The Million Dollar Homepage - Own a piece of internet history! I just thought this was cool. It continually amazes me how people come up with ways to make money.

1/19/2006 08:25:00 PM | |

 

The Fix

I friend and previous co-worker emailed this to me. Late on a Sunday night while working on setting up a new server rack in one of our East Coast offices we moved the main 200+ Gb Dell Windows NT 4 file server out from the wall, unplugged the power and Ethernet cable and heard something fall into the case. Upon removing one of the side panels we discovered that the port on the Intel NIC literally fell off. After bit of panic due to the fact we wouldn't have been able to find a new NIC and didn't have any media or way of getting a new NIC into the system that would have worked with Windows NT 4. After the panic subsided I found some scotch tape, bent the pins on the jack, carefully positioned on the card, and taped it down. We successfully migrated all data from this box to the new Windows 2ooo file server cluster and had everything up and running by start of business Monday. I only wish I would have used duct-tape. Posted by Picasa

1/19/2006 07:53:00 PM | |

 

How to Squelch Your Inner Jackass

Wired News: How to Squelch Your Inner Jackass I quote, "...just because technology allows you to act like a braying ass in public doesn't mean you should do it." This is a great article and worth the read. Eric.

1/19/2006 12:19:00 PM | |

January 17, 2006 

BlackBerry Cool » WGarage: Reverse Lookup Reviewed

BlackBerry Cool » WGarage: Reverse Lookup Reviewed This looks extremely interesting and may turn into my next "must-have" BlackBerry app... Eric

1/17/2006 08:31:00 AM | |

January 16, 2006 

Ice Wine Is Called 'Nectar of the Gods' - Forbes.com

Ice Wine Is Called 'Nectar of the Gods' - Forbes.com I got turned onto ice wines after watching a program on the Discovery Channel about the harvest and production process. I have had ice wines from both Canadian and New York and they are quite wonderful. I would take an ice wine over a port for a nice after dinner wine. This is a good article and with their increasing popularity I would suggest getting some before prices inflate further.

1/16/2006 08:32:00 AM | |

January 14, 2006 

Personalized Google Mobile

Google Mobile has been updated to support personalization. I have been using IG (http://www.google.com/ig) as my home page since before Christmas and quite like it. Now that both IG and GMail are fully mobile enabled this is even more reason to use their services in my opinion. [This comes with the accepting the fact that privacy is a thing of the past--I am willing to accept that but that is another discussion] 1-17 -- I have set this as my home page on my BlackBerry and it works very nicely. I am to the point I will have to post an article on what I see as key mobile web sites.

1/14/2006 03:38:00 PM | |

January 13, 2006 

New BlackBerry product by Rick Mercer

CBC.ca Rick Mercer Report Media Player It wouldn't be funny if I hadn't witnesses this phenomenon while working in the Park Ave. Financial center in New York. I wondered why so many balding suits had goose-eggs on their heads .

1/13/2006 11:16:00 AM | |

January 12, 2006 

GMail Server Error

Server Error Gmail is temporarily unavailable. Cross your fingers and try again in a few minutes. We're sorry for the inconvenience. This is the first time I've run into an issue with GMail--though I don't know why I felt inclined to share this.

1/12/2006 04:09:00 PM | |

 

BlackBerry gets Google-ized

BlackBerry gets Google-ized | CNET News.com SWEET!!! I will post further info on this once I have a chance to play with this. Being both the BlackBerry and Google fan I see this as a GREAT thing.

1/12/2006 07:01:00 AM | |

January 11, 2006 

Jobs: New Intel Macs are 'screamers'

It's exciting to read about great updates to computers and technology that I am a fan of, but it is always coupled with the bitter knowledge of the fact that what I own now sucks <grin>.

Jobs: New Intel Macs are 'screamers' By John Borland

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the first Intel-based Macs, almost a half a year ahead of schedule.

1/11/2006 09:19:00 AM | |

January 09, 2006 

Which super-hero am I?

I saw this on a blog while I was googling for information. I just had to take the quiz and personally think this was quite accurate. [I think this shows how much of a geek I am--or anyone else that would brag about their results for that matter] Your results: You are Green Lantern
Green Lantern
 95%
Hulk
 85%
Superman
 75%
Spider-Man
 70%
Iron Man
 65%
The Flash
 65%
Batman
 55%
Robin
 50%
Supergirl
 45%
Wonder Woman
 40%
Catwoman
 35%
Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

1/09/2006 07:39:00 PM | |

January 08, 2006 

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith DVD Easter Eggs - MovieWeb

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith DVD Easter Eggs - MovieWeb This is too cool and well worth checking out. Hip-hop Yoda is well worth watching a few times.

1/08/2006 01:02:00 PM | |

January 06, 2006 

Bill's Retirement Party

Photos from Bill's Retirement Party This represents quite the end of an era. This is a photo album on my .Mac site of the retirement party we had for my boss of 8 years, IT Director, F+W Publications. Wow--how things can change in a few months.

1/06/2006 07:28:00 PM | |

January 02, 2006 

Two More NTP Patents Deemed Invalid

BetaNews | Two More NTP Patents Deemed Invalid This is a good, especially for BlackBerry fans. I personally think the patent system is broken and shows how much potential disruption could be caused to our infrastructure by warring leagal factions.

1/02/2006 10:11:00 PM | |

 

Template Changes

I decided to make some template updates to my site. Clean, simple and this works much better on WAP devices (e.g., BlackBerry).

Enjoy, Eric

1/02/2006 08:31:00 PM | |

January 01, 2006 

New Year with a bang

2005 has passed and '06 is upon us. This was quite the pinnacle year for my family and I. I jokingly told my wife during her birthday in January, 2005 that it was bound to be an extremely eventful year for her, considering that her birthday was 42, the Universal Answer. Due to my exuberance for her I failed to realize that anything she would encounter this year would also significantly impact me. 2006 should be an exciting year with a new job, new city, new house and new adventures for my family and me. Keep in touch ad I’m sure I will have plenty to share on my blog this year. HAPPY 2006!

1/01/2006 07:11:00 PM | |

December 22, 2005 

Windows XP Gets Security Certification

BetaNews | Windows XP Gets Security Certification This is good news for Microsoft and the many consumers that rely on their operating system products. Looking back to the summer BlackHat/Defcon conference in 'Vegas I remeber Microsoft actually being commended for their recent security efforts. It seems like this is starting to pay off and with 90% market dominance there security improvements are good for everyone. I still recommend mading the switch to Mac OS X but at least MS is starting to make some substantial security improvements.

12/22/2005 05:12:00 PM | |

December 21, 2005 

Plaxo revisited - contact management utopia

Plaxo has started a free 30 day trial of their premium service. Due to the fact I am leaving my current employer of almost 10 years I wanted to perform a good cleanup and update of my contacts. I don't have an enormous amount of contacts, a few hundred, but the are all extremely valuable to me. I wanted to ensure they new of my pending changes, received my up-to-date information, and ensure that I had their current information. Reading online, as I do way too often, I encountered numerous references to Plaxo. After further research I decided to try it out. Upon initial installation of their software I was greatly surprised how many of my contacts immediately "connected"--the term used when someone on my contact list is also a Plaxo member. These included people at Apple, Microsoft, etc. This means that when ever I update my contact information theirs will automatically be updated through the Plaxo service and vice-a-versa. The second step was to send update requests, using the provided Web, Thunderbird and Outlook interface, to a large group of selected key contacts. I was provided with a number of customizable email templates which was then sent from me with my attached and up-to-date personal contact information. The email contained a link to their contact information I had on file with Plaxo and allowed them to update their information and join Plaxo if desired. I was quite astonished at how quickly people provided updates and thus automatically updating my address books. I am currently syncing this information between Outlook on my office PC, Outlook and Thunderbird, my preferred email client, on my home PC, Thunderbird on my Mac and then to my BlackBerry--more on the new BB soon. I have also done a vCard export for import into my Mac OS X Address Book app. Though there is not full Mac OS X support rumor sites are reporting this should be available in January. The syncing has worked well and I now have my contacts effectively managed and updating across multiple devices and platforms with minimal efforts. I would suggest checking it out! I just joined the 30 day Plaxo Premium trial and will let everyone know what I think once I have a chance to further explore.

12/21/2005 01:18:00 PM | |

 

A picture is worth a thousand... arguments?

12/21/2005 12:56:00 PM | |

December 20, 2005 

The top 10 reasons to work in IT

The top 10 reasons to work in IT by ZDNet's Paul Murphy [This says it all - Eric] 10- I love living the Revenge of the Nerds 9- It's a nice way to avoid the social and personal stresses that go with upward mobility 8- It's the satisfaction - every time I finish the re-install and reboot cycle I feel I've learnt something new and contributed in a meaningful way to my colleagues, my community, and my culture. 7- Between the heat, the darkness, the double doors, and the noise, working in the data center is like returning to the womb every day. 6- I'm hoping to use the contacts I make working on the help desk to break into top management and show all those pretty party people who ignored me in high school who I really am. 5- I just love working with new technology - new challenges, new patches, new racks to install everyday. 4- I love having that pager on my belt - it makes me feel, you know, manly. 3- 'Down, not Across' - IT just makes sense 2- I love the travel - in my last job I spent six weeks training people in Lahore, now I'm looking forward to visiting Poland. And the number one reason for for working in IT? 1- It's the babes! stupid.

12/20/2005 08:10:00 AM | |

December 14, 2005 

Update: Security breach at Sam's Club exposes credit card data - Computerworld

Update: Security breach at Sam's Club exposes credit card data - Computerworld

12/14/2005 07:40:00 PM | |

 

Titan Rain

Schneier on Security: Titan Rain In the next few weeks I will be moving to a high-tech company primarily focused on government contract work. This article was of specific interest and I need to see if I can dig up further information about this. [Update] Guard against Titan Rain hackers Though this article is a bit stale (10/20/05) I still liked one of the final quotes: "It's up to CIOs and other IT managers to ensure that their companies practice good systems-hardening procedures, along with applying defense in depth throughout their entire organization. While people may think of Titan Rain as just applying to organizations with high-tech or national security interests, the fact is that since every organization faces the same wide threat landscape, you can't ignore basic security practices."

12/14/2005 12:52:00 PM | |

December 13, 2005 

Plaxo - the mobile/mulit-platform geek's address book dream?

Plaxo I plan on working on and testing this product out. They have some incredibly interesting services to sync data between Outlook, Thunderbird, web, etc. Now that I am in the process of moving out of my current employer and to the next I am looking at ways of keeping key data synced between multiple platforms, devices, etc. I prefer Tunderbird for email though need to use Outlook for contacts to my Blackberry and would like access to all of this from my Mac or PC. I don't think that is too much to ask... is it?

12/13/2005 12:10:00 PM | |

 

Top 10 System Administrator Truths

Top 10 System Administrator Truths These should be immutable help desk truths. Managing a support department for years I wish this weren't true but the solution is often just this simple. This is a great perspective.

12/13/2005 09:37:00 AM | |

December 12, 2005 

My new toy - BlackBerry 7130e

BlackBerry 7130e After spending quite a bit of time researching a personal cell phone I decided on a BlackBerry 7130e. I was really leaning towards a Nokia 6682 through Cingular and was prepared to shell out the $175 cancellation on my wife's phone but a week before I make that decision Verizon released this. This is the most advanced BlackBerry to date and the first that is a 3G device on Verizon's EVDO network. I am almost ashamed how hooked I am on the CrackBerry platform. This will allow me to email, IM and web/wap from the phone plus it allow for tethering which should let me to use the phone as a wireless broadband modem when connected to my laptop. I plan on testing this extensively later this week while I am in Cincinnati. Technology keeps amazing me -- 500+ kbps from a cell phone -- I remember when I was thrilled because my ISP upgraded from 14.4 to 28.8 kbps modems and a 500 kbps connection was "fast" for a business. I remember these legendary words of wisdom; "You can never have a computer that is fast enough and there no such thing as too much bandwidth."

12/12/2005 11:18:00 AM | |

 

The tree for our last Christmas in Iola

After many years of trekking out to a local Christmas tree farm we went and got our tree today for our last Christmas in Iola. Merry Christmas all and remember through all of the political backlash CHRISTmas is receiving that Jesus is still, and always will be, the reason for the season. Posted by Picasa

12/12/2005 05:47:00 AM | |

December 09, 2005 

Just Launched Gmail Features

What's New on Gmail Goolge's Gmail (Carnivore as a freind of mine refers to it) launched even more features today providing further reason to use Gmail. These include RSS/Atom feeds, attachment viewing, and address/tracking number link. These are some nice additions and improve this service further. I don't mine the "man" reading my email either.

12/09/2005 07:29:00 AM | |

 

Are you a "PC idiot"

From WinInfo Short Takes: Week of December 12 Study: Most PC Users Are Idiots It's painful, but it's true: According to a survey by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance, over 81 percent of all PCs lack basic security features like a firewall or updated antivirus software, making most of these machines easy targets for online criminals, hackers, and other malicious users. Using a Windows PC without basic security protection is like speeding in an open convertible on a slippery road with no seat belt on, from what I can tell, leading me to think that most people who get hacked these days are pretty much asking for it. Seriously, guys, how many times do you have to get bitten before you start protecting yourself? -- This is so true. Keep yourself protected. A small amount of effort goes quite a long way in preventing you and your computer from being "low hanging fruit". Running a hardware firewall, software firewall and decent anti-virus product along with exercising some common sense when surfing the web and checking email will protect you from the majority of PC threats. Eric

12/09/2005 05:58:00 AM | |

December 08, 2005 

Top Tech City: Minneapolis, MN - Popular Science

"But a truly great tech city -- —messy, organic, evolving -- —is defined by its people and by its ideas, not by its neat containment beneath futuristic domes." Top Tech City: Minneapolis, MN - Popular Science Minneapolis here I come! This looks like a great place for relocation. I asurpriseded about the massive positive reaction my wife and I have received from friends and associates about our pending move to the Twin Cities. I recalled reading this article in PopSci a number of months ago, early in this process, when my wife and I started discussing the possibility of relocation. It's amazing how this has all unfolded.

12/08/2005 11:07:00 AM | |

 

Slashdot | A Recipe for Newspaper Survival in the Internet Age

Slashdot | A Recipe for Newspaper Survival in the Internet Age This article sums up not only what I feel the newspaper industry is struggling with but also what pollutes the publishing and media industries in general. This is why I have decided to exit the publishing industry after 10 mostly wonderful years. There will be further details in a future post.

12/08/2005 08:30:00 AM | |

December 04, 2005 

Serial Lego thief ends his spree in shackles

Serial Lego thief ends his spree in shackles I couldn't resist posting this article primarily due to the fact my mom was bragging about the "Lego deals" she was getting on eBay for her grand children. I don't know if my kids will mind if the Legos they are playing with are hot.

12/04/2005 11:15:00 AM | |

 

Make Firefox Faster at Forever Geek

Make Firefox Faster at Forever Geek Here's something for broadband people that will really speed Firefox up: 1.Type 'about:config' into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries: network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading. 2. Alter the entries as follows: Set 'network.http.pipelining' to 'true' Set 'network.http.proxy.pipelining' to 'true' Set 'network.http.pipelining.maxrequests' to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once. 3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it 'nglayout.initialpaint.delay' and set its value to '0'. This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives. If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages MUCH faster now! -- Above quoted and formatted from Forever Geek - Eric

12/04/2005 11:04:00 AM | |

November 30, 2005 

Windows OneCare Live Available

Windows OneCare Live Available

I though that I add a short article about a product I have been testing for a number of months, Windows One Care. This is Microsoft's security and PC health product. It includes Anti-Virus (and currently the only product on the market that can protect against Root Kits), bi-directional firewall, defrag, backup and security patch management. Though this has been provided by other vendors (e.g. MacAfee and Symantec) this product is robust, elegantly simple and extremely low footprint on a computer thus there is minimal processor and RAM resources used.

This is only available for Windows XP SP2 and is in free public beta testing. I highly recommend this for home computers based on my experience with the product and I have run this exclusively on a test PC for a few months now without incident. It is currently free to download and use. If you decide to install this **make sure you RTFM and uninstall any other firewall, anti-virus or spyware product before installing**.

http://www.windowsonecare.com/

The only irritant is that how can MS eventually charge for something that fixes what they have broken in their OS?... hrrrm

11/30/2005 02:35:00 PM | |

November 29, 2005 

Firefox 1.5 Final Released

[UPDATE] Mozilla updated their GetFirefox site last night. You can download and read about all of the features and benefits of Firefox at http://www.getfirefox.com. This is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux (and other UNIX variants). BetaNews | Firefox 1.5 Final Released My favorite web browser, as expected, was updated today. If you haven't already you should download the 1.5 version of the free web browser that has been downloaded 100+ million times in the first year of availability. This is a great update to a great open source project.

11/29/2005 02:45:00 PM | |

November 28, 2005 

'Beta' Becomes a Long-Term Label

WSJ.com - For Some Technology Companies, 'Beta' Becomes a Long-Term Label This was references on Slashdot from the WSJ. I enjoyed the opening line as this sums up so much in the computer/software industry: "Few people would fly on an airline that advertised its planes had untested engines, or swallow a pill from a drug company that admitted the side effects were unknown. Yet when it comes to software, it seems consumers are much more adventurous."

11/28/2005 06:58:00 PM | |

 

Picasa from Google - Pretty near iPhoto

Picasa from Google I have become a tremendous Mac fan over the past two years but for various reasons my personal laptop is a Windows based PC. Choice of browser is quite easy, I run Firefox on both my Mac and PC, music app is equally easy as I use iTunes. I have though been looking for an iPhoto comparable photo library application and think I might have finally found it. Picasa from Google appears to be fast, simple and robust. There are some neat eye-candy effects in the user interface and it seems to offer the staple of iPhoto with a couple of other innovative features. I also like the fact that it can directly feed Gmail and Blogger which makes this a great laptop/portable camera companion. If anyone is using Microsoft Picture It or Adobe Photoshop Library I would suggest checking out Picasa.

11/28/2005 06:39:00 PM | |

 

Google--what you get for $400 a share | CNET News.com

Google--what you get for $400 a share | CNET News.com Here is good Google article I came across on News.com. This provides a nice list of services Google currently offers and a summary of what they do, what it competes with and what the potential value is. I dig Google.

11/28/2005 03:36:00 PM | |

 

iTunes in Top 10 U.S. Music Retailers

Mac Rumors: iTunes in Top 10 U.S. Music Retailers This is a great article and I think really shows the recording industry a fact they have been trying to ignore for years. People want to download their music! iTunes is now the #7 largest music seller topping Tower Records and Borders. If you haven't already get Apple's iTunes and an iPod. This was the best thing I have done with my music collection plus iPods make great Christmas presents.

11/28/2005 10:19:00 AM | |

November 27, 2005 

The first of Christmas

It is always fun to take the kids out for the first of Christmas shopping. Personally I refuse to celebrate Christmas in any way until after Thanksgiving but now the festivities can begin. On a side note I personally refuse to call Christmas anything but CHRISTmas even thou pop-politics would dictate otherwise. Taking the kids to the mall is always fun. Some wandering, window shopping, a bit of buying and listening to the cheesy Christmas music echo through the crowds are always a nice post-Thanksgiving event. It's also nice to stop, feed the kids chicken nuggets (aka Soylent Green) and stop by the mall romper room to burn off the remaining energy for the night. Some retailers I know stated the this weekend seemed to start with quite the shopping boom. I will be interesting to see as the "Black Friday" reports roll in but from my meek perspective it looks good. I did my part and bought a couple of pricey luxury item gifts today in my support of American capitalism. Officially I can now wish you a merry Christmas as I head to the coffee bar for an americano while the kids are entertained.

11/27/2005 04:02:00 PM | |

 

The Capresso Ultima - A great cup of coffee at a great price.

The Capresso Ultima I have quite the fondness for coffee and kitchen gadgetry. A number of month ago I was on quite the quest for the perfect cup of coffee. For those passionate about their coffee drip is not the way to go. After pruchasing a coffee pod system for a friend I looked into these and decided against one due to two facts; one, you have a limited selection of coffee and two, this can get pricey depending on how much you drink. After quite a bit of review and reading I selected a Capresso Ultima. Capresso is what Krups was before they sold their name out to mass consumerism. The Ultima, though not a full automatic system is definitely a step beyond a fully manual system. It also runs only $300 versus automatics which start at $800 or so. I make 4-6 capuchinos or americanos each day, half for me and half for my wife. Maintenance is a snap and it produces a wonderful creama. Well... off to make another one.

11/27/2005 12:15:00 PM | |

 

CNET News.com's Xbox 360 coverage

Xbox 360 | CNET News.com Here is the special Xbox 360 coverage section on News.com's site. I have completely moved away from PC/Mac based gaming since moving to an Xbox years ago. I got quite fed up with the continual hardware upgrades and the increasingly draconian DRM protection being put into games. Nothing like being reminded you are a suspected criminal each time you want to play your new $50 game but I digress. The Xbox 360, though an attractive platform, is something I have decided on delaying purchase until at least after Q1 '06. This decision was primarily made to watch how well the backwards compatibility would work. I have had slight regrets not jumping in early due to the fact Xbox 360s are pulling $1500 on eBay currently. Now the news on overheating systems are emerging. This will be quite interesting to monitor as the Xbox 360s have a triple-core PowerPC processor and I know how hard Apple works at keeping a single-core PPC cool in their G5 systems. As usual another interesting thread to watch.

11/27/2005 11:06:00 AM | |

 

Google-icious

I have become a hugh Google fan over the past year. Services I actively use include: You take keep up on all of the cool items that Google offers at http://labs.google.com.

11/27/2005 09:53:00 AM | |

 

Geek Squd U3 Flash Drive

U3 brings the power of portable software to your USB flash drive - make it a smart drive! This is some pretty cool technology. It expands on the standard smart dirive technology and provides a mobile application platform. There are some great software companies taking advantage of this. I personally bought a BestBuy 1 Gb Geek Squad drive because of its design but there are numerous other vendors that are supporting this technology. I am running McAffee Anti-virus, Thunderbird email client and my favorite IM client for Windows, Trillian all from this device.

11/27/2005 07:39:00 AM | |

 

Welcome

I have finally decided to get a blog up and running. I have thought about this for some time but due to circumstances I am currently in I have not had the time to spare for anything but work and work and work and family. I am committing to keeping up with this blog there will be more to come. Enjoy, Eric.

11/27/2005 07:17:00 AM |