Some people online are expressing outrage that PayPal has banned Wikileaks from receiving donations through the service. I say BFD. F wikileaks. They're putting people's lives at risk, and damaging diplomatic relations around the world.
Julian Assange is being praised as some sort of hero. He's not.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
AVG Update causes Reboot Loop
I had a client call me and describe a situation in which AVG said it needed to reboot in order to install an update. He allowed it, and it continued to request a reboot. Endlessly. I walked him through system restore, and it seemed to work - then happened again about 20 minutes later. I told him I'd have to come out and look at it.
So I was about to go to sleep, and I hopped to my main computer to synchronize my Outlook with MobileMe one last time for the day. I wiggle the mouse and login, and the first thing I saw was an AVG prompt requesting a restart. I allowed it, and sat there waiting for the system to start up again.
Instead of my desktop, I was greeted with a "Startup Repair" window. :( I tried to use System Restore, and for whatever reason, IT CRASHED. This was not good.
I went over to one of my other machines, and discovered that other people have experienced the same issue. After some digging, I found this method to repair the problem:
1. Using Startup Repair, invoke a Command Prompt.
2. Navigate to "C:\Program Files (X86)\AVG\AVG10"
3. Type "rename *.exe *.bak" and hit ENTER
4. Type exit
5. Exit Startup Repair
6. Windows will begin rebooting, and eventually present a screen offering two choices - "Startup Repair" or "Start Normally". Choose START NORMALLY.
7. Windows *should* boot normally, with one important difference. AVG isn't running.
8. Go to the control panel and uninstall AVG.
9. Once AVG is uninstalled, the system will need to reboot again.
10. As Windows starts up, AVG will launch a browser window requesting a short survey as to why you uninstalled it. Let them know what happened.
11. You can either reinstall AVG Free (it looks like the offending update has been pulled) or use another program, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.
12. I'm going to reinstall AVG free, as it's been a fine program for years. Every Anti-Virus program has had occasional problems with false positives, etc. I'll give them another chance. I ended up going with Microsoft Security Essentials, which to date has been great.
NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ASSUMED IF THE ABOVE METHOD DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU, IF IT BORKS YOUR COMPUTER, OR IF YOU SUDDENLY HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS. GOOD LUCK
So I was about to go to sleep, and I hopped to my main computer to synchronize my Outlook with MobileMe one last time for the day. I wiggle the mouse and login, and the first thing I saw was an AVG prompt requesting a restart. I allowed it, and sat there waiting for the system to start up again.
Instead of my desktop, I was greeted with a "Startup Repair" window. :( I tried to use System Restore, and for whatever reason, IT CRASHED. This was not good.
I went over to one of my other machines, and discovered that other people have experienced the same issue. After some digging, I found this method to repair the problem:
1. Using Startup Repair, invoke a Command Prompt.
2. Navigate to "C:\Program Files (X86)\AVG\AVG10"
3. Type "rename *.exe *.bak" and hit ENTER
4. Type exit
5. Exit Startup Repair
6. Windows will begin rebooting, and eventually present a screen offering two choices - "Startup Repair" or "Start Normally". Choose START NORMALLY.
7. Windows *should* boot normally, with one important difference. AVG isn't running.
8. Go to the control panel and uninstall AVG.
9. Once AVG is uninstalled, the system will need to reboot again.
10. As Windows starts up, AVG will launch a browser window requesting a short survey as to why you uninstalled it. Let them know what happened.
11. You can either reinstall AVG Free (it looks like the offending update has been pulled) or use another program, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.
12.
NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ASSUMED IF THE ABOVE METHOD DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU, IF IT BORKS YOUR COMPUTER, OR IF YOU SUDDENLY HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS. GOOD LUCK
Sunday, November 21, 2010
My Review - FLYNN'S ARCADE T-Shirt
Cool shirt - GLOWS IN THE DARK!
By badtzmartin from Burbank, CA on 11/21/2010
Fit: Feels true to sizeLength: Feels true to length
Pros: Stylish
Describe Yourself: Casual
I've seen knockoffs of this design. This is NOT a knockoff. It's officially licensed and great!
(legalese)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Dukes of Hazzard filming locations, then & now
Some people like to find the real-life locations where their favorite Movies & TV Shows were filmed.
This guy makes an art form of it:
http://users.telenet.be/roadmaster/dukesofhazzard_locations.htm
This guy makes an art form of it:
http://users.telenet.be/roadmaster/dukesofhazzard_locations.htm
Friday, October 22, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
iTunes Ping - Review
Apple recently released a new music-centric social networking service called "Ping". At the moment, it looks half-baked at best, useless at worst.
Here's some of the things I think are wrong or missing as of now:
1. Another "walled garden" that's separate from other social networks, especially facebook. I think this is the biggest failing - searching for friends who participate in the service by their names or email addresses one-by-one SUCKS. Period.
2. The artists that are participating are relatively sparse at this point, and I suspect Apple recruited those who are there. Also, independent artists can't setup an "Artist" profile on their own - currently they've got to setup a personal account profile.
3. The "following" of specific artists isn't integrated properly with their iTunes store listing. If a particular artist is for sale on the iTunes, you should be able to follow them from there, regardless of whether they have setup an artist profile in Ping.
When Steve Jobs demoed the new iTunes "Ping" social networking service, it had Facebook friend finding. Apparently the feature was pulled last minute because Apple used a Facebook API without approval. Even if that feature was still there, it's not enough. The status updates, etc. should be fully integrated into Facebook. If iTunes Ping remains a separate social network, it will fail.
Here's some of the things I think are wrong or missing as of now:
1. Another "walled garden" that's separate from other social networks, especially facebook. I think this is the biggest failing - searching for friends who participate in the service by their names or email addresses one-by-one SUCKS. Period.
2. The artists that are participating are relatively sparse at this point, and I suspect Apple recruited those who are there. Also, independent artists can't setup an "Artist" profile on their own - currently they've got to setup a personal account profile.
3. The "following" of specific artists isn't integrated properly with their iTunes store listing. If a particular artist is for sale on the iTunes, you should be able to follow them from there, regardless of whether they have setup an artist profile in Ping.
When Steve Jobs demoed the new iTunes "Ping" social networking service, it had Facebook friend finding. Apparently the feature was pulled last minute because Apple used a Facebook API without approval. Even if that feature was still there, it's not enough. The status updates, etc. should be fully integrated into Facebook. If iTunes Ping remains a separate social network, it will fail.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Pedophilia in Afghanistan...
Why have I heard nothing about this before?
Apparently pedophilia is a common practice in Pashtun culture in Afghanistan.
And of all the outlets to cover it - The San Francisco Chronicle???
Full article here:
Afghanistan's dirty little secret
Apparently pedophilia is a common practice in Pashtun culture in Afghanistan.
And of all the outlets to cover it - The San Francisco Chronicle???
Full article here:
Afghanistan's dirty little secret
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally
Glenn Beck was the organizer of a rally on the National Mall. The stated purpose of the rally was to show support for a return to more traditional values, called "Restoring Honor". The media in general are critical of this rally on the National Mall today, with many (including Rev. Al Sharpton) suggesting that by holding the event on the National Mall on the same day MLK gave his famous "I have a dream" speech, Beck's "stepping on toes" and such. Is it because Beck is white? Perhaps. Let's see if they acknowledge the magnitude and diversity of the crowd that was there:
Yes, that's the National Mall - filled with people of all types - all there supporting traditional values.
The good Reverend held a "Reclaiming The Dream" rally nearby, but the turnout was less significant. The only picture I could find was this:
It looks like a smaller crowd, and I didn't choose to compare the old photograph with the new one. But it shows something about the size of the crowd. In the black & white MLK photo, you can see people in the crowd way back. In the Sharpton photo at right, not so much.
Also, Sharpton's event was missing someone. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. was at Beck's event, and spoke to the crowd.
The good Reverend held a "Reclaiming The Dream" rally nearby, but the turnout was less significant. The only picture I could find was this:
Also, Sharpton's event was missing someone. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. was at Beck's event, and spoke to the crowd.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Pandigital Novel - Quick Review
Just picked up a Pandigital Novel last night, partly to use as a cheap ($170) e-reader. Honestly, it was a cheap iPad alternative that I knew other people (smarter than me) had figured out how to install Android applications on. The stock "reader" app (which still works after the hack) can buy books from Barnes & Noble, just like the Nook. After hacking, I was also able to install Kindle for Android, which effectively makes this a "multi-platform" e-reader. Again, for this price it's hard to resist.
Here's what it looks like "stock". Not bad.
The real fun began when I followed a series of (relatively simple) steps I found online, and hacked it to run "regular" Android, complete with access to the "Android Market". I can even justify this as a business expense, since it's the first Android device I've spent more than 2 minutes using, and knowing my way around Android will help when a client asks me to help them setup an Android phone.
The screen is RESISTIVE, which means it requires pressure, such as the tip of your finger or a stylus. This is not a deal breaker, especially on a cheap device like this. It's actually pretty sensitive and responsive - I wish my GPS had a screen this responsive.
The iPad (and iPhone) uses a CAPACITIVE screen, which requires that a conductive "pointer" (such as your bare finger) be used. While a capacitive screen "feels" better, this screen feels good for what it is.
It has 1GB of on-board storage, but will accept SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with it. If you don't already have an iPad, and don't want to spend $500, go to Bed Bath & Beyond right away and buy one of these.
Here's what it looks like "stock". Not bad.
The real fun began when I followed a series of (relatively simple) steps I found online, and hacked it to run "regular" Android, complete with access to the "Android Market". I can even justify this as a business expense, since it's the first Android device I've spent more than 2 minutes using, and knowing my way around Android will help when a client asks me to help them setup an Android phone.
The screen is RESISTIVE, which means it requires pressure, such as the tip of your finger or a stylus. This is not a deal breaker, especially on a cheap device like this. It's actually pretty sensitive and responsive - I wish my GPS had a screen this responsive.
The iPad (and iPhone) uses a CAPACITIVE screen, which requires that a conductive "pointer" (such as your bare finger) be used. While a capacitive screen "feels" better, this screen feels good for what it is.
It has 1GB of on-board storage, but will accept SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with it. If you don't already have an iPad, and don't want to spend $500, go to Bed Bath & Beyond right away and buy one of these.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
OtterBox "Defender" case for iPhone 4 - Review
Just got my OtterBox Defender case for the iPhone 4.
The Good:
- The clear screen guard is 100x better than the prior one. No "oil slick", and it appears to have a slightly matte finish inside, which just seems to improve visibility.
- The inner shell snaps together as before, except now the actual latches that make it work are integrated into how the holster works. And because of this, the holster is more secure.
- The opening for the dock connector isn't as small as before, so chargers seem to fit more easily. The prior model for the 3G/3GS had an oval opening that required modification of my car charger in order to fit.
The Not-So-Good:
- The silione outer layer isn't as "meaty" as the prior version. I know some people may consider this a benefit, but I personally like the thicker outer layer.
- The holster's release for the phone is now side-mounted. So if you're wearing the holster vertically, you've got to rotate the phone to unclip it.
Overall - this is a very well-designed, high-quality rugged case for the iPhone 4. The previous complaint about the fragility of Ballistic's offering make the OtterBox the clear winner for me.
The Good:
- The clear screen guard is 100x better than the prior one. No "oil slick", and it appears to have a slightly matte finish inside, which just seems to improve visibility.
- The inner shell snaps together as before, except now the actual latches that make it work are integrated into how the holster works. And because of this, the holster is more secure.
- The opening for the dock connector isn't as small as before, so chargers seem to fit more easily. The prior model for the 3G/3GS had an oval opening that required modification of my car charger in order to fit.
The Not-So-Good:
- The silione outer layer isn't as "meaty" as the prior version. I know some people may consider this a benefit, but I personally like the thicker outer layer.
- The holster's release for the phone is now side-mounted. So if you're wearing the holster vertically, you've got to rotate the phone to unclip it.
Overall - this is a very well-designed, high-quality rugged case for the iPhone 4. The previous complaint about the fragility of Ballistic's offering make the OtterBox the clear winner for me.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ballistic HC Case for iPhone 4 - Review
Just hot the Ballistic HC Case for the iPhone 4. The case is okay, but the rubber outer layer already broke:
-- Post From My iPhone
UPDATE: I sent the company an email, and apparently they're sending me a free replacement. Cool!
-- Post From My iPhone
UPDATE: I sent the company an email, and apparently they're sending me a free replacement. Cool!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Couldn't have said it better myself...
And yes, that is bird poop all over it...
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
iPhone 4 "Bumper" case refunds
Apple recently announced that since the iPhone 4's antenna design appears to be the cause of signal loss, they're refunding money to anyone who purchased a "bumper" case.
I just got the following, twice, since I bought two:
Dear Apple Customer,
Apple recently announced that iPhone 4 customers who purchased an iPhone 4 Bumper are eligible for a full refund.
As of today, we have automatically processed your refund.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Support
I just got the following, twice, since I bought two:
Dear Apple Customer,
Apple recently announced that iPhone 4 customers who purchased an iPhone 4 Bumper are eligible for a full refund.
As of today, we have automatically processed your refund.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Support
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Samsung Omnia II "Review"
A client of mine just got the Samsung Omnia II. It's clearly being marketed as an "iPhone competitor.". In reality It's not at all competitive. The touchscreen appeared to be resistive, which means you have to physically push down on it. It had a sort of "skinned interface", but underneath it runs Windows Mobile, which was a decent competitor to the old Palm OS on PDAs several years ago, but it doesn't hold up very well today. Bottom line, it's a very dumb "smartphone".
Something I noticed while waiting at the Apple Store
I arrived at the apple store at approximately 8pm. (Dropped the phone at 7:20 or so.)
I was standing at the Genius Bar from 8:05 until 8:40 or so.
During that time, at least TEN iPads were sold. Hmm...
I was standing at the Genius Bar from 8:05 until 8:40 or so.
During that time, at least TEN iPads were sold. Hmm...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Dead iPhone 4.
I dropped my iPhone 4 from a height of less than 1 meter onto a "soft" linoleum floor. It (the phone) was wearing a bumper case. When I picked it up, it was OFF. And it stayed off. There was zero visible damage of any kind. It just refused to light up. I know the battery was well over 50%, so that wasn't it. Could it really be that a short drop like that killed my iPhone 4? Apparently so.
Needless to say, I was upset. I went to the nearest Apple Store (Pasadena) and got on the "standby" list at the Genius Bar. After about 40 minutes, someone called my name. About 10 minutes after that, I had a new iPhone 4 at no cost to me. I last synchronized this morning and am in the process of restoring from that backup as I type. Of course, I'll still lose any pictures/videos I made since this morning, and have to re-enter a bunch of stuff on the phone (at least 30 usernames & passwords, several wireless keys, merchant id's, etc.)
While Apple's support and service is world-class, I'm beginning to worry that the iPhone 4 is not. Is it wrong to expect a phone to survive a drop of less than 1 meter?
Needless to say, I was upset. I went to the nearest Apple Store (Pasadena) and got on the "standby" list at the Genius Bar. After about 40 minutes, someone called my name. About 10 minutes after that, I had a new iPhone 4 at no cost to me. I last synchronized this morning and am in the process of restoring from that backup as I type. Of course, I'll still lose any pictures/videos I made since this morning, and have to re-enter a bunch of stuff on the phone (at least 30 usernames & passwords, several wireless keys, merchant id's, etc.)
While Apple's support and service is world-class, I'm beginning to worry that the iPhone 4 is not. Is it wrong to expect a phone to survive a drop of less than 1 meter?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Health Insurance requirement: "Not a Tax"?
Remember when Obamacare passed, and they (mostly dems) said that although the law required you to have insurance, and although you'd be penalized monetarily for not having it - it was not a tax. Over and over, the penalty was defended as a anything other than a tax.
Well, now they're finally starting to own up to the truth:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/health/policy/18health.html?_r=1&ref=politics
Well, now they're finally starting to own up to the truth:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/health/policy/18health.html?_r=1&ref=politics
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
I've gone over to the dark side... ;)
Since I'm working on actually doing some additional marketing, I'm looking at a number of options. Someone suggested using Facebook as another method of marketing.
At first, I scoffed at the suggestion. I had a personal account on Facebook before, but found it annoying. That being said, she made a compelling argument, and I had no idea that I could create a "corporate presence" there.
I took the advice and setup a company page, but maintaining it requires that you also have a personal account as well. Facebook generates a ton of emails - someone took a trip, posted pictures, and got 35 comments - you'll get at least 35 emails detailing the blow-by-blow for each. So I setup a rule on my Outlook
to automatically move Facebook emails to a folder called "Facebook".
It's only been a week or so, but we'll see how it goes. Click the Facebook link on the right and be sure to click "Like" once you're on the "Geek to The Rescue - Burbank, CA" page.
At first, I scoffed at the suggestion. I had a personal account on Facebook before, but found it annoying. That being said, she made a compelling argument, and I had no idea that I could create a "corporate presence" there.
I took the advice and setup a company page, but maintaining it requires that you also have a personal account as well. Facebook generates a ton of emails - someone took a trip, posted pictures, and got 35 comments - you'll get at least 35 emails detailing the blow-by-blow for each. So I setup a rule on my Outlook
to automatically move Facebook emails to a folder called "Facebook". It's only been a week or so, but we'll see how it goes. Click the Facebook link on the right and be sure to click "Like" once you're on the "Geek to The Rescue - Burbank, CA" page.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tell me again why the charges were dropped?
This POS was protected by the current administration. Why?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Nite-Ize cases
I needed a case to hold my iPhone 4 when working. Since OtterBox still doesn't have anything, I originally bought a handful of generic "sideways" holster pouches from a few mall kiosks. Some worked okay, but none of them felt quite right.
I've been using the Clip Pock-Its XL
for a while now, and it works well. The clip is designed to stay on your belt no matter what. I figured I'd look and see if they made something that would work for the iPhone 4. I'm glad I did.
I picked up the Nite Ize Universal Clip Case Sideways Medium
and it's working pretty well so far. I'm still awaiting an Otterbox case, but until that time, this is a worthy substitute.
I've been using the Clip Pock-Its XL
for a while now, and it works well. The clip is designed to stay on your belt no matter what. I figured I'd look and see if they made something that would work for the iPhone 4. I'm glad I did.I picked up the Nite Ize Universal Clip Case Sideways Medium
and it's working pretty well so far. I'm still awaiting an Otterbox case, but until that time, this is a worthy substitute.Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Just got my iPhone 4 - first impressions
I just got my iPhone 4, along with two "bumper" cases. They're not really cases, but that was all that was available...
First impressions:
First impressions:
- The speakerphone is MUCH louder (and therefore better)
- The screen ("retina display") is absolutely phenomenal, but... it looks funny through my polarized Ray-Ban sunglasses. This WILL grind on me, and unfortunately I'll probably end up buying some new sunglasses.
- It's MUCH faster to do everything.
- The camera is quite improved, although I think the digital "zoom" is worthless.
- FaceTime is great. I only know one person who has an iPhone 4, so the value of this feature is minimal for now.
- It feels solid, but so did prior generations.
- No rugged cases are available yet, and the nearby Apple and AT&T stores are sold out of most iPhone cases in general. I've been using an Otterbox Defender case, which has a holster clip. Until they (or another company) come out with something, I'm stuck with the bumper, and then putting it in a generic (sideways) holster pouch.
- Internet Tethering will require that I give up my "unlimited" data plan... I'm not going to do it yet, since I haven't had much use for that anyway.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Senators propose granting president emergency Internet power
Really? Is giving Obama (or any one person) a "kill switch" for the internet a good idea?
Senators propose granting president emergency Internet power | Politics and Law - CNET News
Senators propose granting president emergency Internet power | Politics and Law - CNET News
Thursday, June 17, 2010
AT&T borked the iPhone 4 pre-orders
As you may be aware, AT&T's servers were not ready for the massive demand for the iPhone 4.
Like a good fanboy, I was all ready to pre-order an iPhone 4 on the morning of June 15th. I started on Apple's Online Store, and noticed that it kept hanging when it would try to verify my eligibility for the upgrade. So after about 50 attempts (and re-entering my info that many times), I figured it was worth trying to do it on AT&T's site. After about 20 attempts, it appeared to go through. Or so I thought.
Because I was doing so much at once, right after the order went through, my browser crashed. This prevented me from printing the order confirmation. So I had no order number, no confirmation of any kind. I only remembered seeing "Thank you for your order."
Because I didn't trust the way it happened, I decided to try the Apple Online Store again. After about 4 attempts, that worked as well. Unfortunately, by that point it was saying that pre-orders would be delivered by July 2 as opposed to June 24. :( Of course, if both orders go through, that means I'll have spent around $700 after taxes as opposed to $350. :(
I got an email confirmation from Apple almost immediately, but nothing from AT&T. I therefore resigned myself to having to wait another 2 weeks. I also assumed that the AT&T order just didn't go through. Later in the day I got an email from AT&T saying there was a problem with the credit card, and that the order would be canceled if they didn't get new/correct credit card info. I called the number in the email and waited 35 minutes on hold before the system told me basically "sorry, we're too busy, call back later". I tried several times after that, for a grand total of about an hour-and-a-half on hold. This morning I actually got through - to a human being!
There's nothing wrong with the card - it's a debit card and the balance is more than sufficient for this purchase. However, for some reason their system kept rejecting it. So I gave the rep my business debit card, which worked. She told me that from what she could see on the system, it looked like my order would in fact arrive on June 24. I thanked her and hung up.
So now I just wait and see. Will I receive an iPhone 4 from AT&T on June 24? Will Apple send me one on July 2? Will I end up with two? Time will tell.
Like a good fanboy, I was all ready to pre-order an iPhone 4 on the morning of June 15th. I started on Apple's Online Store, and noticed that it kept hanging when it would try to verify my eligibility for the upgrade. So after about 50 attempts (and re-entering my info that many times), I figured it was worth trying to do it on AT&T's site. After about 20 attempts, it appeared to go through. Or so I thought.
Because I was doing so much at once, right after the order went through, my browser crashed. This prevented me from printing the order confirmation. So I had no order number, no confirmation of any kind. I only remembered seeing "Thank you for your order."
Because I didn't trust the way it happened, I decided to try the Apple Online Store again. After about 4 attempts, that worked as well. Unfortunately, by that point it was saying that pre-orders would be delivered by July 2 as opposed to June 24. :( Of course, if both orders go through, that means I'll have spent around $700 after taxes as opposed to $350. :(
I got an email confirmation from Apple almost immediately, but nothing from AT&T. I therefore resigned myself to having to wait another 2 weeks. I also assumed that the AT&T order just didn't go through. Later in the day I got an email from AT&T saying there was a problem with the credit card, and that the order would be canceled if they didn't get new/correct credit card info. I called the number in the email and waited 35 minutes on hold before the system told me basically "sorry, we're too busy, call back later". I tried several times after that, for a grand total of about an hour-and-a-half on hold. This morning I actually got through - to a human being!
There's nothing wrong with the card - it's a debit card and the balance is more than sufficient for this purchase. However, for some reason their system kept rejecting it. So I gave the rep my business debit card, which worked. She told me that from what she could see on the system, it looked like my order would in fact arrive on June 24. I thanked her and hung up.
So now I just wait and see. Will I receive an iPhone 4 from AT&T on June 24? Will Apple send me one on July 2? Will I end up with two? Time will tell.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Gary Coleman
Like Michael Jackson, this guy was exploited by everyone around him from an early age. Even in his 40's, he was surrounded by people who didn't really give a damn. Even after his death, the jackals continue to feed - his ex-wife sold this picture of Gary on his deathbed to the Globe "Magazine":
Picture source: http://www.globemagazine.com/story/511
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Dennis Hopper - R.I.P.
I just became aware of Dennis Hopper's passing. I'm deeply saddened.
I briefly met him in 1988 or so. I was probably about 17 years old. I was driving in Pasadena, CA and he pulled up next to me. I was driving a Hyundai; he was driving a Cadillac. He asked for directions. I was so star-struck that all I could get out was "Blue Velvet
was f**king rad!" Thankfully, my companion was able to provide him with directions, but he genuinely seemed to appreciate my praise and was a good sport about it.The world lost an interesting and talented thespian today.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The times are a-changing...
A client sent me this in a forwarded email - so I can't take credit for writing it.
Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come!
1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.
6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem.
The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
7. Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing all lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator.
Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.
8. The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider.
In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have that can't be changed are memories.
Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come!
1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.
6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem.
The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
7. Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing all lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator.
Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.
8. The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider.
In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have that can't be changed are memories.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
KFC Double Down - Review
I had to try it. And truth be told, it tasted good, but something was bothering me. The picture shows real bacon. The advertising says "two pieces of bacon". Unfortunately, the "Double Down" I received did NOT contain real bacon, but rather FAKE BACON. That's right - IMITATION BACON on quite possibly the most decadent sandwich sold by a chain restaurant. It was kinda like Turkey Bacon - it was okay, but it wasn't bacon.
Gripes about advertising fraud aside, the whole thing went down quite nicely, and in eating it I couldn't avoid being aware that I was doing something bad. And it felt good.
Monday, April 5, 2010
iTunes 9.1 remaining issue
I got iTunes 9.1 to work, and connected my iPhone to sync it.
Guess what appeared:
Of course, I usually synchronize "Notes" with my computer, but it's the first time I did so in German... ;)
Guess what appeared:
Of course, I usually synchronize "Notes" with my computer, but it's the first time I did so in German... ;)
iTunes 9.1 on Windows 7 (64-bit) is BROKEN
Just updated my iTunes to 9.1, and now it won't start.
Apparently I'm not alone:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=150&start=45#threads
No error messages, no apparent problems during installation. :(
UPDATE: TURNS OUT IT'S A PROBLEM WITH BONJOUR - WHICH IS USED FOR APPLE TV. I REMOVED IT AND ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD.
Apparently I'm not alone:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=150&start=45#threads
No error messages, no apparent problems during installation. :(
UPDATE: TURNS OUT IT'S A PROBLEM WITH BONJOUR - WHICH IS USED FOR APPLE TV. I REMOVED IT AND ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
This is a member of Congress...
It's astounding to hear how dumb this man sounds, especially once you find out that he's a congressman:
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Man arrested for TATOOING 1 YEAR OLD GIRL
I believe society is generally in decline, so hearing about the sick things people do typically doesn't surprise me, but this is still shocking:
Apparently, this piece-of-crap tattooed a 1 year old child:
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-ohio-man-tattoos-baby,0,6794111.story
Apparently, this piece-of-crap tattooed a 1 year old child:
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-ohio-man-tattoos-baby,0,6794111.story
Thursday, March 11, 2010
PowerSupport - PRODUCT REVIEWS
PowerSupport USA (http://www.powersupportusa.com) makes two very interesting products for MacBooks.
First is the TrackPad Film for MacBook
, which solves a common problem. I've had my MacBook for over two years, and over that time, the trackpad surface has become unevenly glossy. This makes using it inconsistent and even a little frustrating. This simple solution is essentially a little sticker that you lay over the track pad, and like magic, it feels like new again. Other than a little difficulty getting it lined up and bubble-free, I couldn't be happier.
The second item is the Anti-Glare Film for MacBook. It is a matte-finish overlay for the MacBook screen. Again, apart from the typical difficulties in lining it up and getting all bubbles out, it's a real winner. No glossy screen anymore for me!
Between these two simple upgrades, plus previous upgrades to Snow Leopard, increased RAM and the (recently upgraded) Hard Disk, my MacBook is even better today than it was when it was new!
The one (minor) negative is that the instructions were entirely in Japanese. Thankfully I've used similar products before and was able to "wing it". I assume that others are able to do the same, but I never underestimate the ability of people to do something wrong...
Even better for me is that rather than ordering it and having to wait, they have a retail store within a mile of my home:
They also sell various iPod & iPhone cases and accessories, as well as miscellaneous items from Japan. If you're nearby, you should really check it out.
http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/track-pad-film-for-macbook-13-black
http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/antiglare-film-for-macbook-white-or-black-13
First is the TrackPad Film for MacBook
, which solves a common problem. I've had my MacBook for over two years, and over that time, the trackpad surface has become unevenly glossy. This makes using it inconsistent and even a little frustrating. This simple solution is essentially a little sticker that you lay over the track pad, and like magic, it feels like new again. Other than a little difficulty getting it lined up and bubble-free, I couldn't be happier.
The second item is the Anti-Glare Film for MacBook
. It is a matte-finish overlay for the MacBook screen. Again, apart from the typical difficulties in lining it up and getting all bubbles out, it's a real winner. No glossy screen anymore for me!Between these two simple upgrades, plus previous upgrades to Snow Leopard, increased RAM and the (recently upgraded) Hard Disk, my MacBook is even better today than it was when it was new!
The one (minor) negative is that the instructions were entirely in Japanese. Thankfully I've used similar products before and was able to "wing it". I assume that others are able to do the same, but I never underestimate the ability of people to do something wrong...
Even better for me is that rather than ordering it and having to wait, they have a retail store within a mile of my home:
They also sell various iPod & iPhone cases and accessories
, as well as miscellaneous items from Japan. If you're nearby, you should really check it out.http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/track-pad-film-for-macbook-13-black
http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/antiglare-film-for-macbook-white-or-black-13
Friday, March 5, 2010
What just happened?
I upgraded my internet connection to 20Mbps down/2Mbps up some time ago. And since then, every time I ran a speed test, it was pretty much right on the money. I ran a speed test this morning, and this is what I got:
I ran several more tests and the results were pretty much identical. I sure hope it stays like this... ;)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Nuance Dragon Dictation for the iPhone
Nuance, makers of "Dragon Naturally Speaking", produce an app for the iPhone called "Nuance Dragon Dictation". It lets you speak to your iPhone, and it converts what you say to text that can be copy & pasted into emails, text messages, etc.
My 10-yr old niece asked me if I had anything "new" on my iPhone, and I thought she'd get a kick out of speaking to the iPhone and seeing her words appear on the screen.
I told her to say whatever she wanted to, so she said "I like chicken strips".
Unfortunately, this is what "Dragon" heard:
My 10-yr old niece asked me if I had anything "new" on my iPhone, and I thought she'd get a kick out of speaking to the iPhone and seeing her words appear on the screen.
I told her to say whatever she wanted to, so she said "I like chicken strips".
Unfortunately, this is what "Dragon" heard:
You can't make sh*t like this up. ;)
Macadamia Nuts with SPAM
My stepmom found this in Hawaii, and thought I'd like to try it. She was right.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Becoming vegetarian 'can harm the environment'
This article made me smile, even if the author backs off the headline:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7219223/Becoming-vegetarian-can-harm-the-environment.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7219223/Becoming-vegetarian-can-harm-the-environment.html
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
TARP officially lost $2.23 BILLION on CIT Group
The U.S. Treasury has lost its entire $2.33 billion TARP investment in CIT Group (CIT), according to a regulatory filing submitted Monday.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/top-stocks/blog.aspx?post=1617156
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/top-stocks/blog.aspx?post=1617156
Monday, February 8, 2010
Fun with X-Rays, Part 2
I had to do some more troubleshooting at the veterinary clinic today, and that meant I needed another x-ray image…
Yep, that’s my iPhone. ;)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Xbox LIVE being discontinued for Original Xbox consoles and games
It's not like I even use my old XBOX anymore, but I still think this sucks...
http://majornelson.com/archive/2010/02/05/xbox-live-being-discontinued-for-original-xbox-consoles-and-games.aspx
http://majornelson.com/archive/2010/02/05/xbox-live-being-discontinued-for-original-xbox-consoles-and-games.aspx
Would You Have Spotted the Fraud?
Would You Have Spotted the Fraud?
ATM "skimmer" found in Woodland Hills, CA. Would you have noticed it before inserting your card and keying in your PIN?
ATM "skimmer" found in Woodland Hills, CA. Would you have noticed it before inserting your card and keying in your PIN?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Fun with X-Rays
And here it is - pretty cool. :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
State of The Union Address
I’m watching President Obama’s first State of The Union Address. I really can’t believe it. He’s presented a bunch of ideas with no legislation to support them:
- $10,000 tax credit for four years of college tuition.
- Double exports in 5 years
- Several more I can’t remember
On a side note, watching “Stretch” Pelosi grinning like the Crypt Keeper behind him makes me want to vomit.
Teleprompter Shot of The Day
Here's Obama dropping in for a chat with his middle-class task force. And people made fun of Reagan because of his notecards!
This picture was stolen from www.nationalreview.com
This picture was stolen from www.nationalreview.com
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Disney/Pixar's UP Blu-Ray - second disc won't play
I just got "UP" on Blu-Ray, and put the "Special Features" disc in my PlayStation 3. No dice.
It loops at the dog with the wagging tail - endlessly. I sent an email to Disney's Blu-Ray support team, and I'm waiting for a response.
UPDATE: They're sending me a pre-paid label so I can mail them the disc. If they determine it's "defective", they'll send me a replacement.
It loops at the dog with the wagging tail - endlessly. I sent an email to Disney's Blu-Ray support team, and I'm waiting for a response.
UPDATE: They're sending me a pre-paid label so I can mail them the disc. If they determine it's "defective", they'll send me a replacement.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Michelle Obama and Scott Baio
Apparently Scott Baio tweeted a picture of Michelle Obama with the caption "WOW He wakes up to this every morning." Here's the picture:
Yikes. No further comment necessary.
Yikes. No further comment necessary.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Donate to the Red Cross through iTunes
In the wake of the Haiti Earthquake tragedy, there’s been a lot of media coverage about donating to the American Red Cross via text message. While that’s a clever method, and apparently it’s generating a lot of donations, I stumbled across another method that I think is likely to get the money there faster.
Did you know you can donate via iTunes? Click the button below to donate to the American Red Cross via iTunes (it will open iTunes on your computer):
I’ve already donated. You should too.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
ASUS CG5290-BP009
Around a month ago, my primary business computer died. It was a top-tier consumer HP Pavilion Elite. It was the second to “die” within 1 year of purchase. The prior HP desktop was also an “Elite” HP. Both started having weird problems that weren’t windows-related, but brought the machines to a halt within moments, with virtually no advance warning. I think it’s because HP is putting Samsung hard disks in their desktops.
As a result, I knew I needed to get a new one quickly but didn’t want to give HP more money. I could’ve ordered from Dell, but needed a working machine within 24 hours, so ordering it wouldn’t do. I was able to use one of the notebooks to do invoices and such, but needed to get my Outlook and iTunes (more for iPhone than music) back up on a “permanent” machine. I can’t load up all that stuff on a notebook.
So, I went and spent about $1,400 on an ASUS desktop:
I got it up and running within about a day, and transferred all my files to it within about 3 days. Over the last month, I’ve gotten almost everything I need on it and configured the way I like it.
This thing is a beast. I couldn’t be happier with it. Now let’s see how I feel about it a year from now…
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