No doubt about it, I really enjoy my Apple Macbook. Previously I owned an Apple G4 Powerbook 15″ which was also a great machine. However, my single biggest complaint about both laptops was the touchpad, that little square that substitutes for a mouse. Having used both mice (mouses?) and touchpads on Windows-based laptops, I have found it awkward to use the Mac’s pad.
Why? Two reasons: Continue reading this post…
How the video projector market has changed. Just 8 years ago I purchased a new Viewsonic projector (900 lumens / 800 x 600) for $3,100. Five years ago I replaced it with a Panasonic (1600 lumens / 1024 x 768 / smaller and lighter) purchased off eBay for $1,000; it was one year old.
In June I replaced my Panasonic with a new Viewsonic, the PJ551D. It cost $585 with free shipping from Buy.com. It included a coupon for a free extra lamp ($250 value). Here are some of the details: Continue reading this post…
Google seems to have its fingers in just about everything these days. The kings of search have been offering free software for download for sometime under the moniker, Google Pack. This is software specifically selected by Google which they state will always be free and includes only full versions of the software included. Google Pack offers a convenient way to download and install fantastic software in just a few clicks. Continue reading this post…
We previously highlighted AVG Antivirus when it was in version 7. We really liked it then for its performance, regular updates and for the fact that it was free. It has continued to improve and has now been released in version 8. This version is now officially Vista and XP compatible and has added anti-spyware functionality as well. Adding anti-spyware is a key feature that allows you to use one piece of software to battle both viruses and spyware. Another great feature that has been added is called Safe Search. When using a search engine, like Google, AVG will check each of the search result links to check for malicious software. This is progressive thinking that adds to your security online. Regular virus and spyware definitions are automatically downloaded and AVG updates intself and scans automatically as well. Highly recommended.
We love beautiful desktop wallpapers, just like many of you. I recently came across a post on a great site called WinSuperSite.com that highlighted absolutely gorgeous free wallpapers by Mike Swanson. Several of these images are used by Microsoft Vista as some of their available backgrounds and they are great. They feature nature shots taken at extreme closeup so that you can see amazing details. There are shots of flowers, leaves, rocks, water and others that are available in 1920 x 1200 and 1600 x 1200 resolutions. There are, as of this writing, around 135 pictures available and the artist is adding more as time goes on. Go here to check them out and beautify your desktop.
As a fella who uses the Internet a lot, I occasionally come across embedded videos that I really like and would like to download to look at later. Sites such as YouTube have revolutionized video in general and there are a number of ways to get these videos onto your PC. However, none is as easy as using Mux, the “Happy Hungry Videobot”. This is a web-based application that allows you to either transcode videos off sites like YouTube, or videos that are on your computer, into a wide variety of video, audio or image formats. Continue reading this post…
I am loving my new Amazon Kindle. Because of the massive amount of research that I did ahead of time, I had a good idea of what to expect. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by just how happy I am with it. On a recent trip, I read an entire book from cover to cover (so to speak). I haven’t been able to do that easily in a very long time due to my eyesight being what it is. One feature, that I wanted to try out is the free file conversion that Amazon offers. Continue reading this post…
I totally agree with Aaron in his recent posts about Ubuntu 8.04 and how polished and useable it is. But I have been thinking about the roadblocks and hurdles which this operating system still must overcome. First, of course, we acknowledge the positives:
However, even the positives contain some of the hurdles Linux must overcome. Here are several significant barriers I can think of. Continue reading this post…
When thinking about trying out the newest iteration of Ubuntu Studio, I went looking for reviews and other info on the Internet. In doing so, I came across this tremendous walkthrough on how to set up the “The Perfect Desktop.” It covers everything including where to download the disk image of Ubuntu Studio, how to install it, how to add software repositories and how to add the additional software and codecs to really make it the “perfect” desktop operating system. Rather than attempt to do a similar walkthrough which would not be nearly as useful as the one that already exists at HowToForge.org. While you are there, check out some of their other tutorials and tips on Linux and open source software.
We’ve covered Linux a little bit here before. We love to use Linux because it is free, open source, fast, stable and did I mention, free? In fact, I’ve covered Ubuntu Studio before here on this very site. I loved that earlier iteration (7.10) but I love the newest one even more. This version, based on Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, is by far, the fastest, most beautiful Linux distribution that I have used. I have recently used PCLinuxOS, the brand new OpenSuse 11.0 and the latest Linux Mint and none can match this distro in my opinion. They are all very nice and did a lot of things very well. However, Ubuntu Studio recognized my hardware better, it was easier to taylor to my needs and it is just plain beautiful and fun to use. In fact, I am writing this post while using Ubuntu Studio, including creating the graphic that is accompanying it.
This very well could be the year that the Linux desktop finally takes hold in the marketplace. The only limitation now is the software that runs on Linux needs to continue to grow at the same pace as the operating system has. I’m not going to do a full writeup in this post as this is meant to be just an opening post in a series.
I love the Internet. There are so many great websites out there that are full of great information. On a side note, there are also websites that are not so useful, such as Petentials, the Internet for pets, but that’s a post for another time. I recently came across a site called Cool Tools, which features a new daily post about useful tools. Not just hardware type tools either, but tools that can improve your life in all types of ways. Tools like adhesive removers, tire sealant and tactical shirts. The site is run by Kevin Kelly, a former Executive Editor for Wired magazine and is a part of a network of sites that he maintains. Be sure to visit and enjoy the knowledge.
A frantic call. Panic! “My big screen TV has messed up!” Aaron is a devoted sports aficionado. He has had a Panasonic 53″ rear projection television for about 6 years to enjoy his baseball and football in all their glory.
Now, suddenly, the picture looked like something requiring 3-D glasses to enjoy. The red, blue, and green portions of the picture were out of “convergence” with each other. Using the built-in adjustments accessed by the remote didn’t help. Reality was setting in — major repairs were on the horizon. Calling one local serviceman produced an estimated minimum of $325 to repair.
Turning to the internet we used Google to see if others had similar problems. Indeed they did. Our best hope came from one guy’s blog where he actually repaired his own television with this problem. Chris Palmer’s instructions were for a 47″ Panasonic very similar to Aaron’s 53″. Following his instructions - if we could - would cost under $50. We decided to risk it. Continue reading this post…
As promised, here is a photo post of the unboxing of my own, personal Amazon Kindle. The packaging design was quite nice, with the box appearing like a large book. Once you open it, you see the Kindle nestled safely inside. Also included in the box is the cover for the Kindle, a power cable, a USB cable and a short user guide. I took out the Kindle, plugged it into the wall charger and then turned it on. I was greeted by the Amazon Kindle logo and then the Amazon Kindle User Guide came up in glorious, E-ink form. The user guide is the only pre-loaded document on the device so it is a clean slate for yo
u to install your own stuff to your heart’s content. Keep an eye out for follow-up articles regarding my experiences with the device.
Now, onto the pictures.
If you use the Internet a lot, as I do, you are bound to come across a site that appears to be down. The big question when you come across this issue is whether it is down for just you, or for everyone. To figure this out, a handy little website has come along. 
This site serves only one purpose and that is to answer the question, “Is the site down for everyone or just me?” All you do is type in the site domain that you want to check and then click on “or just me?’ Within a few seconds, a result will come back telling you if it is just you or if it is down for everyone. Useful site but you may want to bookmark the site because the address, although seemingly obvious, is tough to remember (http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com). If only all things in life were this simple.
Here is a quick tip on a rarely noticed Mac OS X feature. OS X by default supports magnification simply by using your keyboard and mouse. To quickly zoom in on something, hold down the “control” key and rotate your wheel on the mouse. This will quickly zoom in on wherever your mouse pointer is located on the screen. The zoom works very well and is supported at the operating system level, so it should work in all applications. This is an excellent accessibility feature for those with vision disabilities but it is also great for just zooming in on something that is just a little too tiny on the screen. One drawback is that as you zoom in, the image becomes somewhat blurry, but the effect is somewhat negligible. All in all, a very handy feature that costs nothing if you already own OS X.