OH NO!!!! The Internet crashed and all was lost!!!

Well it is nice to laugh at ourselves. I found this link today from another forum I browse from The Onion...I enjoyed it and hope you do to.

The Internet crashed and all was lost!

iPhone in pieces....

Well the brave (or crazy...your judgment here) guys at TechRepublic took their newly activated iPhone and took it apart to see what was inside. They really did a good job of this and found a rather interesting part. The SIM card for the iPhone just happens to be a card for the 3G network!! Now we all know that Apple went with EDGE tech for the phone, but it looks like even the 1st generation of the phone may be able to support 3G once Apple decides that the phones are ready for it.

Here is the URL if you want to see what is inside an iPhone and you just are not crazy enough to do it yourself.

Cracking open the Apple iPhone

Cheat Sheets

The master list of cheat sheets.

Assign a Drive Letter to a Folder

A good Windows tip on how to assign a folder to it's own drive letter.

codejacked

Meditation Nap

Tired? Need to recharge? Take a meditation nap.

Life Learning Today

Even my other Hobby is a Geek hobby....

Well while I was reading on CNET last night I found a link that had me in shock. I found out that my other hobby is OFFICIALLY GEEK!!!! You see I am a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. In this hobby we recreate the better part of the Middle Ages.....Now how does this relate to this blog. Well.......The article I went to was for the 15 Geekiest Vacations, and my hobby came in No. 5!!! Which puts both my hobbies on the Geek list now. And here I thought I got away from my Geek side every now and then....guess I don't do I.

The 15 Geekiest Vacations

80's Arcade Games

Go to CNet and vote for your favorite arcade game of the 80's.

Here is a screen shot of my favorite...

New Features in Firefox 3

Check out some Photoshop mockups of Firefox 3.

Alex Faaborg

Evasive Web Attacks on the Rise

Hackers are getting smarter and bolder all the time.

Finjan Web Security Trend Report

Web-Based IM

A quick guide comparing the various web-based IM clients available.

Web-Based Instant Messenger Reviews

Vista still giving novice computer users problems.

Found an article today from my old hometown newspaper. Seems that novice users are still having lots of problems with Vista. Though to be honest, some of the problems this person had were also from the craplets that manufactures add to their systems. In fact his first laptop froze and died from the craplet applications loading. His second try he got the "Your copy of Windows Vista is not a Genuine copy" problem. Seems that MS still hasn't solved that one.....His last try (remember folks...each time he went back the store gave him a new laptop) he just couldn't get his devices to work with Vista. Though at this point I would have to say that is now the third-party vendor problem. As they have had nearly 5 months to get drivers developed for their products.

No wonder so many people are afraid of Windows Vista

My Vista Upgrade (Part 1)

I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my HP laptop from Windows Media Edition to Vista Premium. Luckily I didn’t experience much in the way of hardware conflicts. It took a little tweaking to get the built in webcam to work but everything else was a breeze. I will post more updates as I learn more about Vista. I am also testing a 60 day free trial of Office 2007. One thing I can say about both Vista and Office 2007 is that both are more visually appealing than their predecessors.

The Hillbilly Ten Commandments

Now for the redneck flair...

Here is the hillbilly version of the Ten Commandments courtesy of Cross Trails Church in Gainesboro, TN...

(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No tellin' tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin.'
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

Vista Tip: Default Programs

Windows Vista makes it easier to find those near to impossible settings like AutoPlay. Read more at PCMag.

Ever needed an old version of software?

In one of my Yahoo egroups the other day I found a small gold mine (in my opinion that is). It is a sight called Old Version Downloads.

This site has older version of 186 software products for both PC and Mac's (it is a link to the Mac page on the top menu). For some of us who hold on to older PC's this site can be a lot of value. Since you will be able to find things like utilities, browsers, instant messenger clients, and more that will work with your older machine. In fact I was able to find a couple of pieces of software I was using that I lost when I had to wipe my HD and do a complete re-install. Give it a look. Who knows, maybe you just may find that old piece of software that you loved the way it worked and how the interface for it was layed out.

Old Version Downloads

Revolt Against "Crapware" on New PCs

I'm one of those people who hates most of the pre-loaded software on new computer systems. It's one of the main reasons my husband and I choose to build our own desktop PCs. I recently purchased a new HP laptop and spent the first hour or so deleting all the "crapware" from my new system. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who would like a "clean install" option. Read more on CNet.

Dual-Boot Win XP and Vista

So you are looking at Windows Vista since your system can handle it and you have all the Vista drivers needed for all your devices attached to your computer. Though you are still only thinking about it since you have software you like using, but there isn't a Vista patch for it yet.

Well PC Mag has a solution for you. They have put up how to dual-boot your system with Win XP and Windows Vista installed on it. So go read and give it a try.

Dual-Booting WinXP and Vista - PC Mag.com

Hackers have new ways to attack You.

Well it had to happen sooner or later. Hackers have found new ways to try and get around spyware and virus scanners. They are using Javascript a bit differently now to send their packages to your computer. Though there is hope, as there are tools that keep track of the sites these folks are using and will keep you from heading to them. The article on CNET explains it and gives you the software you need to find to keep these type of attacks from hitting your system.

CNET - Web attackers get better at hiding

Bad News for Net Radio Operators

It's going to cost more per song per listener for online radio operators.

Read more on CNet.

April 13, 1961 - 46 Years ago when Man took to the Stars

Yes, it was 46 years ago when the first man circled the globe. When Yuri Gagarin became the first Russian and first Man to go into orbit. Now why is this here in a Geek blog? Well it is simple. The Space Race with the Russians sped up our R&D in many areas. Computers was one of those areas. Just think, when the Space Race started there wasn't much of any solid state computers. And the computing power that was on Apollo 11 was less than anyone who has bought a computer in the last 15 years. Yes, I said 15 years.

Our race to the stars created a lot of development in circuits, memory storage devices, and how to make all of this small enough to fit into the spacecraft we were sending out to the stars.

So here is a toast to Yuri Gagarin and all the men and women who worked many hard days and nights to bring us to the tech level we have now. You have our thanks.

MySpace blocks Photobucket but allows YouTube?

MySpace sent a clear message this week when it blocked photo slide shows and videos from Photobucket: only MySpace advertises on MySpace.

So why can my coworkers post a movie trailer hosted by YouTube on to their MySpace pages?

Read the rest on CNet News.

Technorati Makes First Major Acquisition

Technorati, a blog search and ranking site, has acquired The Personal Bee, a news aggregator that lets people organize and share content around specific topics.

Read more here.

Firefox Extensions

Some are great, some are not. You make the choice.

Top 20 Must-Have Firefox Extensions

Top 10 Firefox Extensions to Avoid

CosmosCode

NASA scientists plan to announce a new open-source project this month called CosmosCode -- it's aimed at recruiting volunteers to write code for live space missions, Wired News has learned.

Read more here.

Asus Site Hacked

It is not such a Good Friday for ASUStek Computer.
The main Web site of the Taiwanese hardware maker, known for its Asus branded PCs and motherboards, has been rigged by hackers to serve up malicious software that attempts to exploit a critical Windows flaw, security experts said Friday.

Read more here.

Microsoft fix for Cursor flaw having problems

Microsoft's critical fix for the cursor problem that allowed folks to attack your system has a flaw in it. If you use Realtek's audio software and have Win XP, you will have problems. Please take a look at the support bulletin that was published with the fix. Microsoft plans to release additional fixes next Tuesday.

Windows cursor patch causing problems

Finally a study that says violent games are not at fault!!

Someone FINALLY did a study to see if violent games really did influence children to have violent tendencies. Well their study says that if the child is stable, the games do not influence them to violent acts. Though if the child has problems to begin with, the games will keep them in a violent mode.

So folks it seems that video games and movies have been given a "Clean Bill of Health" where influencing our children are concerned. Then again, after raising 2 kids I already knew that.

Most kids "unaffected" by violent games

I'm Still Alive

Hey Seamus,

I'm still alive and kicking. I had PRK eye surgery last week. They did both eyes at the same time. I'm going to be blind as a bat for awhile. I appreciate you keeping up with the site and posting articles. I'll be back to more posting myself as my vision improves. Thanks again friend.

Lisa :)

Firefox has Add-on site!!

Today Firefox launched a site where you can get recommended add-ons for your Firefox browser. The site already has several different add-ons and looks to have many more as they are submitted to Mozilla for approval. These add-ons were written by other developers who either wanted or needed to enhance how they used Firefox. Give it a look. Who knows, maybe you'll find just what you thought Firefox needed to enhance your usage of the browser.

Firefox Add-on Home page

Yahoo! Email Upgrade

Yahoo! to offer Unlimited Email Storage.

Good deal! Now I can store all that spam I receive in my Yahoo! account.

Intel adding mileage to Wi-Fi

Intel has come up with a form of Wi-Fi that would let a laptop in San Francisco connect to the Internet from a base station in San Jose, Calif.

Read more here.

My Vista Dilemna

I purchased a new HP laptop in December and received a coupon for a free Vista Premium upgrade. I sent the rebate to the rebate center in early February and received my Vista disc this week. After hearing the various horror stories regarding Vista's incompatibility with hardware I've decided to put off upgrading until Microsoft releases either a service pack or at least some patches for the worst of the bugs. For now I am satisfied with Media Center home and it is working quite nicely for me.

Robots to explore the Solar Winds in the Antarctic

Needless to say sending man up to the Antarctic to study the Solar Winds and how they interact with the Earth's magnetic field are a bit dangerous and expensive. Well the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College has created a robot that can do the work for much less money and without endangering human life. Not only will this robot improve exploration in some of the Earth's harshest environments, but it may also help push along solar panel tech.

Cool Robots at Dartmouth College

Video Games improve eyesite.

A recent study has shown that playing intense video games (such as Gods of War, Halo, and so on) can actually improve your eyesight. Seems that all that goes on in an intense video game makes your brain work better seeing everything that goes on. You learn how to actually see what is there and actually determine what each object is.

Study; Playing Video games improves Eyesight

Commodore to make PC's once again.

Yes, the company that put computers into the average household will be in the hardware market once again. Commodore will be selling gaming PC's here in the near future. From machines for the low end gamer to all-out-carnage machines for the serious gamer.

This almost temps me to look at them for my next system. As a C-64 was the computer I first owned for home usage. It would be nice to see that emblem on my computer again...if just for the memories.

IGN article on Commodore

SETI actually found something!!!

No it isn't life on another world. We all would have heard of that by now if that had happened. That would be BIG news.

No in this case SETI was used to find a stolen laptop. You see the laptop was stolen from one of the SETI users. The way SETI works is that it records the IP number of each computer and has a number assigned to each computer running SETI. So he contacted SETI, told them what happened and they did the rest. The crook didn't bother to remove the SETI software from the laptop. So when he connected to the net and left the computer running. SETI automatically started up and contacted it's mainframe. When it did they had the IP of the stolen laptop. With a little Police work the laptop was found and the crook arrested. Nice when tech can return your stolen goods isn't it.

The article was in USA Today on Feb. 21st.

Missing Laptop found in ET hunt

Will you have the correct time???

This year Daylight Savings time will change on a new date. Which will give most electronic devices fits, as they are set for the old change date (4th Sunday in April). Most any device you own that changes its time settings according to the old date will be wrong for 3 weeks. Unless you can download a patch for it to correct the problem.

Microsoft for one has a patch for Win XP users to fix this problem. If you happen to have purchased a new computer with Windows Vista. You are all ready set for the new change date. All you XP users have to do is go to Microsoft Updates page and get the patch. Any other electronic device, you will need to contact the manufacture for advice on how to fix this problem.

Microsoft Releases Vista

Link

Xenon the Tax Spider

Read about a web spider that searches for tax cheats.

Tax Takers Send in the Spiders

MySpace Lawsuit

Four families are suing MySpace for not protecting their daughters from sexual predators on the popular website. When are parents going to learn that the best way to protect your children online is to supervise their Internet activities?

Link

Can Telecommuting Hurt Your Career?

I read an interesting article in Network World regarding telecommuting and the chances of your career suffering. According to the article, you stand a better chance of advancing in your career if you work in the office rather than working from home. Business owners prefer to see their employees face to face rather than communicating with them via electronic means. Some employers prefer to provide flexible hours in place of telecommuting.

"Craplets" could hurt Vista launch

According to Microsoft "Craplets" (or the extra junk that PC manufactures include on your computer) could very well hurt the Vista launch. As most of the software manufactures add when they build your system has not been tested and verified by MS to work properly with Vista.

Microsoft is advising that if you get a new system with Vista installed. Ask for the extra software the manufacture adds without you asking for it, to be removed from your system. Especially since most of the software we all just delete when we get our new computers anyway. No need to make a new OS more of a headache than it could be

CBC News Article link

Cisco Suing Apple Over IPhone Name

Cisco's Suit Against Apple Over IPhone

External PCI Express for Laptops

Laptop gamers get ready.

External PCI Express

New Yahoo! Messenger for Vista

Take a peak at the new Yahoo! Messenger specifically for Vista.

Y!

CD Players Going the Way of 8-Tracks

New technology will soon make it possible to use your favorite MP3 player in the car and control it with voice activation and buttons on the steering wheel.

New In-Dash Gizmo

Anyone remember those cassette adapters for the 8-Track player? I had one of those in my old VW Rabbit.

I just aged myself. :)

Top Ten Tech Towns

Seattle
San Francisco Bay
Los Angeles
Austin
Orlando
Raleigh-Durham
Pittsburgh
New York City
Boston
Washington, DC

Read more here

Terabyte Hard Drive

Hitachi plans to come out with a terabyte hard drive sometime within the first quarter of the year. Seagate plans to release their terabyte hard drive during the first half of the year.

Here comes the terabyte hard drive

Photos

K-Tel The Heart of Rock

Testing a feature on Rhapsody.

K-Tel The Heart of Rock:
1. Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon
2. Who's Crying Now - Journey
3. Feels Like The First Time - Foreigner
4. Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was A Fool) - Foghat
5. Baby, What A Big Surprise - Chicago
6. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meat Loaf
7. Dust In The Wind - Kansas
8. The Best Of Times - Styx
9. Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart
10. Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton
11. Love Hurts - Nazareth
12. Cool Love - Pablo Cruise
13. Just Between You And Me - April Wine
14. Dog And Butterfly - Heart