Computer Ease
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This page documents random thoughts, observations, reviews, criticisms, rants,
anecdotes, tips, tricks, and discoveries by Blake
Nancarrow. The notes here pertain specifically to information technology. They are
dated and arranged in reverse-order, the newest items at the top. 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | the '90s
Index of Postings
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22 Dec 2005 - it's trueI had heard a rumour. Earlier in the year... Today, I saw a note on the Adobe web site. It's true. Adobe bought Macromedia! I wonder what that means now for Dreamweaver and Fireworks, etc. back to top 24 Nov 2005 - rejuvenatedThis is not exactly computer-related but I'm so happy about this I had to pass it on. Two of my Motorola FRS radio Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries starting performing poorly this summer. I'd put them in the charging station overnight and test them the next day and they'd still be flat. After some tests and several discharge cycles, I saw no improvement. I know Nickel-Cadmium batteries don't last forever... But these batteries were not that old in the grand scheme of things. They're expensive too. So I wasn't looking forward to having to get another set. Which is ironic, because I had bought another pair this year, so to reduce my use of disposables! Motorola Canada's response to me: too bad, throw 'em out. Frustrated, and convinced they are not ready for a land fill, I resumed searching on the net. And started discovering articles about rejuvenating batteries... Some of the articles sounded a little scary, warning of explosions, people getting hurt, complex procedures, etc. Then I come across Tony van Roon's article on building "A Super-Simple Ni-Cd Battery Rejuvenator" which once-and-for-all clarifies the polarity used and also demystifies the process further. I try it. And the 2 batteries playing "possum" are working again! Yahoo! Specifically I used 2 full-charged Ni-Cd in series. I connected these in reverse polarity to the dead battery, zapping the dead cell with approx. 3V, for approx. 3 seconds of time, twice, with a pause in between. As suggested, I do this to each individual cell in the FRS battery, monitoring the voltage levels often. Easy! back to top 31 May 2005 - Bell on VoIP bandwagonA Bell Canada rep called me the other day flogging their new offering: "Digital Voice." I asked if it was "voice over internet protocol" and he said it was. He went on to say that it will be much cheaper, if I switch, than my current (analog) phone service. Interesting... I then asked if it would work during a power outage and he said yes. Very interesting. I put him off then so I could do more research... There's product info, features, costs, etc. available at Bell's Digital Voice site. Today, I found Digital Home Canada with good information to help demystify and clarify what's going on. In fact, they made it more clear that Bell is in fact now offering in Ontario and Québec analog POTS service, Digital Voice Lite (VoIP, which will not function without power), and Digital Voice (hybrid POTS and digital service). back to top 31 May 2005 - Dreamweaver wakes up!I recently evaluated Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004... I'm very happy to report that they FINALLY improved upon some tremendous weakness in the software. Here are some random observations:
I still have some pet peeves but this is a great improvement. back to top 30 Mar 2005 - big gig at Yahoo!Noticed recently that Yahoo! will be offering 1 gigabyte of space with their free email service. Still the best! back to top 20 Mar 2005 - reorganisedIn the interest of speeding up the performance of this technology news blog, I broke up the single large page into separate pages for the last couple of years and a single page for the 1990s. I also took the opportunity to add some interesting historical notes... Enjoy. Learn. Be safe. And share your toys. back to top 19 Mar 2005 - Win2K boxI am evaluating the calendar software iCal version 3.10 for Windows with integrated server from Brown Bear Software. It's very cool. When I stumbled across some issues with running it on Windows 98, it was suggested by the helpful support staff that I try it on Windows 2000. So now I have a Win2K Professional SP4 box hooked up to the SOHO LAN. Visit my sample calendar. Topic: motorsports (of course)! Note: This is also made possible with the free assistance of dynamic DNS services at http://www.dyndns.org/ and the automatic dynamic DNS features of my firewall router. back to top 15 Mar 2005 - forcedAs I was assisting a client in disinfecting their home office computer from a new worm virus attack, I employed my usual tactic of conferring with multiple sources: I usually perform virus scans with more than more piece of software to cover the bases. On this occasion, I used the excellent avast! anti-virus program from Alwil Software. Then I tried to download the newest security package from McAfee. But McAfee forces you to use Internet Explorer to download files! This was ironic, funny, and upsetting. I understand why they require IE when you use the FreeScan given its utilisation of ActiveX. But to download a file?! This was darkly amusing because the virus-infected computer could no longer access McAfee's web site with IE. They just lost a customer and a supportive consultant. back to top 3 Mar 2005 - the Big Email UpgradeSince Sympatico is now in bed with MSN, things are achangin'. I was told that Sympatico doesn't want to do email anymore so they've arranged that MSN will provide the backend. This means that every Sympatico user has to be switched over to the "new" email system (i.e. HoTMaiL), so to use the Sympatico "Enhanced E-mail platform." More correctly, users must upgrade their main account and sub email accounts. Some features and issues for your consideration...
There are a couple of other new minor features in the enhanced Sympatico email which I'm not documented here. See the Sympatico Upgrade FAQ for more info. You know, this whole thing is mind-boggling. Sympatico has about 1 million users. If 1% of them cannot upgrade their email accounts by themselves and spend, say, 30 minutes on the phone with Sympatico tech support... 1 000 000 x 1% x 30 minutes x (main account + sub accounts) = ... You do the math. Could this cripple Sympatico? Also, does this mean Sympatico cares not for their Apple Macintosh, Linux, and other types of users? What is the impact on mobile users? Is it worth it? P.S. I now have some screen snapshots of Eudora (thanks Alan) with fully functional settings. Available upon request. "In answer to Sympaticos vision, this new e-mail class of service will provide you with features to simplify and enhance your e-mail experience." Really? And, in the end, will we get less spam- and virus-laden email? Why do I not feel good about this...? back to top 25 Feb 2005 - how fast are you?Found a good page today at DSL Reports (or Broadband Reports, the clearing house for high-speed industry gossip) that offered great advice for testing your Bell Sympatico high-speed connection speed. They suggested one download files of various sizes directly from the Sympatico ftp servers (links provided) and monitor the speeds. I downloaded the 348MB file using Netscape 7.2. It built speed to over 301 KB/s until I started gathering email and working on this page, where it dropped to mid- to high- 200 KB/s. So this means my DSL (medium tier) is working well. back to top 17 Feb 2005 - lock in and saveBell Sympatico offers a discount to customers. I cannot recall if this applies to high speed clients only. If you "lock in" for a year, they knock off a few dollars per month, in appreciation for your loyalty. I think I can save over $100 per year. They'll have you acknowledge an agreement. Note that there are, not surprisingly, penalties if you terminate early. Call your Sympatico customer service rep. back to top 24 Jan 2005 - Trillian Pro 3 offers A/VJust installed Trillian Pro 3. It now offers audio and video features. Just keeps getting better and better. 'Course you need a beefy computer to use all these doodads... Still, sadly, there is no support (and it sounds like no plans) for Mac or Linux. back to top 13 Jan 2005 - uninterruptibleGot a smokin' good deal on an APC uninterruptible power supply (model Back-UPS ES-500) with surge protection. They've come down a lot in price lately... So it's a practical appliance for the heavy home user, small office, SOHO, etc. The PowerChute software installed easily and quickly. Now I'm kinda lookin' forward to the next power outage! P.S. Don't forget: if you already have one, the batteries wear out after a couple of years. So be sure to check and test it and repair it, if necessary. back to top 8 Jan 2005 - still Active!I thought they had gone out of business but, happily, ubergeek Gerry pointed out that Active Surplus--one of the staples of Queen Street West, Toronto--simply moved upstairs. The gorilla is still at street-level! back to top |
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