tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72294122024-03-07T13:09:39.246-06:00Geek Goes MeowA geek girl's musings on technology, computers, web development, web design, open source, Mac, Linux, Windows, PHP, Perl, MySQL, cats, birds, photography, life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.comBlogger377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-91735175377886167602011-12-23T10:20:00.001-06:002011-12-23T10:20:58.590-06:00Android Tablet Update WoesWhile this comes during what might be my last few weeks as an Android tablet user (I see an iPad on the horizon!), this annoying little problem wasted a crap-ton of bandwidth and time before I figured out how to fix it.<br />
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I've got the Acer Iconia 500 tablet. I hadn't used it in a month or so. (It got buried under some mail). I dug it out the other day so I could load my new SitePoint books onto it.<br />
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Sidebar - their Christmas sale is fantastic and it's almost over! You can get a bunch of their ebooks super cheap (and their books are fantastic). See this - <a href="http://www.sitepoint.com/sale/" target="_blank">SitePoint Christmas Sale.</a><br />
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When I booted up the tablet, it said there was a system update, to 7.006.01 (not sure if this is relevant, but just in case....). Coolio. Go.<br />
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400MB later, I noticed that the update didn't install, and instead, started downloading itself all over again. Wha?? Hmm. Maybe there are 2 downloads. I let it go.<br />
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400MB later, I noticed that again the update didn't install, and again, it started downloading itself all over again. Really? Can this be right? OK. I'm going to try one more time.<br />
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400MB later, I gave up and went to bed.<br />
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The next day, I tried again, and (you see where this is going), again, the tablet downloaded the entire 400MB then started all over again.<br />
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(How many times can I type "again" in one post?)<br />
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The fix: go into the tablet settings and set the screen timeout to the maximum possible (30 minutes).<br />
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I know what you're thinking. "What does the screen timeout have to do with installing a system update?" (That's what I thought, anyway).<br />
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Apparently, when the download completes, if the screen is asleep, the install screen will not appear and the download goes into an infinite loop.<br />
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Bummer for anybody that doesn't happen to notice it! That's a lotta wasted bits and bytes, Batman. Hope you're not on metered bandwidth!<br />
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Thankfully, with the screen on, upon completion the download of my 5th or so attempt at the update, the install screen appeared and I was able to continue on my merry way.<br />
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Coincidentally, these updates also fixed another problem I was having. I was unable to get the Android file manager to see any files on my tablet (so that I could copy my ebooks from my iMac to the tablet). Don't get me started on how crappy the support and options are for syncing Android tablets to the Mac platform.<br />
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The moral of the story is: I should get an iPad. :)Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-44050130666029149112011-12-20T21:03:00.000-06:002011-12-20T21:03:15.775-06:00Thunderbolt + DVI = FailHo Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!<br />
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Has it really been a year since I've posted here? That seems to me a pretty good testament to the fact that Macs just don't cause me as much woe as Windows machines do. (I spent 2011 using primarily Macs). Hoorah for Apple!<br />
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I'm a full-on Kool-Aid drinking card-holding member of the Apple clan these days. I use iMacs and MacBook Pros both at home and at work, and recently (finally!) switched from Android to the iPhone. (Next up will be replacing my Android tablet with an iPad, but I have to hurry up and win the lottery first).<br />
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I still own two Windows based machines:<br />
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1. My "kitchen laptop", which was the cheapest laptop I could possibly find, used as an internet access device to look up recipes while I'm cooking. (It had to be cheap, because I'm clumsy in the kitchen and fully expect one day to drop a cup of flour or a bottle of oil on it).<br />
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2. My "gaming" PC, which is also a super-cheap rig (< $500) that I put together so I could play Ultima Online without having to boot out of OS X via Bootcamp on any of my Macs.<br />
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And yes, they did happen to give me some troubles in 2011 (namely with video irregularities on the PC that caused me to send my video card back to XFX, as the mainboard was reporting a video card failure via boot sequence beeps). The problem was resolved when I put a new video card in, so I figured the card was faulty. XFX tested the card and sent it back to me, unable to detect any problems. Now, the new video card is flickering out with the same symptoms that led to the initial "failure" of the first card, and all I can do is shrug and say, "I hate PC's!!!"<br />
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But those aren't the kinds of problems that warrant posting here, because I like to keep this blog for posting <b>solutions</b> that I come across (so that I can look them up for future reference as necessary, and maybe help somebody else out with the same problem in the process). Unfortunately for me, I still don't have a solution to the video problem.<br />
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But back to my glorious Macs!<br />
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Just because they're glorious doesn't mean they're entirely trouble-free (though they are indeed mostly trouble-free, at least in my experience!)<br />
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I had the joy of purchasing a new 27" iMac recently. My previous setup was a 20" iMac connected to a 22" ViewSonic secondary monitor via a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. It worked great.<br />
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The new iMacs, though, have the new "Thunderbolt" port instead of the old Mini DisplayPort, though they claim to be backward compatible.<br />
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I plugged my ViewSonic into the new 27" iMac with the same cable setup as I had working minutes earlier on the 20" iMac, and... nothing. iMac did not detect the second monitor, and the monitor did not detect a computer signal.<br />
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Long story short.... TONS of people are reporting similar troubles getting Thunderbolt ports (on both iMacs and on MacBook laptops) to recognize DVI monitors. Now - if you have a large screen (27"+) monitor, it could be an issue of needing the dual-link DVI adapter ($100) instead of the single-link DVI adapter ($30), due to resolution constraints on the single-link adapter. But that wasn't my problem.<br />
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The solution:<br />
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Well, it's not exactly a solution, particularly if your monitor doesn't support HDMI. But, the solution seems to be to use HDMI instead of DVI. Lots of people reported that working, and it worked for me.<br />
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Now, I've got the 27" iMac running a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter, connected to a DVI to HDMI cable, and the HDMI cable going into the monitor.<br />
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It works.<br />
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Of course, this meant some monitor-juggling, because my ViewSonic doesn't have HDMI. But, the never-heard-of-them Hannspree monitor that I bought for my cheap Windows box has HDMI. So, I swapped monitors.<br />
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It's not ideal; the ViewSonic is a 24" monitor and the Hanspree is a 20" one (which looks awfully ridiculous next to the 27" iMac). But, it's better than nothing. Even though the 27" iMac gives me plenty of screen real estate to work with, I still like putting some things off to the side on another monitor (like social media and chat apps, etc).<br />
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So, there you have it. <b>Thunderbolt to DVI is wonky. Use Thunderbolt to HDMI instead.</b> This is on OS X Lion 10.7.2. Good luck!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-76609289058987636002011-01-01T12:20:00.002-06:002011-01-01T12:23:26.788-06:00Happy New Year!Happy New Year!<br /><br />Yes, it's been some time since I posted here, but that is a good thing - because it means I haven't had any technological woes worth recording for the archives!<br /><br />Is that what happens when you switch to Mac? Ahhh... technological bliss.<br /><br />For the record, I'm still enjoying life without the DirecTV bill. That whole thing has worked out very well, and with the money I'm saving on TV services, I hired maids! Best decision ever! :)<br /><br />Here's hoping you've found something to be thankful for in 2010, and something to look forward to in 2011 - wishing you a happy and healthy new year!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-13162741048372633962010-07-22T11:44:00.001-05:002010-07-22T11:45:18.131-05:00Be the One.Be the One. Sign the petition. <a href="http://www.restorethegulf.com/">Restore the Gulf</a>.<br /><br /><object height="289" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RUO3M7MYvAI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RUO3M7MYvAI&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="289" width="480"></embed></object>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-33733129086473355782010-06-29T16:35:00.003-05:002010-06-29T18:03:07.078-05:00How I ditched DirecTV and their $100/month billIt's official. I cut the proverbial cord. I canceled my DirecTV service in favor of internet TV.<br /><br />Before I proceed, I want to make clear that I really have no problems with DirecTV. I was a loyal customer for a decade. I'm not a fan of some of their subcontracted technicians, but overall, I rarely needed to invoke customer service, and when I did, it was generally a good experience. What I did not like about DirecTV (or any paid television option currently available) was that I was paying $100/month but only watching a handful of channels - mostly locals, which I could technically get for free over-the-air.<br /><br />I would absolutely love if a la carte TV came to be, where I could build my own bundle of channels and just pay for those. I'd gladly pay! But since that's not an option, I'm forced to go the other extreme, and basically pay nothing instead. It seems like the cable and satellite companies are missing out on a niche audience that, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/30/technology/dropping_cable_tv/index.htm?postversion=2010043010">according to CNN</a>, is growing - people that are ditching their cable and satellite bills altogether. 1 in 8 people in 2010, they predict.<br /><br />There was a certain sense of "Yeah! Fight The Man!" rebellion that came to me when I hung up the phone for the last time with DirecTV, as well as a bit of fear. Trepidation, if you will. Like, this afternoon, when I was driving home from the gym and heard a radio commercial for one of my favorite TV shows, <a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/rescueme/">Rescue Me</a>. The new season starts tonight. I will not be able to watch it "live." For a moment, I wanted to grab my blankie and run back to mama. <br /><br />Still, I think I'm going to be OK, and after a week or so of tinkering and trial and error, I've got my home theater PC up and running, and all is well.<br /><br />There are 2 parts to my setup, one of which requires a preface. I'm not <span style="font-style: italic;">completely</span> relying on the internet for TV. I could if I wanted to - the TV tuner I bought for my PC does support the reception of free over-the-air HD local channels. However, my current situation will make my choice clear.<br /><br />You see, for a decade or so, I have paid two bills: a DirecTV bill for my satellite TV, and a cable bill for my internet access. I originally had to go with satellite TV because they were the only option to receive the NHL Center Ice package, which allowed me to watch out-of-market hockey games (which was very important to me at the time). I had to go with cable internet because, well, it was the fastest option out there (and still is - I love my Comcast cable internet, in spite of the fact that I fear Comcast is the next coming of Satan).<br /><br />When I signed up for Comcast, there were two pricing tiers: one for current (TV) customers, and one for non-TV customers. It was $30/month cheaper for internet service if you were a TV customer, but the limited basic cable TV package only cost $20/month. So, if I signed up for limited basic cable, I'd be saving $10/month over not signing up - even if I never used the cable TV. So I went that route. (This was, of course, 10 years ago - I'm sure things have changed since).<br /><br />So that's the first part of my setup - I'm taking advantage of the limited basic cable that I was already paying for. That gets me my local channels over cable (in HD even!). It's kind of like the olden days when TV channels only went up to 60-something, and skipped a bunch of numbers in between.<br /><br />The second part of my setup is the internet TV, which I am viewing through <a href="http://www.boxee.tv/">Boxee</a>. My first attempt at using Boxee was to install it on my Apple TV. While it worked, I had some major complaints. First, the wifi in the Apple TV is extremely flaky, and it would drop out all the time. To add to that frustration, once you're logged into Boxee, if the internet connection drops, Boxee doesn't throw an error message. It just returns zero results for whatever you were searching for, or dumps back to the home screen when you try to watch a video.<br /><br />The other problem I had with using the Apple TV for Boxee was that the Apple TV just isn't powerful enough to push video out smoothly at 1080. It was OK at 720, but at 1080 resolution, video got choppy - particularly Flash video. (Maybe the flaky wifi contributed to this, as it does rely on internet streaming - I'm not sure). And speaking of Flash, the current version of Boxee at the time of this writing did not include Flash 10.1, which most of the major streaming video sources were requiring - so I had to go through a process of SSH'ing into my Apple TV over the network and downloading and installing the Flash update via the command line - something my mom would definitely not be comfortable doing.<br /><br />So, the Apple TV running Boxee was not going to be my path to TV-bill freedom.<br /><br />Then, I had a thought: what if I took the PC that I built a few months back to play <a href="http://www.uoherald.com/news/">Ultima Online</a>, and ran Boxee on that? I looked up <a href="http://wiki.boxee.tv/Suggested_Hardware">Boxee's recommended system specs</a> for Windows:<br /><br /><ul><li>a dual-core x86 system at 2.66GHz or faster (check!)</li><li>2GB of RAM (check!)</li><li>a video card that supports OpenGL 1.4 or higher (check!)</li><li>DirectX 9 (check!)</li></ul>Hmm. Seems like a no-brainer! So I downloaded and installed Boxee on my PC, and moved it into the living room. It had a wifi card in it, so I connected to the internet that way, then hooked it up to my TV via a DVI-to-HDMI cable, and voila. Smooth streaming video over the internet to my TV.<br /><br />The next step was a bit of an experiment, because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to just simply split my cable and run it to the PC. I only have one Comcast cable drop coming into my house, and that runs straight into my cable modem (despite the fact that I also pay for limited basic TV cable).<br /><br />I picked up a 2.4GHz 2-way splitter and a roll of RG6 coax cable and held my breath. I disconnected my cable modem, added the splitter, then reconnected the cable modem to that. And... whoa! My internet was still working! With that hurdle crossed, it was time to try running it to my TV. I wasn't sure if I was going to need some sort of cable box from Comcast in order to access the cable TV service I was paying for.<br /><br />It turns out, all I needed was a TV tuner for my PC that supported the QAM digital cable standard. So I ran over to CompUSA (aka TigerDirect) and got <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6281505&CatId=4546">this USB TV tuner</a> (that also supports over-the-air HD, which was my backup plan if the cable didn't work) - the PCTV HD mini Stick, model 80e.<br /><br />(I had to go with USB because I had no PCI slots left in my machine - it's just a cheap $400 PC that I put together to play PC games, as of course I'm a Mac user otherwise).<br /><br />I had some problems getting the TV Tuner working initially. The problems weren't with the cable - it detected my channels the first time through, and that went perfectly well. The problem was that the software it came with kept crashing. After a lot of Googling, I realized that the drivers it shipped with were Vista drivers, and did not specify if they were 32 or 64 bit drivers. I'm running Windows 7 64 bit.<br /><br />After further digging, I found that the tuner card, formerly made by Pinnacle, was taken over by a company (or sub-company of Pinnacle?) called PCTV. So, the drivers on Pinnacle's web site were not the latest. I had to get updated <a href="http://www.pctvsystems.com/tabid/62/default.aspx/Downloads/Driver/tabid/123/language/en-GB/Default.aspx">Windows 7 "beta" drivers</a> from the PCTV web site, and the <a href="http://www.pctvsystems.com/LinkClick.aspx?link=127&tabid=123&language=en-EN">updated TVCenter software</a>. These together worked perfectly.<br /><br />The TVCenter software was kind of clunky, though. I kept seeing people mention the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-media-center/get-started/default.aspx">Windows Media Center</a>, but I assumed I didn't have it because I just had the "professional" edition of Windows 7, and back in Vista-land, "professional" meant that it did not include any of the fun stuff. I decided to check my Start menu anyway, and lo and behold - there it was!<br /><br />Long story short - Windows Media Center is much more slick and user-friendly for watching live TV than the software that came bundled with my TV tuner card. I had to re-do the channel scanning, but other than that, it worked right out of the box.<br /><br />The only thing missing was a remote control! (It got a bit tedious having to get off the couch to go to the computer every time I wanted to change the channel). So I picked up a USB Media Center remote that also works with Boxee - the Pinnacle (also now PCTV) <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3390588&CatId=1430">Remote Kit for Media Center</a>. It only mentions Vista compatibility, but it worked fine for me with Windows 7, no drivers necessary. It got good reviews, but I feel like it's kind of a crappy remote - maybe a 3/5 rating. It's not very substantial - feels cheap - and I often have to press and hold buttons repeatedly to get them to pick up, even though I'm less than 10 feet away from the infrared receiver and have a clear view to it. It's annoying, but it doesn't seem like there are many options out there for good home theater PC remotes. I need to do more research on the topic.<br /><br />So, my current setup involves limited basic cable provided by Comcast, running into a USB TV tuner card, and Boxee, streaming internet video content over my cable internet connection (also provided by Comcast). You could achieve this exact same setup without the basic cable TV package, by attaching an HD antenna to the TV tuner instead and getting your live local channels that way (over-the-air for free).<br /><br />The only glitchy thing is that I can't seem to get Boxee or Windows Media Center to default to my "second" monitor, which is my HDTV. They both insist on starting up on my computer monitor, which is set as primary. I haven't tried making the HDTV primary, because really, I want the computer monitor to be primary (it's hard to see the TV from where the computer sits). I'm sure there's a solution - I just haven't found it yet. So, when I start up Boxee or Media Center, I quickly press Windows-Shift-left-arrow to swap screens. It's not a big deal. I can live with it.<br /><br />But can I live with waiting until tonight's Rescue Me season premiere is available for viewing off of the FX web site? It'll be tough over the summer, while I'm off work and free to watch TV whenever I want, but come fall when I'm back at work, I rarely watch TV shows until a week or two after they air anyway.<br /><br />I've only come across a few regular cable-channel shows that I can't yet view through Boxee. TNT has 2 shows that I watch - The Closer, and Men of a Certain Age. GSN runs High Stakes Poker. Discovery runs Storm Chasers. While these shows can be viewed via their respective web sites, they aren't being picked up yet in Boxee. All of my other shows are on the major local networks, or are available through Boxee - and I wouldn't be surprised if these others end up on Boxee eventually too.<br /><br />So, I could either watch these straggler shows on the computer, or buy them from the iTunes store or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/">Amazon Video on Demand</a>. Buying a few TV shows is still cheaper than the $1,200 a year I was paying to DirecTV.<br /><br />I will be fine. And I am saving $100/month.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-47101736373521823762010-06-12T12:53:00.004-05:002010-06-12T12:56:29.774-05:00Missing Textures folder in Photoshop CS4 PresetsIf you're working on a Photoshop tutorial in CS4 that was written for Adobe Photoshop CS3 or earlier, and it requires you to load a texture into the Texturizer filter from your Presets/Textures folder, you'll quickly discover that the Textures folder does not exist.<br /><br />While I didn't have much luck finding the textures available for download on the web (I was seeking the Puzzle.psd texture), I was able to grab the textures off of an old Photoshop CS3 DVD that I had laying around.<br /><br />Just open up the DVD, and open the Goodies folder. You'll see another folder called "Textures for Lighting Effects." That's the one! Copy that folder into your CS4 Presets folder on your hard drive, and you're good to go.<br /><br />Crisis averted.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-32336489409099925202010-04-10T11:11:00.000-05:002010-04-10T11:12:10.434-05:00Walk MS 2010<p>Donate online via my <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/ILDWalkEvents?px=6128374&pg=personal&fr_id=13151" mce_href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/ILDWalkEvents?px=6128374&pg=personal&fr_id=13151" target="_blank">Walk MS 2010 page</a>!</p> <p>In 3 weeks, I will be walking in the Walk MS 2010 event for Team Kathy. We're walking for my cousin's wife's mom, who has battled multiple sclerosis for years, and it greatly affects her everyday life. MS interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and eventually stops people from moving.</p> <p>Every hour another person is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. For 20,000 people in Illinois and some 400,000 nationwide, that hour has already arrived.</p> <p>It's not easy to pinpoint the cause of multiple sclerosis and so far, the cure rests on continued research. This is why I am writing to you: I need your help, generosity and support! Donate to our team, or come walk with us!</p> <p>As a participant in the Chicago South Suburbs Walk MS taking place on Sunday, May 2, 2010, I am raising money so the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society can continue to provide programs and services for Illinois families impacted by multiple sclerosis while funding vital research into the cause and cure of multiple sclerosis.</p> <p>The Greater Illinois Chapter utilizes approximately 88% of every dollar raised to fund programs that actively help people with multiple sclerosis and their families, public and professional education and research. A portion of your donation will help fund more than 350 multiple sclerosis research projects.</p> <p>Please consider making a tax-deductible donation on my behalf to help me reach my fundraising goal. No amount is too small!! Online donations can be made simply by clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. You can also send a donation made payable to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to me, or print a donation form and mail it to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Every dollar makes a difference in leading the movement against multiple sclerosis.</p> <p>Check out my personal page to learn why I'm walking in this great event on Sunday, May 2. You can even check on my fundraising progress, and if you've made a donation, look for your name scrolling in the fundraising honor roll. Your support is so important to me and to Kathy and to all those living with multiple sclerosis.</p> <p>I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress!</p> <p>Thank you!</p> <p>Donate online via my <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/ILDWalkEvents?px=6128374&pg=personal&fr_id=13151" mce_href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/ILDWalkEvents?px=6128374&pg=personal&fr_id=13151" target="_blank">Walk MS 2010 page</a>!</p>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-86649186343353954722010-02-13T22:43:00.003-06:002010-02-13T22:52:35.719-06:00Windows Update Error 8024402FSo, for about a month now, on my Windows 7 Pro box, I've been getting an error when I run Windows Update. The update fails. It's an "unspecified" error, with a lengthy Knowledge Base article about <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941">temporary connection-based errors when using Windows Update</a>. Error #8024402F.<br /><br />On and off, I've gone through the plethora of solutions suggested in that KB article. I've disabled Windows Firewall and my anti-virus. I've added the Windows Update URL's to the trusted sites in Internet Explorer. I turned off all QoS and internet prioritization on my router. I checked my HOSTS file (no related entries), and cleared my DNS cache. I could get on the web, check email, run instant messaging - just couldn't run Windows Update.<br /><br />Long story short, my router was blocking ActiveX. Once I un-toggled that block, Windows Update ran like a charm.<br /><br />(If you're having a similar problem, I had also read that if your router is set to block compressed files, un-block that).<br /><br />I suppose I won't need whatever canned response Microsoft is about to send me "within 1 business day."Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-37046599516563793582010-01-07T13:52:00.003-06:002010-01-07T14:28:40.194-06:00Comcast, DOCSIS 3.0, and Extreme 50MbI upgraded to Comcast's "Extreme 50Mb" service over this holiday break. It's been a bit of a learning experience.<br /><br />Scenario: I previously had Comcast's 16Mb cable internet service, running on a circa-2005 Linksys BEFCMU10 ver. 3 modem. I had a wireless-G Linksys WRT54GS ver. 4 router running <a href="http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato">Tomato firmware</a> instead of the Linksys firmware. I was happy with this setup; I consistently achieved 24Mb download bursts with PowerBoost, and my connection was rock solid. However, it was admittedly an outdated setup, as all of my wireless devices were capable of supporting the 802.11n standard.<br /><br />When Comcast rolled out its speed upgrades in the Chicago area mid-2009, somehow I missed the bus. Had I heard about the DOCSIS 3.o rollout and the higher speed tiers available, you know I would have jumped - me and my speed-obsessed self. (In my own self defense, I do quite a bit of work from home that requires a solid and fast internet connection in order for me to work most efficiently).<br /><br />I stumbled across the news of this DOCSIS 3.0 rollout a bit late, when my guild leader in Ultima Online mentioned it in the guild's daily update. I poked around the intarwebs a bit, and sure enough - the new Extreme 50Mb connection was available in my area.<br /><br />I called Comcast and verified that I could upgrade to the service. The woman advised me to replace my old modem with a DOCSIS 3.0 compliant one, and let me know that Comcast employees were available in most Best Buy stores to handle account modifications on-site. Well, alrighty then! Sounds like a nice business partnership for Comcast...<br /><br />Best Buy carried one model of DOCSIS 3.0 compliant modems: the <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Motorola+-+SURFboard+eXtreme+Broadband+Cable+Modem/9246693.p?id=1218068107245&skuId=9246693&st=motorola%20sb6120&cp=1&lp=1">Motorola SURFBoard Extreme SB6120</a>. It was listed on the <a href="http://customer.comcast.com/Pages/FAQViewer.aspx?seoid=Which-cable-modems-are-approved-for-use-with-the-Comcast-High-Speed-Internet-service">Comcast Approved Modem list</a>, and marked by Comcast as a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. It cost me $99. (Of course now, a week later, it's on sale for $85 - pshaw).<br /><br />It took ages to get a Best Buy employee to acknowledge me, but after half an hour or so (they really need to have people take numbers, because the idiot children working at the store I was at were absolutely awful at addressing customers in the order they arrived), I finally got a rep. I asked him about upgrading my Comcast account. He said that the Comcast guy was on his lunch break. (Well, I'd already been waiting a half hour - he couldn't be gone much longer, right?) So, I asked if my existing router would be capable of these 50Mb speeds. I told him the model number, and he said, "Oh, sure, it'll be fine." I waited a while for the Comcast guy to return, and when he did, he brought me over to his Comcast lair and upgraded my account, badabing, badaboom, just like that.<br /><br />I went home and set up the new modem. Surprisingly, my internet connection was still working. (I guess I was expecting the Comcast guy at Best Buy to screw up my account). I got on the online chat with Comcast to give them the MAC address of the new modem so they could provision my router and hook me up to the new speeds. 10 minutes later, I was ready to rock.<br /><br />Time to run a speed test! I ran the test and....<br /><br />Waa waaaaaaa. 30Mb or so. Well hell. That wasn't much faster than I'd had before! Suddenly, I became suspect of the advice I received from the Best Buy kiddie. I unplugged my computer from the router and plugged the cable modem directly into the computer.<br /><br />BAZINGA! 67Mb down (affected by the PowerBoost, or whatever Comcast calls it, of course).<br /><br />Well, hell again. Looked like my router was impeding my speeds. A little more googling and I discovered that at least for the wireless portion of things, the 802.11g routers topped out around 24Mb throughput. I would need a new router to take advantage of the 50Mb speeds.<br /><br />I ran back to Best Buy, but they were closed (at 8:13pm on a Friday!! Well, it was New Year's Day, but still!) So I sucked up my pride and hit the local Walmart (and was quite surprised that they stocked routers from all of the major brand players. Maybe I shouldn't be so fast to dismiss ol' Wally World).<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Linksys+-+Wireless-N+Router+with+4-Port+Ethernet+Switch/9301178.p?id=1218080215945&skuId=9301178&st=wrt320n&cp=1&lp=1">Linksys WRT320N</a> came home with me that night. It claims up to 300Mb/sec throughput, which should future-proof me for a little while, as my modem only goes up to 150Mb/sec and, well, Comcast is only at 50Mb (though the Comcast guy at Best Buy did say that they're working on 100Mb service and he wouldn't be surprised to see it available by the end of 2010 - though he told me not to quote him).<br /><br />After some more cable-jostling, the new router was installed, and once again: Bazinga! No more speed impediment.<br /><br />I was a happy camper.<br /><br />The only thing I'm noticing is that the router seems to need to be power cycled occasionally to maintain the full speeds. After a couple days, I drop down to 30Mb. I was ready to call Comcast in a fit and revert back to my old service, but I tried once again connecting the modem to the computer, and full speeds were in place. Power cycling the router does the trick, but it's kind of a nuisance (and I'm really not so happy if I have to keep testing my speeds every couple days). We'll see how it goes.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-47291500521690527182009-12-24T10:18:00.002-06:002009-12-24T10:32:15.599-06:00Holiday problem solvingHad a couple of computer problems recently... and finally came up with solutions. <div><br /></div><div>First, my 750GB Western Digital MyBook died. It kept unmounting itself randomly and wouldn't stay connected. Over the course of a day, the time it would stay connected became so short that it was completely dysfunctional. It was less than 2 years old (and it was a friggin $300+ hard drive when I bought it), so I was fuming mad. To top it off, it was my Time Machine backup drive - the one drive that contained backups of EVERYTHING I do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, it was still under warranty, so I sent it back to Western Digital via their online RMA process, and had a 1TB replacement in my hands about a week later. </div><div><br /></div><div>While I was at it, I checked the status of my old dead portable USB hard drive, the Passport that died barely a year after I bought it. I figured it was out of warranty, but lo and behold, it was not - so I sent that back too and got a replacement. </div><div><br /></div><div>So yesterday, I go to hook up the new WD MyBook and take the weight off my heart of having no backups, expecting a plug and play experience. No such thing. An hour later, the thing won't recognize via Firewire or USB on my iMac. Eventually I tried it on my PC (my cheap little gaming box), and it worked. WTH? That was the last thing I was expecting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Who knows if this thing is a refurb or new, but anyway, it only works with USB (even though it supposedly supports Firewire), and would only work after I unplugged a bunch of the other USB devices that I had plugged into my system (even though it has its own independent power supply). Additionally, it won't work when plugged into my UPS or into a surge strip. It only works when plugged directly into the wall (found that little tidbit of advice on WD's support site). Well, I sure hope I don't get any power surges! Geez. Nice going, Western Digital. </div><div><br /></div><div>But, at least it's backing up things now. </div><div><br /></div><div>The other problem was on my PC with Windows 7 Professional. I've had the thing for a few months now, and it would not go to sleep!! If I put it to sleep, it would immediately wake back up. I leave my computers on all the time (and put them to sleep when I'm gone or sleeping myself). I figured, it just cannot be good for this thing to be completely on all the time - not to mention the excess power consumption. But I couldn't find a solution...</div><div><br /></div><div>Until yesterday. I finally did some research, and there's a command you can run to see what device caused the last wake-up:</div><div><br /></div><div>powercfg -lastwake</div><div><br /></div><div>I discovered that it was my Logitech G11 keyboard waking the machine up. (Many people online reported their LAN cards waking up the machine). </div><div><br /></div><div>I went into Control Panel and checked the properties of the keyboard and hit the Power Management tab, then unchecked the box that allows that device to wake up the machine. </div><div><br /></div><div>That worked for a while, until about an hour later when the machine spontaneously woke up again. That time, it was the mouse. Doggone it. So I did the same thing - which means, now I can't wake up the machine by shaking the mouse or tapping the keyboard, but I did go into Power Options in Control Panel and set my power button to wake the machine up. So that's how I'll have to do it. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I'm happy to report that the machine now sleeps through the night :) </div><div><br /></div><div>190GB to go on my photo backup... I will be so relieved! I do have my original RAW photos backed up on a third external drive, but that drive doesn't get backed up. It's just an old drive I took out of my old PC that I use as a sort of backup of the backup. And, it doesn't have enough room to back up edited versions of all of my photos as well as the RAW's. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, it's time to go make some food for today's Christmas Eve gathering at mom's house. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have a wonderful holiday, everybody! <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-3864146770864361862009-11-13T12:59:00.004-06:002009-11-13T13:07:16.238-06:00Busted: Microsoft Copied Mac for Windows 7I'm LMAO over an article that a friend just forwarded to me. It's the tale of a Microsoft employee that explains how Windows 7's interface design was modeled after Mac OS X... then Microsoft comes back with "OH NO HE DI'N'T! WE DID NOT COPY!" <div><br /></div><div>We all know the truth.... one look Windows 7 says it all! (Now, I've had good experiences with Windows 7 thus far [running on my Mac's, of course, for the purpose of playing Ultima Online] - but come on, Microsoft... admit it. You've been copying interface design ideas your whole lives). </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the entire interview with Simon Aldous, Partner Group Manager for Microsoft:</div><div><a href="http://www.pcr-online.biz/features/328/Microsofts-new-vision">http://www.pcr-online.biz/features/328/Microsofts-new-vision</a></div><div><br /></div><div>And here's the quote of interest:<br /><blockquote>One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We’ve significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it’s built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance. </blockquote></div><div>And here's Microsoft refuting the statements made by one of their own:</div><div><a href="http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/32707/Microsoft-denies-Windows-7-was-inspired-by-Apple">http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/32707/Microsoft-denies-Windows-7-was-inspired-by-Apple</a><br /><blockquote>In an interview with PCR at the Microsoft Partner Network event last month, Simon Aldous, Microsoft Partner Group Manager, made reference to creating a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics with Windows 7. Simon was incorrect in describing Windows 7 in this way and subsequent headlines claiming that the Mac OS inspired Windows 7 are totally inaccurate.</blockquote></div><div>Bwahahahahahaaaaaa!!!! (that's me, laughing my ass off).</div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-76673336311504762072009-11-08T14:38:00.002-06:002009-11-08T14:42:16.174-06:00Razer Salmosa gaming mouse cheapWhoa, it's been a while since I posted here. Sorry. I do most of my posting over on Facebook these days. (I know, a shame, right?!) Rest assured, I still exist, and I'm still a geek. And I still have cats.<br /><br />Today's woot is the <a href="http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/razer-salmosa/">Razer Salmosa gaming mouse</a> - $13 plus $5 shipping, which is still a deal versus $40 retail. Just in time - my mouse is dying. The deal is for today only, until they sell out.<br /><br />Get the woot deal here: <a href="http://www.woot.com">woot $13 Razer Salmosa gaming mouse</a><br /><br />Note, if you go to the woot link tomorrow, it won't be the mouse anymore. Just sayin'. That's how they roll.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-86902605590865318772009-04-27T12:30:00.000-05:002009-04-27T12:31:17.610-05:00Photography and Mat Board...I'm doing some research as I prepare to buy mat board for my photography class portfolios...<br /><br />For a 13x19 print, the standard mat/frame size is 18x24.<br /><br />For an 8 1/2 x 11 print, the standard mat/frame size is 11x14 or 16x20.<br /><br />Now, off to decide where to buy mat board from, since my school doesn't sell it cheaply anymore!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-35460918230382700362009-04-11T11:29:00.001-05:002009-04-11T11:29:09.341-05:00Quote of the Day<blockquote>As Microsoft continues to tout the Apple Tax, perhaps it should look inward a bit and realize that people are willing to pay for Apple products for the high-quality user experience, and not settle for a subpar experience on a product they use every day.</blockquote><br />As seen in: "<a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10217252-62.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20">Microsoft Windows 7: Upgrade or Just Buy a Pizza?</a>"<div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-64631576887241902572009-03-29T13:24:00.001-05:002009-03-29T13:24:21.747-05:00Twouble with TwittersYes, I found this link via a tweet - thanks @kevinrose!<br /><br /><br /> <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PN2HAroA12w&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PN2HAroA12w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object><div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-41678758454566156922009-02-20T11:50:00.001-06:002009-02-20T11:50:27.389-06:00BOGO on Epson Photo PapersEpson's got a sale going on - buy one, get one free on all of their photo papers. Their 5 star papers are gallery-quality archival papers, and in my photog class we just concluded a month of print testing. The Ultra Premium Luster from Epson is a gorgeous paper. Wilhelm rates their papers for great permanence, particularly when used with Epson inks. Here's the rating sheet of the <a href="http://www.wilhelm-research.com/epson/WIR_Ep_R1900_2008_01_07.pdf">Epson R1900 with Epson papers</a>. (PDF file)<br /><br />At any rate, if you're in the market for some photo paper, the offer expires Feb 23 and use Discount Code 9YFASE at checkout (make sure you put 2 of the paper you want in your cart to begin with).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/pamCategory.jsp?infoType=Consumer&RMID=200902_media_offer_B&RRID=1015906481" _fcksavedurl="http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/pamCategory.jsp?infoType=Consumer&RMID=200902_media_offer_B&RRID=1015906481" target="_blank">Shop Epson's papers</a><br /><br />This works for all papers - I just finished biting the bullet and ordered a full set of replacement inks for my printer (asta la vista, $100, but I'm re-focusing my eBay efforts so hopefully this will turn out profitable), and grabbed a box of large format Luster paper while I was at it - 2 boxes now, since one is free. <br /><br />They also have free ground shipping if you order ink, and the two offers DO stack if you order both paper and ink. Not bad, since paper is heavy and shipping can get pricey. <br /><br />Go forth and shop! <div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-41746297785262113942009-01-28T23:48:00.001-06:002009-01-28T23:51:32.426-06:00Windows 7Click the comic below to read the whole thing. I'm too lazy to resize it. :P <br /><br /> <a href="http://xkcd.com/528/"><img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png" title="" alt="" /></a> <div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-9254387662504899502009-01-03T13:06:00.001-06:002009-01-03T13:06:24.302-06:00Speed Demon<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/phlyersphan/3163273121/" title="My Bandwidth, After Tomato by phlyersphan, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/3163273121_16b3e90183_o.png" alt="My Bandwidth, After Tomato" height="49" width="297" /></a><br /><br />Yup, that's my current bandwidth. Savor that 3.84 MEGABYTES per second, peoples. <br /><br />How have I achieved such greatness, you ask?<br /><br />On advice from my favorite geek ever, Patrick Norton (well, he didn't advise me personally but he advised me as part of a collective whole), I upgraded the firmware on my Linksys WRT54GS v2.1 router to the open source Tomato firmware, and WOW - I gained 5,000 kbps in download bandwidth and the web is so much snappier!!! Find Tomato here: <a href="http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato">www.polarcloud.com/tomato</a><div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-87038449146070505332009-01-02T11:53:00.004-06:002009-01-02T11:58:32.968-06:00iTunes Movie Rentals & Apple TVI haven't used my Apple TV in a while, and last night I was craving a movie. I thought I owned the movie I was craving ("High Fidelity" with John Cusack) but I couldn't find it, so I went on iTunes to look for it. I saw that they had both movie rentals and purchases available, and thought hey... maybe it's time I tried this out.<br /><br />Now, this was at like 10pm, so it was probably a bit late to go diving into a new technology thing, but that didn't stop me. Two hours later, I was finally ready to watch a movie. First, my Apple TV software was out of date, so I had to update that. Then, I downloaded the movie to my iTunes, which took about 20 minutes. Then, I couldn't figure out how to transfer the movie from my iTunes to my Apple TV. (Little did I know, I could have rented it directly from my Apple TV, thanks to the new software update). Once I finally figured out how to transfer the movie (it's not quite intuitive, or, I was loopy and seeing double after messing with the thing for an hour), it took another 20 minutes or so to copy it over to the Apple TV.<br /><br />Midnight. Ugh. But I decided to stay up and watch it.<br /><br />I got "X-Files: I Want to Believe." (Yeah, I know - what happened to John Cusack?) I'll save the movie review for some other day (LOVED it!), but all in all, once I finally figured out how to get everything working, the experience of watching a movie from iTunes on the Apple TV was a good one. I couldn't tell that I wasn't watching a DVD. It wasn't an HD movie, though there are some, but still - it looked perfectly fine and good. It was just like watching a DVD. I've got a 57" widescreen HDTV, so I was concerned that the visual quality would be subpar. I didn't want to feel like I was watching YouTube or something. Nope - everything was fine, and I'd definitely do it again - although next time I will rent directly through the Apple TV instead of first downloading the movie into iTunes.<br /><br />For those hung up on the same thing I was - trying to figure out how to transfer the rented movie from iTunes to the Apple TV - Apple's instructions on their web site are wrong (or, at least they use the wrong names for the tabs in iTunes).<br /><br />After downloading the movie rental into iTunes:<br /><br />1. Click on the Apple TV device in your iTunes sidebar.<br />2. On the main screen, click on the Movies tab. (That's where Apple's instructions are incorrect).<br />3. You'll see a split screen: Rented Movies, and Movies. In the Rented section, you'll see 2 boxes: In Your iTunes Library, and On Apple TV. Your rental should be listed "In Your iTunes Library." Highlight your rented movie.<br />4. Click the Move button. Your rental should now be listed under the "on Apple TV" category.<br />5. Click the Apply button at the bottom right corner of the screen.<br />6. Wait until the transfer finishes before using your Apple TV.<br />7. Go to the Apple TV. Under Movies, you'll now have a new category - Rented Movies.<br />8. Click your movie, hit play, and enjoy!<br /><br />Note: Step #6 could be important - I managed to somehow cancel my movie transfer half way through by going to the Apple TV to watch movie trailers while the transfer was going on. Hey, I was bored! When I went back to iTunes to check on it, the transfer had aborted. So, I'd suggest just leaving the Apple TV alone while you're transferring a movie.<br /><br />Here's a screenshot of the screen it took me forever to find in iTunes (see step #3 above):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWxZQ53P6a7Sj60zX6ZH7sIruwute2rYyPcyfHuiAJUQS5Y1xDGrEecp_lnXpG8WVIzbdWT2TSI3WsZnFiH97_34rbZanYS-wBeuoldeXvyaFQk-Ha8RFWzmxejI45SIUdi62/s1600-h/Picture+3.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWxZQ53P6a7Sj60zX6ZH7sIruwute2rYyPcyfHuiAJUQS5Y1xDGrEecp_lnXpG8WVIzbdWT2TSI3WsZnFiH97_34rbZanYS-wBeuoldeXvyaFQk-Ha8RFWzmxejI45SIUdi62/s400/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286756640252093474" border="0" /></a>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-30690733512368750812008-12-29T12:54:00.001-06:002008-12-29T12:54:14.513-06:00The Mac Giving TreeFree Mac software from Mac Heist, all in the holiday spirit!<br /><br />I grabbed 1Password - a password management tool. Not sure it'll replace my KeePass, but for free, it's worth a look! :)<br /><br />Stop by the <a href="http://givingtree.macheist.com/">Mac Giving Tree</a> and grab some free apps. Happy Holidays!<br /> <div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-9968448747058441792008-12-23T16:20:00.001-06:002008-12-23T16:20:00.593-06:00Merry Christmas!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/phlyersphan/331154418/" title="Merry Christmas! by phlyersphan, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/331154418_aa3fb25a18_o.jpg" width="350" height="225" alt="Merry Christmas!" /></a><div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-23456714524963362512008-12-22T20:14:00.001-06:002008-12-22T20:14:58.343-06:00Leopard's built in UPS supportI just bought a new APC UPS battery backup/surge protector. The box indicated that its software worked for Mac OS X through 10.4, but I figured I could get an updated version on the web (cuz come on, Leopard has been out forever now). <br /><br />Nope. APC doesn't make a version of their PowerChute software for Mac OS X 10.5.<br /><br />Good thing Leopard has built in support for UPS's! It detects the percentage of power available and lets me set all sorts of auto-shutdown options.<br /><br />So there! <br /><br />I <3 my Mac :)<br /> <div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-12598156690557522342008-11-03T23:17:00.002-06:002008-11-03T23:25:23.772-06:00All This Time! Possible Fix for iMac Graphics in Vista?Wow - I can't believe the number of hours I've put into this, and I've just now stumbled upon what will probably be the solution.<br /><br />Vista is very unstable when gaming under Boot Camp on my Leopard-based iMac. I've read many, many reports of similar experiences, and have tried many solutions, including using stock ATI video drivers, blah blah blah. None worked well, much less better than the ones in Boot Camp. I'd get blue screens indicating that my video driver was stuck in an infinite loop.<br /><br />I've wracked my brain for months over this, literally. I only use Windows to play a game (Ultima Online), and to have that ONE experience ruined daily by frequent crashing is just infuriating.<br /><br />Nobody could figure it out. Apple put out an update, and Windows said it applied the update, but it didn't help.<br /><br />Last night, I noticed something. The version on my Boot Camp install was version 1.4... beta. Now, I *know* I've run an update since then! WTF??<br /><br />I downloaded the latest Boot Camp Update last night, version 2.1. It wouldn't unpack, let alone install. Pulled my hair out for another hour or so looking for answers. No luck.<br /><br />Today, it hit me. I needed to install version 2.0 before the 2.1 update would work. 2.0 is on my Leopard CD. While I could have sworn I'd already done that, maybe I didn't.<br /><br />I just ran the Boot Camp installer from the CD (2.0). Sure enough, the 2.1 update went as planned.<br /><br />I saw my video drivers get updated... twice.<br /><br />I was 2 versions behind on my video drivers - which I suspected! I just couldn't nail down how to get the updates!<br /><br />What a simple solution. What a numbskull I am.<br /><br />I am so positive that this is going to solve my crashing problems that I'm going to proclaim victory over this problem right now!<br /><br />HOORAH!!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-40520438888908747732008-10-06T13:24:00.001-05:002008-10-06T13:24:18.730-05:00The State of American Politics by Dave J MatthewsPosted by Dave Matthews to Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/DaveJMatthews/statuses/948539348" target="_blank">12:40pm 10/6/2008</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>I find the state of American politics heartbreaking. And the dominant news coverage suffocating, panic inspiring, septic mis-information.</blockquote><br /><br />Ditto.<div class="flockcredit" style="text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;">Blogged with the <a href="http://www.flock.com/blogged-with-flock" style="color: #999; font-weight: bold;" target="_new" title="Flock Browser">Flock Browser</a></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7229412.post-172379094515831422008-09-17T17:40:00.002-05:002009-03-20T00:06:26.215-05:00Not Enough Disk Space to Install XP Service Pack 3 on a MacI've been trying to update my Windows XP installation to Service Pack 3 for 2 hours now. It keeps telling me that it needs 4MB more disk space. FOUR MEGS! I have 10 gigs free!<br /><br />Here's the glitch: it's not about how much free space I have. It's about the fact that I'm running XP on a Mac with BootCamp - specifically, the MacBook Pro laptop. Apparently, this also happens on the Intel based iMac's.<br /><br />The error message:<br /><br /><blockquote>There is not enough disk space on C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ to install Service Pack 3 Setup requires an additional 4 megabytes of free space or if you also want to archive the files for uninstallation. Setup requires 4 additional megabytes of free space. Free additional space on your hard disk and then try again.</blockquote><br /><br />The solution lies in the fact that Intel Mac's use the EFI format, which Windows does not support. (Feel free to Google more about EFI - all I know is, the solution I found on <a href="http://www.windowsreference.com/general/error-there-is-not-enough-disk-space-when-installing-sp3/">WindowsReference.com</a> solved the problem for me!)<br /><br />The fix:<br /><br />1. Click Start - Run - Type <font style="font-weight: bold;">regedit </font>and press enter.<br /><br />2. Navigate to<br />[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup]<br /><br />3. In the right pane, right-click and choose New - String value<br /><br />4. Name it <font style="font-weight: bold;">BootDir </font>and set its value to <font style="font-weight: bold;">C:\</font><br /><br />5. Exit regedit.<br /><br />Re-try your SP3 installation, and all should be right with the world.<br />Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01779259600485125169noreply@blogger.com0