Minute Thoughts

Just A Small Prediction

dodom — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:39:29 +0000

5 Geeks You Should Know

dodom — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:50:03 +0000

(in no particular order, of course)

Charlene Li - Social networking analyst and expert.
Craig Newmark - Founder of Craig’s List.
David Swain - PR for Facebook.
Matt Cutts - Google’s most famous blogger.
Shel Israel - Co author of Naked Conversations.

Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User

dodom — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:30:30 +0000

The following is borrowed from David Pogue of the New York Times:

Last week, I wrote an entry on my blog that began like this:

“One of these days, I’m going to write a book called, ‘The Basics.’ It’s going to be a compendium of the essential tech bits that you just assume everyone knows–but you’re wrong.

“(I’ll never forget watching a book editor at a publishing house painstakingly drag across a word in a word processor to select it. After 10 minutes of this, I couldn’t stand it. ‘Why don’t you just double-click the word?’ She had no clue you could do that!)”

Many readers chimed in with other “basics” that they assumed every computer user knew–but soon discovered that what’s common knowledge isn’t the same as universal knowledge.

I’m sure the basics could fill a book, but here are a few to get you started. All of these are things that certain friends, family or coworkers, over the years, did *not* know. Clip, save and pass along to…well, you know who they are.

You can double-click a word to highlight it in any document, e-mail or Web page.
When you get an e-mail message from eBay or your bank, claiming that you have an account problem or a question from a buyer, it’s probably a “phishing scam” intended to trick you into typing your password. Don’t click the link in the message. If in doubt, go into your browser and type “www.ebay.com” (or whatever) manually.
Nobody, but nobody, is going to give you half of $80 million to help them liberate the funds of a deceased millionaire…from Nigeria or anywhere else.
You can hide all windows, revealing only what’s on the computer desktop, with one keystroke: hit the Windows key and “D” simultaneously in Windows, or press F11 on Macs (on recent Mac laptops, Command+F3; Command is the key with the cloverleaf logo). That’s great when you want examine or delete something you’ve just downloaded to the desktop, for example. Press the keystroke again to return to what you were doing.
You can enlarge the text on any Web page. In Windows, press Ctrl and the plus or minus keys (for bigger or smaller fonts); on the Mac, it’s the Command key and plus or minus.
You can also enlarge the entire Web page or document by pressing the Control key as you turn the wheel on top of your mouse. On the Mac, this enlarges the entire screen image.
The number of megapixels does not determine a camera’s picture quality; that’s a marketing myth. The sensor size is far more important. (Use Google to find it. For example, search for “sensor size Nikon D90.”)
On most cellphones, press the Send key to open up a list of recent calls. Instead of manually dialing, you can return a call by highlighting one of these calls and pressing Send again.
When someone sends you some shocking e-mail and suggests that you pass it on, don’t. At least not until you’ve first confirmed its truth at snopes.com, the Internet’s authority on e-mailed myths. This includes get-rich schemes, Microsoft/AOL cash giveaways, and–especially lately–nutty scare-tactic messages about our Presidential candidates.
You can tap the Space bar to scroll down on a Web page one screenful. Add the Shift key to scroll back up.
When you’re filling in the boxes on a Web page (like City, State, Zip), you can press the Tab key to jump from box to box, rather than clicking. Add the Shift key to jump through the boxes backwards.
You can adjust the size and position of any window on your computer. Drag the top strip to move it; drag the lower-right corner (Mac) or any edge (Windows) to resize it.
Forcing the camera’s flash to go off prevents silhouetted, too-dark faces when you’re outdoors.
When you’re searching for something on the Web using, say, Google, put quotes around phrases that must be searched together. For example, if you put quotes around “electric curtains,” Google won’t waste your time finding one set of Web pages containing the word “electric” and another set containing the word “curtains.”
You can use Google to do math for you. Just type the equation, like 23*7+15/3=, and hit Enter.
Oh, yeah: on the computer, * means “times” and / means “divided by.”
If you can’t find some obvious command, like Delete in a photo program, try clicking using the right-side mouse button. (On the Mac, you can Control-click instead.)
Google is also a units-of-measurement and currency converter. Type “teaspoons in 1.3 gallons,” for example, or “euros in 17 dollars.” Click Search to see the answer.
You can open the Start menu by tapping the key with the Windows logo on it.
You can switch from one open program to the next by pressing Alt+Tab (Windows) or Command-Tab (Mac).
You generally can’t send someone more than a couple of full-size digital photos as an e-mail attachment; those files are too big, and they’ll bounce back to you. (Instead, use iPhoto or Picasa–photo-organizing programs that can automatically scale down photos in the process of e-mailing them.)
Whatever technology you buy today will be obsolete soon, but you can avoid heartache by learning the cycles. New iPods come out every September. New digital cameras come out in February and October.
Just putting something into the Trash or the Recycle Bin doesn’t actually delete it. You then have to *empty* the Trash or Recycle Bin. (Once a year, I hear about somebody whose hard drive is full, despite having practically no files. It’s because over the years, they’ve put 79 gigabytes’ worth of stuff in the Recycle Bin and never emptied it.)
You don’t have to type “http://www” into your Web browser. Just type the remainder: “nytimes.com” or “dilbert.com,” for example. (In the Safari browser, you can even leave off the “.com” part.)
On the iPhone, hit the Space bar twice at the end of a sentence. You get a period, a space, and a capitalized letter at the beginning of the next word.
Come up with an automated backup system for your computer. There’s no misery quite like the sick feeling of having lost chunks of your life because you didn’t have a safety copy.

Gmail, Blocked Boxes, and Customer Support

dodom — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:57:05 +0000

I am not usually one to write a post that is just a link to another post. However, in this case, I think it is absolutely necessary for everyone to read. Not to mention the recent “hacking” of VP-hopeful Palin’s email, others have been victims of lockouts and boilerplate “We’re so sorry…” messages.

So today I was reading the NY Times and I came across this very interesting article about Gmail and its username/password issues that seem to be becoming more prevalent. Take a second and read it over. I think it is definitely food for thought!

Full article here.

Mac 101: the Mail Client

dodom — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:40:02 +0000

Are you tired of having to figure out each time how to CC/BCC someone into your current email in the Mail client for Mac? Why not add it to the default Mail message window? Start by creating a new mail message and click the small box that appears next to the subject line. When you do this, a drop-down menu will appear. Click on the “Customize” button.The window will instantly become a full size window showing all the available options. Clicking the check boxes beside each item will allow them to appear each time you compose a new message. When you are done, click the “OK” button to save the changes.

Tip courtesy of: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Do Politics Recognize Technology

dodom — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:41:13 +0000

I guess by now it is taken for granted that candidates have websites. In fact, Obama has a website complete with a social network. I guess it is also taken for granted that both sites are best viewed on a high speed connection and include flash elements vital to viewing the site. McCains website begins with a very direct video from VP-hopeful Palin. But I guess the idea that technology does not need governmental aid and support to continue to thrive and (dare I say, advance) is also taken for granted. In watching the debate last week and in preparing for this weeks vice-presidential debate I can’t help but to ask, where do the candidates stand on these issues?

The ASSS (Advancing Science, Serving Society) has recently administered a series of science and technology questions aimed at the presidential hopefuls to help us better understand their positions on this seemingly overlooked category. Their responses to the most relative questions (in the computer fields) are as follows:

INNOVATION Mr. Obama calls for doubling federal budgets for basic research over a decade and supports broadband Internet connections “for all Americans.” Mr. McCain stresses policies to provide “broad pools of capital, low taxes and incentives for research in America,” as well as the streamlining of “burdensome regulations.” Mr. McCain also said Congress, “under my guiding hand,” adopted wireless policies that “spurred the rapid rise of mobile phones and WiFi technology.”

EDUCATION Both candidates advocate policies to develop a highly skilled workforce, partly with cash incentives for teachers. Mr. McCain would put $250 million into a program to help states expand online education.

So, there you have it. That is the full discussion to date on the future of computer and Internet technology as represented in the 2008 presidential election.

If you have heard something more or have other websites for us to read, please do let us know. I am beginning to wonder now if the candidates even understand how much of our nations economy and the burgeoning global community relies on computer and Internet tech.

Will It Be Phoogle or Maybe “The Gone”

dodom — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:28:30 +0000

So be it with the cell phone industry. Just as our hopes were dashed by the proprietary partnership of Apple and AT&T, T-Mobile has now announced their latest ‘partnership’ with Google announcing yesterday the details of the first and highly anticipated mobile phone based on Google’s Android software. Full details and perhaps a prototype will be shown on Sept. 23 at a press conference in New York.

The phone itself, which is being manufactured by HTC, is not likely to be available until November. However, top executives from Google, T-Mobile and other companies (who else could be on this deal of the decade?) are expected to unveil details about the phone’s release date, pricing, plans and software at the press conference.

The phone is expected to become a challenger to other “all in one devices” like Apple’s iPhone and the BlackBerry. Other manufacturers and cellphone carriers are expected to introduce Android-based phones in the coming months. This means YOU, Verizon. Come on. Give us something to brag about.

Google is promoting Android phones as a way to ensure that its services, as well as other services that may use its advertising system, are available on a broad range of mobile phones. But Google also stands to benefit from the popularity of devices like the iPhone, whose PC-like Internet browser has greatly increased the likelihood that its owners will conduct Web searches on their phones.

Mark my words though. The price point is going to make all the difference.

No Longer Shrouded In Mystery

dodom — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:35:39 +0000

Remote desktop is one of those infamous creative computing terms that seems to have come from nowhere. It is an incredibly easy concept though. It means exactly what it sounds like it should. Remote desktop allows you to control the desktop - and, indeed, the entire contents - of a computer from another machine entirely. You do this using a sort of a remote control, except in this case the remote control is a software application; native or third-party.

A remote desktop software application turns one computer into the boss of another or a series of others. It is sometimes packaged as part of a suite of other administrative applications; other times, remote desktop is its own entity, doing nothing but what it’s supposed to do. Currently, remote desktop software is available for all computer platforms.

Microsoft makes software that facilitates remote desktop, as does Apple. In fact, Steve Jobs and the gang over at Apple have made a standalone application called Remote Desktop. For those Linux folks out there, you will be glad to know that there are desktop applications that run on Linux as well.

Advanced security protocols are standard practice inclusions in remote desktop software, especially when the network is a wireless and/or Internet one. The latest versions of remote desktop software have 128-bit encryption protocols. Older versions might have protection of a lesser nature. If you are running remote desktop software, even if your connection is direct wired, you need to run advanced security protocols as well. Not to do so is to invite piracy.

Once the administrator has entered the correct password, the remote desktop software enables that administrator to access the target computer. Then, uploads, downloads, file transfers, and software maintenance can take place. Indeed, software maintenance is one of the most common uses of remote desktop software. Often, the administrator will shut down a malfunctioning software application or install a software upgrade using remote desktop software. This saves the time that it would take the administrator to physically insert a CD into the target computer or to do a manual software upgrade download.

The target computer in a remote desktop scenario is still able to access all of its core functions. Many of these core functions, including the main clipboard, can be shared between target computer and administrator, however. Certain safety features can be built into the remote desktop software protocols such that the administrator is not able to delete or otherwise alter files without the target user’s permission. One other rather revolutionary thing that remote desktop software can do is to allow the administrator to run an audio or video application on a remote computer and have the sights and/or sounds redirected to the administrator’s computer.

Power To The mini-People

dodom — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:35:40 +0000

It seems that each time I walk into an Apple store the children’s computer setup has grown by another station or two. It also seems that each time I hit the Best Buy I notice more and more software being developed for Ages 2+. Now, call me slow but I don’t remember having the hand-eye coordination or the attention span to sit down at a computer at the ripe old age of 2. Wait….I don’t remember computers at 2. Perhaps that is the problem? Parents today are faced with a generation being born into a tech-centric world. Daycares now has scan cards for entry. Children carry cell phones so their parents can track them with GPS. One things hasn’t changed though. How much is too much? I thought since school had recently started up it would be a good time to discuss a few guidelines for managing kids and computers.

Where to park it

It’s best to set up your “kid computer” in the vicinity of where the family hangs out — a common area such as the family room or kitchen. We may need to negotiate this with our privacy-craving teenagers, but for younger kids it just makes sense, because, well, we said so…We can also try to:

Talk with them about what they’re learning and join the fun.
Easily direct or rescue them when they’re having trouble.
Watch and monitor Web sites they visit (if they’re allowed on the Internet).
Make sure they have a proper chair and a monitor at the correct height, and check that other basic ergonomic standards are observed.

Laptop or desktop?

The location question quickly leads to the discussion of laptop or desktop PC. Laptop portability offers convenience. But there are drawbacks. Do you want your 6-year-old connecting and disconnecting the machine and toting it around? I don’t. Will the Ergonomics Police break down your door when they hear your daughter on the floor with her laptop instead of at a proper table? Do we really want to add another argument about posture? And this doesn’t even get into the financial side of the debate!

System requirements

I’ve heard it before. Here son. I got you this computer from a garage sale. I know it’s a little big and it may be a bit slow but it is perfect for your needs. HA! Students computing today need up-to-date hardware and software. You want a reliable and relatively new machine that can handle today’s memory-hungry, graphics-intensive programs. Any machine equipped to run an up-do-date operating system such as Windows Vista or Windows XP, or in the Mac OS X line, should be sufficicient.

Kids’ software

Unlike a lot of TV programming for kids, computer software offers a wonderfully interactive way to learn. Heck, I even have fun with the makeover games where I can instantly revive my hair! But with programs that teach math, science, music, art, history, typing and foreign languages on the market, you can pretty much cover the entire school curriculum. “Edutainment” is the term often applied to kids’ programs because the emphasis is on making learning fun.

You may want to do some online research for quality software of even ask your child’s teacher for recommendations.

Talk to your children

Make sure you communicate with your kids. The computer is not a digital babysitter. It knows no boundaries. Let the kids know what the rules are and what you expect. Set up parameters. Let them know that as they get older the rules may change a bit. Let them know you are proud of them and their ability to adapt to this technology and encourage them to engage their minds.

Small Computer, Big Business

dodom — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:44:49 +0000

A lot of folks have been wondering how long it would take Dell to join the notebook party. The expectation was not for a full laptop but rather something more smaller. Delldelivered just last week with the Mini 9, a $349 portable computer that weighs 2.28 pounds, has an 8.9-inch screen. It is fit for Internet-centric tasks, like surfing, chatting, uploading photos, blogging, watching videos and listening to music.

This move has a lot of economic challenges including a loss of ground in the pursuit of a smaller, more powerful notebook computer. The move towards these ‘netbooks also challenges some of the biggest American PC companies, given that the pioneers in the category are lesser-known overseas manufacturers, like Asus, the maker of the Eee PC. And it challenges some of the suppliers, like Microsoft, that are tailored for a world of powerful computers, not basic ones that function chiefly as way stations to connect consumers to the cloud.

Indeed, the base model of Dell’s new machine includes a “mini” operating system made by Ubuntu (a $399 model has Windows XP Home). The machine does, however, use an Intel Atom chip. In the art department the Mini 9 comes in two colors (which Dell refers to as “Obsidian Black” and “Alpine White,”). One wonders whether this new category will, over the long-term, challenge the PC makers in their efforts to reproduce their favorite color at the checkout line: U.S. Dollar Green.