The Helpful Tech

Class

2015-03-16T16:23:00.001-07:00

It seems that classes can cause a large slowdown with any timetables for what I plan to do.... I am still unsure what my next blog will be about and I am hoping it isn't yet another apology for not posting much or often. I plan on actually getting some ideas rolling forward.
I have gotten my hands on a preview of a new OS which I plan to review later, and might do some talking about games again.

Thoughts of Random

2014-06-05T14:12:00.001-07:00

I am sorry I have not posted in a great long while, but I have been elsewhere with my mind.

Today I had a random thought about a post I recently read on another site basically saying that Doc Brown from Back to the Future was suicidal. The reasoning behind this as far as they were concerned is that Doc Brown had no idea that it would work at all and he aimed the car at himself and Marty.

Now let's stop here for a minute and remember the rest of the movie. Remember the fact that Marty is recording all of this, and later on shows it to Doc Brown. He has foreknowledge that it will work around this time and place due to the time circuits in the Delorean and the video evidence from the video camera. Later he would technically have knowledge of it working due to Marty traveling forward in time, or at least exploding.

So in theory he would have known this all along and actually brings me to my point. The series is actually a self contained paradox of itself. If Marty had not gone back in time in the DeLorean, would Doc Brown have given up on himself or even tried to build the time machine. We can guess that is Marty had not gone back and written the note Doc would not have been alive when he got back to the future.

In this story Marty is Doc's muse and is needed in order for Doc to even amount to what happens in the movie. And for those of us lucky enough to have beaten and played the Tell Tale game we realized this. In the game time gets all messed up by Doc and it gets rewritten in a fashion that endagers Marty's existance and the reality in which they live. The ending actually left it open for a sequel which if done in the same fashion would be awesome in my opinion.

2013-02-12T14:40:00.001-08:00

As an avid gamer I have been following the next gen gaming talk as close as I possibly can. Sony not wanting to reveal too much before Microsoft reveals it's hand, and conversely Microsoft doing the same thing. Nintendo ran ahead with it's innovative step which somewhat combines the hand held portable market with the console market in it's Wii U.

Though much like Microsoft with it's Kinect add on for the 360, Nintendo is not taking the other initiatives to make this step much more intriguing. I saw an idea online for Wii U which could connect to a gaming culture that normally gets left behind and out, the Tabletop crowd (D&D gaming community to give a better description).

Say we give it connectivity online and create a multiple game tabletop to play over a network, where in one person serves as the DM and the others move around in the dungeon. It could even be set up to be used locally with the players in the same room. To me this is a great idea as there are not many online table tops that work well. And making it electronic could revive the tabletop and bring it to a wider audience who are leery of a non electronic game.

2013-02-12T14:28:00.001-08:00

"The postal service still has miles to go before becoming Amazon's courier of choice. The pilot program is limited to delivering a maximum of 200 packages per day to customers of 1-800-Flowers.com's sister brands, which sell popcorn, cookies, chocolate and gift baskets. Friess says the USPS is planning to add more retailers soon. If the test is successful, which he says the agency believes it will be, Metro Post will roll out to other large markets across the country.

Friess declined to speculate on whether the USPS' 214,000 trucks — what the agency calls the world's largest civilian fleet — could end up in the service of Amazon.

But he said he believed the USPS will start to look increasingly attractive to other companies exploring the same-day option: "We'd never close the door on ways to expand our revenue.""

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/07/tech/web/amazon-save-us-postal/index.html

I have to say this would probably help resolve many of the USPS revenue issues. Streamlining and changing some infrastructure issues within it would make this a good thing.

I don't normally like to comment about this type of news but it occurs to me that this could be the break that the postal service has been looking for. This would possibly keep the cost down for the regular consumer and if properly structured with Amazon's same day service some consumer delivery costs could be cut by using the USPS system, and save it for our future.

A music podcast by a friend

2013-02-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine DJ, has just started a music podcast. He is open to many music genres, and although we don't always agree one the music we like, he is open and honest with his opinion. Check him out.

http://dj4vibesandstuff.podomatic.com

Just one podcast for now but from what I hear right now he is gonna be great in the next episodes.

A New Beginning

2013-02-12T12:13:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

After a long absence and some searching through what I want to do with this, I have decided.

One of the many things I had planned to do with this blog is to bridge a gap that I see in the knowledge of regular people and those that are actually fixing their devices and computers. I started to take it in a direction that I am unsure if it lead to where I wanted to go.

There are other ideas I have for it rolling around in the deep recesses of my mental void.

I should have a new video and more posts to come shortly.

The Helpful Tech

Tech News World : Pain and Suffering in Germany, or How Linux Lost to XP

2011-03-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

"With all the world aflutter about the latest "i-thingie" to emerge from the Hallowed Halls of Cupertino, it's been a great week for catching up on Linux news from around the world.

Expecting the usual assortment of triumphant tales regarding our favorite operating system, however, Linux Girl's jaw fairly hit the floor when she came across something entirely different.
It's the sad, sad story of the German Foreign Office, to be specific, which recently chose to reverse a decade-old migration to Linux. Now, it's switching back to Windows instead." ~Katherine Noyes

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Pain-and-Suffering-in-Germany-or-How-Linux-Lost-to-XP-71983.html

Although I feel that this is a great article, I would have to say the response titled " When the truth hurts " is really why I am posting this.

http://www.technewsworld.com/perl/board/mboard.pl?board=lnitalkback&thread=5183&id=5184&display=1#message_5184

I am no elitist snob about what I do, I really want to help people understand the issues that they are having with their computer. I do have to say that there are times that even I must tell the customer " You would not understand". This is more because I can't put it into layman's terms, in other words I can't translate it for them.

But onto the response. I feel that the reasons are the big picture truth. I use MS OS products because most things work for them. The same could be said for Apple products. You can game easily on a MAC or an MS platform. Sadly even though I know there are Linux gamers, I know they find playing some games hard under the OS. Some even keep an MS product around to run for this purpose. I tried to jump through the hoops to get Wine running for games, and found that even after getting it set up it still did not work. It seems that even the VM community has started to get the notion that gaming might be a needed item. Why hasn't Linux worked this issue out... Or the others... Ubuntu people seem to be the only ones with a clue... And they've become the black sheep of the family. Hmmmm....

Tech News World : PS3 Could Become a Harder Nut to Crack

2011-02-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

"Sony is neither confirming nor denying rumors that it will soon phase out current models of its PlayStation 3 in favor of a new version that makes it much harder for hackers to crack its firmware and reprogram it for other uses. Sony contends that hacking facilitates piracy, but its attempts to lock down its system may also hamper benign experimentation." ~Mark Raby

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/PS3-Could-Become-a-Harder-Nut-to-Crack-71937.html
Now I can understand trying to prevent piracy, and trying to prevent tampering with your own systems, but there is a line you need to decide that is too far for yourself here. Tightening security can and eventually will stifle your business or choke it out all together. I don't think that even SEGA would have gone this far. Remember that Microsoft was this way with it's peripherals and hardware originally, but then they saw what was actually going on. People are imaginative, creepy at time with it, but very imaginative anyway.
People have embraced the Kinect as something that they felt had huge amounts of untapped potential. Microsoft first didn't want us messing with it because they want to be our overlords and control everything we do.... Wait MS please don't hurt me... yet... But soon realized that our imagination and innovation with their technologies could help them improve upon it. I am actually in the process of testing some of their new software, it is working fairly well.
In the end we just need to remember that freedom + imagination/innovation = future items that can be awesome or terrifying. However securing against all can end badly... Either by the end for your company as far as a gaming technology, or the end of all your security in a complete disaster involving that same equipment.

BBC News : Intel launches high speed Thunderbolt connector

2011-02-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

"Chip manufacturer Intel has announced it is to roll out a new technology for connecting computers and peripherals.

The system, known as Thunderbolt, promises transfer speeds twice as fast as USB 3.0.
However it won't reach its theoretical maximum because Intel has opted to use copper wires rather than fibre optic cables.
The company said it would gradually move to higher speeds over time.
Apple will become the first manufacturer to use Thunderbolt, on its Macbook Pro computers.
The Cupertino firm is said to have been a major driver of its development, although it remains to be seen how may other manufacturers will adopt the new standard." ~unlisted

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12570323
I love hearing about new innovations in technology. A new connection that will eventually allow possible transfer speeds up to 100 GB/s sounds quite intriguing. But of course, look you has gotten on the band wagon first, APPLE. Now I am not putting them down, I just hope that INTEL does not sell out to them on this. That could mean stifling the rest of an industry once again with costs, much like our IPod/IPad like device technology hurdles we face now. I want to say that yes APPLE does reserve the right to keep their own technology to themselves and not allow others to use it, but when you buy up similar tech from most other companies you tend to stifle creation and creativity. Lastly competition.

Top Tech News : The New Internet Protocols: What Users Should Know

2011-02-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

" Many web surfers don't know it, but the introduction of new Internet address standards might change the way they get online.
Since the supply of useable addresses governed by the IPv4 standard (Internet protocol, version 4) has been exhausted, IPv6 has now been introduced. This will allow a previously impossible variety of addresses, says Christoph Meinel, a professor at Germany's Hasso Plattner Institute." ~unlisted

http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12200B7OR4E6
This is just a basic question and answer about the conversion from what we are using now, to what we will be using very soon. Hopefully the ISPs will keep their word and make it as smooth as possible from their side to the consumers.

BBC NEWS : Microsoft and Apple: Competing on the high street

2011-02-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

"Seattle: I've just visited two shiny temples to technology, brightly lit places with keen, well-informed and helpful staff, and a welcome for anyone who wanted just to play on the laptops, mobile phones or tablet computers.
Yes, one was an Apple store, but the other, just a few doors along in a shopping mall in Bellevue near Seattle, was a Microsoft store. The software giant has now opened seven of these shops in the United States, an attempt perhaps to copy Apple's very successful experiment in selling its products direct to the public in an environment designed to reinforce the brand." ~Rory Cellan-Jones

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/rorycellanjones/2011/02/microsoft_and_apple_competing.html
I think that this might help Microsoft, mainly in the display and testing of any new products they bring to t5he market. I don't see that it will help them in the sense that the Apple store does Apple. But I have been wrong in the past. I agree that this is a testing period to see if this has any possibility of working. I would like the chance to see one if they do indeed expand it.

Top Tech News : Must-Have Freeware Tools for Windows Computers

2011-02-24T04:27:00.000-08:00

"Any respectable list of must-have freeware includes software that is as good as commercial applications and tools that fill a computing void. Some examples of excellent freeware tools include system-utility tools, image viewers, Windows key automation tools, media players, zip and archive tools, and antivirus applications." ~Jay Dougherty

http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=1130089AAO3U

This handy news post for those of us that are looking for good free programs to recommend. Some are just to keep the system speedy, while other to open things you may want to. Like a picture from your friend who uses a mac.

Network World : Playing with our money: The FCC and the Universal Service Fund

2011-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

"You, your company and I, along with just about everybody subscribing to telephone service in the United States, is hit with a surcharge on our phone bills that goes into a Universal Service Fund (USF).

This fund started out with the simple goal of making telephone service affordable in rural, and thus, high-cost parts of the country. Over the years, the USF goal has expanded to cover Internet service. At best, this has been a controversial program." ~Scott Bradner

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2011/022111bradner.html?page=1
I can see the benefits of this program, and I also see the need to update it. But I do have to agree that this may not be a job for the FCC.

Top Tech News : Chinese Attackers Grab Data from Energy Companies

2011-02-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

"Hackers from China have been stealing internal documents from energy companies for at least two years, and possibly up to four. McAfee has named the hackers Night Dragon and described them as "incredibly sloppy." The Night Dragon hackers exploited holes to compromise web servers, McAfee said, and could attack other industries."~Barry Levine

http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=030003CLNPII

One thing I have to say is.... "WHO was SLOPPY?" Yes the attackers were, but they got in easily from what I understand. This doesn't bode well for us in this matter. Looks like even our private sector is severely lacking in this department. But why is their "secure" financial data able to be accessed from outside the company anyway?

Top Tech News : Obama Promotes Plans for Wireless Expansion

2011-02-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

"President Obama wants to expand access to high-speed wireless to 98 percent of the population within five years, part of a focus on innovation, technology and competitiveness as a pathway to jobs. He is visiting Marquette, Mich., a university and tourism town that cherishes both its geographical remoteness and technological savvy."~Erica Werner

http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0300029EMD3C

I am glad to see that there is actually a method to this madness. I am also glad to see that Michigan is being used for something other than to show how bad the economy is.
I have to say that whoever thought up this wireless plan was at least of a financial mindset. This being said we must also work to secure this network, which means that I will probably end up with a government job. Keeping this network secure enough doesn't seem like something the government is good at...

BBC News : Anonymous hackers attack US security firm HBGary

2011-02-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

"Online activist group Anonymous has targeted an American security firm that claimed to know the identities of its leaders.

The secretive organisation is being investigated in several countries over strikes on Visa, PayPal and others.
Over the weekend Aaron Barr, head of HBGary Federal, said he had discovered the names of its most senior figures." ~unknown

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12380987

Now I have no problem with people speaking out for what they feel is right or believe in. I also understand protecting yourself, when you do so. But there are certain times that we must control what we do to that end. I am not condemning nor am I condoning what Anonymous did. But I have to ask, is there a line at which even they won't cross. This just makes me wonder are any of us safe with them doing what they are. They could bring it all crashing down on our heads. That may be the point of what they do. Anarchy. Dissonance. George Carlin would be happy with them. Everyone should be careful.

BBC News : Gaming and raiding in World of Warcraft

2011-02-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

"Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to gather 25 strangers from around the world and organise them into a fighting force capable of defeating the strongest foes.

You must be intimately acquainted with their strengths and weaknesses and deploy them wisely to make the best of those talents.
The relevance of raiding transcends WoW in another way too, said Ms Cockshut. The virtual teams and teamwork it demands are likely to be in demand as the world makes more use of the web.
"There is a lot for us to learn about how people co-ordinate this," she said. "What they are doing has a lot of implications for group dynamics, management and other approaches in business that we really need to start taking seriously." "~Mark Ward

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12326825

I can see how this would be relevant to people outside of the WoW game base. If we could gain understanding on how the group dynamics work here, and use them in the business world, we (esp. here in the U.S.) might be able to bring ourselves out of this black hole.
One thing I have to say about the business world, it has become a bit stressed and cut throat. So stressful in fact that there are hotels in other countries that allow you to pay for a room in advance that they allow you to wreck everything inside, and supply you the means to do so. To quote "Live like a rock star".
Many people use WoW as an escape from reality, and a stress relief. Maybe someone is actually paying attention to what is happening to our workforces.

PC World : Is That a Rootkit on Your PlayStation 3?

2011-02-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

"Oh dear, did Sony quietly slip a rootkit onto the PS3 with its recent 3.56 system update? Did the company apply a suite of software tools designed to conceal (their) surreptitious file manipulation? To hide realtime processes executed without your knowledge or consent? Is your PS3 compromised?"~Matt Peckham

http://www.pcworld.com/article/218455/is_that_a_rootkit_on_your_playstation_3.html?tk=hp_new

Well... I would have to say that he is right. Sony does reserve this right in their TOS. But there may be a bit more behind this. I have a slight feeling that this is because of the recent lawsuit, and they are trying to make those people that might be doing something illegal known to them and maybe actually do something about it.

PC World : Speed Up Windows by Stripping It Down

2011-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

"Windows can do all sorts of amazing things, some of which you might actually want it to do. Unfortunately, the things you don't want it to do can slow it down. By turning off unnecessary programs, processes, and services, you can unburden Windows and help it live up to its full potential.
Some of the following suggestions may not produce a noticeable improvement in performance individually. But their cumulative effect can be to speed up your system significantly."~Lincoln Spector

http://www.pcworld.com/article/218323/speed_up_windows_by_stripping_it_down.html?&tk=hp_fv

I must say that this article is quite good at walking you through some steps, however it doesn't give any help when you head to the services area. I would not recommend anyone who hasn't been there before or hasn't a clue to go into the services and play around. That can mess up your computer pretty quickly and there may not be a quick way back. But all in all this was a good article for a beginner-to-novice level person to speed up their computer easily.

ZDNet : Top 25 Android apps: The best of the best

2011-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

"The Android Market may not have as many apps as the iPhone App Store yet, but there are still enough to be overwhelmed, and it’s growing at a breakneck pace. To help you sort through them all, here’s my list of the best apps I’ve found on Android. Again, remember that this is a snapshot in time. The Android platform is developing so quickly right now that I guarantee my home screen look different a month from now." ~Jason Hiner

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/top-25-android-apps-the-best-of-the-best/37363

An Android and an IPad are two items I would like to get for myself. You all may ask why not an IPhone, well I prefer the DROID for some reason. I don't really have a good one yet. But the IPad is the best tablet out I have seen so far, although there is a rival in the works that has my interest piqued. I do apologize as I cannot remember it's name right now. When I do I will post a link to it so that you can check it out also.

ZDNet : January 2011: The Definitive Facebook Lockdown Guide

2011-01-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

"New Year’s resolutions are among us, though voluntary and often roll over from year to year. This time around, though, take one New Year’s resolution as a wild card, and lock down your Facebook profile like your own personal Fort Knox, and get it out of the way for the year ahead.
The bad news is that damage could well have already been done, as some features are hidden away and are difficult to find. But, don’t panic. You will be surprised how much you can recover in the space of five or ten minutes of clicking on a few buttons."~Zack Whittaker

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/january-2011-the-definitive-facebook-lockdown-guide/7439?tag=footer

Now this is a good Idea for anyone. Especially those of us that are on FB all the time. There are guides for securing FB for people and they are even pictures to help you.

Top Tech News : Firefox May Send 'Do Not Track' Notice with Every Click

2011-01-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

"A notice to opt out of behavioral advertising may be sent with every click in future Firefox versions. Mozilla plans a Do Not Track feature that would send the notice in the Firefox HTTP header. Mozilla's Alex Fowler said the header approach for Firefox is better than cookies or blacklists. Other browser makers are working on similar functions."~Jennifer LeClaire

http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12100B4DLRJC

I feel this will enable more privacy, but I also feel it will only change the way advertising comes towards users. This could also stop some of the tracking for both the good and the bad people.

The New York Post : Google and Mozilla Announce New Privacy Features

2011-01-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

"On Monday, Mozilla and Google announced features that would allow users of the Firefox and Chrome browsers to opt out of being tracked online by third-party advertisers. The companies made their announcements just weeks after the Federal Trade Commission issued a report that supported a “do not track” mechanism that would let consumers choose whether companies could monitor their online behavior. " ~Tanzina Vega

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/google-and-mozilla-announce-new-privacy-features/?ref=technology

I find this addition to be a bit pleasing, however I can see problems. But we will have to wait and see what the actual outcomes are.

Video Update 1-25-11

2011-01-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

This is an update. Please stay tuned.

BBC News : Duke Nukem Forever release date confirmed for May 2011

2011-01-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

WOOHOO!!! I am a video game nut. And although this game has been a loooonnnngg time coming, I am ready to check it out. THE DUKE IS BACK!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12274722