The Lone Hair

Virtual Barber Shop

2008-04-17T05:34:00.002-04:00

This is fantastic. Make sure to wear headphones!

Original audio file: http://www.sajithmr.com/downloads/Barbershop.mp3

Acer Extensa 5420 Bluetooth Quick Installation Guide

2008-04-11T23:37:00.021-04:00

DISCLAIMER

This guide was put together in order to help some of you who are having problems with your laptop internal bluetooth adapter.
Yes, you guessed it right, Einstein. It doesn't come with one. You have to buy it from a third party manufacturer.

Do not hold me responsible for the damage you WILL inflict on your laptop when you stick your ape fingers inside it.
Do not email me saying your laptop blew up in your face, causing you blindness, facial disfigurement and irreversible coma. Doing so will make me laugh, cry, feel pain, sadness, and joy. All at the same time while wondering how the hell you wrote the email anyway.
I will also be compelled to tell you: "I TOLD YOU SO!"

Be extremely careful! If you have never handled electronic components before, you are clueless, DON'T DO IT! Move on to the next blog. Go look at funny pictures or watch stupid videos.

OK, you've decided to stay and give it a shot. Good for you, pumpkin!
This is a very simple procedure. No big deal, actually. Scared ya up there, didn't I?

Tools

Small phillips screwdriver. (figure out the size yourself, Brainiac)
Needle-nose pliers, if you have big ape hands
Small flathead screwdriver, same as above
Loctite (optional)
Double-sided foam tape (if not already on the adapter)

Components

Your shiny, spanking new Acer Extensa 5420 laptop (I cry for thee)
A compatible 4-pin internal Bluetooth adapter (look for it on eBay)

Before we begin
Please read all the steps carefully before you start disassembling the laptop.
Take your time and proceed with caution. Even though this may be a simple procedure, it only takes one mishap to damage the delicate internal components of your laptop.
Work on a plain, clutter free, well lit surface. Avoid carpets. Avoid extremely dry and cold environments to reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge.
Note: Be sure to remove the laptop battery. You shouldn't need instructions for that or you fail at life.

Now that we got the basics down, let's move on to the good stuff.
If you bought the right bluetooth adapter, this is what it should look like:

4-pin Internal Bluetooth Adapter v.2

Your laptop probably doesn't have that nice handsome face at startup.
That is OK. I forgive you.

Next, remove all the screws from the bottom plate. Be careful not to break any tabs. If you have giant sausage fingers use a small flathead screwdriver to GENTLY pry it off, starting at the back of the laptop.
That gives you access to your memory modules, hard drive, cooling fan, and all the other stuff you shouldn't touch under any circumstances.

7 Tiny Screws

Important Note:
All seven small screws have even smaller lock washers each to keep the screws from popping out. Should any screws come loose, check the laptop and the working area for lost lock washers.
DO NOT LEAVE IT INSIDE THE LAPTOP FOR IT WILL HAUNT YOU 'TILL THE END OF TIME!

Tiny screw & lock washer

Blurry close-up of tiny screw

Keep that sucker in place, sucka!

Bottomless Lappy

About 12 screws attach the bottom of the enclosure to the top, some going through the chassis and the motherboard. No lock washers there, so keep them safe.

You may not need to unscrew the ones in the very back of the laptop, but I did it anyway.
I'm cool like that.

Now comes the fun part!
Turn the laptop over and, VERY GENTLY, Igor, pry the front part of the enclosure open. You will not separate top and bottom parts completely since there are still screws left in there that will prevent you from doing so. There are also ribbon cables connection the motherboard to the touchpad and keyboard.
If the enclosure does come apart, then you done broke it, son.
Locate the bluetooth connector under the Touchpad.
If you have those stubby fingers we talked about earlier, you will need the needle-nose pliers to connect the bluetooth adapter.
It's a small opening so be very careful not to damage any internal components.

Bluetooth connector

Use a small piece of double-sided foam tape to attach the bottom of the adapter to the laptop.

Foam on a stick

Finding the right place for your adapter is crucial. Make sure to keep the area under the touchpad clear.
Do not remove the tape yet. Close the top and bottom parts and make sure the top is not touching or making pressure on the adapter.
I found a good spot close to the motherboard battery, where nothing touches the adapter.

Almost there

The sweet spot

Before closing it, make sure the wires are free and clear, and away from the tabs at the edge of the enclosure.
Shut the enclosure and screw it shut along the edges only, just in case you need to reopen it for adjustments. Put the battery in, connect the power and give it a go. If you followed the instructions and did not poke a hole in your laptop or break anything with your clumsy gorilla hands, everything should be fine and you're a happy camper, blogger... or whatever it is that you do with your laptop, you dirty bastard.

Go Vista, go!

Yay for me and the bluetooth button!

Good Luck!

Stop Motion TRON Sequence

2008-03-28T14:54:00.003-04:00

Tron
by freres-hueon

via Make - Blog [link]

Haunted Mrs. Pacman Arcade [Kotaku.com]

2008-03-11T13:55:00.003-04:00

After all the things I've heard and seen, this doesn't sound unlikely at all...

Everyone knows that Ms. Pac Man is filled with ghosts, four of them to be specific. But a fifth ghost?

That's what a Boston-area Craigslister claimed when he was contacted to ask why he was giving away a Ms. Pac Man cabinet for free.

Someone on ArcadeControls.com contacted the cabinet owner for the explanation, which involves poltergeist, a crying 3-year-old and a "dark figure."

VIA Kotaku

Google Disabled My AdSense Account [Updated]

2008-02-21T21:54:00.008-05:00

Update - March.06.08
It only took them 2 weeks, but they've finally responded to my appeal:

Hello,

Thanks for providing us with additional information. However, after
thoroughly reviewing your account data and taking your feedback into
consideration, we've re-confirmed that your account poses a significant
risk to our advertisers. For this reason, we're unable to reinstate your
account. Thank you for your understanding.

As a reminder, if you have any questions about your account or the actions
we've taken, please do not reply to this email. You can find more
information by visiting
https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=57153.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

I sure would like to know what they mean by my account posing a risk to their advertisers, but since I agreed to their terms & conditions I must do what they tell me: eat @#$% and die. Thanks Google, you sure are a swell company and I would love to do business with you again!

Feb.21.08
Yes, I have joined the legion of many unsatisfied Google AdSense publishers as Google has abruptly and inexcusably canceled my AdSense account.

It happened last Saturday (Feb/16/08) and as of today I have not received an email from them explaining why or when my account was disabled. When I try to log in I get the following message:

Account Disabled
Your AdSense account for this login is currently disabled. We recommend checking your email inboxes for any messages we may have sent you regarding your account status. Sometimes our messages can be caught by email filters, so please be sure to check the Bulk/Spam folders of your email accounts as well.

If your account was disabled for invalid click activity, please visit our Disabled Account FAQ for more information.

I filled out their appeal form the following day but have not received an answer.
Of course, I'm at Google's mercy. The fact that I never clicked on my own ads probably makes no difference to them. I had a spike in my earnings that actually matched my hits, which I double checked on feedburner and spotplex, but that also makes no difference to them.
It is just incredibly frustrating that you dedicate your time, trust your personal and confidential information to a corporation that does not care for its publishers, only for its advertisers.

AdSense Alternatives

PETA's Banned Superbowl Ad

2008-02-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

Hahahah! Excellent...
Link: kentuckyfriedcruelty.com

Get Your Daily Knowledge Fix: The Amazing Fact Generator

2008-02-09T20:03:00.001-05:00

Link: Mentalfloss.com - The Amazing Fact Generator

DIY Camera Stabilizer

2008-01-30T18:29:00.000-05:00

After spending a few years shooting in low light conditions, I've used a few different methods to eliminate motion and blur. They range from leaning against a solid object such as wall or a door frame to holding your breath, squeezing it tight and hoping for the best!
The following method is quite interesting because it gives you a 3rd anchor point (the first 2 being your arms) thus having the effect of a tripod. I just don't think it would be useful to a wedding photographer, a photo journalist, or anyone who is always on the go. Check it out below:

$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod - video powered by Metacafe

Via: Lifehacker

Hello, Computer! Mouse

2008-01-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

The 3-in-1 Mouse with Speaker and Microphone or as I call it, the "Hello, Computer! Mouse". Scotty would have been more than proud of such input/output concoction. Your memory lives on, Mr. Doohan!

Product page: 3-in-1 Mouse with Speaker and Microphone

Acer Extensa 5420 Screen Black Out/Crash/Glitch [UPDATED]

2008-01-28T13:44:00.001-05:00

This is an update to the original post: Acer Extensa 5420 Screen Black Out/Crash/Glitch

Feb-01-08
As I mentioned before, I have had no more problems with my Acer 5420 since I replaced it. Here are the specs and the latest BIOS:

Extensa 5420-5687
BIOS Version: V1.16
BIOS Release Date: 11/14/2007
Manuf. Date: 12/19/07
Model #: MS2210
LiteON AC Adapter Rev: A04
Acer Extensa 5420 BIOS v1.16 - ftp://ftp.work.acer-euro.com/notebook/extensa_5420/bios/v1.16.zip
Phoenix BIOS Update Utility - ftp://ftp.work.acer-euro.com/utilities/winphlash/winphlash-utility.zp

Useful notes from Neil Galloway's blog post: Acer Extensa 5420 Black Screen on Startup

WayneB Says:
2008-02-01
Here's a summary of our findings so far. I thought this might be useful as this saga progresses, especially if we attempt to involve a consumer advocate. Please let me know if I've left anything out (don't know how this will format here, so you may want to cut/paste to Word, etc.): Problem: Screen blanks out and system appears locked up (no response from keyboard/mouse on Acer Extensa 5420 laptops (1) This problem happens seemingly at random. Some people see it several times a day, others only occasionally (2) Only way we know to recover is to power cycle (hard boot) (3) Some people have exchanged theirs for a new unit, only to discover the new unit has the same problem (4) Users have attempted to upgrade the video drivers for the Radeon Xpress 1250 video card - still experienced the problem (5) There are no events in the Event List and no crash dump produced, even though the registry is set to force crash dumps for ANY crash event (6) A user tried running from the power supply with the battery removed - still experienced the problem (7) A Best Buy tech suggested tweaking the Vista power management settings, min and max processor state=100%. This doesn't fix the problem either. (8) Temperature/fan issues have been ruled out. Dave41 gives a good explanation above, and experienced the blackout even while using a laptop cooler. (9) Problem reported with BIOS firmware versions 1.14 thru 1.16. (10) Reporting the problem to Acer via their web-based problem reporting system only results in a generic message telling you to return the unit for service. I've attempted to carry on a conversation about the problem via that channel, but I get no response other than a suggestion to call the 800 number. (11) Best Buy will not acknowledge that many users are experiencing this problem, and will simply accept the unit for warranty repair. They have a 14 day return policy for notebooks, and will charge a 15% restocking fee if you wish to return the unit.

Jan-31-08
I have had no more screen problems ever since I replaced the laptop. It might have been a bad batch, or just my luck it doesn't happen anymore. Regardless of my actual situation, this issue deserves some looking into by Acer. People are getting blown off by tech support and the problem is not getting resolved. It's a shame and an outrage that paying customers are being treated in a most unfair way.
Best Buy is also at fault for not listening to their customers and solely relying on an inept and incompetent staff of so called geeks.

WayneB Says:
2008-01-31
Thanks for the great anaysis, Dave. I was about to go buy a laptop cooler (which I'll probably do anyway) but it's good to know that won't necessarily fix the problem. I hope the power settings are a fix, but Heidi had previously said it didn't work for her. I found another blog which discusses this issue as well - http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic95857.html I had a fairly heated exchange yesterday with Acer support thru their support site http://acer.custhelp.com I tried to inform them of the ongoing discussion on these blogs, but they are totally uninterested and continually closed my issue with a canned response, telling me the issue has been addressed by them telling me to call their 800 number. I tried to plead to their common sense, that if they could provide a configuration or software solution to us, that it would help them avoid getting hundreds of these units back for repair. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears. Towards the end of the discussion string, they weren't even reponding to further questions, they'd just close my ticket as "Solved". Boy, did that piss me off! I've been in the tech business for over 20 years, and I could NEVER imagine blowing off customers like that! These are brand new computers. I'm determined to find some legal recourse against Acer and/or Best Buy - they can't get away with this behavior. They must be made to take responsibility for their products. Sorry for venting, but I hope you're all as angry at Acer as I. Thank you all for your participation in this discussion, and thank you Neil for hosting!

LINKS

Jan-28-08
After installing the video drivers (read the previous post), the laptop screen blacked out three more times, two times yesterday. I thought I'd give it another try and went back to BestBuy to get a replacement. So far so good, but who knows? It may have been only a defective batch or at least that's what I'm hoping for.

If you bought your Acer Extensa within the last 30 14 days at BestBuy and it is still giving you trouble, this is the week to get a replacement. There's a $100 price cut ($549.99 - link to product page) and if you insist hard enough you can get that Notebook Surge Protector for $10 like they advertise on the website. Alternatively, you can get the Laptop, a wireless mouse, the surge protector and a case for $599.96 - link to product page

Useful notes from Neil Galloway's site:

Heidi Says:
2008-01-28
Wayne, I spoke with Best Buy yesterday. I told them there were several forums on the net with approx 16 people having the same problem. I told them I was bringing in printed out copies of each forum and they said to bring the Acer in and they'd replace it, even though I purchased it on 12/30/07.

Dave41 Says:
2008-01-28
I talked with a tech at Best Buy about the problem. He says he has seen a similar behavior on several laptops, not all Acer, and that he believes this is a Windows issue, precisely a processor power management problem. His suggestion was as follows: navigate to control panel-> power options-> change plan settings-> change advanced power settings-> processor power management-> minimum processor state = set this to 100%. Also make sure the maximum state is set at 100%. This seems reasonable to me, as he explained Windows cannot correctly manage some processors and brings them into a power state below where they can safely operate, thus the computer cannot recover. If you have all noted, nothing but fans and such work after the crash until reboot, USB and network are down, etc., so right now I have to agree with his assessment for lack of any better ones. From what he described this is the same problem we are having, so I have made the settings and will let you all know. I think he may be onto something, because most true hardware failure issues get progressively worse until total failure. I never was too sure about the "bad power chip" suggestion thrown out on another page for this reason. Hope this helps, I'll keep you all posted.

MrJiim Says:
2008-01-30
Thanks Dave41 for your post! I used the fix you reported and I have had no problems since. I have also used the alternative Wireless LAN driver fix found on another forum to fix the issues I was having with the Atheros driver and weak or no signal with constant disconnects when using the wireless connection. I don't know if this will help others but I also reinstalled the OS with a clean copy of Vista Ultimate and didn't install any of the Acer productivity software. This seems to be really helping the laptop run smoother and faster. I have had it running continuously since applying the processor power fix some 24 hrs ago and have been doing everything from video editing to simple web surfing and gaming and have had no problems... of course now that I have said that I'm sure the laptop will spontaneously burst into flames!

Full thread HERE

LINKS

Acer Tech Support USA Phone Number: 1-800-816-2237
Acer Extensa 5420 reviews
Acer Extensa 5420 US Drivers Page
Acer Support - Does it Exist?
Acer 5420 Black Screen on Startup
Acer Support
ATI Drivers
Acer Extensa 5420 Screen Black Out/Crash/Glitch [Original Post]

Acer Extensa 5420 Screen Black Out/Crash/Glitch

2008-01-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

UPDATE - Jan/28/08

Acer Extensa 5420 Screen Black Out/Crash/Glitch [UPDATE]

I've recently purchased an Acer Extensa 5420 laptop in order to talk to Dani and get some work done while back in the States. The following lists the some of the issues I and a few other people have had with the laptop and the resolutions, if any.
Here are the specs:
[source: bestbuy.com]

Extensa 5420-5687

AMD Turion™ 64 X2 mobile technology TL-58
2GB DDR2 SDRAM
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW with double-layer support
15.4" WXGA LCD CrystalBrite Widescreen 1280 x 800
160GB SATA HDD 5400 RPM
ATI RADEON X1250 graphics with up to 896MB HyperMemory
S-video TV-out
Built-in Crystal Eye Web cam and microphone
5-in-1 media card reader supports Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card
IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
4 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
Built-in wireless LAN (802.11b/g); 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector; V.92 high-speed modem
6.4 lbs.
1.7" thin
Lithium-ion battery and AC adapter
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
Acer GridVista, CyberLink PowerDVD, NTI CD-Maker and more

THE GOOD
It's a very nice laptop, quite responsive and runs all the applications I need in order to get my work done - Photoshop, Apache Server, MySql Server, MS Office, etc. - the regular run-of-the-mill apps...
The hardware is more than adequate and keeps up well with the programs. The web cam is definitely a plus - I get to see my girl everyday!
I haven't used it for gaming or ran any graphics intensive application. I have my desktop for that.
I have no problems with Windows Vista Home Premium. It's just as fast as the Ultimate version I have installed on my desktop. However, I do wonder how much faster it would be on Windows XP or Ubuntu (or any Linux distro for that matter).
It'd be fair to say its a very decent piece of hardware for the price. I paid $649 for it but there are people who got a much better deal one month ago at Best Buy - only $499! I don't mind the extra money as long as everything works. I can't seem to find a good laptop with comparable specs for this price.

THE BAD
The wireless adapter can be testy. I have a linksys wireless router at home which all laptops connect to without any problems anywhere in the home. This one doesn't seem to like it much. At times I am in the same room as the router and still it won't work, or simply drop the connection intermittently. It might be an isolated hardware problem and may need looking at by an Acer tech.
Incidentally, I found another glitch, a nasty and somewhat puzzling one. Every now and then the screen goes blank. Instant kaput without warning. It's a screen black out that the computer does not recover from and all that I can do is push the power button for a restart. There's no hardware activity. The power and charge lights stay on but everything else just dies, seemingly without explanation, at any given time.

THE UGLY
This is not an isolated incident. As I perused the net, I've found several users who have had the same issue and are up #@&!'s creek without a paddle. Check out this post at Neil Galloway's Blog - Thoughts From My Life. (Thank you, sir!)
Acer Support ranges from utterly horrendous to basically inexistent. I couldn't find a direct phone number to tech support anywhere on their site - I might not have looked hard enough.
However, I did contact them via email and got the following cookie cutter answer from "Online Agent-05":

Discussion Thread
Response (Online Agent-05) 01/24/2008 04:04 PM

Dear Leo Silva,

Thank you for contacting Acer America. We apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry.

Based on the information provided I suggest your Acer product be checked by our authorized repair depot. You can set this up for service yourself by going to http://www.acerpanam.com; click on the US or Canada then select the link for Depot Repair under Fix My Acer. I hope this is helpful.

Respectfully,
Acer America
Online Support

Customer (Leo Silva) 01/23/2008 01:38 AM

1. The laptop screen blacks out and the machine will not return to activity. It has happened three or four times since I bought it, five days ago. The screen will turn black seemingly at no particular time or event. After the screen turns black there's no hard drive or cpu activity whatsoever. The notebook simply freezes and won't return unless booted manually by holding the power button down.

2. The wireless signal, although apparently "Excellent", is extremely poor at 3 feet away from the wireless router. The connection drops repeatedly at times. Other laptops in the house have excellent connection and no such issues.

So, only one week after buying the laptop, they suggest I ship it out to their Repair Center somewhere in the Midwest to get it back one month later, most likely with the same problem. Not happening. I honestly hoped that someone at Acer would acknowledge this problem openly, post it on their support site, and not leave their customers hanging.
I am left with two options: return it to Bestbuy or wait until someone figures out what the problem is and hope Acer will honor the warranty and fix it properly.

NO FIX YET
I downloaded the latest drivers from the ATI website for the video adapter (Radeon Xpress 1250) bundled in the Catalyst Package 8.1. The driver version was exactly the same as the one pre-installed but it did install an extra item: the North Bridge Filter Driver v. 1.00.0000.1. I have no idea what that does but my screen hasn't blacked out yet and I use the laptop 12-15 hours a day.

John (AshWilliams) suggested it may be a hardware issue, and that may well be the case, which means no driver update will fix it and most if not all laptops in this lineup will be affected.

LINKS

Wrong Number Generator

2008-01-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

My evil twin springs into action,
laughs manically.

[source: spysite.com]

This unique device has the potential to drive the target nuts, as well as cause a substantial amount of actual inconvenience. What it does is very simple. It causes calls made from the target phones to reach wrong numbers! Think about how absolutley maddening and frustrating that would be if it were to happen to your phone. Now, you'll begin to appreciate the devastating effect that this device can have.

Wrong Number Generator product page
[http://www.spysite.com/product.php?productid=27709&cat=422&page=6]

"CS 3 Adobe Updater Hangs/Freezes" Quickfix (Windows Vista)

2008-01-22T21:34:00.001-05:00

After installing CS3, I promptly ran Adobe Updater. It ran for about 1 hour and downloaded several hundred megabytes in updates but it froze during the installation. The progress bar kept returning to a certain point, looping endlessly and never finishing the update.
Searching the Adobe Forums resulted in several good-intentioned but misguided results. What worked for me was really simple: deleting the Adobe Updater update files.
Follow these baby steps:

Open any CS3 program
Go to Help » Updates
After it checks for updates, go to Preferences and look up the File Location - mine was "C:\Users\Leo\AppData\Local\Adobe\Updater5\Install" in Windows. I don't know where that would be on a Mac
Delete everything in the Install folder
Run the update again. It will give an error message saying it couldn't update whatever program it was trying to update before. Just cancel it and download all the files again.

MacHeads The Movie Trailer

2008-01-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

You may need medical attention if you happen to see yourself in this video. Please call the nearest psychiatrist. Thank you.

http://www.macheadsthemovie.com/

CS3 Premium for Windows Install Error Fix - Internal Error 2739

2008-01-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

While installing software on the new lappy, I ran into an Adobe Creative Suite 3 install error - Internal Error 2739. After a quick search on Google, I found the following answer on the Adobe Forums:

[by Haydn Mearkle]

Click Start, Accessories,
Right click Command Prompt.
Click Run as Administrator.
At the prompt type,
regsvr32 jscript.dll (be sure to type the space between the two strings.)
hit enter.
Then install

It seems to fix a lot of people's problems but not mine. I got the following error:

the module "jscript.dll" was loaded but the call to DllregisterServer failed with error code 0x80004005

which I subsequently fixed by following these steps:

Hit Windows+R for the Run dialog box
type: "/runas user:MACHINE_NAME\USER cmd" where you will substitute MACHINE_NAME for your Computer Name (right click on My Computer > Properties). USER is your user name. Note: You must have an Administrator account
Type your password, if asked
Type "C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32 jscript.dll"

That should do it.
It's important to point out the usefulness of the Adobe Forums and its contributors, without which I wouldn't be able to rectify this problem in such a timely fashion. Good job guys.

Arstechnica.com: New Blu-ray 2.0 spec makes PS3 the most future-proof player

2008-01-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

MWAHAHAHAH! My conqueror-of-all-things instinct will be proven right as the PS3 turns out to be a sound investment a little over one year after its release. As the owner (?) of a PS3 this is very good news as it may retain its value not only as an excellent video game console but also as a top of the line Blu-Ray player. Check out the article by Ben Kuchera at arstechnica.com. Here's a snippet:

With the upcoming 2.0 player profile requiring Blu-ray players to be networked, Sony finally gets to play its trump card: the PlayStation 3, which has clearly emerged as one of the best Blu-ray players on the market—and is likely to remain so for some time. Why? Because the first player now becomes the most versatile, sporting a future-proof Blu-ray setup.

Read the article: New Blu-ray 2.0 spec makes PS3 the most future-proof player

*Yes, I bought it, but my little bro plays it and since he "pwns my ass!" it's categorically his.

Old Computer Ads

2008-01-19T21:49:00.000-05:00

When I thought I had finally found some sanity in this here mad mad mad world, something like this hits my eyes. Thank you for making my pocket-sized I.Q. even smaller, The Intertubes.

Creepy french mime steals your computer

"Microcomputers!"

Apple computers can do ANYTHING!

One day you might look half as cool as Asimov.
Wearing übergeeky-looking specs
may or may not get you extra points

Back when Peter Norton was in command, get it?

The Trained Mouse and his Confused Tail!

Check out more old computer ads below:

Free High Resolution Wallpaper Images from Crestock.com

2008-01-19T19:43:00.000-05:00

Given the success of 2 previous posts, folks at Crestock.com have released another set of high quality wallpapers that will fit most screen sizes (except for mine! - 1280 x 800), totaling 45 papers to pick from in 3 different posts.
Check out the linkage below:

Did I mention how AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC they are? No? I must have forgotten...

Cool Business Cards

2008-01-13T16:26:00.000-05:00

Dead Men Don't Cash Checks

2008-01-09T07:19:00.000-05:00

Even for the once-notorious Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, it may have been a first: Two men were arrested on Tuesday after pushing a corpse, seated in an office chair, along the sidewalk to a check-cashing store to cash the dead man’s Social Security check, the police said.

Fantastic!
Full article: Corpse Wheeled to Check-Cashing Store Leads to 2 Arrests - New York Times

The Bender Brewer Project

2008-01-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

Good news, everyone! Here is a story about building my very own Bender. This, as everyone should know, is the foul mouthed, cigar smoking, booze drinking, shiny metal arsed, bending robot from the programme Futurama.

The Bender Brewer Project
[http://www.asciimation.co.nz/bender/index.html]

Kite Aerial Photography

2008-01-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

FILE Projects ~ Kite Aerial Photography by Scott Haefner
[http://www.filemagazine.org/projects/kite/]

Catwoman Dumps Batman

2008-01-07T05:53:00.001-05:00

[http://batmangeek7.blogspot.com/search/label/action%20figures]

Crestock.com: The 50 Most Popular Web Design Blog Posts, Resources & Cheat Sheets of 2007

2008-01-07T03:52:00.000-05:00

This is one excellent source for web and graphic designers alike. From Basic & Principles to CSS and Layout design, it covers a broad range of subjects pertaining to web design and usability.

Check it out the list here: The 50 Most Popular Web Design Blog Posts, Resources & Cheat Sheets of 2007 | Crestock.com Blog by Eric Hebert
[http://www.crestock.com/blog/design/the-50-most-popular-web-design-blog-posts-resources-cheat-sheets-of-2007-114.aspx]

You Suck at Photoshop #1

2008-01-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

[http://www.youtube.com/v/U_X5uR7VC4M]

Response (Online Agent-05)	01/24/2008 04:04 PM
Dear Leo Silva, Thank you for contacting Acer America. We apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry. Based on the information provided I suggest your Acer product be checked by our authorized repair depot. You can set this up for service yourself by going to http://www.acerpanam.com; click on the US or Canada then select the link for Depot Repair under Fix My Acer. I hope this is helpful. Respectfully, Acer America Online Support

Customer (Leo Silva)	01/23/2008 01:38 AM
1. The laptop screen blacks out and the machine will not return to activity. It has happened three or four times since I bought it, five days ago. The screen will turn black seemingly at no particular time or event. After the screen turns black there's no hard drive or cpu activity whatsoever. The notebook simply freezes and won't return unless booted manually by holding the power button down. 2. The wireless signal, although apparently "Excellent", is extremely poor at 3 feet away from the wireless router. The connection drops repeatedly at times. Other laptops in the house have excellent connection and no such issues.