Technology’s Infestation of my Life

Examples of how technology has permeated every single bit of my life.

Firefox

Firefox

I usually would not write about web site technical information in the blog section. But I also need to gripe about it as well. AFdN is now designed for and recomends Firefox. Firefox is the main “competition” to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. However, Firefox, unlike Internet Explorer, actually follows the rules of the W3. The W3, or World Wide Web Consortium, is responsible for standardizing web site protocols, such as HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, and the likes. There are numerous problems with IE, including the fact that it doesn’t support PNG 24-bit Alpha Transparency Images. IE is also much more lenient with egregious coding. This can be a good thing, however, it also lulls developers like me into a false sense of completeness. Anyways, this all goes to say that I now use Firefox and so should you.

Get Firefox! title=

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Windows XP SP2 and a Pop Up Test

Windows XP SP2 and a Pop Up Test

I found a really cool site to test your programs ability to block popup ads. I tried it running nothing but Windows XP Professional with SP2 installed and Internet Explorer 6. For those of you who don’t know, SP2 includes a new IE protocols to protect your system. One of these new protocols is to automatically block popups. SP2 passed with flying colors. It blocked all the conventional popups and all the advanced popups AND it also allowed all the good popups (windows that open when you click on something on purpose). Anyways, I was very impressed. Way to go Microsoft.

Link of the Day: http://www.popupcheck.com

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The Computer Gods Hate Me

My Tablet PC isn’t feeling very well. It refuses to finish booting Windows. After some messing around, I found out that a device driver, d346bus.sys, is not loading well. A quick google search indicates that I’m not the only one with problem. However, I don’t have any way to fix the problem at the moment. I tried downloading Knoppix, a bootable version of Linux, however, it only has read NTFS support and I actually need to write too. Then I headed down to the Computing Center, no help there. All the machines run W2K and the guy helping me didn’t have his WinXP disk with him, he will on Thursday though. I would use my WinXP disk, but I don’t have one because Microsoft forces companies who distribute OEM versions of their software to encrypt it so that it can only be restored on the machine it was designed for. Ergo, the OEM just makes a Norton Ghost image and creates a front end to ensure it will only load on the authorized computer and BAM…I’m up the river without a paddle. So, for the next few days I get to use a pen and paper (*gasp*).

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iPod Saga Continues

My iPod saga continues as my 20GB 3rd Gen iPod still is not working. I’ve taken it to BestBuy several times now, all with no change and I’m really getting fed up. Tomorrow I’m bribing my apartment mate to take to BestBuy where I hope to convince them that they need to replace my iPod, not “repair it” (read as: send to a lab where they can reformat and reinstall, but not actually fix anything). If that doesn’t work, I plan on finding an Apple store where they should be able to replace it on the spot.

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Computer Woes

I downloaded and installed Windows XP SP2 the other day and it was working just fine. However, it seems that there are still some issues with SP2 and iPod. So I had to roll back SP2 just now ;-( so that I could sync my iPod with my computer. Bummer.

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00011100 Summer Olympics

I’ve spent the last few days watching the 2004 Olympics and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I want to be in the Olympics. But not as a contestant, althought that would be cool. I think it would be awesome to be tech crew at the Olympics. There is so much great technology, it’s absolutly amazing. Sportvision, a company that puts the yellow first down line on the screen in football games, is providing several features including Simulcam technology, “which superimposes the image of one athlete over another to compare the swings of baseball players, the serves of tennis players and the body positioning of divers.” The Olympics are also using Sportvision’s “StroMotion a graphic effect that analyzes rapid movements so that a moving object is perceived as a series of static images.”

Anyway, I have just one more full day left. Then I’m off!

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Come To Papa

Come To Papa

After months of searching, I think I have finally found next the computer
that I will use. After years of loyalty to Toshiba, and even some to Best Buy, I’m
changing horses in midstream…hopefully. While at Costco, I saw this great little Tablet PC
made by Averatec. Notebookreview.com
calls it a “creative and exciting design merging a mobile notebook
computer and a tablet PC into a single ultra-portable form
factor.  As a notebook, this compact unit offers all of the
features and functionality that mobile users expect, while also incorporating
advanced handwriting and speech recognition technologies for comprehensive
functioning as a tablet PC. The affordably priced C3500 offers a

built-in DVD+CD-RW combination drive and wireless networking
capabilities.  All this and a starting price of only
$1299.99.”

$1300?!?!? That’s incredible for a Tablet PC. Before this I was looking a
Toshiba that cost over $2200 and before that, an Acer that cost about $1400.
This beast has:

  • Processor: Mobile AMD� Athlon� XP-M 2200+ w/PowerNow!� technology
  • Memory: 512 MB DDR333 (1GB maximum memory)
  • Hard Drive: 60 GB, 9.5 mm thin
  • Optical Drive: DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive Burner
  • Ports:
  • (4) USB 2.0
  • (1) VGA 15-pin port
  • (1) Audio Out
  • (1) Microphone In
  • (1) TV Out (S-Video)
  • (1) RJ-11
  • (1) RJ-45
  • (1) Type II PC Card/Card Bus slot
  • Connectivity:
    • 802.11g wireless
    • 10/100 Mbit network LAN
    • 56k data/fax modem
  • Size and Weight:
    • 11.6�x9.8�x1.57�
    • 5.5 lbs. with standard battery

    Anyways, I’m way excited now. I’ve been waiting for something like to this
    come along for quite some time now. The Toshiba that I was looking at just
    dropped a few hundred dollars in price, so I’m thinking that the next generation
    of Tablet PC’s is on it’s way out and that this Averatec marks the begining of
    that transition.

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    A new new iPod

    I used some of the money I received for graduation and purchased an iPod last month. Well, this month Apple released the next generation of iPod (G4). It’s $100 bucks cheaper, weighs just 159 grams, and boasts a 12 hour battery life (a 50% increase from G3). Understandably, I was rather pissed. My iPod wasn’t even 2 months old before the next version came out. So I called Best Buy today to see what I could do about the problem. Turns out, since I purchased a replacement plan, I can just bring it in my old iPod and get the new one for free! How cool is that. Now the only question I have is whether I get the 20GB or the 40GB. We’ll see.

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    Wisdom teeth and all that jazz

    On Tuesday morning I went to go have my wisdom teeth ripped out. They started me off with some good ol’ Nitrous Oxide. After that, it was a little poke and then I really don’t remember much. I do remember that I had my eyes closed and that I need help from the nurse to get out of the chair. I stumbled over to the recovery area and sort of sleep there for a little while. I really have no idea how long it was. I think they put a heart monitor on my finger, but I’m not sure. Anyways, we left and drove over to QFC to get my meds, Penicillin and Tylenol 3 (Codeine). I was feeling pretty good at this point. We drove over to the Apple store and I picked up some new headphones. Then we drove home. I popped a Penicillin and some Codeine and then went to bed. The next few days were filled mostly with sleeping. I really don’t remember much. By Thursday night, I had finally figured out that Codeine is a narcotic and was not only making me very tired, but also causing me to not remember things. I put an end to that, taking IBProfuen instead. Friday sucked quite a bit…probably from the withdraw of the Codeine. And that brings me to today. Eating some solid foods (e.g. cut up grilled cheese and bagels), but using my front teeth to chew…which really sucks. I periodically check to ensure that all 4 stitches are in and I have to rise out my mouth with salt water 3 times a day. The maxillofacial surgeon said not to brush my teeth for a little while. I suppose it’s so I don’t rip out the stitches or anything. I plan to begin brushing tomorrow. I start the sucking out fluids part on Tuesday. Jeez, at least I only have to do this once! In other news, I picked up an APC Smart-UPS 3000 for free. It can draw up to 60 amps, but it seems satisfied with well just under 20 for now. I’ve been trying to get my hands on one of these for ages and now it’s mine! All mine! Mu ha ha ha ha ha ha. ERhm. Anyways, very exciting none-the-less. I also started cleaning out my office and bedroom in preparation for driving to Colorado. Only 44 some days left.

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    The beginning of the end of the begining…if that makes any sense

    Today pretty much marks the beginning of the end of the beginning.  Last night, we performed our senior prank. It’s was actually pretty good in my opinion. It wasn’t a prank where people would be like, “Where did the _____ go??” No, this prank was much better. It begged the question, “What in the world?” To be more specific, “What in the world are those parrots doing there?” The senior class bought several varsities of animals, including fish, rats, mice, frogs, birds, and crickets. We then proceeded to hang them in various homemade cages and containers from bars that run across the ceiling. It was a sight to remember. Photos coming soon.

    I digress. Today was senior skip day. A day when all seniors skip school. It wasn’t too exciting for me because I had my senior project and thus wasn’t going to be at school anyways. Tomorrow is the End of Tri performances…which I am hosting. After that, I hope to demo the Robocart that I’ve been working on the last five weeks. Thursday is Senior Breakfast…and from there it’s all downhill: rehearsals for graduation, prom (again), more rehearsals for graduation, graduation, party…and then it’s over. The end of the end of the beginning will have been reached.

    I am performing at graduation. I will post the results of my work here after graduation in whatever form it is (Video, Picture, Text, etc).

    In other news, I converted all my MP3’s that where above 128kbps to 128kbps. Next is to convert all my WMA’s to MP3’s. Do I hear an iPod in the future?

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