Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Internet coupons

While it sounds nice being able to print coupons from your computer, there is a downside. Most businesses that do this want an e-mail address. Why/ So they can fill up your inbox with spam. I have one e-mail address that is full of this stuff, & it isn't even because of coupons. I went to some store, gave them my e address & low & behold, lots of offers I have no interest in.

This happens because businesses feel that for every 10 customers who feel like me, there will be one who will do it. That adds up. But then again, there is one mail order fruit company (you know who I mean) that sends me a catalog at least once a week from October thru Christmas, because i have ordered fruit through the mail for several years.

I wanted to print a coupon from a sandwich chain. They wanted an e-mail address. Well, I do like this chain, but sometimes I get coupons in the mail as a promotion, & even when I go there even. So why bottle up my e-mail more?

The other issue is, of course, the possibility of malware. I want my computer to stay clean. I only download from reputable sites, but other people may not know not to click links that they think are from a company they may know. This is why I don't shop online. The term "identity theft" didn't exist before the creation of the World Wide Web. There's a reason for that. So beware.


Monday, November 29, 2010

Keeping up with fans during game

As a 49er fan, I like to not only watch the games, but also see what the fans are saying during the game. So I keep open fan site 49ers Webzone so i can see what they are saying. Does this distract me from the game? Yeah, sometimes it does. it would be nice if i had a laptop or an iPad, so i could watch the game & keep track of what the fans were saying while watching, but I have a desktop computer so I have to walk over to where it's located to read the responses.

this is not the best system, but hey whatever works, right? Probably every team has a site that does this. it's also fun to see that some fans are far away & watching in various ways. One fan wrote in tonight that when the game was over it was almost 5AM, & he was going to work in 2 hours. obviously he's in Europe. Nice to know we have fans over there, even with this awful season.

I assume that eventually there will be some kind of app for the iPad. And remember that Lion, the new version of Mac OSX will have an app store, since Steve Jobs wants to get rid of non-apple software (you know like Flash & Firefox). Of course one can keep up with Facebook, but really, does everything have to relate to that? Or Twitter, which I have never used.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Using technology to keep warm

Even though I live in California, it still gets cold in the winter. No, not as cold as in the midwest or the northeast or in northern Europe, but still you're not going to walk around in shorts. So how do you stay warm? I like layered clothing.

The base or inner layer takes away sweat to the other layers. I have always used thin polyester based long sleeved products that are actually designed for outdoor activity. But I don't ski. I use the shirt as simply a device to keep me warm. I have a short sleeved undershirt, followed by the long sleeved base layer. I follow this with a fleece sweatshirt. According to Wikipedia, the traditional mid layer is wool, with fleece as an alternative.

Fleece is made from synthetic fibers. It's soft & mimics wool, but it doesn't weigh as much, & it's cheaper. And frankly, it's easier to find fleece shirts. One problem with fleece is if you have a garment a long time, the more it gets washed, the fleece basically disappears.

I usually follow this with a sweater, but not always, depends on the temperature. What is important is how you use the layers. Different companies have created different systems, like underarm vents. None of my clothes have that, mainly because those tend to cost too much for how i am going to use them. If I was doing activities like skiing or hiking then maybe.

More and more companies are bringing out multi-layered clothing because of the winter activity market. Skiing is very big out west despite the high cost, thus all kinds of companies are testing ways to create comfortable cold weather clothing. but as I have said, it also helps us stay at homes who simply want to keep warm without having to blow our home energy bills through the roof.


Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tech fail-Where's instant heat for home?

With all the advances in technology over the recent past, one thing hasn't been done. A way to heat up the house in a short time. Now you living in the snow are welcome to curse me, but it took me an hour to get my house from 58° to 66°. That would be a major problem in a colder part of the country than Northern California. Still it's uncomfortable. I wonder about the possibility of instant on heat. Maybe it's a power issue. How much energy would be needed to heat up that fast?

This probably could be accomplished with microwaves. After all, cooking a meal in a Microwave oven takes much less time than a traditional one. Check the cooking times listed. A frozen fried chicken dinner takes 3-5 minutes in the microwave, but 45 minutes at 350° in a regular one.

The question would of course be, is it safe. This has always been a question with microwaves. But running my furnace for over an hour just so I don't freeze in my home doesn't seem like the best plan, plus causing my energy bill to skyrocket, especially at a time of year that has so many other bills (Christmas presents, entertaining, property tax).

I will be spending Thanksgiving in a house where the fireplace has a gas insert. Theses are expensive, but since I've been visiting my family at this house for over 30 years, I can tell you that the house is at least 10° warmer than when they were burning wood. So the technology should be out there to warm up homes faster & warmer than I am able to do.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Netflix to start streaming only service

Netflix wants to move to a streaming only system because of the cost of sending out DVD's. This would be fine if the selection was the same. I just spent a half an hour trying to find something to watch on my computer. The problem was 90% of the videos were unavailable.

So I'm supposed to spend over $100 for a Roku or Wii so I can stream from my computer to my TV, but the selection is only 10% of Netflix's DVD list. Uh not quite. Sorry, try again. Why would I do that. Most of the films available are either old, made for TV or 2nd rate re-makes. Yes there are some classics, but those are usually on TCM.

There is a claim that Netflix is making deals with the studios to get more on streaming video, but since I was on their site today I can tell you that is just not the case. The studios are fighting this tooth & nail. That's fine for now. I would much rather watch a movie on my TV anyway. And I don't see why I should put out an additional $100-200 for another device to transfer movies from my computer to my TV anyway.

Yes it costs them to ship out DVD's through the mail, especially since they pay for the shipping. But they are making a ton of money. Blockbuster declared bankruptcy because they couldn't compete with the convenience of DVD's coming in the mail. Not everyone has a computer that meets the requirements. For instance, I don't have the requirements to watch in HD. Most people don't. I suspect this won't change for a long time, & while high income people may be able to avail themselves of this deal, the rest of us will just have to wait...for our DVD's to come in the mail that is.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Satellite TV weather issues overblown

When I had Comcast I used to me amused by their commercials that made fun of people with satellite dishes. The one I remember had someone complaining that not only did the dish go out when it rained, but also (ha ha) when the dog sneezed! Of course they were being facectious.

Most of the time, there are no problems. In fact, in 5 years I remember my dish going out maybe twice, & neither were weather related. For instance, I had the TV on Saturday night for  maybe 3 hours after I got off work. Not until I turned it off to go to bed did i realize that not only was it raining, but it was raining really really hard. I have also watch it when the wind was really strong (another one of Comcast's supposed dish bugaboos).

I can't complain too much about my signal. As long as I can watch my shows I'm happy. Although I wish it had gone out yesterday afternoon so I wouldn't have had to endure the sickening display my Niners put on. Oh well.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The curse of the printer

So I have this HP printer that I've had for months, & this morning it didn't feel like doing it's job. Why? I have no idea. I have a little template that I use to print my shopping list. I do this every week. Never had a problem before. This morning I hit print apparently 6 times because it said I had 6 documents waiting but the printer was offline.

Offline? Why? I didn't launch Firefox this morning because I wasn't planning on using it. Why do i need to be on the web to print a document I'm writing? So I loaded it. Same thing. HP help. Worthless. Nothing about what to do when it won't print. Finally I rebooted the computer. Didn't launch Firefox or anything, but guess what? It started printing all those copies. WTF?

What is it with technology, that it can't "just work"? (Go away Linux fanboys) And why is so hard for Microsoft to have in it's help center some info for when something like this happens. I'm no genius, I need help when this happens.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Stumbling around the web

There is a website called Stumble Upon. It puts a toolbar on your browser & everytime you hit stumble it takes you to another random site. You make a list of things you are interested in, & that's how it edits itself.

I find that this site, while entertaining, probably comes across something interesting once every ten sites. Boy there's a lot of boring sites out there. Also a lot of photo sites that don't work that well (photos don't show up, or tracking doesn't). I have found some that were good, but the majority have nothing to offer. but that's the web in general. And it depends where you are. I'm sure people in other countries get to stumble other stuff than I do.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Technology causes two goal switch in NHL game

Hockey is a sport that relies on technology more than other sports. The reason is because scoring is more difficult to see than in any other sport. That's why the goal judge & the red light to announce a goal. But last night was a special case.

During the San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings game, Ryan Smyth scored a goal, but the ref didn't see it so play continued. Torrey Mitchell had a breakaway that resulted in another goal. At this point the video goal judge looked at the previous play, realized Smyth had scored, rewarded him with a goal, & turned back the clock to the time when he scored. This meant Mitchell had technically not scored.

Mitchell admits that he thought Smyth had scored, but he doesn't get too many breakaway chances so he took it. The reversal meant that the score went from 4-1 Sharks to 3-2. The team could have reacted badly to this weird turn of events, but they didn't. Apparently most thought the first goal happened, so they kept playing & ended up winning 6-3.

Again, this is technology at work. It is harder to see a goal in that sport than any other because the puck might just squirt under the goalies pads, & no one will see it. this is a perfect example of that. In football it's using video to see if a receiver has both feet inbounds after a catch, or if a lost ball is a fumble or the QB was throwing an incomplete pass, or who recovered a fumble. During the World Cup, they shaded the goal area to show if a player was offsides.

So I am not against technology in sports. I do however object to refs who take forever to make a decision when it's clear what the result will be. That's just delaying the inevitable.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Rumor-Beatles on iTunes Tuesday

This has been a question for years. Why aren't the Beatles on iTunes, especially since Steve jobs is known to be a big fan? Has it been money, the lawsuits over Apple's name, the remaining Beatles not wanting their music downloadable? That's what I have always thought, but couldn't figure out why. "We're so important & special, why degrade our image by putting it on a site that sells Britney & Bieber". Well that's just silly.

Every other big group is available. The Stones, Zep & Elvis. So the point is moot. On the other hand, I have most of their recordings on CD, so it's no problem for me to put it on my iPod. But the fact is that iTunes is the biggest music retailer in this country, so having their music there would help sales of their catalog, especially since Beatle CD's still sell well.

I suspect that if this is announced tomorrow you will see large sales of albums & individual songs. I have every album from Rubber Soul on, except for Yellow Submarine because there were only four new songs. I would definitely download Hey Bulldog, a very good, lightly played song.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Server fails football fans

Technology is great for sports fans when it works. When it doesn't, it's frustrating. As a football fan, I like to go on a fan site for my team on game day to read the the fans are saying. that worked today for a half. then the server went down.

Not only did it go down, it never came back up. This is an issue. If your technology can't handle heavy traffic, then why bother having the site at all? After all, it shouldn't take a genius to figure out that you're going to have a lot of visitors during a game. There's an auto racing site I'm registered at where the fans complain about the same thing.

Come on people, don't be cheap with the equipment. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to have a certain level of service. A small local site doesn't have the traffic of say, ESPN. So no, it doesn't need the servers they have. but it still should be able to handle a large number of fans who want to discuss the game & the team. Otherwise we will go elsewhere.

My local paper had an article today about Google planning to build a new headquarters complex of 42 acres. Right now they have 17,000 workers in 65 buildings in Mountain View. The new complex will be at NASA & will be 1.2 M square feet. I don't think they will have server issues.

The website I'm talking about probably is one room in an office or someones house. With moderators all over the place. Some of the regulars live overseas. I think a certain degree of service should be expected.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Beautiful animated theme for Firefox

I have just installed a great theme on my browser. Oskar is a dark animated theme that I had at one time on Ubuntu, but never put on Windows. It's a wacky dark theme with flashing lights, multi colored panels & other assorted goodies.

This is why people like Firefox, because you can change it's look & feel. As I look at my browser right now, here's what I see. On the "awesome bar" because I have FF on the add-on page, on the left Mozilla Corporation (US) is in green, with it flashing. The tab for the page is in red, & the new tab plus sign has blue dots circling around the sign. The icon for the bookmarks toolbar on the sidebar is flashing.

I'm using Scribe Fire to post. On the right of the editor where it lists your blog, there's a green square surrounded by a bigger green square. It is, of course, flashing. If I click "posts", it becomes a dark blue page with the posts listed in white. If I go to the top of the page & click bookmarks they are listed with flashing blue arrows to send you to the next directory. In fact all the drop down menus on the menu toolbar do that. This is just a beautiful, georgeous theme. The developer is russian & it's the 2nd most downloaded theme for Firefox. You think?


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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Online video fails for no reason

The new thing is to claim that people will stop subscribing to cable & watch everything online. This only works if the format works. I tried today to watch two different college games on ESPN 3. Both froze up for no reason.

Now I am a regular viewer of ESPN 3. I have never had this happen before. The reason I do this is that I work on Saturdays, so this is the only way I have to watch college ball. I watch a game every week. Today it failed. First i tried to watch Nebraska-Iowa State. I saw about two minutes before it started freezing up. So I switched to Oregon-Washington, a rivalry game with the #1 team in the nation. Made it until the end of the first half, then it froze twice within two minutes.

News flash to Disney: I am not going to watch your video if this becomes a regular issue. I have a brand new computer with plenty of memory (4GB) & plenty of speed (3.07 MHZ), so it's not the computer, especially since my previous computer with only 768 MB & a 2GHZ processor didn't have this issue. It just had a blurry picture.

And BTW Microsoft, why did you make it so hard to find the defragger in Windows 7? It was on the quick launch bar in XP. I had to go in the explorer search box & type it in to find it. Why do that? I like 7, & especially like that Windows Explorer can be launched from the task bar, but don't hide important programs.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Tech around the house

I don't have a Plasma or LCD tv. And I have no interest in a 3D tv (not much being made). I don't have a digital camera either, although I would like one. But this is what i do have, & why.

I have a computer obviously. With cheap $10 speakers that don't always work. This means, thanks to the internet, I can watch David Letterman & Craig Ferguson at a reasonable time. It means I can watch college football games on Mondays, since I work on Saturdays. And catch some shows that were on at the same time as something else that I was watching. And I can inform myself by reading websites like Huffington Post, Lifehacker & others.

I have an ipod nano. Yeah, I only have 300+ songs on it. But it's still easier than loading & unloading my cd player, just to listen to songs by multiple artists on several different cd's. I also listen to podcasts, either on my ipod or directly from the website.

I have a microwave. Since I get home from work so late, this is a godsend. TV dinners are obvious. But on my days off, I will cook a meal, & place it in plastic containers so when I get home I can just heat up the meal. I have two different soups in the fridge right now. I'm good till Friday with those. After i get off the computer I'm going to make some chicken, then place it it in the fridge, again for this week (I don't go back to work until tomorrow).

Hooked up to my tv (a 25", yeah I know) is a cheap home theater-$50 at Walmart several years ago. This gives me stereo sound for regular tv, & also sound for my stereo. I also can hook my ipod to it. I would like a DVD player that can play DVD-R discs. Right now I don't burn DVD's on my computer because nothing can play them. Boo, hiss. I would love to burn games off of ESPN 3 or itunes downloads of the podcast I listen to every week (it would be cool to see TWIT on my tv, & CFB on my 18" monitor is ok, but just barely).

I have an answering machine that I use to monitor calls. Most calls I get are sales pitches, or the last month annoying election pitches. Great way to avoid nonsense. I use to answer all my calls, but have you ever tried to get a telemarketer off the phone? They don't understand the words "I"m not interested".

As you can see, I'm not a geek. Not that much stuff, & not planning to. No smartphone. What would I use it for? Would I like a big tv? Yup. But it ain't gonna happen. Just like winning the lottery won't either.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Antivirus issues

Sometimes my anti-virus software doesn't want to work. This is a problem since this is the most important thing on there to protect it. But since updating to the current version it seems like it doesn't like to do the automatic updates.

What is it with software? This is hardly the only program out there with issues. Example number one is, of course, itunes. A program known to corrupt your library & actually lose all your files. I'm sure there are others. This is not just an Apple problem. My anti-virus is a freebie from Germany. But I'm sure the pay programs from here have similar issues as do Microsoft programs, & since I have experience, I know that Linux has it's own set of issues.

I don't like to complain & I'm sure no one else does. But why are there so many problems associated with software? I just used Microsoft Excel starter (a free version that came with my new computer) to balance my checkbook. I even printed it out. Works just fine. Why can't everything be like that?

Monday, November 1, 2010

South Korea to have 1Gb broadband

The average right now in South Korea is 12Mbps. My connection speed is 1.5 which is the main speed my provider sells. A 100Mbps subscription costs $19 a month in South Korea, which includes internet tv. I pay $40 a month for my slow speed. But hey, that's the market in the USA. And the Republicans want to kill net neutrality because it doesn't enrich them.

I am not surprised that we are behind the rest of the world in something. But the internet? Now I don't need massively fast speeds, because I rarely download anything. But it probably affects the way my computer works. This is a new computer with a processor 50% faster than my previous, & I can't tell that it's much faster. Except that video is smooth rather than choppy, & it doesn't freeze up like the old computer did. But websites don't appear to be any faster.

The only time I have super fast speed is when I run Ubuntu off a USB stick. Because of course, I'm using flash memory, not the hard drive, which has to spin & whirr, while running all the programs Windows has. Thus, the processor speed isn't that important. So I don't think my processor is that important for that, & I don't think 1Gbps would improve on that. And frankly the ISP's in this country wouldn't be charging $19/month like South Korea, try $100 minimum. If that fact doesn't change we will remain behind the world.