The cat’s out of the bag. [...]
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May 21, 2010
I do not have an iPhone. I do not have apps or the latest gadgets. I thought I was hot stuff when I learned how to take pictures with my phone and store music in it. Each year, no make that each month they had something new. An upgrade today may be obsolete tomorrow. But consider the fact that the more we deal with technology the faster we can get to things we want to know. Continue reading And with a touch. . . March 29, 2010
DJ: An App For The Typical User So a few weeks ago I got to review a mac app called DJ by Rhythm software. Basically, its iTunes enhanced. It pictures a very similar look, with a table of your songs on one side, and a DJ table in the middle. First you import all [...] March 24, 2010
Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Business, China, Commentary, Communications, Computers, Current Events, Foreign Affairs, Freedom, Internet
 One comment By recklessly inserting Hong Kong in the middle of its fight with Beijing, corporate hypocrite Google recklessly put Hong Kong’s autonomy at risk for no sensible reason. [...] March 17, 2010
Interesting new book describing our addiction to technology. [...] March 10, 2010
Posted by Jorge in: Commentary, Computers, Current Events, Internet, Opinion, Technology
Leave a comment NEW UK DIGITAL BILL TO FOLLOW US’S DMCA RIGHTS AND SPELL DISASTER FOR YOUTUBE? by Jorge Paez
THere is a report out from Guardian news, that the very unpopular Digital Bill in the UK has just been updated to include several copyright additions, some of which may lead to the closure of user generated content sites like Youtube. This amendment follows a looser version which was struck down by the Lords earlier this week. Instead of directly prohibiting sites such as youtube from existing as the first attempt did, this would give the court total and absolute power in regards to copyright material. In this version, sites that have or are known for containing any type of material which has not been authorized by the copyright holder, (such as Lime Wire, and Youtube) would be shut down with legal action. This could potentially lead to a strike order banning Youtube from any and all ISPs. (internet service providers) Continue reading NEW UK DIGITAL BILL TO FOLLOW US’S DMCA RIGHTS AND SPELL DISASTER FOR YOUTUBE? March 9, 2010
MAC BOOK PRo, The Latest, The Greatest And What May Be Coming Our Way (The 21st century Revolution part 1)by Jorge Paez A couple of days ago, I upgraded my workstation set up from a 12-25-2007 Macbook to a brand new 3-1-2010 Macbook Pro. Below, I’ll take a look at the two computers and their differences in speed and performance. Tech Specs Here the tech specs were a drastic change. It jumped from a 160 GB hard drive to a 250 GB model. This meant 90 GB of additional space, or 9000 MEGABYTE jump. It also jumped from a 1.0 GHZ in speed, to a 2.53 GHZ (or 5.3 tenths) improvement. This improved over all performance and memory consumption. In my old Macbook, my computer used to be able to run only one application at a time, even when it was upgraded to 4 GB of memory. This is taking into consideration the pro apps which I used; such as Logic Express for my music and iWork for most of my presentations and text editing. Here are the times, (macbook first, then MBP) Continue reading MAC BOOK PRo, The Latest, The Greatest And What May Be Coming Our Way (The 21st century Revolution part 1) February 22, 2010
Why I.T. developers speak in a strange tongue. [...] February 17, 2010
for specifying information requirements. [...] February 9, 2010
My daughter – of whom I am extremely proud – is teaching gifted students in a middle school. She has offered the following challenge to them (with this confirming e-mail to parents) - would you accept, and adhere, to this challenge: Currently, we are studying one of the Five Themes of Geography: Movement. In today’s [...] February 1, 2010
Posted by Tim Roux in: Books, Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Internet, Literature, Non-Fiction, Writing Essentials
8 comments It is hard to believe sitting here today, but in 2-3 years’ time paper books simply won’t exist. I love paper books. Specifically, I love paperbacks. As they say about Toblerone, never eat a sweet that hurts you – so I am not so fond of hardbacks as being uncomfortable and often painful to hold. But paperbacks …… As with many authors, I read my own books about 30 times – 28 times electronically, and a couple of times in paperback. The first twenty-eight times are OK, except that even I get bored of my books eventually. However, the 29th (final correction) and 30th times are heaven. It is a completely different experience reading a book in paperback. As Steve Sangirardi is always keen to point out, it is the difference between the menu and the meal. Reading about the sensation of eating chocolate is one thing; actually eating it for the first time is another. Nevertheless, in 2-3 years’ time paperbacks will be gone – almost completely – vanished like an old oak table [don’t you mean ‘varnished’ – ed? For the rest of this reference, see the TV series Blackadder III]. New technology takeover is often catastrophic. It is like the Monty Python running man – sprinting away but no closer – sprinting away but no closer – sprinting away but no closer – past you. Continue reading The attack of the alien multi-media book snatchers January 16, 2010
Human Mind and Internet Mind by Richard G. Geldard It appears we human beings are having a crisis of identity. The culprit is the Internet. In the current issue of Harper’s Jaron Lanier, author of You are Not a Gadget has this to say about the web: “…it is the idea that the Internet as a whole is coming alive and turning into a superhuman creature.” Lanier’s book comes out at a time when the Internet is becoming the focus of serious philosophical investigation. On Edge.org, John Brockman’s informal collection of some of the world’s interesting minds, the current question is “Has the Internet changed the way you think?” Brockman begins the inquiry by quoting the avant garde musician John Cage as proposing “There’s only one mind, the one we all share.” One thinks of Jung’s collective unconscious becoming conscious. The one mind idea, however, is a very ancient one, emerging from the Hindu Vedas and the Pre-Socratic Greek thinkers. Historically, it comes under the heading of Panpsychism, which according to – you guessed it – the Internet, is “the doctrine that mind is a fundamental feature of the world which exists throughout the universe.” Another example is the first sentence of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “History:” “There is one mind common to all individual men.” And Emerson meant a universal mind. Continue reading Human Mind and Internet Mind December 28, 2009
Why Microsoft’s Bid For The Evil Empire Is Out Of The Question, And Apple’s Still Going Strong
by Jorge Paez
Amongst the obvious reasons that I have stayed with Macintosh over the years, (stability, performance, etc.), there is actually one that is not that easy to see, at least, unless [...] December 13, 2009
A question has been brought up as to what “rights” or abilities a user with the Author authority has, with specific questions about the ability to edit &/or delete posts & comments. I have logged in as an Author account and am currently writing this POST as an Author. I believe I will be able to log in again as an Author and edit this post. See below – If I am truly able to log in again and edit the post after it has been published, I will make a “update” at the bottom of the post. Continue reading WordPress Help – Author Rights December 3, 2009
The Voice of Conscience
Author: Behcet Kaya (September 3, 2009) ISBN: 978-1-4490-1453-7 (sc), Category: Fiction Author House (Bloomington, In) 428 pgs, Paperback, $20.10
Ramzi is a young 14 year old boy, whose right of passage from boyhood into manhood, is defined through a traumatically nightmarish experience that promises to alter his persona forever. Given time to escape the horrendous event, he learns the art of prolonging the inevitable response, but not without delayed consequences. It is in the realization of his need to deal with it, that the consequences must be taken as well, and must forever alter the state of everyone else near and around him, especially those most closest to him. Continue reading Review: Voice of Conscience November 26, 2009
For all of you Hackers – who give us such trouble, We send you a Hex in form of a Bubble. It travels through planes – it travels through trains, It travels through brains – it travels through drains, Puts gas in your guts – a rash on your butts, Puts snot in your [...] November 23, 2009
“Problem started!” [...] November 1, 2009
Report: Macs With Daylight Saving Issues
September 14, 2009
Posted by cmusico in: Computers, Economic Crisis, Economics, Family, Finance, Habit Change, Inspiration & Motivation, Motivation, Recovery, The Economy
Leave a comment I’ve taken the lessons my mother has taught me about planning and budgeting and broken it down into six steps. Follow these to establish your personal finance plan, and you will have the foundation in place for success — no matter what small obstacles or larger life events may come your way. Here are the six (in order): Common cents? Sure, but sometimes we all need to get back to basics. Read on for more information on each step. Continue reading Six Steps to Budgeting Bliss September 8, 2009
They are most definitely NOT synonymous. [...] August 30, 2009
Snowleopard: The Truth Revealed
by Jorge Paez
Ok. So let me begin by saying that I got the new OS yesterday, on launch date. Unlike may people I got the CD copy from my retail store. And the fixes started from the install process. First of all, they eliminated all the updating options except the “alpha” update, which is the one that goes in and rewrites the code needed to update the software. In other words, it changes only what is new.
The OS installer has a very robotic, but useful voice which works until you turn on Voice Over at the intro video. (Note: I believe this only applies if you run Voice Over during the install, however you can simply press V to activate it when it gives you the option.)
After you install, the change is obvious. The computer shuts down a lot faster, starts up faster and the whole system is snappier. It is an update that brings great features to the blind and seeing alike.
August 25, 2009
Review: Syrinx, Another Way To Tweet
by Jorge Paez
Twitter has a cool ability that allows people to see what app you’re tweeting from. For example, if I tweet “http://www.techgeekspodcast.com” from Twitterific it’ll give you a link to Twitterific. Basically, a place where you can download the app. In one of my explorations to see what app the people I follow were using, I came across Syrinx.
Syrinx is a nice little app which has a ton of features right out of the box. It has the ability to retweet, mark as favorite, update, reply to, refresh screen and direct message all using keyboard commands. Not even Twitterific, one of the best as far as accessibility goes, can boast all those features. And best of all, its freeware that isn’t add supported. Continue reading Review: Syrinx, Another Way To Tweet August 24, 2009
Yesterday I worked quite hard on a post for today and lost it. In my laptop, the very wicked machine that I am working on right now. Perhaps it will eat this one too, I don’t know. But for the moment since I am on vacation and unable to get to the desk top that my husband has taken over I am stuck with this piece of. . I really hate this computer. Its not that I hate technology or that I am over 50 and don’t know what the hell I am doing with modern equipment. That is not my problem since I have always been at the forefront of new technology from the food processor that people said we didn’t need 30 years ago to the coffee maker that grinds the beans right before it brews. When we lived in suburbia and our now 30 year old daughter was 2 we were the only family with a Beatamax. When the video store opened our membership number was 123 because we were the second members. And don’t get me started about computers, I’ve had quite a few and been trained on several others. Its just this one that burns me. I don’t think it likes me. Continue reading I Hate My Computer June 24, 2009
Want a link to a throw-away domain? by David Leonhardt
A while back, I wrote about why to ignore three-way link requests. Many of the reasons I listed had to do with the quality of the site linking back to you. But what if it’s a PR3 home page. Sounds like a juicy link to score, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not. I don’t want to pick on one domain or another, but I need an example, so the one that came in today will do. In the words of the link-exchanger:
There are so many domains like this, and while a link from that page might not carry zero value, it’s caveat emptor. Here are seven reasons why this is not a ” Wow! A PR3 home-page link!” Continue reading Want a link to a throw-away domain? June 5, 2009
Does technology alone truly improve productivity? [...] May 13, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Lifestyle, Social Issues, Sociology, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, Uncategorized
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May 13, 2009
The Bugs Bunny Guide to Linkbuildingby David Leonhardt Have you ever been hard at work, doing what you do, and suddenly got struck by the immortal question – “What would Bugs Bunny do?” Me too. All the time. Well, if you are doing link-building, you are in luck, because here is what Bugs Bunny would do: “What’s up, Doc?” Bugs Bunny always introduces himself in way that leaves an opening for the other party to offer something useful. Such as a reciprocal link. Be friendly. Be informal. Be in the situation. Nobody pays attention to cut-and-paste link-exchange emails any more. Find a way to make yours both unique and personal.
“Carrots are divine… You get a dozen for a dime, It’s maaaa-gic!” Link exchanges might be long, hard, boring work, but carrots are a totally different matter. For starters, they are orange. SEO carrots are often called “link bait” or “viral content”. If you have fun putting together useful, cool, different information, you have carrots – and carrots are maaaa-gic. Continue reading The Bugs Bunny Guide to Linkbuilding May 11, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Business, Business Management, Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Education, Fiction, Freelance Author, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Journalism, Literature, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Self-Help, Short Stories, The Media, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Women's Perspective, Working Women, Writing Essentials
One comment When new authors write non-fiction, they will often base their subject matter on personal experiences. One mistake commonly made, is the over use of the word “I” in the beginning of sentences. “I know this because I’ve been there, done that.” Or, “I did it this, or that way.” Over use of “I” can make your work sound self-absorbing; not something you should want to portray to your readers—especially if your plans include a follow-up edition. Try finding other words to begin your sentences, such as, “Having learned my self, I tried it this way, and it seemed to work.” Another word or “phrase” really, to avoid beginning a sentence with, “Oh, by the way,…” Before you add this to your text, sit back and decide if it is really necessary to make your point. “I went to the grocery store and they don’t have beans. Oh, by the way, they didn’t have rice either.” Instead, how about, “When I went to the grocery store they didn’t have beans or rice.” Play with your sentences and try to hone in on your creativity. “You should try fishing on the Rouge River.” Sounds a bit like your insisting I do what you ask. How about, “Fishing on the Rouge River is great.” It’s okay to address your reader in a personal manner, but overuse of the same word, such as, “you,” might begin to sound aggressive in tone; try sounding more suggestive rather than forceful. Continue reading Non-Fiction Writing—Avoiding the I, Oh and You May 8, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Business Management, Computers, Inspiration & Motivation, Non-Fiction, Relationships, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Major corporations and organizations mount immense IT efforts involving large mainframes and huge networks of servers, communications systems and ‘nodes’ that distribute computing power globally. The software that makes these systems work efficiently and securely is hideously complex. But I understate. My last employer, before I turned to freelance writing, was a major supplier of systems software to enormous entities with big IT systems addressing the largest imaginable problems. My task: visit key people in those organizations to offer our services. One of my prospects was General Electric/Nuclear, in Silicon Valley. This G.E. division designed, built and installed, worldwide, nuclear reactors used for electric-power generation. After the necessary sleuthing, I found the man I believed to be the key decision maker. His name was Bill Krehbiel. He was, to oversimplify greatly, in charge of logistics, or what we might call ‘the supply chain.’ It involved hundreds of suppliers, large and small, providing products and services from trivial to momentous, priced from pennies to millions of dollars, on projects that spanned up to 10 years or more in duration, working worldwide. Mind-boggling complexity. But it had to be done. Continue reading Let us now praise excellent men April 22, 2009
In a few weeks I go to visit my mother in a house that hasn’t quite made it to this century. There has always been a phone but its merely a land line. The cell phone my parents had set idle for a year. They charged it once and forgot to take it with them when they left the house. My father’s ancient Smith- Corona, the one he used to type his news stories, is still in the basement and my mother’s electric typewriter is hidden in a closet behind piles of clutter. There is, of course, no Internet connection. They never had or wanted a computer. For me it will be ten days stuck in the dark ages until I can arrange some time with my siblings or friends with a connection to the real world. So I decided to see how it would be to live without the Internet for a day. Continue reading A Day Without the Internet April 21, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Computers, Lifestyle, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment I have a photo in my office of the Wright Brothers historic flight where they Fame is a funny thing. It is as elusive as hell. Even the fame of a stupid act has a very tight window.The woman who had all those babies will find herself alone again. Fame promises nothing. We have the ever vigilant Madonna who has managed to keep fame as a sort of sidecar to her life. At a point it doesn’t matter if fame is tied to any real talent, it becomes self sustaining. But for most people there is the quick silver fame that flashes by and vanishes just as quickly as it came. Continue reading Our Google Fame April 9, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Business, Business Management, Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Current Events, Literature, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
2 comments The Internet’s enormity makes it a subject too large for a dozen books, or a hundred. It’s still only a communications channel, regardless of the magical properties ascribed incorrectly to this digital phenomenon. In terms of conveying information, it’s no better and no worse than any other medium—print, video, phone, etc.—except insofar as it might be more efficient. It often isn’t. Websites test our understanding and patience. Many websites fail the test for effectiveness, logic and ease of use. For writers of website material—you, perhaps?—the task is particularly challenging. Recall the five-second ‘rule’ of retaining reader attention. It’s even tougher on the Internet. Users scan websites and data in a fraction of that time. Time, for most busy people, is money and cannot be wasted. As the velocity of our affairs accelerates, this becomes more and more important. As young people migrate by the tens of millions from the printed word to the displayed digit, it might be appropriate to remind them that their gadgets are not free and should be compared in actual cost with all other media. Continue reading Website hell April 6, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Computers, Creative Writing, Current Events, Freelance Author, Journalism, Technology, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment Let’s pretend? These days simulators can reproduce almost anything, synthetically. The results can be useful for training, for entertainment and for many other purposes. Used in aviation, simulators help pilots become proficient at much lower cost than flying, and with much less risk. Simulators have been created to help operators understand the correct way to operate discrete systems of many kinds, especially when the value and/or criticality of the real thing is high—weapons systems, submarine controls, guiding supertankers. Simulators can mimic almost every imaginable system used to control human activity, for example administering medical care to a simulated body. The only serious danger in these simulators is loss of face through operator error or falling while entering or leaving the device. But they can convince you, and make you sweat! One of the earliest simulators was the Link Trainer, to train pilots in ‘blind’ (i.e. guided by instruments) flying. Hundreds of thousands of pilots trained in them during WWII. Some flight simulators run on PCs, useful for grasping basic functions and procedures. Some let users ‘fly’ entertainingly, like computer games. Others simulate driving or riding a motorcycle, seen at arcades (pale imitations—to this pilot, driver and motorcycle rider they are worthless). Then there’s the six-axis ‘box:’ spectators sit in it to see/feel racing of various kinds, and some are brilliantly executed. Continue reading Simulators March 24, 2009
The founding of Intel Corporation
One of the biggest investments by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Arthur Rock, in 1968, was in Intel Corporation. You think his risk was low? Think again. Intel has become a global technology juggernaut but it’s only obvious with 20/20 hindsight. Intel was once a crawling baby, its survival in doubt from week to month. When Intel was founded by Bob Noyce and a handful of peers, particularly Gordon Moore (of ‘Moore’s Law’) and Federico Faggin, success was long odds. Despite Bob’s reputation and his colleagues’ skills, skeptics predicted failure. The chip industry, especially Fairchild Semiconductor from which Noyce and many of his colleagues came, had shown notable lack of promise, especially in making money. Without profit, no enterprise can endure regardless of the power and significance of the work. Continue reading The founding of Intel Corporation March 12, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Computers, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment Editors Roundup: Today we have the continuing series on becoming a writer and thoughts on the first amendement and another chapter in a continuing book online. Enjoy. Cyberland Once upon a time you wrote a book and then you put it out there and did some readings, some media, then hoped for [...] March 10, 2009
“INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS” – to define them is the most difficult task in Information Technology. [...] February 22, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Business, Business Management, Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Education, Entertainment, Fiction, Freelance Author, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Self-Help, Short Stories, Social Issues, The Media, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment One of the most commonly asked questions of new authors is “Should I copyright my work?” Authors are concerned their work might be stolen by some smuck (sorry, couldn’t think of a better descriptive word) who reprints their work and claims authorship for it. Well, the truth is, it could be. But whether filing a legal copyright will make a difference; that’s uncertain. [...] February 18, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Business, Communications, Computers, Creative Writing, Current Events, General Topics, Journalism, Literature, Mental Health, Relationships, Technology, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
2 comments If we are to believe the slavering electronic and print media, who are fawning over it wherever one turns, we are supposed to bow down and adore the Internet’s latest thrill, the new ‘social medium’ dubbed Twitter. Its goal: make a profound (?) statement in a 140-letter public post about what one is ‘doing.’ [...] |
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The Gaslight Journal is Done
Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]