Posts filed under 'Technology'
I use my iPod every day–on the train, walking to work, sometimes in the car. Every once in a while it malfunctions. Sometimes it appears I no longer have any content loaded. Other times I get a sad iPod icon. Sometimes the apple symbol stays on the screen and nothing happens at all.
The basic, and I think only, fix is to reset your iPod:
- Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
- Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 10 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
The most important thing to remember in these fairly simple steps is “You may need to repeat this step.”
After tying these 2 or 3 times, I started to worry that something was wrong. I tried connecting with my computer to see if that would jolt it back to life and eliminate weak battery power as the culprit.
I was about to take it to the flagship Apple store here in NYC, but being lazy, and a man, I decided to keep trying. (Did I mention that I work in the same building the Apple store is located?)
After a few more resets, I felt the hard drive spinning and signs of life. A few more resets and my iPod was alive again. I just wonder if this is a predictor of an early death for my iPod.
Apple - Support - iPod
August 25th, 2006
As a gadget boy, I have a Treo 600 on one hip and a Blackberry 7290 on the other. In my IBM ThinkPad T42 
laptop bag, I have my 60GB Video iPod
. I am generally using at least two of these devices at once–while on the train or walking. When driving, I usually can only swing one at a time. With all of these devices in close proximity to one another, I have noticed some strange phenomenon.
The Blackberry is a noisy device. In a radio frequency (RF) interference sense, the Blackberry shouts over everything. I can always tell when I am receiving a new email a few seconds before it actually gets delivered, for if the Blackberry is anywhere near a speaker or telephone, there is a telltale staticy sound that one hears whenever the device is sending or receiving information. When this happens on a conference call, it can get quite annoying.
Now I have confirmed that the Blackberry “communicates” with the iPod. The good news is that I have not experienced hearing any interference while listening to the iPod, but almost worse, the Blackberry adjusts the volume on the iPod! At first I thought I was imagining things–perhaps I bumped the volume control wheel, or the case that protects the easily scratched pod was the culprit. After some definitive tests, I have confirmed that if these two devices are next to one another and the Blackberry communicates with the mother ship, your iPod’s volume will change–sometimes lower, but sometimes to an ear-splitting full volume.
Like quarrelsome children, I have learned to keep these two devices apart, but I am considering upgrading my iPod software and enabling the volume limiting function to safeguard against a “Blackberry volume boost.”
If you have had similar experience, please comment.
August 3rd, 2006
Finding a good graphics program can be both difficult and expensive. There are many options for working with photographic images, but if you need other graphics for websites and presentations, you have the low end with MS Paint (free with Windows) or the high end with Photoshop ($649).
Personally, I prefer to use Macromedia’s (now Adobe) Fireworks ($299) for web graphics. It works well for GIF and PNG formats, is vector-based, and has some smooth anti-aliasing. Fireworks is fairly expensive however, and not readily available on every machine.
I have found a pretty good alternative that is both cheap (free) and portable. The program is called GIMP. The name is a complex acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, where GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU is Not Unix.
I have yet to explore all of GIMP’s features, but it works for what I need when I am without my favorites. I can create logos, resize images, and export as almost any format. There are your basic drawing tools, selection options, color palettes, and views. For the more advanced needs, layers are supported, and there are many cool filters and scripts.
You’re only as good as your tools, and they’re only good if you have them. If your favorite software is only installed on your computer, then you are at quite a loss when anywhere else. The concept of portable software means that a zero-install version can be loaded on a CD, USB drive, or even an iPod so that you can take it with you. GIMP comes in a portable version, and is available here.
If you need to work with graphics, I suggest you add GIMP to your toolbox.
August 1st, 2006
If you actual work with a laptop computer on your lap, there is no doubt you have felt the heat it produces. More and more powerful electronics packed into smaller cases seems to generate more heat–and some serious safety issues.
I have owned Dell, Toshiba, and IBM laptops, and all can get very hot to the touch. The internal fans are supposed to keep them cool enough, but depending upon the surface you have them resting, it might not be enough.
I am still amazed that what you are doing with your computer can cause it to run hotter. I consider myself an experienced technologist, but I never really thought of a computer as a mechanical device that “works harder” on certain processes than others. I accept that a car carrying more weight up hill would work hard and hotter, but a computer is just pushing 1’s and 0’s around as electrons. Doesn’t it always work with the same amount of effort? Apparently not.
The fans in many laptops seem to be thermostatically controlled. When the computer gets hotter, the fan either turns on or runs faster. One of the laptops I used to have one that would actually shut down if it got too hot. I had only a few seconds to respond–the fan would start revving really fast, and I would need to pick the laptop up and wave it in the air a bit to cool it off enough to stay on. It reminded me of a Dilbert comic where the boss is given an Etch-a-Sketch as a laptop and his is told to shake it over his head to reboot. My current laptop doesn’t shut down, but I do hear the fan kick on faster when working on complex graphics or sophisticated games.
There have been many publicized cases of laptops starting on fire either do to extreme temperatures on flammable surfaces, or defective batteries and other components. So now I am very careful not to leave my laptop on and unattended, unless I know it is properly ventilated. I also where asbestos underwear.
July 11th, 2006
I have always told people that Notepad, the free Windows accessory that has been around since at least Windows 3.1, is my favorite word processing program. It’s great for jotting down ideas or using it as a basic ASCII text editor. Here are some tips on how to make it work for you.
First of all, if you have never used Notepad, it should be found in your Programs - Accessories Folder from your Start menu. However, I prefer to set a shortcut key so that I can open it in a moment from anywhere.
To set a shortcut key for Notepad (or any application), right-click on its icon and choose Properties. In the Shortcut key field, press any key you wish to use. I use N so that whenever I press Ctrl+Alt+N, my friend Notepad opens. Make sure you don’t use a keystroke combination that may use in some other program to prevent conflicts.
(Click to enlarge)
There is not much to the actual using of Notepad. There is no formatting and no spell check, so you are basically typing. There is a Find/Replace tool which can be handy though. You will most likely want to enable the Word Wrap feature found in the Format menu. This allows text to wrap within the window instead of the default option of extending infinitely off your screen.
Your basic shortcut keys work as expected, as shown next to their functions in the menus. One that is kind of unique to Notepad is the Time/Date stamp function. Using this from the Edit menu, or pressing the <F5> key, will insert the current date and time at the cursor position. This is a good feature if you are using a Notepad file as a diary, log, or place to quickly jot down ideas and you want to record when you do so.
There is actually an interesting way to enable a Notepad text file to insert a Time/Date stamp automatically at the end of your file whenever it is opened:
- In your .TXT file, type .LOG on the first line and press <Enter> so that it is by itself. This must be typed in UPPERCASE letters to work.
- Save your file.
- The next time your file is opened, the current time and date will be place at the end of the file and you are ready to append your log.
I also like to add Notepad as a utility to easily open files that I am browsing. There are many ASCII files without a .TXT extension that could be edited using Notepad but are not associated with it. Instead of making many associations, I add Notepad to the “Send To” menu available when you right-click on a file. Then I can right-click on any file and choose Send To - Notepad to edit it.
- Right-click on the Notepad icon in your Programs - Accessories folder and select Copy.
- Open the Send To folder in your personal settings. It should be something like: C:\Documents and Settings\YourProfile\SendTo
(You may need to “Show hidden files and folders” in your Folder Options settings to do this)
- Edit - Paste to add the shortcut.
Now you can right-click on a file and send it to Notepad to be edited.
July 7th, 2006
I have used portable media players for years now. From the basic Walkman, generic MP3 player, and now an iPod, I have had ear buds shoved in my ears for some time. One of my favorite uses is to listen to audio books on my commute into NYC. Between train and walk time, I can do quite a bit of “reading” each day. Listening to anything through earphones gives you a great appreciation of just how LOUD the city is.
After walking past diesel locomotives that vibrate your body and the loud blast of air brakes, once I hit the street, the normal din of buses, trucks, and taxis easily competes with the volume of audio being injected directly into my ears. It is no wonder people are having hearing problems as they need to crank the volume to compete with surrounding noise. Throw in some horns and a siren, and you may as well shut the sound off.
When traveling on airplanes, I often saw people wearing large, ear covering headphones — you know the ones that ’70s roller skaters wore. It turns out that these are noise canceling headphones that actually listen to the surrounding noise and through active electronics, phase out background noise. I looked into getting these, but when your headphones are larger than your player, it hardly becomes a portable situation. Also, the fewer things with batteries the better.
The other types of noise canceling earphones are passive. These block out noise by being shoved into your ears forming a tight acoustical seal. They come with a few different size ear cups for varying ear canals. They work very well and may actually help combat hearing loss since you don’t need to turn up the volume as high.
I am using Shure E2c’s which are about $100. There are other models that have wider frequency ranges costing over $500.
There are some safety issues to consider whenever using any earphones. If they work too well, then you can’t hear any outside noises like, “hey buddy! Watch out for that bus!” Driving is another activity that you should be cautious with, and I’m sure it must be illegal to drive with earphones in both ears.
But what’s the point of having great audio if your earphones aren’t any good? Or if you can’t hear the audio over all of the noise pollution?
Shure Earphones are available here
.
June 2nd, 2006
As an architect, Mr. Brady (of the Brady Bunch) was always in his den drawing sketches. Now, along with getting a groovy perm, you can create your own sketches with Google SketchUp (Free and Pro versions are available). Now I’m not really sure why Google went and acquired this platform, but if you had more money than you knew what to do with, you might be purchase things you don’t really need.
I have been using drawing programs on the PC ever since there was a mouse — from basic shapes to sophisticated CAD programs, and I must say that SketchUp is a great compromise of the two and very easy to use. In no time, you will be able to create complex structures in three dimension. I was able to reproduce my house only a few hours after installing the program and running through the included tutorials.
You basically start with 2-D objects and push/pull them into 3-D objects. To help make you the perfect drawer, the tools “snap” to the X, Y, or Z axis, or to existing objects endpoints or midpoints. Going through the tutorials, you begin to see just how complex a drawing you can create using basic line, rectangles, circles, and arcs. The dimensioning tool allows you to annotate your drawing with actual scale dimensions like those on blueprints.
The 3-D rendering is really cool and quick. With the orbit tool, you can easily spin your drawing to look all around it. You can “paint” the surfaces with materials including colors, roofing, siding, brick, and many others. You can also switch to wire frame or X-ray views to speed up the performance as you draw or to look inside your structure.
A sampler of over 50 components is included to add to your sketches. These include human forms, buildings, trees and shrubbery, vehicles, doors, and windows. Many more are available from online libraries, and I believe the intention is that you might upload your own components to share with others.
There is also an interesting option to integrate your drawing into Google Earth, the global mapping application comprised of satellite images of the world. After creating my house, I was able to place it in its exact position on the “Earth”. Perhaps this is why Google made this purchase. I can foresee the three dimensional recreation of structures of the world enhancing the satellite photography.
If you are considering renovating your home, or just interesting in architectural drawing, SketchUp is a great tool to easily draft some options for yourself to bring to a real architect or builder.
Google SketchUp (free) is available here.
May 26th, 2006
If you haven’t already uploaded a picture of yourself to see which celebrity you resemble, give it a try at MyHeritage.com. Currently in beta, MyHeritage seems that it will become a genealogy/family tree site, but for now, its face recognition utility can be a lot of fun.
It’s quite simple. Upload a basic head-shot of a person and run it. Your picture is scanned, facial features identified, and then compared to a database of celebrity photographs. You are then presented with an interesting set of results which you can share with your family and friends. I’m not sure how this will all play out with family trees, but for now, it is a fun novelty.
My uploaded and recognized photo:
My results:
Your mileage may vary. Enjoy!
MyHeritage is available here.
May 23rd, 2006
It seems that ever since there have been computers, there have been computer games. I can still remember the text-based adventure game ZORK. (”You are standing in an open field….”) Things have come a long way. Nowadays, I divide computer games into two categories: 1) Complicated games that take hours to master, forever to finish, and consume days of your life; and 2) simple games that take minutes to master, a short time to complete, and consume days of your life.
The standard Windows games of Solitaire, Minesweeper, and FreeCell fall into this second category and still seem popular today. In a pinch for a quick gaming fix, I will resort to playing these and they certainly do pass the time. It seems a masterful feat to find a game simple in concept yet very fun to play (and play and play and play). PopCap Games is a place to find such games.
Bejeweled is perhaps the most popular game from PopCap. It is available as a Palm handhelp version, and Palm owner I know has it installed. With over 30 games available, there is something for everyone. They fall into four categories: Puzzle, Arcade, Word, and Card games.
My Favorites
Dynomite! is a prehistoric egg-blasting games where you shoot eggs at similar colors to match three or more to remove them as they advance down at you. It is simple, comical, and very addictive. Part action and strategy, it reminds me of Tetris.
Zuma is similar as a ball-blasting game to match similar colors as a trail of balls winds through complicated layouts.
Candy Train reminds me of one of those leaky pipe games. Keep the train on track by rotating the tracks to form a continuous path to the destination picking up bonuses along the way.
Bookworm is a letter game perfect for Scrabble and Boggle players searching for words is world of letters. Special tiles, bonuses, and hazards keep this interesting.
TyperShark is a great way to improve your typing skills by touch-typing in order to keep your diver from being devoured by sharks.
Most of the games are available for free online play and many are available for download and purchase if you really fall in love with them. I’m sure you will get addicted to at least one of these games.
Play games from PopCap here.
Other free online games available at MIStupid.com.
May 18th, 2006
The concept of being read aloud to starts when we are children. Then, the responsibility of adulthood forces us to read to ourselves. However, there are times when reading a book is simply not appropriate. It is hard to walk through city streets or jog through the neighborhood whilst reading. It is also unsafe, and evidently illegal, to read while driving.
The concept of recording someone reading books is probably as old as recording technology. Books on Tape is actually a popular brand for this service, but who still uses cassette tapes? They are also available on CDs, but even abridged versions of most popular novels are over eight hours long, and that’s a lot of CDs to be shuffling around.
The MP3 format has proven to be a great format for spoken word recordings. Since the frequency range is much narrower than music, voice recordings are very compression friendly, allowing to pack a long program is a small space. Not that it is a problem anymore with things like 60 Gigabyte iPods.
Another benefit of the digital format for audio books is that you can immediately download and transfer to your portable audio device for your listening pleasure. Immediate gratification always seems to be a big bonus.
Where do you get these audio books? There are many services out there, but personally, I use Audible. I have been a member for years and have an account in which I pay a monthly fee which allows me to download any two books per month.
Browse their offerings by category, search, view best seller lists, read user reviews, and listen to excerpts. Add the selection to your shopping cart, purchase, and you are ready to download in varying level of fidelity. They provide the software to transfer the audio to your favorite MP3 device. I used to listen to these on my Treo 600 smart phone until I got an iPod. The file format is not a simple MP3. A form of digital rights management (DRM) is imposed so that you cannot share these files with others. In fact, you seem to only be able to listen to the programs on your computer and one other device.
I find that novels are suited best for listening. Any instructional or informational type texts tend to need review and often include important graphics. An audio recording is not the best for reference material as it is also hard to navigate to a specific “page” as desired.
Another challenge I have with reading, is that it does require a dedication to that as one task. Although some might argue that is important, that type of focus is hard to find in our busy schedules. Reading before bed only aids me in falling asleep quickly. If your day has a long drive, commute, workout, or other chunks of time that could be filled by listening to books, you should try it.
Audio programming is available from Audible.
May 16th, 2006
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