Troubleshooting Boot-Time Error Messages
posted by hkghkghk at 2:31 PM
0 comments
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Come get your free office suite
Version 2.0 of OpenOffice.org, the free office productivity suite, is now available.
Slashdot is linking to it, so the site is hammered right now, but be patient, Grasshopper. It's worth the download.
I've been playing with beta versions, and it's an excellent way to get a full-featured suite -- with word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager and more -- for nothing. As in nada, zero, zip, bupkis.
Even if you already have a copy of Microsoft Office, it's worth downloading and trying out. Other than time and a little disk space, you really have nothing to lose.
It's available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix operating systems.
TechBlog
Slashdot is linking to it, so the site is hammered right now, but be patient, Grasshopper. It's worth the download.
I've been playing with beta versions, and it's an excellent way to get a full-featured suite -- with word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager and more -- for nothing. As in nada, zero, zip, bupkis.
Even if you already have a copy of Microsoft Office, it's worth downloading and trying out. Other than time and a little disk space, you really have nothing to lose.
It's available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix operating systems.
TechBlog
posted by hkghkghk at 8:53 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ
posted by hkghkghk at 7:32 PM
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Tuesday, October 11, 2005
TechDeals.net - Your Guide to Technology Bargains - Updated Daily
posted by hkghkghk at 8:45 PM
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Techbargains - discount computer sale buy cheap digital camera review cheap laptop techbargain tech bargain - Techbargains.com
posted by hkghkghk at 8:44 PM
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Flash-memory drive takes it all with you
TINY TECHNOLOGY
Drive takes it all with you
Personal desktop and programs can go anywhere
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN
Associated Press
Students at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Wash., are getting class materials in a new way this year: on a tiny flash-memory drive that plugs into a computer. Small enough to wear on a necklace, this "digital backpack" can hold textbooks, novels, plays, study aids, the dictionary, graphing-calculator software — almost anything, really.
Falling prices in computer memory have made these little flash drives — which connect to a computer's USB port and also are called pen, thumb or key drives — into enormously powerful tools that are on the verge of changing the concept of "personal" computing.
With a gigabyte of flash memory now available for less than $100, these inexpensive digital storehouses can hold not just important data but also entire software programs. The information they carry can be encrypted and accessed speedily, a benefit of faster microprocessors.
What this all means is that computer users are no longer at the mercy of the machine that happens to be nearby. Everything we need to interact with computers — even down to the appearance of our home PC's desktop — can be carried with us and used on almost any computer.
"What's your personal computer, anyways?" computing pioneer Bill Joy said in a speech that touched on the trend at a recent conference. "Your personal computer should be something that's always on your person."
Cheap memory
A few years ago Jay Elliot was looking for a way to help doctors move medical information securely and decided that flash memory — which has no moving parts, unlike hard-disk storage — was the perfect solution.
But as memory prices kept falling, he realized there was room for more than just data. So he invented Migo, software that lets removable storage devices such as USB drives and iPods essentially function as portable computers.
Plug a Migo-enabled device into a computer and enter your password, and a secure session launches in which you can send and receive e-mail and work on documents, with the background desktop and icons from your own PC rather than the ones on the host computer.
When you're done and remove the drive, all traces of what you did are removed from that computer. The next time you plug the drive into your home computer, data on each are synchronized.
Multiple people can share one USB device, with separate password-protected profiles for each. So when Elliot recently went on vacation, he, his wife and two sons each called up personalized desktops on a hotel computer, all through a drive smaller than a cigarette lighter.
"People are carrying very expensive devices with them, but they only use 4 or 5 percent of their capability. What a waste," said Elliot, who heads Migo's maker, PowerHouse Technologies Group. Instead, he said, the model should be that "your data goes with you, in whatever form you want it. You just find a place to use it."
Another reason this flexibility is now possible is that software makers and flash-drive manufacturers relatively recently settled on technological standards that let programs be stored and run off the tiny drives.
Two hardware vendors, SanDisk Corp. and M-Systems, formed a separate company, U3 LLC, to license and facilitate that technology.
Now a spate of U3-enabled drives have hit the market, preloaded with everything from photo-management software to the Firefox Web browser and instant-messaging programs.
Skype Technologies' Internet phone software is also available, meaning almost any computer can be used to make free calls over Skype, even if the computer owner never bothered to download Skype.
"The next time you go to install software that's going to be locked to the hard drive, your first reaction is going to be 'Man, I want this on my U3 so I can have this anywhere,' " Kate Purmal, U3's CEO, said.
The only big missing element for now is Microsoft Corp. software.
Missing Microsoft
Although its popular productivity programs such as Excel or Word are common on office PCs, traveling workers still might not find the programs on a home or public computer.
So the ability to launch Microsoft software from a flash drive could be a big help. Microsoft and USB companies are still discussing potential licensing arrangements.
In the meantime, though, several new devices are emerging to take advantage of this shift in computer use.
For example, by tweaking the tiny processor in its flash drives to enable copyright protections, SanDisk created a drive called the Cruzer Freedom that lets students download reams of educational materials when they plug the device into a PC. Each drive has a numeric identifier so teachers can put materials online that are accessible only to members of their classes.
Personal desktop and programs can go anywhere
Drive takes it all with you
Personal desktop and programs can go anywhere
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN
Associated Press
Students at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Wash., are getting class materials in a new way this year: on a tiny flash-memory drive that plugs into a computer. Small enough to wear on a necklace, this "digital backpack" can hold textbooks, novels, plays, study aids, the dictionary, graphing-calculator software — almost anything, really.
Falling prices in computer memory have made these little flash drives — which connect to a computer's USB port and also are called pen, thumb or key drives — into enormously powerful tools that are on the verge of changing the concept of "personal" computing.
With a gigabyte of flash memory now available for less than $100, these inexpensive digital storehouses can hold not just important data but also entire software programs. The information they carry can be encrypted and accessed speedily, a benefit of faster microprocessors.
What this all means is that computer users are no longer at the mercy of the machine that happens to be nearby. Everything we need to interact with computers — even down to the appearance of our home PC's desktop — can be carried with us and used on almost any computer.
"What's your personal computer, anyways?" computing pioneer Bill Joy said in a speech that touched on the trend at a recent conference. "Your personal computer should be something that's always on your person."
Cheap memory
A few years ago Jay Elliot was looking for a way to help doctors move medical information securely and decided that flash memory — which has no moving parts, unlike hard-disk storage — was the perfect solution.
But as memory prices kept falling, he realized there was room for more than just data. So he invented Migo, software that lets removable storage devices such as USB drives and iPods essentially function as portable computers.
Plug a Migo-enabled device into a computer and enter your password, and a secure session launches in which you can send and receive e-mail and work on documents, with the background desktop and icons from your own PC rather than the ones on the host computer.
When you're done and remove the drive, all traces of what you did are removed from that computer. The next time you plug the drive into your home computer, data on each are synchronized.
Multiple people can share one USB device, with separate password-protected profiles for each. So when Elliot recently went on vacation, he, his wife and two sons each called up personalized desktops on a hotel computer, all through a drive smaller than a cigarette lighter.
"People are carrying very expensive devices with them, but they only use 4 or 5 percent of their capability. What a waste," said Elliot, who heads Migo's maker, PowerHouse Technologies Group. Instead, he said, the model should be that "your data goes with you, in whatever form you want it. You just find a place to use it."
Another reason this flexibility is now possible is that software makers and flash-drive manufacturers relatively recently settled on technological standards that let programs be stored and run off the tiny drives.
Two hardware vendors, SanDisk Corp. and M-Systems, formed a separate company, U3 LLC, to license and facilitate that technology.
Now a spate of U3-enabled drives have hit the market, preloaded with everything from photo-management software to the Firefox Web browser and instant-messaging programs.
Skype Technologies' Internet phone software is also available, meaning almost any computer can be used to make free calls over Skype, even if the computer owner never bothered to download Skype.
"The next time you go to install software that's going to be locked to the hard drive, your first reaction is going to be 'Man, I want this on my U3 so I can have this anywhere,' " Kate Purmal, U3's CEO, said.
The only big missing element for now is Microsoft Corp. software.
Missing Microsoft
Although its popular productivity programs such as Excel or Word are common on office PCs, traveling workers still might not find the programs on a home or public computer.
So the ability to launch Microsoft software from a flash drive could be a big help. Microsoft and USB companies are still discussing potential licensing arrangements.
In the meantime, though, several new devices are emerging to take advantage of this shift in computer use.
For example, by tweaking the tiny processor in its flash drives to enable copyright protections, SanDisk created a drive called the Cruzer Freedom that lets students download reams of educational materials when they plug the device into a PC. Each drive has a numeric identifier so teachers can put materials online that are accessible only to members of their classes.
Personal desktop and programs can go anywhere
posted by hkghkghk at 8:13 PM
0 comments
Monday, October 10, 2005
VCOM Fix-It Utilities - PC diagnostics. Computer diagnostics to optimize your PC and fix problems fast.
posted by hkghkghk at 8:11 PM
0 comments
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Xoxide.com - Custom ATX Computer Cases, PC Mods, Computer Case mods, and Modded PC Cases
posted by hkghkghk at 8:20 AM
0 comments
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Closing all open applications
Q. I have a simple question: How do you close all open applications when asked to do so when installing Norton Internet Security?
A. When installing most programs it is usually a good idea to close any open applications prior to the install. In some cases the install will not complete until you do so.
The reason for this is that any interruption of the process could cause problems that might lead to a failed install or even a system crash. Also, some software installation routines need access to program files that may be in use by the open application.
In most cases, all you need to do is close the obviously open programs such as Web browsers, e-mail programs and so forth. To close them you do this just the way you always do. Click File, then Exit or Close. You can also just click the X in the upper right hand corner of the application window.
Tip:
If you want a quick way to close all the open applications at once all you need to do is hold the Ctrl key and click on each application button on your task bar. This will multi-select them. Once you have them all selected you can right click on any one of them and select close. This will close them all. If you have any unsaved work like a Word document or a draft of an e-mail you will be prompted to save your work before closing.
In some cases you may need to close background applications. I have rarely had to do this when installing a program, but if you do, just bring up the Task Manager by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del. From there you would just select anything in the Applications tab and click End Task on each item till the window is clear.
In very rare instances you may need to go the the Processes tab and end any non-essential processes. This requires a knowledge of what is essential and what is not. You can probably move forward on your install without making any changes here.
FYI, the essential operating system processes you want to leave running are as follows:
Windows XP
csrss.exe
explorer.exe
lsass.exe
services.exe
smss.exe
spoolsv.exe
svchost.exe
system
system idle process
winlogon.exe
HelpLine
A. When installing most programs it is usually a good idea to close any open applications prior to the install. In some cases the install will not complete until you do so.
The reason for this is that any interruption of the process could cause problems that might lead to a failed install or even a system crash. Also, some software installation routines need access to program files that may be in use by the open application.
In most cases, all you need to do is close the obviously open programs such as Web browsers, e-mail programs and so forth. To close them you do this just the way you always do. Click File, then Exit or Close. You can also just click the X in the upper right hand corner of the application window.
Tip:
If you want a quick way to close all the open applications at once all you need to do is hold the Ctrl key and click on each application button on your task bar. This will multi-select them. Once you have them all selected you can right click on any one of them and select close. This will close them all. If you have any unsaved work like a Word document or a draft of an e-mail you will be prompted to save your work before closing.
In some cases you may need to close background applications. I have rarely had to do this when installing a program, but if you do, just bring up the Task Manager by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del. From there you would just select anything in the Applications tab and click End Task on each item till the window is clear.
In very rare instances you may need to go the the Processes tab and end any non-essential processes. This requires a knowledge of what is essential and what is not. You can probably move forward on your install without making any changes here.
FYI, the essential operating system processes you want to leave running are as follows:
Windows XP
csrss.exe
explorer.exe
lsass.exe
services.exe
smss.exe
spoolsv.exe
svchost.exe
system
system idle process
winlogon.exe
HelpLine
posted by hkghkghk at 6:39 PM
2 comments
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
At Home: Sites teach safety, both online and off
Sites teach safety, both online and off
By ANNE REEKS
For The Chronicle
When it comes to safety, computers giveth and taketh away parental peace of mind.
The truth is, it's impossible to talk about protecting children without calling attention to dangers from violent games, excessive use, cyber-bullying and predators.
The same goes for kids' real-world activities. Addressing safety related to guns, swimming pools and strangers inevitably adds to worries.
But that's a good thing, provided we grown-ups translate angst into action and set reasonable rules, guide and supervise children, keep the lines of communication open and set a positive example by our behavior. The family computer can also help with virtual and other perils.
The NetSmartz Workshop (ages 5-17, free, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/Boys & Girls Clubs of America, www.NetSmartz.org) Clever characters, cartoons and games, snappy raps and lots of 3-D dazzle distinguish this veteran Internet safety site, being re-launched today with a spiffy new slogan.
"Use Your NetSmartz," or "UYN" in chat-speak, serves as a rallying cry across the constellation of content. It refers to NetSmartz's three tenets: Tell a trusted adult if something makes you feel scared or uncomfortable; ask a parent or guardian before giving out personal information; and don't meet in person with online friends.
NetSmartz has sections for children, teenagers and parents. But the kids area (www.NetSmartzKids.org) offers the richest store of goodies, including lively arcade and 3-D games on everything from privacy to piracy. The songs are infectious. Spokes-robot Clicky's rhythmic anthem is still stuck in my head: "Hey, kids, be smart, and listen to me/I am Clicky, the king of online safety."
Clicky and siblings Nettie and Webster appear throughout, spouting the UYN message. But NetSmartz doesn't neglect bad guys, such as Hot-Head, who uses rude language online and looks like a flaming potato.
My favorite is a sneakier villain, Numbut, a little fellow with dizzying spiral eyes and no life away from the computer. He's dangerous but easy to thwart. Just spend less time glued to the screen.
What's The Safest Thing to Do? (ages 4-8, $26.95, SafetyTots International, Win/Mac, www.safetytots.com) That one seemingly simple question is posed in 35 charmingly drawn scenes. A diverse cast of kids confronts dangerous situations, such as playing by a pool, being offered a ride, getting lost in a store, chasing a ball and climbing on counters.
Children choose what to do from four possibilities, narrated in amusingly childish voices. The solution can be subtle. For instance, when Patrick and Eddy find a gun in a cabinet, the first choice is "Just move away and don't touch it." But the correct answer adds "and tell an adult right away."
HoustonChronicle.com - At Home: Sites teach safety, both online and off
By ANNE REEKS
For The Chronicle
When it comes to safety, computers giveth and taketh away parental peace of mind.
The truth is, it's impossible to talk about protecting children without calling attention to dangers from violent games, excessive use, cyber-bullying and predators.
The same goes for kids' real-world activities. Addressing safety related to guns, swimming pools and strangers inevitably adds to worries.
But that's a good thing, provided we grown-ups translate angst into action and set reasonable rules, guide and supervise children, keep the lines of communication open and set a positive example by our behavior. The family computer can also help with virtual and other perils.
The NetSmartz Workshop (ages 5-17, free, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/Boys & Girls Clubs of America, www.NetSmartz.org) Clever characters, cartoons and games, snappy raps and lots of 3-D dazzle distinguish this veteran Internet safety site, being re-launched today with a spiffy new slogan.
"Use Your NetSmartz," or "UYN" in chat-speak, serves as a rallying cry across the constellation of content. It refers to NetSmartz's three tenets: Tell a trusted adult if something makes you feel scared or uncomfortable; ask a parent or guardian before giving out personal information; and don't meet in person with online friends.
NetSmartz has sections for children, teenagers and parents. But the kids area (www.NetSmartzKids.org) offers the richest store of goodies, including lively arcade and 3-D games on everything from privacy to piracy. The songs are infectious. Spokes-robot Clicky's rhythmic anthem is still stuck in my head: "Hey, kids, be smart, and listen to me/I am Clicky, the king of online safety."
Clicky and siblings Nettie and Webster appear throughout, spouting the UYN message. But NetSmartz doesn't neglect bad guys, such as Hot-Head, who uses rude language online and looks like a flaming potato.
My favorite is a sneakier villain, Numbut, a little fellow with dizzying spiral eyes and no life away from the computer. He's dangerous but easy to thwart. Just spend less time glued to the screen.
What's The Safest Thing to Do? (ages 4-8, $26.95, SafetyTots International, Win/Mac, www.safetytots.com) That one seemingly simple question is posed in 35 charmingly drawn scenes. A diverse cast of kids confronts dangerous situations, such as playing by a pool, being offered a ride, getting lost in a store, chasing a ball and climbing on counters.
Children choose what to do from four possibilities, narrated in amusingly childish voices. The solution can be subtle. For instance, when Patrick and Eddy find a gun in a cabinet, the first choice is "Just move away and don't touch it." But the correct answer adds "and tell an adult right away."
HoustonChronicle.com - At Home: Sites teach safety, both online and off
posted by hkghkghk at 2:25 PM
0 comments
Monday, October 03, 2005
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