The HiWired Blog

May 27, 2008

Well its here

Well that power supply I ordered on the 22nd showed up today. So shipping took 3 business days. It seems to be working without a problem.

Of course only time (and I) will tell.

UPDATE: That didn't take long. The vista machine acts wacky (left click button constantly engaged) when the power supply is plugged in. However my old xp inspiron 1150 seems to take it without a prob so I'm using it on the old system and using the power supply for the old one on this one. I guess you get what you pay for.

Posted by Peter at 01:13 PM

May 18, 2008

Hector Dissents

Concerning this post Hector e-mailed me with the following response:

"This point is valid but he forgets that XP was replacing Windows ME(ss)"

actually windows XP was replacing Windows 2000 professional.. which was a very solid system

in fact a lot of people, like now with XP to Vista, held off upgrading to Windows XP from Windows 2000.. including myself

He has a point as in theory xp replaced 2000 for business but it was sold as a home system as well to replace ME. The general idea was to merge the business and home tracks into a single one. In that respect it was rather successful.

Windows 2000 was a very solid system and is still in use in some business places. I should have added that info. Point for Hector.

Posted by Peter at 03:22 PM

May 09, 2008

Here's one list that I'm glad we've never made

There are some lists you want to make and there are some you don't.

Posted by Peter at 09:39 PM

February 24, 2008

...but to some its just fine

During the Civil War (and I'm at a loss to find the reference but I remember reading it.) an officer was asked if his troops could charge a dangerous position. The officer answered that his men were just the men to do it; the were green and didn't know any better. This came to mind after I talked to a friend of mine in Florida.

His brother in law had bought him is first computer a few weeks ago and he was loving it. He went on about how it was easy to use and did a great job. When I asked him about issues using windows Vista his answer was pretty much: "what issues? It runs fine."

Considering how many complaints I've heard (and made) about Vista it surprised me at first until I thought about it a bit. Most of the complaints I've heard are from XP users who either expected better from Vista or don't like the new interface or features of the program.

To a person who has never used a PC before and is learning computers for the first time. Vista is no harder to learn than any other OS and is a respectable choice to do work on. The compatibility issues don't exist because they never had XP programs in the first place, the interface is what it is and the problems (such as power) are not to them Vista problems but computer problems.

There is a lot of fighting to preserve XP by people but Microsoft is waging a war of attrition. It is a strategy that is likely to win in the end.

Posted by Peter at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

I guess that's what they mean by a power user

Last month I wrote about the 75 min time for the battery on my vista laptop when using the hi performance settings.

Today I was doing some regular surfing away from the plug and found my system shutting down with the battery at 3% after less than 20 min.

The worst part of it being that I was on the balanced setting.

Could be a bad battery but as Vista tends to annoy me I'm likely to place the blame there. And if a professional tech is still constantly annoyed by vista how does the avg person feel? Well that leads to another story and my next post...

Posted by Peter at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2008

Truer words were never spoken

I agree.

Posted by Peter at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2008

moving slowly to the (comcast) digital age

Well kicking and screaming I am slowing being dragged into the 21st century.

This Wednesday Comcast came in and installed the digital phone on one of my phone lines (I am keeping my Verison hard line on the other).

The install was fairly quick although he noticed a poor signal strength that he was able to repair outside of the house. The modem popped in fast and the install was very direct. I haven't noticed any change to my internet speed or my quality of phone.

It remains to be seen what it does to my phone bill on the verizon side

Posted by Peter at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)

January 11, 2008

Best and Worst of 2007

The best and worst computers of 2007 is out today. Check them out here.

Posted by Scott at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2007

Boy did Bill Gates need this

With the Vista = New Coke comparisons still flying this story in PC Mag must make Bill Gates heart go pitter patter:

I'm not sure what ticks me off more about Leoptard (I can't take credit for that nickname—some Brit coined it): the fact that so many of the semi-important changes don't work, the fact that Apple turned a stable OS into a crash-happy glitz fest, or that the annoying, scruffy Live Free or Die Hard actor infecting my TV (and our Web site, by the way) is pretending that Leopard is better than Vista. It's not better than Vista. Leopard is Vista. And Tiger is better than both of them!

He is full of praise for Tiger but though his wrath for Leopard is large his wrath for Apple techs is worse:

Hey, at least Microsoft reps have the decency to look a little abashed when you point out their product's screwups. Apple reps just glare at you like they're daring you to say something. Well, I've got something to say. Several somethings.

... Here's the point, in case any Apple reps missed it: Microsoft has delivered clear improvements in stability over time—a feat you'd think Apple might want to emulate.

At the end of his three page rant there is a link to a more positive review but either way If I work for Microsoft I print this page out and frame it over the wall.

Posted by Peter at 04:34 PM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2007

my beowulf review

Just came back from seeing beowulf 3d and I just have to say. WOW! I went in thinking it was anohter failed atempt at motion capture and bad acting but I was so wrong. Not only was the acting good but the graphics were amazing! There are parts where you think its actually real. The effects, animations, sound and music were phenomenal! 3d was an awsome touch too, they made it so plenty of things fly at you and make you feel like your actually there fighting monsters. The story itself was very much inline with the story and all in all.. I'd say go to your nearest Imax and watch this.. youll thank me!

Posted by Dustin at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)

my beowulf review

Just came back from seeing beowulf 3d and I just have to say. WOW! I went in thinking it was anohter failed atempt at motion capture and bad acting but I was so wrong. Not only was the acting good but the graphics were amazing! There are parts where you think its actually real. The effects, animations, sound and music were phenomenal! 3d was an awsome touch too, they made it so plenty of things fly at you and make you feel like your actually there fighting monsters. The story itself was very much inline with the story and all in all.. I'd say go to your nearest Imax and watch this.. youll thank me!

Posted by Dustin at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2007

Who says cheap is bad

Via Glenn Vodka pundit notices a chance in the Blu Ray vs HD-DVD wars with a new player in the game...Walmart:

The HD-DVD side has been concentrating on price, and they're taking a huge swing for the fences with today's sale. It's a gigantic risk financially. Either Toshiba or Wal-Mart or both are absorbing a very substantial loss by selling these units for $98 (I'd guess just Toshiba, Wal-Mart is too smart to take a hit this big). The HD-DVD drive inside the HD-A2 all by itself is worth more than $98, even without all the associated technology and packaging.

So why are they doing it? To capture the market. I heard people saying it in line this morning: "Hey, for $100, if Blu-Ray winds up winning, so what? This one's almost disposable." That argument certainly worked on me; after years of dissing both formats (or more specifically the format war itself), I was up early and at my local 'Mart my own self.

As he says multiply 25 x Wallmarts and that a ton of market.

Posted by Peter at 07:01 PM | Comments (0)

October 02, 2007

Civ IV Beyond the Sword Review

This is kind of late but I am finally getting around to writing my review of Civilization IV Beyond the Sword expansion.

Before I even get into it I don't get into the various scenarios so I won't be commenting on them.

A: Additional Civilizations

A whole list of new Civilizations , listed here, adds more options and the additional leaders give more flexibility to the array of players. When it comes down to it this is more chrome than a big change but chrome is a big part of making games more fun. So its more a question of is your favorite Civ included. I like the Dutch so I'll give it thumbs up.

B: Units

Several new units from paratroopers to guided missiles are now included, but most of them are units that were included in previous version of Civ. One interesting chrome change is the some of the existing units such as knights. Some of these units were tweaked based on their cultural source, thus a German Knight will look different than a Japanese Knight, this is a nice change.

C: Victory changes:

Two big changes are the inclusion of the Apostolic Palace (which looks suspiciously like the Vatican) as an early UN like wonder. This allows the chance of a diplomatic victory earlier in the game and also allows you make diplomatic move to your advantage.

The changes in the space race are a great addition. The ability to risk the launch before the ship is totally complete allowing one to try to win sooner at the cost of an increased risk of failure adds strategic options. The fact that instead of winning the moment the ship is launched the victory takes place when it arrives at its destination gives other players some options to still pull off a win, and keeps the space race player from being complacent.

D: New Features:

The expanded espionage rules and the addition of Corporation are big changes that can dramatically affect game play. The players are forced to consider diverting their resources to keep foes from gaining the upper hand intelligence. Of course your can decide to be proactive and use your spy to delay developments, foment unrest or even just explore what is going on.

The Corporation rules make a huge difference late in the game as they can provide not only cash but resources. This gives an option to avoid building colonies are away that can't be developed or supported easier. It gives another use for your great people and another direction to go.

You can even end up having your opponents split and grant independence to parts of their empire. This can create a whole new dynamic.

The Random events give add a bit of spontaneity to the game and the various reaction you can give to them can be steered to reflect the direction you want to go in.

Bottom line:

A very good game becomes even better if you don't already own this game, buy it.

Posted by Peter at 04:44 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007

Irrational I know but another twist of the knife

Due to a schedule change I found myself with a couple of hours free that I didn't expect, so I decided to try to address an FTP upload problem that has been causing me grief for several months.

I was getting an error that suggested that my space on the particular site was full, but since I was overwriting an existing file it shouldn't have been an issue unless a temp file cache was being created at the site during the upload. {For you non-tech people that means that a copy of the uploaded file is kept in a temporary location as it is loading and when the load is complete and confirmed only then is it copied over the existing file and the temp memory cleared, in the days of floppy disks that was sometimes an issue when copying files}

Well yesterday I happened to be in front of my XP system rather than my Vista so I prepared my files and attempted the upload, guess what happened? Yup they all uploaded without a care in the world.

Now rationally there might be a difference in settings that needed changing on the Vista machine or a difference between IE6 and 7. (Kept IE6 on the other machine to stay fresh, still see plenty of systems with it.) You know what, forget rationality, all I wanted to do was upload some files and I shouldn't have to debug a new operating system in order to do it.

If I wasn't in the tech support business I'd downgrade this machine back to XP on the spot.

Posted by Peter at 08:06 AM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2007

Raw Anti-virus numbers

We always get people asking is this anti-virus or is that anti-virus worth the time and money.

Well an anti-virus "fight club" took place and the results from the two rounds are here. and here.

It is interesting to note that the results of a shootout from May by PC mag showed different results.

Personally having the anti-virus is the big thing, as virus' and spyware keep updating it is the ability to keep updating that makes protection effective.

Posted by Peter at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2007

I Love EVDO

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about using cellular technology to stay connected to the internet on this expedition. The fact of the matter is EVDO is every bit as reliable as my cable internet connection at home. Its not as fast, but it is definitely on par with DSL connections I have used. There was very little lag while I was streaming video and viewing the other teams progress. I thought for sure I would be watching choppy videos. That couldn't be farther from the truth. My navigator was able to have a conversation with Nick from our tech team while we were moving on the highway. When I asked him if he wanted to hear the lovely sound of a dual stage intake manifold I had an ulterior motive. I actually wanted to see if I could web conference with him with 2 way video the and audio. I dropped a gear (to pass safely of course) and Nick was able to hear the sound of the secondary intake runners switch over. Did I mention there were 3 other video feeds at the time? Along with aim conversations, and gps tracking?

I did everything I could think of to push the limits of EVDO bandwidth. And boy did it deliver! If you need to be connected to the web no matter where you are definitely look into EVDO. Standalone data cards will probably make the most sense as it will simply plug into a PCI slot on your laptop, but any phone with EVDO capabilities, the right cable and data plan will work as well. Heck you could even sync it via bluetooth if you are feeling techy.


One word of caution:

make sure your card is compatible with your pc. My Brother Daniel was unable to stream simply becaus he had a 64 bit slot and the cards we were equipped with were for 32 bit slots.

Unfortunately my plan to build an in car PC for next years event may have to take a back seat as i need to upgrade my transmission. I'll keep you all posted if and when I decide to build it.

Posted by Jose at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

If at first you don't succeed hope for the best in 2010

Slashdot talks about the latest version of the Microsoft operating system. And they don't mean Vista:

Microsoft is currently aiming to release the next version of the Windows operating system in about three years. Previously known as Vienna, the OS is now simply known internally as '7'.

ZDnet elaborates:

Short answer: Yes, it is going to take us at least three years to release Windows Seven. Longer if it’s buggy and doesn’t hit the “quality bar.”

Glenn's quote from yesterday hits the nail on the head. I wouldn't bet money against his prediction.

UPDATE: Scott reminds me he was all over this back in May.

Posted by Peter at 07:22 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2007

I'm shocked shocked

Via Glenn this MSNBC story won't raise a bunch of eyebrows:

Six months on, Vista users still griping

I must say that I was as shocked at this story as Captain Renault, was “ to find that gambling is going on in here.”

Posted by Peter at 04:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2007

Toys for the sake of toys

George Ou continues his assault on absurdity today with a great blog about wireless storage devices:

One of the most dubious product categories I’ve ever seen was the Wireless NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. I’ve seen some of these devices in stores and I’ve seen people asking for a Wireless NAS device. I find it dubious because it’s clearly a solution in search of a problem or it’s people wanting wireless for the sake of wireless.

He points out further on the reason you have wireless. That is to access data without having something connected. Since data backups are rarely accessed the need for a wireless connection is practically non-existent in a home environment.

This doesn't even count the use of bandwidth and the danger of backup data (the stuff that is likely the most important) being hacked if you have a vulnerable wireless system. If the wireless protection is bad it is keeping all your eggs in one un-secure wireless basket (re Live Free or Die Hard).

This is what George delivers in bundles, common sense. If George Ou didn't exist somebody would have to invent him.

Posted by Peter at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

July 07, 2007

Come get your bargain

router3Yesterday a thunderstorm killed my Linksys B router and it was time for a replacement.

I went to Office Max and was pricing routers. All ran in the $60-$70 range when I saw the My Essentials router for only $25 on sale.

I'd never heard of the brand and was of course immediately suspicious. But it turns out the router is from Belkin, the setup was pretty easy and within a little while my net was up and running complete with WPA security, but for $25 I'll live with it.

Of course that is only 24 hours, we will see if the bargain router is the way to go, if its not believe me I'll let you know.

The setup and install was pretty easy from the wizard, the one weakness is it there is automatic access to the settings screen before a password is set, not even a default password so kids can head straight there.

Posted by Peter at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2007

Google closer to mainstream acceptance of Google Docs

When Google started launching applications such as Gmail, they moved away from the “folder” structure we have become so used to using in Windows, Outlook etc.

“Labels” were the new folders, now you could tag a document or email with multiple labels and search on those labels or, at least in Gmail, limit your view to a specific label.

Google yesterday released an update to its Office killer – Google Docs & Spreadsheets...

with a slick new interface, support for drag & drop existing documents to new folders…I mean labels…no wait – FOLDERS!

I have to say, a lot of non-techies I knew, and some very very very heavy Micro$oft users had trouble adopting labels, some didn’t bother with the move to the once cool-to-have, invite-only Gmail which had almost twice the space and attachment size options of its closest competitor just because they didn’t have their folders.

Now Google in all its smarts has renamed “Labels” to “Folders” in Google Docs & Spreadsheets, don’t worry label fans – “Folders” still work much the same way. You can put the same document in multiple folders, remove a document from a single folder without removing it from others, and just for fun they prettied it up some.

This is no doubt an attempt by Google to bring more users into the Docs & Spreadsheets world and continue chipping away at Microsoft. Combine the new Google Docs interface and Google Gears (a browser plug-in that allows you to access web applications while you are offline) and Microsoft might just have some competition.

Posted by Jonathan at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

Wii will; Wii will rock you!

The replacement Wii showed up at the house a few days ago and the broken one is on its way back to the land of Nintendo.

Last night my wife and I decided to watch the movie The Public Eye (Joe Pesci Barbara Hershey great but unknown movie)s o he had to go upstairs to use the Wii

When he came down after the movie he was sweating bullets. I asked what was going on, turned out he was playing the boxing game on the wii boxing dozens of rounds.

This is EXACTLY the kind of result a parent wants to see from an overweight kid, he is exercising without thinking about it at the time.

As far as I'm concerned that makes the Wii worth every penny.

Posted by Peter at 02:27 PM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2007

Vista after three months

Well I've had three months to play with Vista now and here are the issues I've noticed on the Dual Core Dell Laptop:

1. Since the install my system has gone from Incredibly fast to pretty quick. It's still the fastest machine in the house but doesn't blow my socks off anymore.

2. I get a DLL error at boot time. It doesn't seem to affect anything and I've just closed it out regularly. Haven't found a download that makes the difference yet.

3. A key application from work forces my display from the fancy Vista stuff (which I really don't care about) to windows normal

4. Whenever I disconnect my power supply and run on battery I seem to lose my wireless connection after a short period of time

5. I'll double check the Dell site for vista updates for the system but I just haven't had time as we've been flat out.

Bottom line, if I didn't want the update for my job I would have held off, buy Vista new

Posted by Peter at 04:39 AM | Comments (0)

March 25, 2007

The people who buy this don't shop where I do.

Yes I'm sure the world is made up of plenty of people who make more money than me, but $489 for a device that stores 100 CD/DVD's COME ON!

Available in a brushed metal finish and standing tall at 22", the Divita Storage Tower is definitely a must have for those who live in cramped apartments. Too bad it you'll have to index each disc individually via the numeric keypad, making it a slow and tedious process. The BlueDot Divita Storage Tower retails for $489.

A MUST HAVE? Cripes I didn't pay that much for my last Desktop!

Posted by Peter at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2007

Windows Vista: Point Counterpoint

Seeking Alpha gives 10 reasons why Windows Vista isn't all it's cracked up to be:

7. What are the killer features? Windows 95 was miles ahead of Windows 3x. Built-in networking, preemptive multitasking, a new user interface, loads of new applications, and plug-and-play software drivers (heck, sometimes PnP actually worked). There were dozens of reasons to jump from Windows 3.x to Windows 95. Today, Microsoft is evangelizing Vista's improved security, desktop search and 3-D user interface in the consumer market. Ho hum.

The whole gist of the article seems to be that Vista compared to the way things were, Vista doesn't advance the landscape much. While I agree with the basic premise that the quality of XP makes a Vista Upgrade or purchase less of a priority I'm not sure the argument is a fair one. With an industry in its infancy naturally the leaps are greater than with a mature industry.

On the other hand we have this from the student paper at the University of Texas Dallas:

So, now I have both XP and Vista on my machine, and I can always revert to XP if something doesn't work right in Vista.

But, you know what? I have really enjoyed using Vista. Now that it's been out and patched or updated for more than a month and a half, I haven't run into many of the initial problems reported.

I am also quite impressed with the Windows Aero glass-effect interface, which makes the edges of windows translucent. However, the effect takes up a fairly large amount of memory and processing power, and may not be reasonably used on computers with older hardware.

The Vista interface is quite simple and easy to use, although advanced users might find searching for administrative options in new places somewhat frustrating. The new integrated search mechanism is really handy and often saves time when looking for specific programs or files.

I haven't personally run into any incompatibilities between Vista and software I need for work and school, as well as for fun. Microsoft Office applications work just fine, and watching videos in Windows Media Player is easy and fun.

One might say "Hey this is a student, what does he know?" It's my experience that the college student will end up playing with Vista a lot more than the avg person will

He goes on about the fancy video stuff put to me that doesn't really ring my chimes. I guess it is the old fellow in me.

Posted by Peter at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

Drivers drivers where are the drivers?

The Times of India isolates a complaint concerning Windows Vista since its release:

Although Vista has been on the market for a few weeks, negative reports have been relatively mild. A few hiccups are, however, clearly audible.

"The biggest problem is missing drivers," says Axel Vahldiek from Hanover-based c't computer magazine. Without those programmes, generally provided by hardware makers, peripheral devices either cannot function properly or will not work at all.

The problem isn't just limited to older or exotic hardware: the GeForce 8800 graphic chip supports the DirectX 10 graphics interface used by Vista and is found on fast, high-end graphics cards. Yet Nvidia still hadn't managed to make a driver available by the end of February.


As I recall we had the same issue with Windows ME so it isn't really a huge shock. The rest of the article belies the title More Woes for Windows Vista. For myself it hasn't been that much of a headache but the idea of waiting till SP1 is out is a pretty good idea.

Posted by Peter at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

Podware

The iPod has become almost the Xerox of music players. Yet there are always ways to tweak things to your liking.

This article on CNET lists some side software that can make your POD even more useful and includes link to download them at once.

Posted by Peter at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2007

A Tax comparison

Today is my day off and I'm in between digging out of the snow and slush going to finally start my taxes.

Like the Reynolds family I don't use any tax software, but if you are deciding what to use there is a comparison here.

Totally unrelated, but speaking of low tech solution as I was coming home from the bank (no I don't do online banking either) I was surprised to see that a red pickup parked in front of a neighbors house was, a Milkman making a delivery! ($1.25 per quart if you are interested).

Posted by Peter at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2007

A better CIV IV review then I have given

I have talked about Civ IV many time and even included a screen shot in the past, but why just talk about a game when you can see it.

IGN reviewed the game and through the magic of YouTube you can see that review here.

Of course there are some things that you can't see on YouTube

Posted by Peter at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2007

Vista -2 days and buying what?

Well windows Vista is only two days away and my local office max is offering not only the upgrade for only $99 (basic home) but a 1/2 gigbrother printer.bmp jump drive for .99 when I buy it. So naturally yesterday I got in my car, went to Office Max, walked straight to the counter and purchased a Brother MFC 665CW All In One which; of course promptly went on sale the very next day.

My oldest has been anxious for a scanner (yes believe it or not I've never owned one) and with making high honor again I figured it was time to get one in the house, my wife was even happier that the windows 98 machine was retired from the main room and now sits next to the ME system waiting to be set up in a 2-1 monitor system.

The setup of the brother was rather easy, although it is 100% wireless I decided to connect it directly to the router and use it as a network printer since it looks much nicer than the 98 system and gives the room better ambiance. Also if I put the scanner in the kids room then they would use up the ink the first day.

It's already proved useful as a copier, and I'll likely have a lot of league application use for it as well, so it is likely money well spent.

Posted by Peter at 07:09 PM | Comments (0)

January 11, 2007

Here comes the replacement

Well the replacement laptop is here. It's a Dell Inspiron E1505 with 1 gig of ram, a 68g hd and an ATI Radeon x1300 display adapter and a DVD burner. (Mentioned this system here).dell e1505.jpg

It's the first media center PC I've owned, haven't noticed much of a difference either way vs home/pro.


I'm using the Dell wireless rather than the built in windows and I'm also using the McAfee that came with the system. Since I've never owned either it will give me more of an edge when I run into systems with them.

Of course today the old 1150 has decided not to give any problem at all. I'll likely get it fixed at the end of the month.

So far it has been a fun system, the kids are happy that I don't need the primary system for CIV IV. The screen is slick and easy on the eyes. I could recommend this to somebody really easy, particularly with the under $700 price tag including shipping.

Of course this doesn't compare to the XPS 710 quad processor the Peter B has been drooling over all day. He says he MUST have it! It will be some time before my money goes in that direction.

BTW I've mentioned CIV IV over and over, here is a screen shot taken from the new laptop:

Civ screen.JPG

Posted by Peter at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2006

News Listers

What I referred to as a "News Listers" is actually more commonly known as a RSS reader which takes RSS Feeds and displays them in a list format so that you don't have to remember to check those 50 sites for new post. Just setup the RSS reader to check their feeds for you and you will have a list of all the new posts with out waisting time. I have searched around for good readers that fit my taste and found my self using the Opera browser for a while. Today I revisited a couple and tried a couple new ones and found one that I think will replace Opera. I will be testing it out for a while.

Click read more to view my thoughts..

One thing I was looking for in my RSS Reader, which Opera did well, is the ability to list the feeds displaying titles only. I like to see what the title hints at and then if it peaks my interest go forward and read the post. If not move along to the next head line. This makes the job of looking at 100 news post a easy task as there will probably only be about 15-25 that will peak my interest and many of those will be duplicates such as a news post on multiple sites. Really a nice tool that makes it easy to filter out anything but what you are interested in spending your time reading on.

Another thing I was looking for in a RSS reader, which Opera lacks, is the ability to synchronize the feeds since I find my self using quite a few computers. I might be at a friends house or at work or one of several computers at the house. (No I'm not rich. Only 1 is new which is about 10 months old and the others 2 are 5+ years old. So I update probably on average about every 4 years and just haven't got rid of the last 2).

One minor thing that I also wanted is while Opera worked great I really wanted to use my favorite browser so there is only 1 set of tabs rather then some on Opera and some on FireFox to keep track of. This of course is not a option in Opera feeds since the news I opened up would spawn a new Opera tab opening the page.

As I mentioned I've been using the Opera browser as a RSS reader. My thoughts on Opera..
1. Clicking on a RSS link automatically ask to be added. It also loaded the RSS source in the background which might confuse some people. Click yes to add then back button to get back on site. Click feeds tool bar to view feeds.
2. Opera as I mentioned does a good job about listing headers only with a preview window at bottom. It displays a link at very bottom that takes you directly to the post on the site.
3. Opera RSS reader is built into the browser. This makes it very quick to load and display feeds since it doesnt need to keep refreshing a page like the web based ones.
4. Opera lacks a synchronization tool which makes it annoying finding where you were or making sure all your feeds exist between different computers.

So the one I revisited to check on progress was Pluck. My thoughts..
1. Pluck works as a browser plugin but loads a web page. There for it is web based.
2. I found it to be extremely slow. Very intolerable.
3. It list only 1 site at a time. Click on site and it list the feeds.
4. (maybe not a issue in IE) the plugin fails to close when you click the (X). Had to go into tools menu and uncheck the plugin to get it to disappear from the side panel.
5. If you have Google Toolbar you do have a 1 click tool to add new feeds on sites that offer a RSS feed.
*Over all I was a bit more disappointed with Pluck then I had been previously*

Next up was NewsGator..
1. Its web based but seems to load pages fairly quick.
2. Is only able to display one site feed at a time.
3. No option to view titles only. So it list title and atleast some of the content.
4. It does have the ability to forward feeds to a mobile device which is nice!
5. (not sure if this is firefox only) Minor rendering problem. As you scroll down a long list each listing is a little more to the right.
6. This one is also supported by the Google Toolbar 1 click easy add.
*Over all I think this one was alright but I bit of room for improvement in my opinion*

Next up was BlogLines
1. Web based and seems to load pretty quick.
2. Google Toolbar also supports 1 click add for this one.
3. One bad thing was it automatically hides unviewed feeds. By this I mean I can literally click on HiWired feeds and have them all list. As soon as I do that you notice the new feeds count disapear. And as soon as I click away and then click back to HiWired feeds there is nothing to see. Luckily at the bottom there is a option to list every post thats less then a week old and will re-list them.
4. It does list titles only if you select this in options.
5. It does list all feeds from all sites in one listing.
6. It does not mix up titles by post time. What I mean is on Opera you will, if you select to view all feeds, have all titles regardless of what site it is related to listed by post date/time. With BlogLines it will list the site with all posts under it and then you scroll down to the next site.
*Over all my experience was very positive. Since BlogLines is web based my major complaint with Opera gets resolved using this tool since no matter what computer I use it will access the same page which is up to date with my viewed feeds and what feeds should be watched for.*

Posted by Hector at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2006

For the kid who got dough for Christmas

CNet features a good side by side of the three big new systems, playstation III, X-Box 360 and Nintendo Wii.

Posted by Peter at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2006

Here's a list you don't want to make

CNet provides a list of the worst MP3 players of the year:

And though most of the players here are just mediocre at worst, that's enough of a reason to pass them up. I mean, really--why settle for a "5" when you can get an "8"?

She must subscribe to the Papelbon theory of shopping.

Posted by Peter at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

December 20, 2006

Yet another Ipod Killer? (Yawn)

Business Week reviews the new Sony Ericsson Walkman W810i phone. They suggest it is a good choice for somebody who wants to carry one less gadget and still have their music:

"I always carry my phone with me, but the iPod is an extra," Rachel Slack, a 26-year-old Londoner, told one of my colleagues recently. Since buying a Sony Ericsson with enough memory for about 100 songs, she says, "it made sense to just use my phone for both."

Now, similar phones are becoming available in the U.S. For the past few weeks, I've been trying out the Sony Ericsson W810i, and I have to say that Rachel may be on to something.

The customer comments on the same page don't share the reviewers enthusiasm for the product a sample:

Oh lord... not another "iPod Killer" article... How many of them have come true? Nothing quite screams sensational journalism these days like writing something with "iPod Killer" in the title.

He has a real point there. When the papers use that type of headline people are more likely to dismiss what might (or might not) be a good product.It sounds a lot like Branch Rickey who traded the "Next Pee Wee Reese" a half a dozen times during the 40's and 50's while keeping the real thing.

Full disclosure: Sony Ericsson is a HiWired partner.

Posted by Peter at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2006

The New York Times bottom lines it perfectly

Today the New York Times give a pretty solid review of Windows Vista:

So after five years, how is Windows Vista? Microsoft’s description, which you’ll soon be seeing in millions of dollars’ worth of advertising, is “Clear, Confident, Connected.” But a more truthful motto would be “Looks, Locks, Lacks.”

The review is useful and very much worth a read but it is David Pogue's last paragraph that says what the rest of us have danced around for the past several months:

In other words, it doesn’t matter what you (or tech reviewers) think of Windows Vista; sooner or later, it’s what most people will have on their PCs. In that light, it’s fortunate that Vista is better looking, better designed and better insulated against the annoyances of the Internet. At the very least, it’s well equipped to pull the world’s PCs along for the next five years — or whenever the next version of Windows drops down the chimney.

Truer words were never spoken.

Posted by Peter at 09:19 AM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2006

The Zune is Jonathan Papelbon

In my last opinion piece on the Zune I said the device was given a bad rap. I've thought about it a little bit and I think the mistake I'm making is that I'm looking at it as a device rather than as a product.

As a device the Zune is worthwhile and can do a lot of cool things, in fact I just tested the accessory for integrating it the TV and it's a great way to show off family photos, as a tech judging if a product is worthwhile or not, I have to conclude that the Zune is a worthwhile product.

But in the consumer marketplace when somebody decides am I going to buy the Zune or the IPOD the question becomes which is the best product for the money, which brings me to the Subject of Jonathan Papelbon....

If you take a look at his states they are impressive. In 76 games over two seasons he has compiled a 7-3 record with 35 saves in 42 chances and an ERA of 1.50. Last year he converted just under 87% of his save chances and had an ERA under 1.00 He was the major reason that the Red Sox were not also-rans a whole lot sooner than they were. This is a pretty good job for a 26 year old pitcher.

Now lets consider another baseball closer Mariano Rivera:

Mariano Rivera is 37 years old and has pitched in the majors for twelve years, the last 10 as a closer. He has compiled a record of 59 wins Vs. 40 losses over those years with 413 saves Vss 55 blown saves. He has not recorded an ERA over 1.95 over that last 4 seasons. With the exception of his first season (when he started 10 games in 19 appearances he has never posted an ERA above 2.86. Last season he blew only 3 saves in 37 chances. Before Mariano Rivera arrived the last Yankee team to play in a World Series was the 1981 team that lost to the Dodgers. Since 1986 his 2nd year he's helped the Yankees to 6 World Series appearances winning 4. The team has won it's division in 10 of his twelve years and finished 2nd twice.

Jonathan Pappalbon made $335,400 last year, that's more money than I'll ever see.

Mariano Rivera made $10,500,000 last year, that's a bloody fortune.

Now consider, if both players were free agents and you had 10.5 million to spend, which player would you get? Would you take the young player who has potential or the established one that has proven himself over and over again?

Now if you could get Pappalbon for a lower price then you are more likely to take him.

The IPOD is Rivera, the Zune is Pappalbon. We've already established that the Zune is the same price as the IPOD.

If the Zune came out at a lower price or as a loss leader as rumors had reported it might have made a difference, but it did not.

The Zune is a good device with a good future ahead of it, but given the choice the wise shopper buys the IPOD.

Posted by Peter at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)

December 08, 2006

Hello I'm Peter and I like the Zune

Well I've now had a week to fiddle with the Zune and I'm come to a conclusion:

This device, but not Microsoft, is getting a bad rap. My son is right.

The Zune itself is heavier than the IPOD, shows pictures better than the ipod, works as a radio, allows you to play music while playing a slideshow, has a better volume control and it frankly a sleek device.

The Zune is basically suffering from the expectations game.

The Zune software doesn't currently support podcasts, that is a software issue and a Microsoft decision.

The wireless feature's limitations are due to DRM decisions so people's expectations were different since one would naturally assume a wireless device would wirelessly sync.

The decision to sell music in the way that Microsoft chooses to sell it is again something just annoying customers.

And finally the IPOD is a first rate device

Or to put it simply, the Zune is a good device condemned by poor support software, user unfriendly choices and expectations that were high and a first rate device it is fighting with for market.

However you might recall that Microsoft front page 97 was one of the worst pieces of software ever released but Front page 2000 was a vast improvement.

So bottom line, if you choose to go with the Zune be aware of the current limitations, if you don't plan on a lot of on-line buying it might be the better choice.

It remains to be seen if the software updates will correct the limitations without buying a new device. If a firmware update allows wireless syncing then the battle is over (at least until the Pod includes it too.

If the pod get the wireless sync working before the Zune does then Apple wins the day.

Posted by Peter at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)

December 04, 2006

I'm confirm with him when I'm more awake

A big shock hit me last night. After my shift I was talking to my 15 year old son. I handed him the Zune I've been working with and asked him to play with it for an hour.

Around midnight he handed it back to me saying: "Why would anyone want an Ipod when they can have this"?

I do have a bit of a sinus headache and it was near midnight but I'm sure I did hear him correctly.

I'll double check when I see him tonight but it's nearly the first nice thing I've heard about the device and the only person I know who likes it better than the pod.

He does have one point, the ACTUAL device is in my opinion better than the pod, it's got more mass, a better screen and i like the volume controls. However the limitations of the device put on it by Microsoft make it less of a value, particularly if you are using the Zune store to buy music, but we'll see what he says later.

Posted by Peter at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)

December 01, 2006

Amazon.com and the happy ending

Well got one more e-mail from Amazon today.

This one totally addressed my issue; the winning paragraph:


When your order is shipped, we'll send you an e-mail message to let
you know it's on the way. If the delivery date exceeds more than
December 19, 2006. I assure you that I will refund you the full
shipping charges you paid for this package, That is I will refund
you the amount of $15.38.

So basically they will attempt to get it out as promised, if not then they will refund the extra shipping. I think that is very fair and told them so in my response:


Hello again:

Got your response today.

It is a very fair and reasonable solution and speaks well of you.

I will be sure to pass that opinion to people I know.

P.S. Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit called you "old reliable" I guess you've proven him right.

I love happy endings, particularly when they involve me. I like it even more when a large company takes care of their customers. It speaks well of them and will earn them many more years of business from me.

Posted by Peter at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2006

Now Amazon's customer service test....

Well I've written and linked to Amazon.com quite a bit on the blog. I'm a top 1000 reviewer 541 as of today (used to be top 500 but haven't written a review in three months). I wrote about my Amazon Christmas order I placed in October here.

Well I've just been informed by Amazon that an item I ordered for Christmas won't be here till Feb. This wouldn't be such a big deal except for two things:

1. The Amazon page as of today still shows the item offered and avaialble for Christmas (took a screen shot cropped with today's Drudge page). I'll include it in a follow-up post if necessary.

2. In November I checked my order, the arrival date was listed as after Christmas, I discovered that if I changed from free shipping to paid shipping the delivery date moved back to before Christmas, so Mr. Cheap himself sprang for the extra shipping.

I sent an e-mail to Amazon yesterday explaining the situation. If the site is still claiming it is available before Christmas and I preorded it in October I should get the item before Christmas, If the item's release date is delayed by the factory then I'm asking for the cost of the shipping ($15) I paid to get it before Christmas.

I've already demonstrated that I'm quite willing to pay a higher price if a business fails the customer service test it's a Sicilian thing.

Amazon has demonstrated that they can do ease of ordering and connivance. Here is there chance to demonstrate that they can do customer service. Glenn calls them old reliable, this is their chance to earn the name. I'll let you know what happens.

Posted by Peter at 06:41 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2006

It's kind of heavy

Well my boss just handed me one of the company Zunes to play with.

I'll post my full impressions in a bit but a couple of things that jump out at me.

1....Feels heavy

2....Looks rather sleek

3....works great as a radio, just turned it to my local fm radio station and it comes in and plays fine.

More when I fiddle with it a bit.

Update: It also lists the name of the radio station and the show that was on. Didn't expect that, pretty good.


Update II: Volume control is click up and down, ok 1 up on the pod.

Update III: Jose sitting next to me shows that volume up/down on video is left/right while up/down is fast forward and back.

Update IV: Kind of slow to charge, grabbed part of my iTunes playlist, and added it, didn't grab purchaed songs. I didn't set it as the default player for anything that wasn't wmp format. Can't find a WinAMP plugin. The program doesn't see it. (no big surprise there.)

Posted by Peter at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)

Enough with the Camera's already

Glenn's digital camera carnivals were so popular he added a part 3.

If you want a more direct guide this article at CNET goes over six different digital cameras you can get for $200 or less

Posted by Peter at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2006

An even worse Zune review

via Slashdot If you think my post of yesterday was hard on the Zune you haven't seen anything yet, listen to what ANDY IHNATKO of the Chicago Sun Times has to say:

Only the Zune software can sync music, video and pictures onto the device; Zune is incompatible with Windows Media Player, the familiar hub of the Windows desktop media experience.

The Zune app doesn't even have as many features as WMP. And why (for the love of God) doesn't it support podcasts? That's pure insanity.

It's incompatible with Microsoft's own PlaysForSure standard, too.


You'll have to buy all-new content from the new Zune Marketplace.

He's just getting warmed up this is the clincher:

Take the Zune's one unique and potentially ginchy feature: Wi-Fi. You see this printed on the box and you immediately think "Cool. So I can sync files from my desktop library without having to plug in a USB cable, right? Maybe even download new content directly to the device from the Internet?"...

No, the Zune's sole wireless feature is "squirting" -- I know, I know, it's Microsoft's term, not mine -- music and pictures to any other Zune device within direct Wi-Fi range. Even if the track is inherently free (like a podcast) the Zune wraps it in a DRM scheme that causes the track to self-destruct after three days or three plays, whichever comes first.

Read the whole thing and marvel at the whole zune concept.

Posted by Peter at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2006

A practical comparison

There have been quite a few words on this blog concerning the IPOD and the ZUNE. Here is the bottom line to me:

This is the AMAZON.com page for the IPOD. Below are the price details for the 30 gig model:

Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)
Apple Computer

In Stock
Apple Computer
Electronics

List Price: $249.99
Our Price: $237.49
You Save: $12.50 (5%)

Now here is the AMAZON page for the Zune; again we have the price details for the 30 gig model:

Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Brown)

Zune 30 GB Digital Media Player (Brown) by Zune

Buy new: $249.99 $241.99 - $258.90 Used & new from $245.44
In Stock.

Call me Naive but it would seem to me that if you want to compete with an innovator and the top dog in the pond, you have to attract customers with either better functions or a lower price to start. Once you build brand loyalty then the innovation and price wars can begin. Since the WiFi feature only works with other Zunes and is EXTREMELY limited I don't see it as much of a hook. It won't take long for the pod to catch up.

Can anyone at all explain to me why somebody would buy the Zune over the Ipod? Anyone?

Posted by Peter at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2006

Digital Camera Carnival

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is get a straight answer on a device, what is good and what is bad. It really puts me on the spot when I'm asked these things since I always get the calls when everything is failing. Combine it with my natural tendancy to buy the least expensive stuff and put up with things that other people won't I become the worst source for what to buy. For example my digital camera was purchased from a friend who was buying a better one.


Lucky for us Glenn hosted a Digital Camera Carnival on the 22nd with a lot of info and choices. Click here to check it out.

Update: It was so popular it was continued with new entries today.

Posted by Peter at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2006

A market place for Zune but not for others.

Cnet give a pretty solid and complete review of the Zune Marketplace (the Zune's iTunes):


Overall, Zune Marketplace is a solid partner for the Zune--it's definitely not a lemon. It's missing some elements that many users find critical, such as podcast support, radio streaming, and a source for video, but I'd imagine Microsoft will be proactive about releasing updates that will add these features and more. Most of all, the software is easy to use and works hitch free (so far) with Zune devices.

It seems to have a lot in it, but from what I can see unless you have a Zune (or an x-box 360 that you are sharing points with) I see no reason to choose it over the established Ipod/Itunes combo.

Posted by Peter at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2006

Backfiring on Sony and a plus for Nintendo

Hector's post concerning the difference between what went on with the Wii and what happened with the Playstation III also raises another issue in terms of marketing.

The shortage doubtless make a lot of publicity for Sony, and of a different type than they've been getting so that is a good thing, it generated even more demand for the product then it might otherwise have had.

This however is cancelled by the much smarter move by Nintendo. The fact that it was available while the playstation was not means a lot of money that might have flowed to the PS3 went in another direction. I can't speak for everyone but if my choice is hours in line or 5x the list price for a PS3 or an almost non-existent line and face value for the Nintendo, there is no question where my money goes.

Thus Nintendo not only generates real revenue but a positive customer experience as opposed to Sony. If I was Nintendo I'd be linking to this post about Sony claiming wii is overpriced and laugh my head off.

As to this post answering my rant about the PS3 news; I'll touch on one point. To the "rewarding time with kids" experience waiting in line stuff, I'll say this, I don't know if Hector has any kids, but he is 20 years younger and with a full head of hair. I might be wrong about the parenthood stuff, but it my experience that people wanting a rewarding experience with their kids have them doing other activities than waiting in line at a department store.

Posted by Peter at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2006

Online File Conversion

Ever need to quickly change a word document to a PDF but aren't are your computer with a software PDF converter? How about that time you received some a document you couldn't open because you didn't have the right software?

Zamzar is here to save you from installing multiple applications or conversion utilities. To see the full list of formats it can convert from or to visit http://www.zamzar.com/conversionTypes.php

Posted by Jonathan at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2006

Beware Microsoft's free accounting software!

Today Microsoft released a free accounting package called Microsoft Office Accounting Express (Read Tech Crunch's post here).

While it sounds great - buyer beware! Behind the scenes, Microsoft Office Accounting Express relies on SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. The problem with this is that default installations of SQL server are very insecure and will compromise your systems security. Once compromised an attacker could corrupt data or use your system to propagate viruses and other malware.

If you are interested on Microsoft’s new free accounting software, be sure to brush up on your SQL Server administration skills first!

Posted by Jonathan at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2006

I'm Compatible with that

A couple of days ago I talked about old games being good. Specifically the Microsoft Pinball arcade that I purchased off eBay for my son. It came in a week later and he tried to install it on the xp machine but it had some issues with sound. It worked fine on my ME machine but I use the cheap ME machine as a notepad machine when working (The good xp machine is the family machine, the laptop is my primary work machine and the ME machine is for notes while working from home.) so he can't always use it.

The solution is the compatibility mode. XP offers this mode for the use of old programs. When he set the xp machine into windows 2000 mode all his problems were solved and he was off and running.

Simply right click on the application, choose properties and then click on the compatibility tab for the operating system that you are working on.

So the use of compatibility mode combined with some old software can be the source of some expensive fun.

BTW The game itself is first rate. The tables included are fun, particularly Haunted House. I highly recommend it. There is a demo availble at the site above, give it a try and you'll be bidding for it too.

Posted by Peter at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2006

Cnet gives Firefox 2 Thumbs WAY up

Paul let you know about Firefox 2.0 this week. cNet gives its review today. The verdict:

Mozilla Firefox 2 is a winner, beating Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 on security, features, and overall cool factor and deserving our Editors' Choice award.

The full review is here. I haven't had a chance to play with it but Paul may have a review later. Watch this space.

If you don't want to wait for us to tell you what we think, go here and you can download it yourself and give it a spin.

Posted by Peter at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2006

New Firefox

The new FireFox web browser is almost here! Firefox 2 Release Candidate 3 (RC 3), the latest preview release of the next version of the Firefox browser, is now available for download here. The Browser is the world’s second popular web browser behind Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Some new Key Features:
• Improvements to tabbed browsing, including the ability to re-open recently closed tabs
• Inline spell checking
• New Windows installer based
• Built in Phishing Protection
• Enhanced search engine management

You can find a full list of features included in the release notes. Whether you do a lot of web browsing in Internet Explorer already, or use Firefox as your default browser, I would suggest downloading it to see some of the new key exciting features.

Posted by pbanacos at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2006

Warcraft Foe vol II

I've played the board game version of Warcraft but never the online one (I'm much too cheap to pay a monthly fee to play a game that I've already paid for.)

I know Eric plays the game but he's single and he has time I just don't have. Looks like there is a good reason to avoid it:

Why did I leave? Simple: Blizzard has created an alternate universe where we don't have to be ourselves when we don't want to be. From my vantage point as a guild decision maker, I've seen it destroy more families and friendships and take a huge toll on individuals than any drug on the market today, and that means a lot coming from an ex-club DJ.

That's quite a statement from a guild master, it goes on.

The worst though are the people you know have time commitments. People with families and significant others. I am not one to judge a person's situation, but when a father/husband plays a video game all night long, seven days a week, after getting home from work, very involved instances that soak up hours and require concentration, it makes me queasy that I encouraged that. Others include the kids you know aren't doing their homework and confide in you they are failing out of high school or college but don't want to miss their chance at loot, the long-term girl/boyfriend who is skipping out on a date (or their anniversary - I've seen it) to play (and in some cases flirt constantly), the professional taking yet another day off from work to farm mats or grind their reputations up with in-game factions to get "valuable" quest rewards, etc... I'm not one to tell people how to spend their time, but it gets ridiculous when you take a step back.

Civ IV can be like that but the game will end even on epic mode after several days. Pirates can go on a bit but this is really something.

This is one of the reasons why I like face to face gaming, even with role playing like AD&D you have to actually meet and socialize with people. I've been playing with the same group for over 25 years now, we've seen each other get married (and unfortunately divorced on occasion, but not me thank God We've watched our children start to grow, purchased houses, go from bad to good jobs and actually have a life outside of games. We love our games and enjoy them but not as much as each other's company.

I think it really comes down to types. The addictive type can get too hooked on anything, booze, drugs, sex, computers, games etc. We've all met people who are more interested in non-real life than real life, the trick is to enjoy what is out there it it's place. For this fellow it just couldn't be, for somebody else it might be fine. I'll bet the game is pretty good and well written, but if you find yourself playing this till all hours every day like he did, then I hope you are able to do a reality check on yourself.

Via Glenn who can quit blogging any time he wants to.

South Park did a very funny (but gross as always) episode on this very subject. The preview is here.

Posted by Peter at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2006

Google buys YouTube Peter's Verdict

Well I've had a few days to think about it, here is what I think about Google buying YouTube: For both companies it is mostly win-win.

The YouTube guys get a ton of money and let somebody else deal with copyright issues. (I guess they got a DNA transplant.)

Google gets a better video source than Google video and stays on the cutting edge.

Google, unlike YouTube has leverage to deal with lawsuits, after all Google drives a lot of traffic to the sites of those who wish to sue.

YouTube also gets the technical and ad strength of Google. This is a huge win for both companies.

The only drawback for them I can see is that now people wanting to sue have a really big target.

For the user particular the ones concerned about censorship on the web it is a likely a big loss. YouTube has been rather ideological concerning what it censors and what it doesn't, and as we've documented Google does have a history of giving in to dictators.

The bright side to all of that is that the YouTube restrictions are "free market", being done by the company rather than under pressure from a government. This means that if somebody wants to pony up servers and space they can choose to go up against them, perhaps in hand in hand with a Dogpile or a Yahoo.

Anyway it's a look into the future and in my opinion a smart move on all sides. It now remains for the products to integrate wisely.

Posted by Peter at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2006

XBOX 360 This is why getting it right matters.

James Lileks tells the story of his X-Box 360 that his daughter was looking forward to. The story starts full of hope but then they try to put in an old X-box game:

She remembered the Simpsons game, though, and was twitching with anticipation. I put it in.

And it doesn’t work. This old Xbox game doesn’t work on the newfangled Xbox game. Sigh. She was disconsolate; she was so looking forward to this, so much. My wife gave me a look: anything you can do?

This process repeats several times including after a trip to the video store for games nothing works so what is to be done? Well a father hangs in there:


To recap: three TV sets in different locales are now in disarray, unplugged and askew, and the entire purpose of the evening has shifted to making the old Xbox work.

So now while she plays the old xbox he looks for updates with some success:

I found a link to an updater that let the 360 run old games. You download it and burn it to a disc and all is well.

God forbid such a thing should be installed on the machine when you buy it I put the disk into the Xbox...

So he burns the disk and here is what happens:

According to the MS site, it will automatically begin the update process.

“Unrecognized Disc.”

You should read the whole thing not just because it is an interesting story but because he writes 10 times better than I can ever dream of writing. The people who should really be reading this is Microsoft. I suspect this scene has repeated itself in house after house in America this year.

The people who need to read this story are Microsoft, Sony and any other manufacturer. Making your customers jump through hoops to make something work is a bad idea. There is too much choice out there for you to get away with it.

Posted by Peter at 07:20 PM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2006

Halo RTS (Real Time Strategy)

I just hope the game's graphics are as cool as the trailer's!

Click "Continue Reading" to see the trailer (It may take a few seconds to load).

Posted by Jonathan at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2006

Vista Good and Bad

Jason Cross at ExtremeTech played a bit with vista. Here is what he had to say.

The Good:

To my surprise, quite a lot of it feels even faster still. Scrolling through my long list of photos in the nifty new Gallery and all my songs in Media Player 11 is nice and smooth, faster even than the same activities in Windows XP. Search results pop up faster (this is a big deal—search is everywhere in Vista, and it's very nicely done), and some of the built-in apps launch faster. I didn't expect that RC1 would be noticeably different from the Pre-RC1 build released last week, but now I'm starting to think there are some significant performance gains to be had. With all those developers previously working on adding and changing features ad naseum now focused on stability and optimization, Vista should be getting zippier by the week. Awesome.

The Bad:

Dear Everyone--Your Vista Drivers Stink

That brings me back to the rollout of ME. No driver seemed to work properly for months.

Posted by Peter at 11:10 PM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2006

With friends like these

Two less than glowing reviews of the new Amazon Unbox service:

Cnet:

So, in summary, to be allowed the privilege of purchasing a video that I can't burn to DVD and can't watch on my iPod, I have to allow a program to hijack my start-up and force me to login to uninstall it? No way. Sorry, Amazon. I love a lot of what you do, but I will absolutely not recommend this service. Try again. For more details and a rating of Amazon Unbox, check back for James Kim's full review. Update: I received an email from Sheila at DV guru saying that she hadn't had to log in to Amazon to uninstall. On a hunch, I reinstalled Unbox and this time allowed ADVWindowsClientService.exe to access the Internet when prompted by my firewall. This time when I uninstalled, I was not prompted to login. So ADVWindowsClientService.exe is connecting to the Net without your knowledge, even when uninstalling.

Tech Central station:

What's more, the whole philosophy here -- from the program's spyware-like behavior to its requiring you to login to uninstall software -- is totally wrong. Get this straight content providers: Our computers belong to us. If we're in the mood, we might let you sell us some stuff to run on them. But they don't belong to you, and we're not likely to surrender control over our own bought-and-paid-for hardware, which we often rely on to do our jobs and run our lives, simply in exchange for letting you sell us something. (Honestly, most of what you're selling isn't all that good anyway, and you're lucky that people buy it at all. So don't get greedy. And while click-through license agreements may make it legal, they won't make you any more popular.)

Yes I would say less than glowing.

Posted by Peter at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2006

The solution for guys who lose things

You might remember that vacation pictures weren't posted for a while because I couldn't find the cable to my camera.

Well I lost it again and resisted buying a replacement (you know I'm cheap), but last night I finally broke down and looked for a cable last night. Because it was pretty late the only place open was WalMart. They didn't have a replacement but they did have this nice little Lexar card reader.

The principle is pretty straight forward, it's basically a USB thumb drive with the card as the memory. Insert the card into the Lexar, plug it into the USB port and presto, you don't need the cable. The Lexar ran about $20 and included a cable to extend the reach of it so you can use the rear USB port.

By keeping a blank SD card in it you get a thumb drive with replaceable memory.

The best part is that it's too big for me to lose! Well so far anyway.

Posted by Peter at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2006

IM Safely

Just about everyone uses some sort of instant messaging program today, whether its AOL, MSN or Yahoo and some savvy IM'ers use programs such as Trillian to integrate them all so they can talk to friends on any network.

However, many new viruses have sprung up to attack instant messenger programs, not to mention all the spyware that hides inside of unsuspecting profiles. If you want to keep your computer clean but still IM all your friends there are a couple of slick new alternatives.

None of the alternatives I will list here require you to have anything installed on your computer other than a web browser and java (need help with that, give us a shout!).

Meebo (www.meebo.com) - runs inside of a browser window and allows you to connect to AOL, ICQ, Yahoo, MSN and Google Talk.

KoolIM (www.koolim.com) - supports the same cast as Meebo but each IM opens in a separate browser window along with the buddy list giving it a more familiar feel to traditional IM programs.

RadiusIM (www.radiusim.com) - again has full support for the big IM clients but also has their own IM platform and integrated Google map with your location. RadiusIM is a new to the market so give it a couple weeks to work out the bugs.

Posted by Jonathan at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2006

Civilization IV Warlords (review ****)

Civilization IV Warlords is an excellent addition to a game that is already first rate to begin with. The changes and additions can be divided into two groups, Civilization specific changes and general game changes:

Civilization specifc changes:

One of the fun features of Civ III and up was the inclusion of nationality specific units for empires. (Redcoat replacing Riflemen for England, Navy Seal, Camel Archer replacing Knight for Arabia) In this expansion this is expanded one step further. Each empire gets a special building replacing a standard one. For the US the Mall replaces the Supermarket adding wealth as well as health. For the French the Observatory is replaced by the Salon generating an artist as well as a the standard science increase. This allows you to steer a tighter ship. The game is all about using what you have to the best advantage to win in the style you choose. Several existing empires are given new leaders, including Winston Churchill for England and Rameses II for Egypt. I question the wisdom of including Joe Stalin for Russia. Who wants to play one of the greatest mass murders of history? Why not just include Hitler too? If it was my call I'd has a no tyrant whose victims are still alive rule. Save them for the butchers of the 20th century edition.


We also have a lot of new civilizations that will all be familiar to players of Civilization III Conquests, such as the Vikings, the Zulu and the Koreans. If you are a fan of the Dutch or the Sumerians I'm sorry to say they didn't make the cut.

General Game Changes:

As far as general game changes we have several. We have two new units the Trireme and the Trebuchet, a new building the Stable, three new great wonders and three new leader traits affecting your empire. All add playability but as the title of the expansion suggests the biggest change is the warlord!


The warlord functions much like other great person people. They can generate a special building (Military Academy) they can join a city a specialist but the big function is attaching the warlord to a unit. It gives 20 pts of experience to the stack the unit is a part of and allows free promotions for the individual unit. Unlike other great people you generate specific warlord points during combat (excluding barbarians). When you get enough points a great General appears. Like other great units the number of points needed increases each time you get a new one.

The rules concerning vassal states are pretty good too and add quite a bit of historical realism to the game. The various Scenarios are a good addition, the best being the barbarian scenario where you play the barbarian hordes trying to destroy Civilization. A nice change of pace if you are the slash and burn type.


Functionality:


The new online (pitboss) features bring one back to the days of PlayByMail days of wargaming. One of the weakness of the current online system is you just don't have the time to play to a finish if you have a life. With the PitBoss game the next turn doesn't start until each person takes their turn, and they can take their turn whenever they sign on. This gives time for reflection and a detailed study of the map. It also leads to very long games, but us old fellows are used to it.


Gripes:

There are only a few thing I can gripe about. The first is the quality of the book that came with the game. I've had it for less than two weeks and it's falling apart. That is very annoying, particularly when you combine it with the second issue. I had left the book elsewhere in the house and wanted to look up some new aspect of the game and couldn't find it. That could be user error but it bothered me a lot. Finally I would have liked to see the Dutch in the game and maybe a Jewish Empire as it's never been done. I'd also like to suggest a change in the way barbarian empires are handled late in the game. Perhaps if the barbarians are left alone long enough and develop far enough they might generate a leader (say Attila) and become a regular empire.

Playability:

The changes in the system have no effect on the flow of the game. If anything it discourages inertia since sitting back means your rivals will generate warlord points while you do not. The new surrender rules make defeat less fatal giving you a real chance to win even after such a trauma. It gives you a reason to "give war a chance".

Conclusion:
In the end my gripes are far outweighed by the advantages. If you own the game you will want the expansion. If you don't own the game you are missing out doubly.

Buy it!

For more details see the Civilization Fanatics center.

Posted by Peter at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)

August 04, 2006

Civ IV Warlords review on Sunday

I spent two hours typing a detailed review of Civ IV Warlords this evening. Unfortunately I typed it on a Windows ME machine which was kind enough to freeze during the spell check in Movable Type. I was forced to reboot and the review is totally lost.

I am rather upset by this so my review will be re-written on Sunday as I'm in no mood to do it tonight.

Posted by Peter at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2006

Day off Blogging Civ IV Warlords arrives!

This is my day off and I have just finished installing Civ IV Warlords the first expansion to CIV IV.

I will be writing a review after I've had a week to play with it but I want to give a plug to IGameSpot in Fitchburg.

Our tabletop baseball league (now in its 19th or 20th year depending on if you count the half season) plays at that location. So I ordered the game from there.

I swung by there today, but the UPS truck was running late and the item wasn't it. I left my number for them to give me a call when it showed up. The packages showed up right at closing. Unfortunately for me it wasn't possible for me to leave to pick it up so what does the guy do? Knowing I've been dying for the game he delivered it!

Any guy who does that for me has a customer for life and deserves a plug.

Posted by Peter at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2006

Why Outlook vs. Outlook Express? Calendar for one.

Over the years quite a few people have told me they are happy with Outlook Express as their e-mail program. It is a passable program provided free (Bundled with IE) and does the job. Most of these same people have the Office Suite on their system but refuse to use Outlook proper. Outlook has tools that have primarily a business use but many can be quite useful for the home user.

The biggest one is the Calendar. With the Outlook Calendar you can set up reminders for appointments, bills, etc, you can even send out e-mails of such items to alternate computers to make sure you get those reminders if you are on a different computer.

And it goes without saying that if your work uses hosted exchange, you can configure your e-mail for both personal items and work use.
The moral is Outlook is a useful program with plenty of features that the average user can benefit from. If you already have it due to an office license then don't be afraid to use it.

Of course if you actually have to pay for it, that's another story.

Here is Microsoft's comparison page of the pair.

Posted by Peter at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2006

Good Article bad title

Tech Republic's article: 20 Reasons Why Windows Vista Will Be Your Next OS give a solid list of reasons why Vista will be worthwhile here is the item I found most intertesting:

Of all the power and performance technologies Vista will enable, the most interesting is the hybrid hard drive, developed by Samsung and Microsoft. Hybrid hard drives combine flash memory with a conventional hard drive. The advantages of hybrid hard-drive technology include extended battery life for notebooks, faster application and data load times and faster resumes from Vista's Sleep mode.

The flash memory in a hybrid drive becomes a buffer for newly created data storage that allows the hard drive to power off until the flash memory fills up again. So instead of spinning all the time, hybrids are able to save considerable battery life by shutting down the power-hungry platter motor.

The whole thing is worth the read, but the title stinks. It should be 10 reasons why Vista will be a good system for you.

The reason why in a year Vista will be your next OS is because that's all microsoft will be selling.

Posted by Peter at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2006

Still no problem on the Dell end

Well 4 days have passed and no heating issues on the laptop (and I've put some effort in creating them.)

Of course that still isn't the case for everyone:

AN INQUIRER READER attending a conference in Japan was sat just feet away from a laptop computer that suddenly exploded into flames, in what could have been a deadly accident.


Over to you Jeff Jarvis.

Unrelated note #1: Yes I know the story is 3 days old. Both Jose and Kieran IM'ed it to me and I suggested to both of them they blog it. I'd like to see a few more entries with bylines other than me and Hector (Hector don't that that the wrong way keep posting)!


Unrelated note #2: The day I first saw the link on Jeff Jarvis' site and left a post there was no Geek Squad ad. Now there is. Of course they are our competition, but I do think it's clever to have an ad on the blog of a guy who is know for Dell Hell.

Posted by Peter at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)

Vista= Huge Success

Steve Warren at Tech Republic has a high opinion on Windows Vista:

...I truly believe every company that runs Microsoft server and client products will benefit from upgrading on the security front.

The Longhorn product line will be a very secure release and will eliminate most of the malware and phishing garbage that plagues user desktops at the core. This time around, their success comes from design. They are not designing software and then fixing security issues. They are designing software with security on the forefront of the design.

Now he is talking about the business side vs the home side so this might be a very strong point.

I still believe that inertia will be a strong reason for people to stand pat, if he is right about the security improvements then this might produce enough savings to make the difference.

It would not surprise me to discover in a year or so that Vista is not as secure as it is thought. Everything is secure until somebody figures a way to crack it. It would be interesting to make book on how long it takes for Vista holes to be discovered.

Of course I could be dead wrong, but we will see next year.

Posted by Peter at 06:45 PM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2006

Another Vista perspective

Sunny man's blog has a nice review of the Windows Vista Beta with a pretty good summary:

Advantages

* Increased productivity
* Better GUI and effects
* Increased security (suposedly)sic
* Windows/Office Update built-in
* Clearer control panel and properties
* Ability to use USB devices as RAM
* Occasional display issues

Disadvantages

* Increased CPU activity
* Increased memory usage
* Eye candy is superfluous
* Increased disk space usage
* Made by Microsoft

Read the whole thing.

Posted by Peter at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2006

Dell Heaven for me

Well this has been rather incredible. I came back from the Doctors after having some rather nasty tests (not bad so far) there was a message on my answering machine from Dell saying the repairs on my machine are complete.

Less than 15 minutes later there is a knock on my door and my Dell laptop is at the door.

This is so atypical of everything I've heard I really don't know what to say. Only that I see no sign of Dell Hell for me.

It is always possible that the repair doesn't take, I'll need a few days to find out. I'll keep you informed.

Posted by Peter at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2006

My turn for Dell Hell? Not so far.

Well it has finally reached the point with my Inspiron 1150 where my occasional overheatings have become a problem. I finally broke down, recorded the code that the system gave me and went into the Dell chat room to arrange for a repair of the system.

I went into the Dell chat room and was connected rather quickly with a person. The first thing I noticed was that the person's name wasn't Americanized. If there is one I could never stand is making people used pseudo names instead of their own. If you want to outsource to India then do so but don't play games, and frankly it is demeaning to the worker in India to have to use a different name

The Gentleman I chatted with was did a pretty good job, he understood my issue, took my info (had to repeat one bit) and then gave me the info to send in the device. I had to ask three times to get a price quote and time frame on the repair, but when I was told that it would be gratis that really made the wait worth it as it appealed to my inner cheapskate.

So now I'm configuring a backup machine for remote work and getting ready to send this baby in to be fixed. I suspect that the free fix is due to the volume of calls on this issue. I mean Wikipedia even has an entry on this model and overheating:

Another reason on why these machines might overheat is due to the fact that they contained the fan on the bottom of the unit, unlike others where they are located on the sides and rear, where air could not flow through the unit when sat on a table or a desk. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, and 5150 and 9100. Many consumers state that refurbished Inspiron machines of those model numbers do not overheat, probably because Dell found a way of fixing that problem.

Well anyway so far so good. We will see how long it takes to get the machine out and back and if it fixes the issue. If it happens without incident it might be the first case of Dell non-hell for a blogger.

Posted by Peter at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2006

IE 7 thumbs down to beta

When you use a computer for work you don't have the luxury to play with some items on it.

I was running into an issue with my laptop. (Turned out Norton was the culprit) but during my testing I downloaded and installed IE beta 7 during the debug phase.

Now in fairness this is a beta version and it is not expected to be perfect, however I found myself having issues with sites I need for work to the point where I had to finally say enough.

IE 7 beta is off my system and all is right in the world again. Hopefully when the final release comes out all will be right up front.

Posted by Peter at 08:46 PM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2006

Wii score big success!

The upcoming Nintendo Wii took home a few awards at there E3 show and you can read all about it HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE and a bunch of other sites!

Here is the awards list quoted from IGN

BEST OF SHOW Wii (Nintendo)

BEST ORIGINAL GAME
Spore
(Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)

BEST PC GAME
Spore
(Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)

BEST CONSOLE GAME
Gears of War
(Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
(Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

BEST HARDWARE
Wii
(Nintendo)

BEST ACTION GAME
Gears of War
(Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE GAME
Assassin's Creed
(Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
Heavenly Sword
(Ninja Theory / Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)

BEST ROLE PLAYING GAME
Mass Effect
(Bioware / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)

BEST RACING GAME
Excite Truck
(Nintendo for Wii)

BEST SIMULATION GAME
Spore
(Maxis / Electronic Arts for PC)

BEST SPORTS GAME
Wii Sports
(Nintendo for Wii)

BEST STRATEGY GAME
Supreme Commander
(Gas Powered Games / THQ for PC)

BEST PUZZLE/TRIVIA/PARLOR GAME
Guitar Hero II
(Harmonix / Red Octane for PlayStation 2)

BEST ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAME
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
(Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC)

Posted by Hector at 03:54 PM |