Friday, June 10, 2005
Because your TV is going Digital ... earlier rather than later
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
Digital TV Deadlines Get Moved Up
HDTV Provides Better Pictures, New Options
POSTED: 6:43 am PDT June 10, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to require that all medium-size televisions, those with screens from 25 to 36 inches, be capable of receiving both digital and traditional analog signals by March 1, 2006.
That's four months earlier than the commission had mandated three years ago. Regulators also retained a requirement that half of all new mid-size televisions have the capability by July 1.
The FCC also proposed that all new small TVs -- 13 to 24 inches -- have digital tuners by the end of 2006, instead of a year later. That deadline will be decided at a later date.
The newer technology provides sharper images and additional programming options.
The lack of digital-capable television sets has been a major roadblock to Congress' tentative deadline late next year to complete the transition from traditional analog TV signals to digital.
The law setting that deadline permits it to be extended in any market until 85 percent of the homes have a digital TVs.
TV makers and retailers supported moving up the digital deadline because it means the sale of more expensive TVs.
In case you haven't seen digital TV and wonder what the fuss is about, digital signals don't have "snow" or interference that goes onto traditional analog transmissions.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Remember my tell you of dodgeit.com for receive-only email, well
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
This site has worked so well for me, keeping spam away from me & for use with people I wasn't use of, that I went ahead and made the $10.00 donation to Phil and within mins. I had an email from the crew @ dodgeit.com with my temp pass word and was then able to change to my own password. And now I'm RSS when I get mail there as well. Try it for free first and if you agree then go for the gold.
http://dodgeit.com/
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Maybe someone is listening. I'd love more feedback.
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
Dell Says Spyware Calls Cut In Half
A Dell Computer executive said that his company has seen a 50 percent drop in the number of spyware-related calls to its tech support lines in the last year.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Open-Source Software Options for Linux or not...
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
From: PC World editors
Thinking about a move to:
Linux but don't know what software runs on it? Looking for something different to run on your current PC? The open-source software community continues to turn out new, useful programs. (Open-source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available. Proprietary software, like Microsoft's Windows and Office packages, generally is not.) Here's a sampling, other than firefox and opera.
OpenOffice.org 2.0
If you're thrifty and you use an office suite, it's hard not to like OpenOffice.org. The current version does most things Microsoft Office can do. Plus, it's free. So what's to improve?
OpenOffice.org 2.0, still in beta, adds a database-creation application similar to Microsoft Access. Otherwise, many of the changes in the new version are small tweaks that probably won't radically alter the way you work.
In addition to Base, the database app, OpenOffice.org 2.0 includes Writer (a word processor), Calc (a spreadsheet application), Impress (a presentation program), Math (a tool for creating mathematical formulas), and Draw (a nifty drawing program). The beta is available for Windows, Linux, and
Mac OS X operating systems.
The suite's developers seem to have tried to make Base look and act just like Access--unfortunate, since Access is so frequently baffling. A better plan might have been to create a database application similar to FileMaker Pro--that is, not like Access but much easier to use.
As for the tweaks, Calc now supports as many rows of data as Excel does, eliminating one problem for serious number crunchers. And if, heaven forbid, you're a fan of transitions and sounds in between your slides, you'll love that Impress now has buckets of them.
Once a final edition of version 2 is released (there's no firm schedule), you may doubt the wisdom of paying $300 or more for Microsoft Office.
Ubuntu Linux
Ubuntu Linux burst onto the scene in 2004. It is closely tied to the nonprofit Debian project, a Linux distribution beloved by many hard-core Linux fans. Debian releases are few and far between. Ubuntu, however, aims for a new stable release twice each year, based on the spiffy stuff that appears in Debian's testing and unstable branches.
Ubuntu is a Gnome-based distribution (KDE component architecture is not a supported option) that takes user-friendliness very, very seriously. The only problem with Ubuntu is that, like Fedora Core, it lacks multimedia functionality out of the box. Ubuntu doesn't know how to rip or play MP3 files, or read a DVD, unless you install some unsupported system components.
So you've got some work to do if you want MP3 and DVD support. Luckily, the work's not hard, and the necessary packages are kept up-to-date by kind souls who want to play movies and listen to music just like you do. If you're going to give Ubuntu a shot, just know going in that you've got these tasks in store.
Open-Source Utilities
Are Linux and OpenOffice the only open-source programs you've heard of? If so, that's a shame, because there are several open-source programs you might find useful on a daily basis. Here are a few:
Looking for a free FTP client? Try FileZilla. It works, it's fast, and it has a nice interface. For those of you who don't know what a FTP clint does, it's how, if you have a website that you made, you can get "files" to it.
Who says remote-access software has to be expensive? The next time you need to connect to a PC at a distance, give the free virtual network computing program VNC from RealVNC a try (registration required).
When you're in a chatty mood, you have permission to Speak Freely with this gratis Internet telephony client. And the safe of these is Skype at Skype.com.
The free file-compression program 7-Zip claims to offer a compression ratio that's 2 percent to 10 percent better than that offered by either PKZip or WinZip.
For protecting your data, it's hard to beat the free NeoCrypt encryption software, which supports AES, DES, Triple-DES, Blowfish, Skipjack, and five other encryption standards.
And when it's time to cover your tracks, pull out Eraser, a program that overwrites the data on your drives in a way that makes it unrecoverable ($15 donation requested).
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Take Linux For a Test Drive
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
Exclusive from: Michael Desmond
So you want to walk on the wild side, but you don't want to invite a catastrophic system meltdown in the process. The fact is that installing a new operating system is a big deal. Even in the age of vast and reliable hard drives, a botched
Linux distribution (or "distro") could make mincemeat of your Windows setup.
Fortunately, there are ways to dabble--pretty much risk-free--in the Linux waters. The approach I recommend to Linux novices is to try out one of the live CD distros, which run entirely off a CD. Burn a copy of Knoppix to a disc, and you'll have a Debian-based Linux distro that boots, loads, and runs without touching the hard disk. Think of Knoppix as "turn your PC into a Linux system for a day" software. You'll get a chance to noodle with the interface, work with the packaged software, and otherwise lay hands on Linux without disturbing your working setup.
As with all things Linux, choice is rampant, and you can find flavors of Knoppix tuned for everything from system recovery to gaming. Personally, I keep a Knoppix CD around as an emergency recovery disk, since I know Knoppix will boot a PC even if the hard disk is completely wiped out.
Like what you see? Consider dual-booting your Windows PC. It'll take some planning, and you may need to set up a new partition on your hard drive to keep things structured, but a dual-boot arrangement lets you choose which OS to run--Linux or Windows--each time the system starts. That way you can gain experience with Linux without turning your life upside down. Most Linux distributions can guide you through setting up your system to dual-boot Linux and Windows.
If you need to create or resize hard disk partitions to accommodate multiple OSs, consider a partitioning program such as Symantec's PartitionMagic. These packages can actually preserve all your data and applications while resizing partitions.
Of course, on the Apple front, test driving the
Mac OS X operating system requires Apple hardware. Your best bet is to borrow a friend's Apple computer for a few days and get familiar with the software. Or drop by your kids' school--educational institutions still have a lot of Macs.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Computing Without Windows
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
Exclusive from: Michael Desmond
Six months ago, Rich Swerbinsky trudged out of the Windows camp and never looked back. The 28-year-old mortgage and finance specialist used Windows-based PCs both at home and at work for years. So when his aging,
Windows XP-based home laptop suffered a series of hardware and software failures, Swerbinsky figured he would replace it with another, faster, Dell notebook.
That is, until he started asking around and heard friends rave about the Apple IBook. "I had no idea that Apples were back in the game and gaining popularity and were as high-quality as they were," Swerbinsky says. "I thought they were a dinosaur."
Today, Swerbinsky is the proud owner of a sleek Apple IBook G4, which he purchased at Micro Center for about $1,100. Swerbinsky enthuses about the new laptop--and the
Mac OS X operating system that came with it, praising its ease of use and stability.
"I think if you took somebody who had never seen a computer in their life and asked them to diddle around with a Windows PC and a Mac OS X PC, they would find OS X easier to use," Swerbinsky says.
Whether they do or not, these days there are several operating systems that, like Mac OS X, are at least easy to use, opening the door to new choices and healthy competition that can only mean better OSs down the road.
For years there have been several operating systems to choose from, but the newest ones--those based on a
Linux kernel--have actually been hard to use, at least for the average user. But times have definitely changed. Get your hands on something like the latest version of Xandros Desktop, a flavor of Linux, and you might swear you've used it before.
None of this means you'll automatically dump Windows (unless you've simply grown tired of Microsoft, as some vocal computer users have). It does, however, mean you have choices. Do a little shopping around, and you may find an operating system that works better for you.
Windows Gets Company
Windows has dominated the desktop and laptop operating system scene for so long, it's easy to see why guys like Swerbinsky might not realize that competition is still out there. In fact, computer owners have never enjoyed a better selection of operating systems, says Jon Changnon, a network security engineer for a large financial institution. Changnon has been using various versions of Linux on his home and work PCs for more than ten years, starting out with the Slackware flavor.
"It's definitely at its most accessible point ever," Changnon says of the Linux operating system. "It used to be a nightmare of finding drivers and getting the monitor to configure correctly for LCD support and all that stuff. Now you just throw in a CD, and you can get a Linux install up and running."
It may not always be that easy, but people are clearly growing more comfortable using Linux. Both Linux and Apple are gaining desktop market share, but the two OSs have a long way to go before they challenge Windows for supremacy. Today, Microsoft's share of the PC OS market hovers above 90 percent, while Linux and Apple each account for about 3 percent of shipments apiece.
Numbers aside, consumers can find a lot to like from either camp. Apple recently rolled out an update of Mac OS X, code-named Tiger, that offers some refinements to the already-polished operating system. Its new, integrated desktop search tool, called Spotlight, adds instant system search, while the Safari 2.0 Web browser adds support for RSS and Atom feeds, which are used by many blogs. There are also the somewhat bemusing Dashboard features, which should invite a surge of useful desktop modules for doing everything from telling time to connecting to Internet-based data sources.
Of course, anyone who buys a new Apple computer will also get the ILife package--including ITunes, IMovies, IPhoto, and IDVD--as part of the deal. The refined and tightly integrated software makes Apple the best overall platform for consumer-based media editing and management.
Linux: Distro Inferno
The water is less clear on the Linux side of the creek. Because Linux is an open-source operating system, different companies, organizations, and individuals are free to craft their own versions. While these different Linux flavors--called distributions, or "distros" for short--use a common set of core code, they are tweaked and extended by the authors. The result: an embarrassment of riches that Changnon admits can get a bit overwhelming.
"There's always the distro of the week, and now there's hundreds and hundreds of distros to choose from," says Changnon. "If you want a safe bet you want to go with one you know has been around awhile."
While there are scores of Linux distros, the most popular and prominent ones can be counted on two hands. Here's a quick list, presented in order of ease of use.
Xandros Desktop: It'll cost you 50 bucks, but the Standard Edition Xandros distro is astonishingly easy to install and use. Cheapskates (like me) can get the trimmed-down Open Circulation Edition free using BitTorrent.
Red Hat Desktop: The buttoned-down version of Linux most favored by corporations, Red Hat Linux is a polished, fee-based product that most resembles traditional software in its packaging and support.
Novell Linux Desktop: The Linux OS formerly known as SuSE should enjoy a healthy run with the suit-and-tie crowd now that Novell is working to make this client attractive to businesses.
Fedora Core: Also produced by Red Hat, Fedora Linux is a free distro that shares a great deal of technology with its Red Hat cousin. Fedora Linux often receives cutting-edge technology updates before Red Hat, since the company field-tests new code and features on Fedora first.
Mandriva (formerly Mandrake): Long regarded as the most user-friendly Linux distro, Mandriva can be a bit less stable than other distros.
Debian: Another popular distribution, Debian enjoys a reputation as the hacker's Linux and offers comprehensive control over the system. Installation and setup are much easier today than in the past.
Slackware: A pioneering distro, Slackware remains a favorite among Linux experts for its compactness and speed.
Gentoo: A sleek and swift distro that caters to the technical crowd. If you're just starting out with Linux, you probably won't choose Slackware or Gentoo.
The good news is that the selection of Linux-based software continues to broaden and expand. See the accompanying article on new open-source software to read about Ubuntu Linux, a promising new distro.
You can also find terrific applications tuned for Linux, including OpenOffice.org (a free and very complete Microsoft Office clone), Firefox (the popular browser), the Gaim multiprotocol instant messaging client, and the Evolution mail, calendar, and contact-management software that integrates with Microsoft Exchange Server.
"It works great. I can schedule appointments, set meetings, everything," says Changnon of Evolution. "I actually like the calendar in Evolution better. And don't get me wrong. Outlook is one of the few Microsoft programs that I think is pretty good."
In fact, the software works so well that for the first time, Changnon was able to switch off Windows entirely at work and rely on a single, Linux-based PC in the office. It took more than ten years, but moves like Changnon's are now more possible than ever before.
Michael Desmond is publishing director at Bock Interactive.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
Monday, June 06, 2005
Broadband Speed to Jump 10-Fold
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
By Sean Michael Kerner
There was a time not so long ago when a T1 at 1.54 Mbps was enough bandwidth for almost anyone. Not anymore.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has just ratified the VDSL2 (Very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line 2) standard, which is intended to reach downstream and upstream rates of up to 100Mbps.
The current top ADSL standard reaches speeds of 10Mbps, with many U.S.-based DSL carriers offering residential customers DSL speeds of 3Mbps to 5Mbps.
The ITU expects that VDSL2 will allow DSL operators to offer a "super triple play" of video, Internet and voice services that compete with services offered by satellite and cable operators. They include HDTV, VoIP and videoconferencing.
Beyond its blazing speed, the VDSL2 standard is supposed to be interoperable with existing carrier DSL equipment, with service delivery still based on the ubiquitous standard copper telephone cable.
"This new standard is set to become an extremely important feature of the telecommunications landscape, and is a landmark achievement for our members, many of whom are relying on this recommendation to take their businesses to the next level," said Yoichi Maeda, chairman of the ITU Telecommunications Standardization Sector, which is the study group responsible for the work.
According to a recent report by DSL Forum, a consortium of service providers and equipment manufacturers, there are now more than 100 million DSL subscribers worldwide.
In 2004 alone, 35.5 million new global DSL subscribers were added to carriers, 16 million of whom were based in North America.
The DSL Forum expects that with the new VDSL2 standard in tow, speeds of 25Mbps will become available to most consumers with 100Mbps available on short loops.
"With vendors' implementation of this new ITU-T Recommendation, service providers can offer even more high quality, advanced services using DSL technology," said Michael Brusca, chairman of the DSL Forum, in a statement. "It represents another essential element in the delivery of universal broadband access for multiple applications in every region of the world and demonstrates the continuing dynamic development of the technology."
Carriers appear to be jumping on the VDSL2 bandwagon already. Yesterday BellSouth announced that it would be using VDSL2 technologies to upgrade the systems that it has installed over the last decade.
Story courtesy of InternetNews.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
A website that will help ya LOWER your BILLS like phone...
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."-- Aldous Huxley
As the prostitute said, "It's not the work, it's the stairs." As told to me by Elaine Stritch, star of stage, screen, & TV, right after she won her 1st Emmy. Ago 79.
http://lowermybills.phonedog.com/ld/companies/pioneer.aspx
And when your get there click on the "Lower my bills" Icon to get to their home page.
MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".
