Listen to your computer
How many of you have sat down in your car, started it up and immediately
noticed that something was wrong? Perhaps the engine wasn’t running
smoothly, or it was making a strange noise. Maybe the transmission “clunked”
when you put it into gear or a wheel seemed to be rolling oddly. When
this happens to your car, you usually check it out immediately and have
repairs made, if necessary.
Why don’t you do the same with your computer?
Often, when I am called out to work on a computer, I find that it has
been making the computer equivalent of a “clunk” for weeks
or months, but nothing has been done about it. Letting problems go, ignoring
that dialog box or the odd sound coming from the hard drive, can lead
to major trouble down the road. It is time to start “listening”
to your computer with the same care and attention you apply to your vehicle.
There are several items you should address immediately, when they appear.
1. Update and expiration notices
Whenever you receive notices about available Windows Update, anti-virus
updates or anti-spyware updates, you want to act on these immediately.
This is especially true if your anti-virus program is about to expire.
With most programs you get 1 year of updates to the anti-virus definitions.
If you let this expire, you will still be protected against any older
viruses, but not against any of the new ones. This can leave you wide
open for a nasty infection.
The same is true for Windows Updates. These updates are often issued specifically
to close a particular threat. IF you don’t plug these holes, you
are leaving your computer vulnerable.
2. Errors
Too often, people simply ignore the errors they receive on their computer.
Don’t. In fact, you should take note of the error and write down
the significant parts of the error. This allows you to look up the error
message on the Internet and allows me to start troubleshooting with more
information. The wording of the error sometimes points directly to the
problem, such as a missing or corrupt file. Without this information,
I will often have to try and make the error occur again just so I can
get the information I need.
Error messages should not be an everyday occurrence. If you are seeing
them, it means that something needs to be updated, corrected or removed.
These errors are the direct computer equivalent of a rattling engine,
a clunk or a change in the handling of a care. Get thee to a repair shop.
3. Noises
Failing components in your computer often telegraph their failure through
odd noises --a whining fan on a power supply, the intermittent “rev”
of a failing hard disk or the odd “bzzzt” when you turn on
your monitor. Be aware of these changing sounds and you might end up saving
your data.
Don’t ignore the messages that your computer is trying to send you.
When you see errors and notices or hear odd noises, take this as a sign
to get a checkup. You don’t want to lose that “great American
novel” you are working on, or even those snapshots of the kids just
because you chose not to change the computer oil.
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In the news...
Microsoft to disable product activation over Net
Starting with software on PCs from the top 20 makers, the company plans to allow Windows activation over the phone only. [CNET News.com]
14.03 Tom Peters will help you Succeed and Make Money
100 WAYS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED/MAKE MONEY -- TOM PETERS is back! In this first installment,
you'll find 50 short, wonderfully sweet nuggets that you will love, love, love. http://changethis.com/14.100Ways [ChangeThis Newsletter]
14.02 DANGER: QUICKSAND (Have a nice day!)
DANGER: QUICKSAND (Have a nice day!) This manifesto is a survival guide about the dignity of work, for those of you trying to support your families and keep your sanity while surviving corporate life. http://changethis.com/14.DangerQuicksand [ChangeThis Newsletter]
Data collection firms have widespread and significant errors in their data, and they make you pay to correct your file. [CNET News.com]
Anti-Spyware Law on a Fast-Track
Will outlaw more egregious ad/spyware tactics. The "Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act" (aka Spy Act) is moving forward in Congress, reports Wired News, and should be passed this year. It aims to make illegal the more egregious ad/spyware practices such as home-page hijacking a.. [Broadbandreports]
MacFixIt - Mini-Tutorial: The dreaded spinning pinwheel;...
Avoiding unresponsiveness/slow-downs in Mac OS X [del.icio.us/tag/osx]
Mac OS X Tiger in stores by April 15
We’re looking at a Tiger announcement on April 1 (this best be no Fool’s joke, fools) and shipment of same within a couple of weeks — sources are saying to expect boxes on the shelves by April 15. This time (unlike the Macworld SF keynote earlier this year), the announcement will be televised — broadcast via satellite, that is. What we don’t know yet is where it will be, and who’s invited. The new operating system will retail for $129, and is being billed as the most substantial update to the OS since its inception. Expect a simultaneous release of Quicktime 7, which will also be coming out in an OS X 10.3-compatible version, code-named Gibson. Gibson? We really hope that name is intended as an April Fool’s joke. [Thanks, motech!][engadget.com]
- Ad-Aware - For total cleaning, two thumbs up
- Spybot Search & Destroy - Great in conjunction with Ad-Aware
- Microsoft AntiSpyware - Pretty good, getting better
- SpywareBlaster - Preventative while-you-browse monitor blocks nasties real-time
- HijackThis - Helps you reclaim a "hijacked" web browser
Symantec spreads fear of viral attack on Mac
This morning's articles by Silicon.com in regards to comments by security vendor Symantec its seventh bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report have set the web abuzz with talk of Mac vulnerability. Let's unspin Symantec's comments one by one, shall we?
Contrary to popular belief, the Macintosh operating system has not always been a safe haven from malicious code. [MacMerc]
Remember
to update operating systems, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs
Operating System Updates
For Windows (98, 2000, XP), there should be an icon labeled Windows Update in your Start Menu, or visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
For Macintosh OS 9 systems, check Apple Menu, Control Panels, Software Update
For Macintosh OS X systems, check System Preferences, Software UpdateAnti-Virus
The beginning of each month is the perfect time to ensure that your operating system (Windows/Macintosh OS) and anti-virus software are up-to-date. Your anti-virus software cannot protect your computer from the latest viruses without these updates. Updates are released at least once a month, unless a new virus is dangerous enough to justify an immediate update.
Spyware
Download, install and update a Spyware prevention program such as Spybot or Ad-Aware. These Trojan Horse programs can slow down your computer dramatically and eventually make it unusable.
Most systems can be set to automatically check for updates directly from the Internet, as well. If you want to learn how to set up automatic updates for these programs, drop me an email or give me a call.
It seems at least one does.
Just a few hours after the a writer at Blogging.la posted there photo essay on some of the major issues at Echo Park, Councilman Eric Garcetti posted a reply.
It is heartening to see that someone out there is listening to the community's voices, whether they be published in print or on the net.
After clicking the link to the story, scroll down to see
Garcetti's reply and others.
Echo Park - a nice place to be?
With the sun out, the reflection of the blue sky turning the dirty water of the lake an acceptable shade of aqua, and a fair number of young families feeding the ducks at lake's edge, for a few hours today, Echo Park was a place I would actually consider spending some time.
(Via Blogging.LA.)
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Software Downloads and Updates
Muliple Platforms
Mozilla fixes risky Firefox flaw
The open-source browser maker rushes out a security patch for a previously unknown flaw and advises all users to update. [CNET News.com]
Skype Version 1.2 Released - Enables SkypeIn & Improves Contact List Functions
Skype has just released version 1.2 of its popular VoIP application. Some of the new features, which were added in response to users' requests, are new central contact list for remote access (previously contact were stored locally), new multi-application contact import (compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger and Opera, and others), multiple file transfer, updated sounds, and more customizable personal settings. More... [eHomeUpgrade]
Macintosh
Apple posts Security Update 2005-002
Apple on Tuesday released Security Update 2005-002. This update covers installations of Mac OS X that use Java 1.4.2. The update is available for download through the Software Update system preference pane, and is also available for download from Apple's Web site. [MacCentral]
Update: Office 2004 11.1.1 Update
Microsoft's Office 2004 11.1.1 Update includes improvements to Excel add-in calculation, increased PowerPoint and Word 2004 stability, and more. [MacInTouch: Mac news, information and analysis]
Aboretum Releases Free Mac Audio/Video/Text Editor
Arboretum has decided to release their (previously commercial) audio, video, and text editor, HyperEngine-AV as a free, open-source program. HyperEngine-AV's free-form document window, lets you quickly and easily combine video, photo, audio and text media for the creation of full dv quality slide shows, family movies, corporate presentations or your own feature films. HyperEngine-AV has a very smooth learning curve and a better efficiency leaving extra headroom for creativity. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet, but it looks very robust and it has a non-track-based interface for more freeform editing than you get with traditional video-editing tools. [datacloud] Via Cinema Minima [unmediated]
Apple Security Update 2005-003 - Security enhancements...
Apple Security Update 2005-003 - Security enhancements for Java 1.4.2. [MacUpdate - Mac OS X]
Palm
Spider-on-the-Palm - 1.39 -- Solitaire implementation [VersionTracker: PalmOS]
Dynamic Project - 1.0 - Keep track of important projects [VersionTracker: PalmOS]
Two-Inch Town - 1.7 - Tiny town complete with fun people [VersionTracker: PalmOS]
Windows
Educational screensaver to teach English, Spanish, French, Italian or German [VersionTracker: Windows]
Update - Trial - ArtBorders v1.2
ARTBorders is a simple tool, that allows you to beautify your images by adding artistic borders and frames to them. It also offers some basic image manipulation features such as color and brightness.... [WebAttack.com latest software]
EssentialPIM free Outlook alternative
Newly-released free Windows software EssentialPIM manages your calendar, to-do list, contacts and outline-style notes on the desktop. EssentialPIM will import data from Microsoft Outlook refugees and other common formats; it will also export to HTML and text. Supports multiple languages, database password protection and easy backup. Neatest feature is tree-structured notes, perfect for outlines and topic organization. EssentialPIM is not as full-featured as it could be (email integration, server-client access and syndication, please) but for a 1.0 release, it's useful and impressive. And free.EssentialPIM [EPim Ltd.][Lifehacker]
Software Updates of all sorts
Interesting
Web Sites
From the New World , Symphony No. 9, by Antonín Dvorák (flash). Navigation help here. [MetaFilter]
BBC - Gardening - How to be a gardener [del.icio.us/tag/gardening]
Take better digital photos at night
Photographer Stephen Caston's got great tips for getting better photographs with your digicam at night. Caston covers camera stabilization, photo effects, capturing motion, and photographing the night sky, with neat example pictures. His advice is geared for folks with more advanced cameras, comfortable tweaking settings and digital retouching. AnandTech Guide to Better Photos: Night Photography [AnandTech] [Lifehacker]
Google Search now offers weather reports
Xeni Jardin: Google has added a 4-day weather forecast to its search offering. Simply type in: weather, city, state. Link to example search for LA. (Thanks, Amber) [Boing Boing]
(Sticking) This to That (Glue Advice) [del.icio.us/makemagazine]
WelchWrite Merchandise
Photos by Douglas E. Welch, Products from Cafepress
You can browse and order by visiting my CafePress Shop
Additional products are also available at:
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Career-Op, now in its 9th year, is my weekly column on high-tech careers. In Career-Op, I address some of the particular issues of working in high-tech and also general issues that we all face in our careers. You can find the latest column, and a complete archive of past columns complete archive of past columns.
Latest ColumnCareer-Op: Get out of town
Usually when we have the thought, “I’ve got to get out of town”, we are thinking about recreation -- getting away from it all. While there is always some benefit to leaving your day-to-day world behind, I think there is another side to “getting out of town.” Instead of running away from the stress of your life and your job, maybe you should think about running to something new, something interesting, something fresh.
My weblog, My Word with Douglas E. Welch, is a daily gathering spot for all the information I come across in my travels. There I announce new software updates, post photos, highlight interesting news stories, book recommendations and LA Events. You can check it out at: http://www.welchwrite.com /blog/
A Recent Entry:
I have a few friends scattered about the world and long distance calls can really start to add up. Even though I have a long distance plan on my cell phone, it still uses up a lot of minutes. Now, though, I have Skype and I can talk as long as I want for free.
At it's simplest, Skype is a Voice Over IP (VOIP) program that allows you to call from one computer to another (or even create a conference call.) As long as I have an Internet connection i.e. Starbucks, Library other public Wi-Fi, I can make and receive calls to other Skype users.
For an additional fee, though, you can make a Skype call to almost any phone in the world, for an absurdly low rate, compared to using the telephone. This service is called SkypeOut. A new service, SkypeIn, allows you to buy a real phone number, which can be called by any other, normal phone. Instead of ringing your home phone, though, it rings your PC via Skype.
There are a lot of additional features, including Voice Mail, but the software (available for Windows and Mac) and the basic service is free. Additionally, I am setting it up so I can record interviews for my Career Opportunities podcast. Since it is compu0ter-based, a little creative routing of the sound inputs and I am set up for a remote interview using only my Mac.
If you would like to try out Skype, download the software from http://www.skype.com/. Then, add DouglasWelch to your contacts list and give me a call. I try to mark myself away when I am out of the office, but I will see that you tried to call when I return to the office.
Skype Id: DouglasWelch
Skype has just released version 1.2 of its popular VoIP application. Some of the new features, which were added in response to users' requests, are new central contact list for remote access (previously contact were stored locally), new multi-application contact import (compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger and Opera, and others), multiple file transfer, updated sounds, and more customizable personal settings. More...
(Via eHomeUpgrade.)
A Gardener's
Notebook is a daily
weblog of the trials and tribulations of a part-time gardener. It includes
notes on what is blooming, what I am planting and what is struggling.
It also contains links to new (or newly found) gardening books and more.
Spend some time in my garden! http://welchwrite.com/agn/blog/
A Recent Entry:
Butterflies fill the San Fernando Valley
These butterflies are all over the Valley right now. You can't look anywhere without seeing 10-15 of them flitting through the air. I haven't seen a hatch like this in years, and then, it was only out in the Palm Springs area.
University of California, Irvine has this page with pictures and more information.
Migration: Painted Lady butterflies are often seen migrating northward through Orange County (and elsewhere in the western United States) in February, March and April. A notable migration occurred in 1973. The butterfly was unbelievably abundant in Orange County on February 18 and 19, 1973 and it continued to fly in great numbers through April. The butterflies were always seen flying north to northwest. Larvae were so common in the city of Orange that in late April the city sprayed a vacant lot literally infested with the larvae. The spraying was in response to complaints by homeowners that the larvae were turning swimming pools black with their bodies, in addition to feeding on numerous ornamentals.This lots more information to be found using this Google Search on Painted Lady
As well as this story, Butterflies invading the Valley, from the LA Daily News.
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