Yep, it's a holiday here in the US and it's one that you should actually use as an excuse to disconnect from technology and spend some time with friends and family. I'm guilty of "always" being on my computer. However, today I take a break from all that. Have a great day! Enjoy your family and friends.
Thanks goes out to all of you out there that risk your lives to keep us safe.
Terry
P.S. Happy Birthday Phyllis! 
Birthday wishes to Terry White from all the gang at MacGroup!
Tape is still an option.
Many folks today say that magnetic tape is a dead media. I disagree. Sure, it’s not as fast as a hard drive or a flash drive for backup, but it has it’s place. Especially when it is used for archival purposes.
I do video projects with my Mac. I like to retain the entire project. The raw footage, the edited footage, and the final product may it be DVD or a VHS tape. I can store all of that material on a single DLT tape.
Now, this tape medium is not as cheap as hard drives are today. I can however store more in a small space by using tape.
Also the retention time for tape can be many years and still be readable. I have been working with tape since the 70’s so I know what I am speaking about.
Next week I will talk in detail about my tape setup and the upgrade I am doing to it.
Come back and check it out.
Musical Selection –
This tune is so upbeat and fun. It always makes me happy and gets me up on the morning drive to work.
But guess what —- They will not allow me to embed it! More and more artist are doing this on YouTube.
Not happy — Killing my style!
Saturday — Great Radio
Speaking of checking out, check out “The Internet Advisor Show” on 760 AM WJR on Saturday May 29th, 2010. I will be back on the air with Gary Baker and Ed RudeI talking all things computer and Internet fro 5 to 7 PM.
Great to listen to while grilling something yummy on the Barbie.
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I had the same experience this week from two different people, different venues, different devices, same exhilarating scene, same unsolicited desire to show me this great app.
Same response: Intense laughter and giggling like a little kid in a candy store. Who were they? Grown men. What app had them so excited to show off? Smack Talk!
One great thing about owning an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad is hearing “have you seen this app?” The person saying this usually has an unexplainable gleam in their eyes. They are on a mission to show you something that excites them.
Smack Talk! is a voice-altering app that features an animated guinea pig, kitten, puppy and chihuahua that repeat your words back to you, but in a very high-pitched squeaky voice. Like sucking in a deep breath from a helium filled balloon. There’s also low-pitched voices.
Smack Talk! was created by Marcus Hobbs and the story behind Smack Talk! is something that can be related to by many these days—shifting gears; going after your dream during hard economic times.
To read more about Smack Talk! and it’s creator, click here. And get ready to enjoy the video.
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So Facebook has heard (yet again) the call from users to keep their information "private." I say that in quotes, because their whole business is built on selling people's info one way or another. So instead of the current 170 (!) options you have to wade through now, you'll have "simplified" privacy options. Probably like this:
Can we tell anyone we want your private stuff?
- Sure
- OK
- Uh huh
I had to laugh the other day at a news story. Apparently, the IRS is now on Facebook looking for tax deadbeats. Reporters were asking people on the street what they thought about that, and one of them said something like, "the government shouldn't be looking at my private stuff." Private? You posted it on the world wide web. If you don't want the world to see something, maybe not putting it online for everyone on earth to see would be a good start!
Employers are looking at Facebook these days too, not only for current employees, but also for potential ones. So go ahead, post some wild party pics. Five years from now, when you've forgotten all about the party, it will be shockingly fresh to a potential employer. Or say something nasty about your current employer. It's a funny way to resign, and you'll have a new status to post on your wall!
Look, I know Facebook and sites like it are great for some folks. I'm just not keen on the idea for me. But if you are going to use such a site, maybe you should stop and think about what you're posting, because once it gets on the web, it's there forever. Even if you take it down, someone has probably saved it off somewhere and reposted it (especially if it was embarrassing!).
This is just a fast, easy tip. If you are using a newer Mac computer, you are probably using a Bluetooth keyboard and/or mouse. I've been using the same wireless keyboard for about 4 years now, and bought my first Mighty Mouse about the same time. Now, I use a Magic Mouse, and am totally hooked on it. Battery life is pretty good on both, but I like to check the power levels occasionally. Yes, you can open the System Preferences and check them there, but there is a faster way. If you opt to show Bluetooth in the menu bar, just click on the icon, then cursor down to the peripheral in question. A side pop-out menu will show you battery levels, as well as let you disconnect it. Fast and easy.
When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001 it was clear that the iPod was destined to be a mobile extension of your music library. As time went on Apple continued to add multimedia capabilities to it including TV shows, movies and more. For the most part it still makes sense that you would use a computer to manage your media library and only sync the content you want onto your iPod. I guess it also still makes sense that you would do the same for an iPhone. However, do we really need a computer to use an iPad?
The woman who tried to buy an iPad
By now most of you have heard the story about the woman who is disabled and on a fixed income, who saved up her money to buy an iPad as her "first computer", only to be turned down because she wanted to pay with cash. I'm not here to get into that debate right now about how paranoid Apple is about someone potentially buying several iPads just to sell re-sale them. So they restrict your method of payment and quantities as a deterrent. Nope, i'm not here to talk about that at all. The one thing that I haven't seen anyone mention is what if she was allowed to buy it? Then what? She gets home with the iPad she saved up for month after month only to take it out of the box and not be able to use it. That's right. When you take an iPad out of the box and turn it on you can't do ANYTHING until you connect it to a modern day computer running iTunes to set it up. The question in 2010 is Why?
What reason does the iPad "need" a computer?
Hi there Guys and Guyettes!
This week I have to be short and sweet. It's because I am swamped to the point that I can't even get to work on my Mac using something new and exciting or just imparting some practical knowledge I have aquired.
However,
I can still provide you with some nuggets of advice that will always hold true.
Ready?
Okay.
1) Backup Backup Backup. If you have not lately, you need to now.
2) Attend this weekend's Macgroup meeting. Every meeting you will learn something. I always have. I doubt it will ever stop.
3) There will be an iPad given away at this month's meeting. The winner will be very happy.
4) I will not be able to make this month's meeting, I won't be able to win an iPad, I won't be as happy, I will find time to backup.
See …. all nuggets of truth.
Musical Selection
One of my really old Saturday cartoons that I used to watch. Sweeet!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGL4btEIoTo
Make sure you tune in on Saturday from 5-7 PM for the Internet Advisor Show on AM 760 WJR. While I won't be on this Saturday ( I am cooling it on Ice this weekend ) you can still impart wisdom from both Ed Rudel and Gary Baker for your Internet and computer questions.
C YA!
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Now that is not the kindest of ways to start off a story, but today, it is what it is.
How did I come to utter this phrase, first to myself, then out loud and now here? Well it all started a few weeks ago when I purchased a Microsoft Office Update. It wasn’t the latest update from what I presently use, though I doubt if that would have mattered.
The long story is that I was still running Microsoft Office X. I’ve been wavering on updating my Microsoft software. Truth is, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to update my Microsoft Office suite ever again. With the advent of the Apple suite of apps for word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software, and email, it gives us Mac users a welcome alternative to choose from. So part of my decision making was not to update my Microsoft products at all or at least until I could no longer open Microsoft files sent by associates or clients.
Continue reading »
Just back from yet another long road trip for my company. I got to stay in my favorite Marriott again (see my frustrations from the last trip here). There's been a slight change to the way WiFi works at the Marriott – now on check-in they give you a passcode. In my case I got one good for 7 days, which was unfortunate because I was there for 8. Fortunately, the last day was a travel day, so I was able to get by with the 3G card for my laptop and 3G service on my iPhone and iPad.
Unfortunately, the code was only good for one device, so it wouldn't work on my iPhone or iPad. That's probably for the best, since I then could use unlimited data with those devices as opposed to the secret limit from the hotel's WiFi provider.
Speaking of limits – I had my iPad signed up for the 250 MB/month 3G data plan, which was working out nicely while I was still here at home – I was right on target to use around 240 MB for the month. But when I got to Texas, I was out of the MLB At Bat blackout area for Detroit Tiger games, so I thought I'd try watching one over 3G. It was pretty clear, but would cut out at random times – sometimes 1 minute in, other times 10 or 15 minutes would go by before I had to restart the video. (I tried it at the work site on their WiFi connection and it did the same thing, so I don't think it's a 3G issue.) About 10 minutes into the first game I watched, up popped a warning that I only had 4% of my data plan left! I wasn't really surprised – I wondered how long it would be before video ate it up. So I signed up for the unlimited plan and went back to the game. Every once in a while I would get some very pixelated video, but for the most part it came in great over 3G.
I was hoping to watch the Tigers-White Sox game on the plane on my way back, because for the very first time I was on a flight with WiFi! However, for some reason, GoGo (the provider) wouldn't take my credit card (which had a lot of room left on it) so I didn't get to try it out. (Yes, I have more than one card, but you try and pull out your wallet while trapped in an airline seat – I had pulled this one out before the flight and before anyone sat down next to me.) I suspect I might have been disappointed anyway, because I checked their web site (via 3G just before take off) and it said they make audio/video streaming a low priority, and that it may not work at all. So I might not have been able to even hear the radio broadcast (probably just as well, as the Tigers lost 6-2).
Instead I watched some of the 24 hours worth of DVDs I had ripped before leaving (thanks to Handbrake, a great piece of free software). Even with all my music and all that video, I still had 24 GB of space available. If you think you'll be loading up with video, get the 64 GB model. I was able to watch a lot of video in my room (rather than shell out $14 a pop for movies that didn't always work, or so my fellow workers told me, or watch the free stuff on the hotel TV) during downtime on the job.
I did try out my remote software while away, and while I preferred working on the laptop, if I had to remote into work and only had my iPad, I could manage. I don't think I'd try that with the iPhone because there just isn't enough screen real estate. I think that if I had to, though, I could take a trip without my laptop(or work without it should the laptop break down). I was very happy to have my iPad with me. A couple of the other guys also had iPads, but they were WiFi only and a lot less useful to them on the trip.
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