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<When I update a Zentech page, I post a tweet at twitter.com/ddhart
You don't have to join Twitter to read it
You can also search for the tag #Zentech at twitter>

Mikail hosted the show while Paul & Glenn are on the road and call in later

There is software for many platforms that reminds you to take a break from your computing. <Or you can just use a program that sounds an alarm periodically>

With newer UPS units there's usually a warranty as to how much it will protect and how much <money> you'll get back if it fails to protect your equipment from a electrical surge. Remember to keep your receipts. Home owner's or renter's insurance may also cover some damage.

Google is coming out with its own mobile phone, the Nexus One. It's manufactured by HTC and runs on the Android 2.1 operating system.
It runs on various hardware (like the new Droid smart phone) and takes advantage of the different Google services like maps. Android is compatible with both GSM and CDMA. The phone makers like the fact that Android is free so they don't have to pay royalty.
Android has a large part of the Linux operating system that's heavily tweaked to run on a limited platform.
There's some speculation that T-Mobile will be the first to offer the Google phone.

Paul recently got a netbook PC from Best Buy that has an LED display. Such a display helps get more battery life per charge.

Paul said, from his conversations with Apple personnel, that the Mac Book (vs. the Mac Book Pro) is coming to an end.

Mikail said it's rumored that Apple is coming out with a tablet computer in 2010.

The Mac Book Pro's battery is not user replaceable and there's is a $149 service charge to replace it.

Mac users can check their battery life if you go to 'about this Mac' under 'profile'. With Snow Leopard you can check other things like your wireless connection.
Paul mentioned that Snow Leopard only runs on Intel Macs (those with the Intel CPU).
Mikail said that Snow Leopard might not run some older applications, so check before you upgrade. But he recommended that people, if they can, upgrade to Leopard at least.

Mikail said he's heard, from local users, some good things about the Verizon <3G internet> service for about $50 or $60 per month.

Glenn finally got the Digital Path service he talked about on the last show. So, he now has high speed wireless internet. <His audio became distorted and I didn't hear all he had to say>

Thor called and said that, though he likes some things about the Droid phone, it just misses the mark for him.
– It's not easy to switch to use the phone when multitasking.
– The 3G coverage is not real good for him.
– You can't use the Verizon CDMA network to talk on the phone and also use the wireless connection, though you can do so using the wi-fi connection.
– He couldn't set the screen brightness low enough without a separate app.
– When he tethered it and tried to send a file via FTP, the file was corrupted.

A caller with a Dell laptop said his screen is cracked under the surface.
– You can replace the screen for about $100. Just go to Ebay. But, depending on the particular machine, it may involve a bit of work and you might break the laptop.
– You may plug in an external display. There are 19" & 24" displays for under $200. Check buy.com, frys.com or newegg.com. Go to amazon.com for reviews.

A caller has mp3 files that were converted to an iTunes format and he prefers them to be in the mp3 format.
– The settings in iTunes need to be changed from Apple's AAC. Under options select the setting 'create mp3 version'. But under 'preferences' and 'import settings' you can choose which converter to use. Mikail uses the mp3 setting at anywhere from 192 to 320.
– The current music from iTunes does not have copy protection.

The same caller wondered, if the music he bought from iTunes was lost, can he get new copies.
– Yes, if you have a current account at iTunes Apple has a record of your purchase and will be able to send you replacements.

A caller said his wife bought him a computer recently from Costco and that they automatically extended the warranty from 1 to 2 years.

A caller with a Mac Book Pro asked whether it's best to leave it on all the time and use the sleep mode, or is it best to turn it off.
– At least once a week restart the machine.
– Take it off the AC and let the battery run down at least once a month. That will recondition the battery. After the battery runs down, leave it off for 3 or 4 hours and then recharge (with the machine off).

A caller mentioned that, though Costco has a good return policy, the computers are covered for only 90 days.

He also asks that, if he buys a computer with Windows 7, will his XP software work on it.
– Some things will work, some not. Check before you buy.
– Though some programs will work, they may not be supported.

Last updated 8:31 PM 12/14/2009

Additional notes

Editor's comments delimited by < >

<When I update a Zentech page, I post a tweet at twitter.com/ddhart
You don't have to join Twitter to read it
You can also search for the tag #Zentech>

etsy.com is like Ebay but for arts & crafts and everything on there is not mass produced, it's one-off or craft work. On there, you can search for locally produced crafts. See the above link.

Glenn said many web sites can now approximate your geographical location by the servers you use for your internet connection. But accuracy is less if you're using, for instance, AT&T DSL where, for this region, they'll only be able to tell that you're using the peer point in Sacramento. For a satellite connection, the accuracy can be even less.

Mentioned again, for an average $60/mo there are USB devices from Verizon & AT&T which will give you an internet connection thru their 3G network. <mentioned before here>

Glenn's landlord is getting Digital Path's service for him <Digital Path mentioned before here>.

Luci Wilson joined the show to talk more about etsy.com. She said that part of your agreement to sell on the site is that your product be handmade or vintage. She said her specialty is knitting & spinning.

Luci also talked about ravelry.com (link above). It's a social network site with additional features, for knitter, spinner & crocheters. It also allows you to keep track of your own projects & patterns and those of others in your network.
Contact Luci at:
luciw@earthlink.net

Glenn is working on a G4 Mac. While trying to install the operating system it's coming up with a question mark when booting from a CD/DVD.
– Paul said that, from he's experience, PCs or Macs older than about 3 years have subpar optical drives. They may be ok for playing media but have trouble installing an operating system.
– Find the disks that came with the machine. One of them is a test disk. If you boot from that it will try to analyze what's wrong.
– Get a distribution of Linux (maybe Ubuntu) that's been compiled to use on a G4. If it runs ok, that's an indication that the drive is ok.
– Burned disks tend to have more problems than manufactured disks.

Paul said that it took 10 years for the patent office to grant a patent to Steve Jobs (of Apple).

Glenn mentioned that Mac World is coming up in January.
<try to google for "free Mac World passes">

Paul said he got an iMac G5 for some work he'd done and was trying to attach a 2nd monitor to work in the "extended" mode. That's where the cursor tracks from one monitor to the other. That's different than one screen duplicating what's on the other. He had to do find a discussion forum that steered him to software that modified the firmware, before he was successful. This may not work on the Intel Macs.

Betsy got a new iMac and is trying to use her HP LaserJet 6MP. She had been using the printer with an older Mac thru an Asanti box <I'm not sure I heard the name correctly>. This is a device that turns a printer into an Apple Share device. She was told she'd have to do something different to get it working with Snow Leopard on the new Mac.
– Try it with Snow Leopard anyway, it just might work.
– Go on Ebay and search for "Centronix print server" <I'd also search for Centronics (spelled differently)> and also "Centronix print server bonjour".

Peter just bought a flat screen monitor and said he doesn't see the proper setting, in the control panel, for the pixel rating of the monitor, which is 1920X1080.
– Try some other setting
– The video card doesn't have enough memory that the monitor likes.

– Go into the BIOS and increase how much video memory is allocated to 8meg or 16meg. Also try unchecking the check box that says "only show recommended modes".
– A better option is to go to Ebay and get a DVI video card with at least 16meg of memory for about $15 and get a DVI cable. You'll have to know if the video slot in your computer is AGP or PCI Express.

Glenn briefly explained some of the different DSL subscription plans.
One of the plans, if you're a new to DSL, costs $10/mo from AT&T but it doesn't include the hardware at that price and you have to commit to a 1 year term.

Karen, who has a Mac, called and wanted to know how to delete email addresses which she hadn't put into here address book but were remembered from the mail she had received. She's using the Apple Mail Program.
– Start typing the email name and when all similar names are displayed in the pop-up list, control-click or right-click on the one you want to get rid of to get a list of options of what you can do with that particular address. Then click delete.

Lisa called to say she's being prompted to upgrade the AVG anti-virus.
– Go to free.avg.com and carefully look for the link to the free version (different from the free for 30 days link).
– Because it's a big download, Glenn said, if you're on dialup, he's willing to snail-mail out copies to those who ask. Email: zen at kvmr dot org

She also has an old Mac Power Book with OS 9.1, 128meg RAM & 400mHz CPU and wonders if it's worth upgrading.
– It will almost be unusable on the internet.
– It will still be sluggish even if you do as much as you can for it.
– With more memory you can put OS 10.4 in it.
– You can google for your model and see what memory is available.
– You also go to crucial.com and find out the type of memory you need.
Lisa said if anyone is interested in this machine, contact her at 273-4817 <I presume the area is 530>

Greg called to ask how to make rules work for Outlook mail so he can filter the incoming mail.
– Don't bother. Outlook has serious problems with rules.
– Use Thunderbird instead. Thunderbird will import mail & address book from Outlook. If you don't give Thunderbird your email password, it won't pick up your mail. That will give you a chance to see how useful it will be for you and still allow Outlook to continue picking up your mail.

Updated 7:53 PM 11/30/2009

Additional notes 

Editor's comments are delimited with < >

<When I update a Zentech page, I post a tweet at twitter.com/ddhart
You don't have to join Twitter to read it
You can also search for the tag #Zentech>

Paul was in Goodyear Arizona and joined Glenn by a Skype VOIP connection. He was also broadcasting video by using Ustream. You don't have to login to just see the video, but you do if you want to chat. See the link at the top of the page at zen.kvmr.org (or here). You'll need a broadband connection.

You can go to maps.google.com fill in the "from" and "to" fields to get your distance from one place to another.

There is a new wireless internet provider <also mentioned during the last show> in the Wolf Mountain area near Nevada City.

Susanna from Hospitality House (a homeless shelter) called in looking for someone to redesign their web site. See the above link.

Dave called in to say he likes the Ustream broadcast. However, he gets periodic lock-ups using the Flash player.
– Make sure you have the latest version of the Flash plugin.
– You can find the version you're using if you google the words flash test and run the test. Paul said that currently the latest version is 10.0.32.18
 – Paul also said, he's discovered that a CPU of at least 1 giga hertz is necessary to run Flash.
– Try using Flash inside of Firefox. Dave said he did try it in Firefox and there was an improvement.
– There are different versions of the Flash plugin for different browsers.

Scott called to say he is also watching Paul on Ustream but said he can't hear any callers to the show.
– The Ustream broadcast is separate from the Zentech broadcast.

If you'd like to help Hospitality House with their web site, you can email to zen (at) kvmr.org and your message will be forwarded to Susanna. Or go to their web site.

Paul said there is the Leonid Meteor shower tonight (Tuesday morning). See the above link.

Laura called asking who the speaker was during the show preceding the Zentech show.
– Call the KVMR office at 265 9073 <area 530, I think> and leave a message for Dr. Ely. You may even be able to get a tape of the show. Check the biography page for more info and an email address.

Susanna of Hospitality House called again to clarify that they want to redesign their web site and not just do a minor improvement.

Paul turned the camera back on his laptop to show the setup for the Ustream application.

Paul also mentioned that USB 3 is coming out. It can do 5 gigaBytes/sec <maybe he meant gigaBits/sec>. It can address individual devices so a couple of devices don't soak up all of the bandwidth. There are extra wires, separate ones for transmit & receive. It's expected to be out next year. He said it appears to still be a hub technology and you may not be able to daisy-chain devices. It's not clear if there is backward compatibility for USB 2, though older drivers are supported. See the above link. You can also go to usb.org for more info.

Thor called to say the guest on the Ely show was Mike Dooley. He also says he's designed web sites and has had great success using WordPress. He thought it might be useful for Hospitality House.

Talk about the USB connector lead to the suggestion of marking one side with White-Out so you don't try to insert it backwards.

Paul quickly mentioned a few other things referenced by the above links…
There is a chemical sensor for the iPhone.
There's a way to check if Windows XP is broken. At the command line type sfc /?
He recommends the photo-editing program Picassa 3.5
There is a way to launch Firefox and Internet Explorer with more than one home page open in the tabs. Look under "Options" or "Preferences".

<Note there are a couple of other items, in the above links, that were not mentioned during the show.>

Additional notes 

Editor's comments are delimited with < >

<When I update a Zentech page, I post a tweet at twitter.com/ddhart
You don't have to join Twitter to read it
You can also search for the tag #Zentech>
 

The 3.1.2 update for the iPhone is available but it's IMPORTANT to read the instructions first.
To reboot the iPhone hold the power & home button down together for about 30sec

Both Glenn & Paul have face book accounts.
Paul's facebook
Glenn's facebook 

One of the contributors to Paul's face book is Catharine who says that there is a free web page editor called Kompozer (see the above link).

Glenn mentioned that AT&T has an option to have 10 numbers on a list that you can call without using up your minutes. But you have to have, he thinks, the 1500 minute account. So read the fine print.

Youtube is a good resource for how-to videos. Some products are hard to take apart; you have to know where to push on the case at specific points to disengage the holding tabs, and there are Youtube videos to help you with that.

You can get an iPhone for about $1000 with no commitment to AT&T.

There was an email from Katie. She has a Samsung 8-millimeter cam corder Hi-8. The only output she can find is S-video.
– If it was made in about the last 3 years it may have a USB or some other port.
– There used to be the Canopus Converter that connects to the Hi-8 port and produces output on a Firewire port for the computer.
– For $12 on ebay, Paul once found a 4 channel analog video to digital capture <mentioned on a previous show. I'll update the page if I find it>

Lee called and said he upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.
He previously used the program Transfer My PC and he tried to uninstall the program but it wasn't all deleted, as a result, the program to test compatibility issued a warning.
– Use Revo Uninstaller. But first reinstall Transfer My PC so Revo can see it.

Lee said he finally did manage to uninstall Transfer My PC and then it took a couple of hours to do the upgrade.
He also says Windows 7 is booting and running faster than Vista.
The only thing that he found incompatible is the fingerprint reader
– Be careful about uninstalling security software like the fingerprint reader or you may lose access to your computer.
– Minimum RAM to run Windows 7 is 1gig. Glenn said Vista had the same requirement but that seemed inadequate. More memory is recommended.

Eileen called. She has an iMac OS9, a scanner and Adobe Photo Shop. She wonders what their value is.
If you're interested in buying this from her, contact her at:
470 9244 <I think the area code near Nevada City is 530>
or eileen@pulserequsite.com
– Check ebay for a fair value of this setup.

Bernie called and said he can't find the phone number for AOL to cancel his trial account.
– Paul found the number 1 877 773 4462, provided by a third party.
– You can contact your credit card company & tell them not to honor payment requests form AOL.
Bernie also says he gets a status screen saying "installation package not available".
– Paul thinks it's a piece of software that needs the original disks to finish its installation.
– Call HP (his computer's vendor) at 1 800 HP INVENT and ask their customer support.

Glenn said, that previously, the AT&T $10/mo (1 year contract) DSL was problematic to subscribe to. You'd have to call them to complete the subscription. But, when you call, they'd say you can only do your sign-up online for that plan. That problem has now been resolved.

3G is the way the iPhone gets broadband internet at DSL speeds. When you're out of range it falls back to the EDGE network which runs at 9600bps.
USB wide area wireless network cards are available from AT&T or Verizon to get an internet connection thru the cellphone network.
In 2006 Kyrocera was the first to come out with a 3G router that would take a PCI Express or a USB card (one that would give 3G internet access) and provide that internet access to a network of local computers. <So, you can have more than one computer sharing the access thru one card and one account.>

This way of getting an internet connection is costly an meant for those who can't get cable or DSL but who have cellphone service. Before you buy into this, use a cell phone to be sure you have a good signal. Then try the USB card in a single computer (without the router) to confirm all is working well. After that, you can go to 3gstore.com to get a router, like the Kyrocera, and get all of your compters online. At 3gstore.com you can also get an antenna you can mount near a window to boost your signal.

The data plan for using such a USB card will cost at least $60/mo and there is cap on the amount of data you can transfer, where you'll pay extra beyond a set maximum.

Glenn received an add from digitalpath.com offering unlimited nation-wide long distance and 3meg of internet (they probably meant a rate of 3 megs per second) for $60/mo.

Gary called to say he bought a hard drive that is password protected and he's trying to crack it.
– If all of the data on the entire drive is encrypted, you may never get access unless you reformat the drive. Use the Linux operating system to reformat, if necessary.
– The drive may have a password protected BIOS (hardware) in it, in which case you're out of luck.

Susan is currently using Real VMC to connect a laptop to her main computer. She's thinking of getting a Mac laptop and wants to know if there is similar program to connect the Mac in a similar way.
– Go to showmypc,com

Today's show was focused on the membership pledge drive.

You can pledge online at $25 or more & be entered into a drawing for a Roku Soundbridge.

You can see thank you gifts & pledge here:

I put up a list of favorite programs & utilities here.
I'll likely be adding to the list as I scan thru the notes of the past couple of years.

Paul noted that Process Explorer is missing from that list. <I'll add it the next time I edit the file>
This is similar to the Task Manager but gives you more information. It's more suited for the tech savvy user.

Other than that and light banter, there wasn't much more that was tech related. The next show should be back to normal.

This page last updated 7:54 PM 10/19/2009