Blog Free Springfield » Techno

What the tech are they talking about?

Dan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:03:56 +0000

"I thought AGP was dead. Found on Newegg I can get a 1gb video card for about $80. MW2 may have a chance yet!"

This was a recent Tweet by a friend of mine, the content of which wouldn’t be any less clear to me if it was written in Mandarin. Yet I don’t question his intelligence nor do I suspect it was written under the influence, as I might if someone else had posted something so incoherent. Because, you see, my friend is an IT guy.

It occurred to me after reading his Tweet that people in his line of work have surrounded themselves beneath a cone of intelligence. So thick and indecipherable is the industry argot that they could start making stuff up – inventing product names and pulling acronyms out of thin air - and those of us on the outside would be none the wiser.

For example, if someone were to post this:

"Rizrod 2.7 is out. It should do everything LouLotta does without bogging down the shrink code with R2D4. Huzzah!"

few lay people would read it and think, "What’s this idiot rambling about." Instead, the reaction would more likely be, "Oh, he must be a tech guy. And from the looks of it, a pretty smart one."

This, I believe, is one of the effects of social media. We’re mixing more freely with people from different backgrounds, generations and professions, but we’re essentially playing on the IT people’s turf. They invented this stuff and they’re the ones that know how and why it works.

So this makes them the cool kids. The BM/WOCs. The top dogs. The big cheeses. And we need them to like us, or at least tolerate us, because we suspect they could banish us forever with a click of their mighty mouse.

Good for them, then. And I agree (how could I not?), MW2 does appear now to have a chance.

Give Me Techo Advice IV: multi-question edition

Dan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:27:16 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, there were several merchants offering Flip camcorders for sell on Amazon in the $60-$80 range. They no longer seem to be available, and I’m given to understand that the low price was the result of merchants unloading previous models of the video camera prior to the release of a new model. Now that the new model is out, I can’t find any of the discounted ones. But surely not everyone cleared out their stock.

I noticed the same thing right before Windows released Vista. There were some great deals on machines running XP, but the day before Vista came out, the shelves of the big box electronic stores were devoid of computers.

Does anyone know of an outlet for older model electronics? I’m specifically looking for a Flip in the sub-$100 range for my daughter Maria, but it’s a Christmas present, so don’t tell her.

Another possible Christmas purchase:

If the economy continues to flounder and poor consumer spending leads to sharp price reductions, we may make a move on a new family PC in the next month. I was looking at Dell’s most basic home PC and going through the options, opting against most upgrades and add-ons, when they asked me if I would like a TV tuner. My question to you is – Do I need a TV tuner in my PC?

Our PC isn’t connected to cable, we have DSL, and I have no plans on paying to have the satellite feed connected. For some reason, however, it seems as if the integration between TV and PC will become indispensable in the coming years and I might regret it if I don’t have the ability to integrate.

Bonus question: Is Dell’s basic computer good enough?

We have basic needs. Store photos and music. Manage the finances. The kids play some games, but nothing terribly graphic-intensive. I don’t want to pay for more than we need, but I also don’t want to have to start upgrading components in the next couple of years.

As always, your advice is greatly appreciated. If you ever need any tips on authoring a pointless and little-read blog, just drop me a line, I’d be happy to steer you in the right direction.

I Usually Blog on Sundays

Dan — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:48:01 +0000

but I’m pretty busy with other things. I’ve got a new freelance client that I’m off to a good start with, but there’s more to be done this week. I also have a few things in the works with the SJ-R. So who has time for blogging? Except to say:

We’ve started to Wii

I hooked up the kids’ Wii today. It ended up being "self-contained and fairly explanatory"*, but as I get older, I get increasingly intimidated when faced with a thick operator’s manual. Every techno gadget has so many features these days that you deserve three college credit-hours if you can figure it all out. Anyway, they were up and singing High School Musical songs in short order. Tomorrow, we plunge into the deep with Endless Ocean.

VEEP Thoughts

What do I think of McCain’s VP pick? Well, I’ll tell you.

It was a shrewd move in that she’s untouchable. Obama’s already on thin ice with many women voters who think that he undeservingly vanquished Hillary. Any arrows slung at Ms. Palin will be interpreted as slights against women and the PUMAs will be more inclined to sit out the election, or worse, throw their weight to the right.

Of course, by picking Palin, McCain forfeits an arrow from his own quiver. He can no longer say that Obama is too young and inexperienced to inherit the throne when his own first-in-line is even younger.

I think Palin will help McCain more than Biden will help Obama, but in the end, it may not matter.

Unspeakably Sad

I don’t like to get too heavy here at BFS, but I feel compelled to tell you this. There may be no more devastating sight in all of humanity than a tiny casket. I saw one this weekend; I hope to never see one again.

I still like music

Song of the week honors go to … it’s a tie! The Weight of Lies by the Avett Brothers and Mission Control by the Whigs. I’m up for hearing something new if anyone cares to recommend their favorite new musical find.

Bocce Balls!

The Springfield Parks Foundation Bocce Ball Tournament kicks off on September 11. The $35 entry fee is a little steep, but I imagine that it is waived for standing champions. In fact, I could probably command a fairly hefty appearance fee should I decide to enter. I’m a bit of a legend in bocce circles.

*Lunch for two at the Sportsmen’s Lounge to the first person who can identify what movie this line is from.

Give Me Techno Advice III: I can’t gets the damn Internet

Dan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:48:07 +0000

I can’t access the Internet on our home PC. But here’s the deal, I can access it on my laptop, which connects wirelessly to the same DSL connection. I’m assuming that this means that the problem isn’t with the modem or the router, but within the PC itself. Here’s where things stand:

I’ve tried rebooting the modem and the PC, several times.
I’ve tried using different browsers.
I’ve run some spyware (most likely outdated).
I’ve thought positive thoughts.

None of these things have worked.

Any other suggestions before I resort to calling AT&T support and spending my evening on hold.

SBC DSL is sllllooowww

Dan — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:47:41 +0000

Before I seek support, I want to find out if any other local SBC DSL customers have been suffering under dial-up-like conditions in recent days. Since this past weekend, we’ve been subjected to super slow downloads and timed-out pages, both on our flagship PC, and on my laptop which shares a wireless connection. Please share with me any problems that you have had in this regard so that I can tell the English-as-a-second-language person who handles my complaint if this is an area-wide problem.

*I’m assuming that the helpful person whom I’ll be communicating with will be a native of an non-
English speaking country. That’s fine; we all need to bring home some bacon.

A post about me and you

Dan — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:09:39 +0000

I’m more popular than you

My SJ-R column this week is on why I’m more popular than all of you, relatively speaking and not really.

People are more talented than me

We took in a Gus Gordon production yesterday at the Hoogland with the Rewinds. It was quite enjoyable and was made even more so by the appearance at our table of several Goose Island ales. My wife’s hair looked fabulous.

It amazes me watching people perform on stage. They sing, they act, they dance, they prognosticate on weather events. I can’t do any of that. And even if I could, I don’t particularly enjoy having people look at me, which would have put a serious damper on my performance arts career, had I chosen that path. Much better for me, and you, if I to stick to writing in private, which is different than writing in my privates, as a certain alternative publication would have you believe.

They harmonize prettier than me, and you (probably, I’ve never heard you sing)

The Ginn Sisters will be in Springfield in June! You don’t want to miss them.

You didn’t graduate from St. Aloysius in 1980

But if you did, Dave H. wants your pictures. He’s set up a Web site, on humzOo, so that members of that illustrious class can keep in touch and reminisce. I know Mary Y. and Roy M. read BFS occasionally, so if you see this, spread the word.

Fred Armisen is funnier than?

I don’t why I think this clip of Fred Armisen as Nicholas Fehn is funny, but I do. Yet, I can understand why people might think that it’s weak. But it’s not, it’s funny. Or is it just me who thinks that? That it’s funny.

Fehn is a cross between David Brenner and a really partisan person who finds humor in anything that he thinks he’s ideologically obligated to laugh at, even though he’s totally lacking a sense of humour.

My keyboard is more silky-smoother than yours

Saturday morning, I took the initiative and set out to complete a long-neglected chore. Six years of dust, debris and epidermis had built up under the keys of our computer keyboard. It would be my job to clean it out.

As I carefully removed each key and placed them in a bath of sudsy water, the squalor that we had been typing upon gradually revealed itself. It was just too gross not to share so I made Tammy and the kids gather ‘round after all of the keys were stripped away. I was hoping that the stark reality of seeing such a disgusting sight would shock some sense into them, but since I really didn’t have a lesson to impart, I allowed them to return to their play.

I used isopropyl alcohol applied to a series of store-brand cotton swaps to clean away the gunk and grime, patted dry the keys (now supple and lightly-perfumed from their rejuvenating bubble bath) and then proceeded to put the keyboard back together.

Per Lifehacker’s recommendation, I had taken several pictures of the keyboard prior to disassembly so that I would know where each key went. Although I did refer to the pictures often, I wish I had challenged myself to put it back together from memory.

The numbers would be easy, as long as I didn’t forget that the first position is held by the tilde/grave accent key, a fact that is often overlooked. I’d like to think that I could place the letters in their proper position, but I’m not sure that the tactile knowledge that guides my fingers on and about the home position while typing would be recallable when completing this similar-yet-different task. The Windows-specific and other seldom-used keys would probably have been a challenge. I’m guessing that I would have scored around a 75 percent.

The whole exercise gave me an idea.

You’ve heard of soldiers who are taught to reassemble their gun while blindfolded, in case they ever find themselves blindfolded and need a way to pass the time. I would imagine that there’s quite a bit of status to be had by being able to do this well and that other soldiers are envious of those that can do it the fastest.

So I thought, why not have something similar for computer nerds. Those that can put a keyboard back together correctly, without the benefit of vision and under a given time (I’m proposing a benchmark of 4 minutes and 21 seconds, the running time of Kraftwerk’s nerd anthem, Pocket Calculator) would be like the kings of the geeks. Maybe there could be a contest at one of the technology conventions where competitors vie for the Farmer Ted Award. Or maybe we could make it a Spfldbloggers-sponsored event right here.

Are you up for the challenge?

Give Me Techno Advice 2: This time, I need more techno advice

Dan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:41:53 +0000

AT&T Wireless is so pleased with how I’ve represented myself as their customer (I pay my bill on time, I never cuss across their network) that they’ve invited me back for another two-year stint. It’s quite an honor, to be sure.

AT&T has also taken what I’m assuming is the rare step of allowing me to upgrade my phone at a discounted price. Since my current model is the cellular equivalent of a Yugo, I thought I might take them up on their kind offer.

Thanks to their generosity, I can get a good deal on a BlackBerry or a BlackJack, probably not the latest models, but I need to learn to walk before I run, telecommunication-wise.

I understand that to take advantage of the full functionality of such a device, I need a data plan. My fear is that, in my ignorance, I’ll go with the wrong plan and eventually get hit with major overage charges which will cause me to damn modernization to bloody hell (similar to what happened when my wife discovered text messaging.)

Anyway, here’s the plan I’m considering because, like me, it’s the cheapest. It goes by the name of MEdia Works 1500 Bundle.

1500 Messages (5¢/additional messages):
You have the freedom to message any way to any one – text, picture, video and IM – without worrying what each message costs. That means every message counts the same. You can send and receive ANY combination of messages. Want to send all picture messages? No problem. All IMs? Go ahead and chat away – send and receive messages for less than pennies per day!

5 MB MEdia^TM Net (1¢/additional KB usage):
With MEdia Net, you can browse the mobile web, check your Email, get your sports scores, movie times, weather and news right on your mobile phone. Plus, you can access the latest ringtones, games, graphics and AT&T Mobile Music.

The text messaging I’m clear on. But what of this 1¢/additional KB usage and what exactly does 5 MB get me, 5 MB of what? Can someone put this in equivalent terms? For example, how many times can I visit my favorite Tila Tequila fan page while waiting for my penicillin shots at the free clinic before I get socked with those extra pennies?

I don’t suspect that I’ll use the mobile Web services a great deal, as I’m usually not far from a computer. Will this plan fit my non-Nerd lifestyle?

Extra Credit Query

What the stylishly connected man is wearing this season

A couple of years back I purchased a cell phone holder that clips on the belt. That very week I read, in two separate contemporary-type magazines, that holstering one’s phone is the height of nerdiness. Fearing that my hip credentials would be compromised, I’ve carried my phone concealed in my pocket ever since.

So, where do you carry your cell phone?