"It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered."
Can you live without your mouse? I know Riley can. We all have had to get around in our computer without a mouse, but do you do it by choice?
We will see how this goes.
AlaskaJoe
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Dosbox
I've been a pinball enthusiast for 40 years or so. I have a bunch of old pinball computer games. Most of them are from the days before windows. Most of them won't run under windows. I used to use a DOS boot disk but, geting the sound to work was hit and miss. I finally googled DOS emualtor and DOSBOX came up. It's a DOS emulator for windows. It's basically simulates a 486 in windows. Most important it emulates a sound blaster 16 and Gravis ultrasound. It runs all my old pinball games fine. If you got old DOS games you still want to play, check it out.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-13-08
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-13-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
Links from the Gregg Zone
1) As usual I will start off the week with a green link. It should be rather obvious, what with the gas situation and all that in the near future we will be looking for something different to drive. This is a link I ran across dealing with the hybrids out there, quite a lot of links here to help keep you educated as to what is out there, or on the drawing board. http://www.care2.com
2) Next up a link on how to hypermile. Not a term you are familiar with well it is also related to the previous subject, but it is more oriented with today. This is the most extensive article I hound on how to hypermile. That is to get the very utmost gas mileage from what ever you are driving now. Tricks of the trade so to speak, some sensible and some down right scary. So if you choose to try some of these do so with utmost caution. http://www.cleanmpg.com
3) This link is to a scientific study on animal behavior I found quite interesting. They taught a group of monkeys to use money. It is very interesting to see they are a lot like us, they had what amounted to a bank robbery, started to spend their cash to buy fruit, and the most surprising was prostitution. I guess it really is the oldest profession. http://lists.ibiblio.org
4) If you are a Science Fiction enthusiast you might like to check out this site, you can even write and submit your own short novel in a contest. I have not had much time in the last few days to investigate this, I ran across it last week and had it in my follow up folder on the desk top, but I thought I would enter it here for those who might like to look around, I know I will be back soon as it looks pretty interesting. http://www.orionsarm.com/
5) The last one for the week an article on the Viacom YouTube fight. Seems YouTube has been ordered to turn over records of every clip watched, along with time and IP address of every viewer who watched it. Kind of makes you wonder where all that personal information on us all will wind up. Think the spamers might want to know what you are interested in, and what you IP address is, not to mention the government, lawyers, and the Lord knows who else. Maybe it is just me, but I do not like where all this seems to be heading. http://www.news.com.au/
2) Next up a link on how to hypermile. Not a term you are familiar with well it is also related to the previous subject, but it is more oriented with today. This is the most extensive article I hound on how to hypermile. That is to get the very utmost gas mileage from what ever you are driving now. Tricks of the trade so to speak, some sensible and some down right scary. So if you choose to try some of these do so with utmost caution. http://www.cleanmpg.com
3) This link is to a scientific study on animal behavior I found quite interesting. They taught a group of monkeys to use money. It is very interesting to see they are a lot like us, they had what amounted to a bank robbery, started to spend their cash to buy fruit, and the most surprising was prostitution. I guess it really is the oldest profession. http://lists.ibiblio.org
4) If you are a Science Fiction enthusiast you might like to check out this site, you can even write and submit your own short novel in a contest. I have not had much time in the last few days to investigate this, I ran across it last week and had it in my follow up folder on the desk top, but I thought I would enter it here for those who might like to look around, I know I will be back soon as it looks pretty interesting. http://www.orionsarm.com/
5) The last one for the week an article on the Viacom YouTube fight. Seems YouTube has been ordered to turn over records of every clip watched, along with time and IP address of every viewer who watched it. Kind of makes you wonder where all that personal information on us all will wind up. Think the spamers might want to know what you are interested in, and what you IP address is, not to mention the government, lawyers, and the Lord knows who else. Maybe it is just me, but I do not like where all this seems to be heading. http://www.news.com.au/
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
MS update KB951748 and ZoneAlarm --- PROBLEM
Experienced this myself. If you install this update all websites are blocked. You can either not install the update or setting the Internet zone of ZA to medium also works. I did the latter and also turned on windows firewall.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Is site X down for everyone, or just me?
Have you heard that question all too often?
Well Alex Payne has, and he did something about it. He has created downforeveryoneorjustme.com Where you can ask if your favorite site is really down, or if may be your connection.
The article has other details about outages of some of the biggest sites on the web. The article is actually titled : "Internet traffic grows, and so do glitches"
Well Alex Payne has, and he did something about it. He has created downforeveryoneorjustme.com Where you can ask if your favorite site is really down, or if may be your connection.
The article has other details about outages of some of the biggest sites on the web. The article is actually titled : "Internet traffic grows, and so do glitches"
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Getaway day: How to secure your laptop for holiday travel | Zero Day | ZDNet.com
It’s getaway day and as we prepare to hit the road, trudge through airport security and snag that car rental, spare a thought for the valuable data that travels with you on that trusty old laptop.
This is a good article on how to encrypt files on your computer. It's a good idea when you travel.
AlaskaJoe
This is a good article on how to encrypt files on your computer. It's a good idea when you travel.
AlaskaJoe
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Firefox 2.0.0.15 security update, July 1, 2008
Twelve vulnerabilities fixed in total, some platform specific. Four rated critical, four rated high, two rated moderate, and two rated low.
Link above is to the Firefox 2.0.0.15 Release Notes, links from there take you to the list of items fixed.
Link above is to the Firefox 2.0.0.15 Release Notes, links from there take you to the list of items fixed.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-29-08
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-29-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
Next week will be the 4th of July weekend and most of the OnComputers hosts will be gone for the weekend. We will be playing the Geek Meet 2007 show from Boston. Have a great 4th of July and be safe!
AlaskaJoe
Next week will be the 4th of July weekend and most of the OnComputers hosts will be gone for the weekend. We will be playing the Geek Meet 2007 show from Boston. Have a great 4th of July and be safe!
AlaskaJoe
Links from the Gregg Zone
1) This first link I am putting up is one that comes with the strongest disclaimer I can think of. I have not watched this video nor do I intend to watch it. It was sent to me by someone connected to the show, they ask me not to divulge their involvement or any reference to the fact they sent it. Please understand I have not watched it and will not watch it, and I like the very weird. But I do not believe in censorship, and the nature of my listings is somewhat related to the very bizarre, this evidently qualifies in spades. Even our friend in California who is banned from the show has expressed utter disgust with this, and has asked me to bury it in the cyber trash heap. If you are an animal lover do not watch this video, if you have a squeamish bone in your body do not watch this video, if you do watch it and are upset by it do not say you were not warned, do not hold me responsible in any way. What we have here is a Russian experiment involving the severed head of a rather cute little dog, kept alive without a body, and experimented on. Frankenstein was fiction this may not be, I hope I made myself clear, please use utmost restraint here http://gizmodo.com
2) Somewhat related although much more palatable is the story of Mike the Wonder Chicken, he was a headless chicken, who lived for a year and a half. Wow I almost feel like Halloween is here. Anyway this is a story I heard about a long time ago and looked up only because of that last link sent to me. Seems there was a chicken in the forties that was making all the side shows; and a lot of money for the owner. The owner was getting a chicken ready for dinner, when he cut off its head the chicken did not even seem to notice. The owners kept Mike alive using an eyedropper to feed him for eighteen months. The chicken walked around, scratched the ground, tried to peck, crow and cluck (but only gurgled), and basically acted like a chicken. He only died because they had forgotten his eye dropper, and he could not be aspirated as he sometimes needed. There is even a holiday in the Colorado town where he lived honoring Mike, now that’s pretty weird. http://www.sideshowworld.com
3) Okay enough of that….. Let’s get back to something a little less macabre. Another link sent to me by one of our listeners, (thanks JavaBeans) something a little easier on the sensibilities. This has to be the oddest green link I have had up since I started with the show. A building that generates its electric power by rotating each individual floor, or apartment. The building never looks the same at any time EVER each of its forty floors rotate individually of each other powered by the wind, and that rotation creates the electric power for the building, it even has some extra to feed into the grid. There are plans to build two of them one in Dubai and one in Moscow. This link to a BBC story complete with video is a must read for those into the green side of the internet. http://news.bbc.co.uk
4) Now still another link sent to me by a listener here in Las Vegas (thanks USS ROVER) for my geek link of the week (actually there are two of them). This is something that everyone should have on their daily schedule, one of those things you click on when you check your mail, and or read the news, just to see what is offered for the day. After all how can you beat something for free, those of us who live in Las Vegas almost worship the very word. This is free software downloads that rotate daily, some are quite expensive if you want to buy them, the catch they are only free for 24 hours, so pay attention. The second link is the same thing only it is for games, sounds like a gamers’ paradise. Thanks again Rover. http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/ http://game.giveawayoftheday.com/
5) Last is something I just found at a site I use on a daily basis, but for some reason just did not notice. I am a devotee, and big fan of craigslist I am there at least once a day and often several times a day. Not sure how I missed the little link on the left side that says “best-of-craigslist”, but this is a great read just check it out even if you are not a user, buyer, or seller. http://www.craigslist.org
2) Somewhat related although much more palatable is the story of Mike the Wonder Chicken, he was a headless chicken, who lived for a year and a half. Wow I almost feel like Halloween is here. Anyway this is a story I heard about a long time ago and looked up only because of that last link sent to me. Seems there was a chicken in the forties that was making all the side shows; and a lot of money for the owner. The owner was getting a chicken ready for dinner, when he cut off its head the chicken did not even seem to notice. The owners kept Mike alive using an eyedropper to feed him for eighteen months. The chicken walked around, scratched the ground, tried to peck, crow and cluck (but only gurgled), and basically acted like a chicken. He only died because they had forgotten his eye dropper, and he could not be aspirated as he sometimes needed. There is even a holiday in the Colorado town where he lived honoring Mike, now that’s pretty weird. http://www.sideshowworld.com
3) Okay enough of that….. Let’s get back to something a little less macabre. Another link sent to me by one of our listeners, (thanks JavaBeans) something a little easier on the sensibilities. This has to be the oddest green link I have had up since I started with the show. A building that generates its electric power by rotating each individual floor, or apartment. The building never looks the same at any time EVER each of its forty floors rotate individually of each other powered by the wind, and that rotation creates the electric power for the building, it even has some extra to feed into the grid. There are plans to build two of them one in Dubai and one in Moscow. This link to a BBC story complete with video is a must read for those into the green side of the internet. http://news.bbc.co.uk
4) Now still another link sent to me by a listener here in Las Vegas (thanks USS ROVER) for my geek link of the week (actually there are two of them). This is something that everyone should have on their daily schedule, one of those things you click on when you check your mail, and or read the news, just to see what is offered for the day. After all how can you beat something for free, those of us who live in Las Vegas almost worship the very word. This is free software downloads that rotate daily, some are quite expensive if you want to buy them, the catch they are only free for 24 hours, so pay attention. The second link is the same thing only it is for games, sounds like a gamers’ paradise. Thanks again Rover. http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/ http://game.giveawayoftheday.com/
5) Last is something I just found at a site I use on a daily basis, but for some reason just did not notice. I am a devotee, and big fan of craigslist I am there at least once a day and often several times a day. Not sure how I missed the little link on the left side that says “best-of-craigslist”, but this is a great read just check it out even if you are not a user, buyer, or seller. http://www.craigslist.org
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Laptop seizures at customs raise outcry
We talked about this very subject on the show on Sunday. Be sure not to have anything you don't absolutely need on your computer and certainly don't have anything personal.
No reprieve: XP phase-out begins June 30 | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com
It looks like this MIGHT be your last chance to buy a new computer with Windows XP installed.
I find that interesting the day Intel says it is staying it isn't moving to Vista Microsoft decides to pull the plug on Windows XP.
After months of rumors that Microsoft might rethink its decision to pull the plug on Windows XP, the official word is out: XP is on its way out.
Microsoft is sticking to its plan to cease providing PC makers with XP to preload on new PCs after June 30, as Microsoft is now letting customers know via a letter it has posted to its Windows XP and Windows Vista Web sites.
AlaskaJoe
I find that interesting the day Intel says it is staying it isn't moving to Vista Microsoft decides to pull the plug on Windows XP.
After months of rumors that Microsoft might rethink its decision to pull the plug on Windows XP, the official word is out: XP is on its way out.
Microsoft is sticking to its plan to cease providing PC makers with XP to preload on new PCs after June 30, as Microsoft is now letting customers know via a letter it has posted to its Windows XP and Windows Vista Web sites.
AlaskaJoe
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
ICANN to vote on more Top Level Domains
Depending on the vote this week, YOU TOO COULD OWN YOUR VERY OWN TOP LEVEL DOMAIN!
They are not cheap to own from what I have read in the past, but it may be possible soon.
www.alaskajoe.oncomputers ? nah....
They are not cheap to own from what I have read in the past, but it may be possible soon.
www.alaskajoe.oncomputers ? nah....
Sunday, June 22, 2008
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-22-08
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-22-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
Todays guest from the Better Business Bureau
Michael Lauf, Director of Public Relations is with the Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org
Michael has been in Evansville Indiana since 2001. His degree is in Radio-TV Broadcasting from Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel Illinois. Michael worked in radio in Vincennes Indiana from 1983-1993 and ran his own DJ service from 1990-2000.
Michael speaks for free to schools, churches, businesses and helps disabled persons learn to use computers. He is involved with Serotek corporation who allows any visually impaired person in the world a free speech application to use their computer.
www.serotek.com
Blog:
www.bbbconsumereducation.com
Michael has been in Evansville Indiana since 2001. His degree is in Radio-TV Broadcasting from Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel Illinois. Michael worked in radio in Vincennes Indiana from 1983-1993 and ran his own DJ service from 1990-2000.
Michael speaks for free to schools, churches, businesses and helps disabled persons learn to use computers. He is involved with Serotek corporation who allows any visually impaired person in the world a free speech application to use their computer.
www.serotek.com
Blog:
www.bbbconsumereducation.com
Links from the Gregg Zone
1) At the time of writing this on Friday night the 21st of June, 2008, even though I am not big on birthdays, and the like. I must acknowledge a rather auspicious event that happened on this day sixty years past on this very day in Manchester England. According to a linked article here the modern computer as we know it had its sixtieth birthday today. This was the first programmable computer with rewritable memory a whopping 128 bytes, check out the article with a video clip here.
2) As my green link of the week another offering about the water fueled car, this has become a favorite topic of mine. Seems a company in Japan Genepax, just last week announced their new car, running on water. I have seen an awful lot of stuff about this subject, mostly on the fringe and rather questionable, But operating on the principal where there is smoke, you may find fire, I keep my hopes alive. There are two links here the first I ran across from Reuters at engadget with video, released on June 12, and the other at Wikipidea, they already have a reference page. Very interesting stuff. 1) http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/genepax-shows-off-water-powered-fuel-cell-vehicle/ 2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genepax
3) Well for link number three I want to start by reviewing a link I posted last week for the new Netflix viewer for your television. I got it and installed it yesterday, it works great, installed in about a half hour, very simple and easy. This is the direction I believe television is headed. In a few years we will not even recognize the way we watch today. As another aside to this concept I offer a link to an article about hoe Hulu is kicking YouTubes tale. The main problem I see to the way most of the online T.V. sites are working is the program guides, when those are modified to the skill level of average people watch out. Article link here and here is YouTube's response to that article.
4) Link number four is offering a spot to do some future preparation for what
will surly be a host of future links coming up. What can I be referring to, well just think about the date, December 23rd 2012 is only a little over four years away. Here is a Wiki page to get you started in regards as to what will surly be one of the main topics around the water cooler very soon. Why not have some ammunition in your corner, there are a lot of quick reads on the major topics, and people here.
5) My on the lighter side link for the week, I have always liked puzzles of different forms. Here is an online free puzzle link, one of many I am sure, but I have managed to waste several hours here with puzzles that I liked. So I thought I would pass it along http://www.freepuzzles.com/
2) As my green link of the week another offering about the water fueled car, this has become a favorite topic of mine. Seems a company in Japan Genepax, just last week announced their new car, running on water. I have seen an awful lot of stuff about this subject, mostly on the fringe and rather questionable, But operating on the principal where there is smoke, you may find fire, I keep my hopes alive. There are two links here the first I ran across from Reuters at engadget with video, released on June 12, and the other at Wikipidea, they already have a reference page. Very interesting stuff. 1) http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/genepax-shows-off-water-powered-fuel-cell-vehicle/ 2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genepax
3) Well for link number three I want to start by reviewing a link I posted last week for the new Netflix viewer for your television. I got it and installed it yesterday, it works great, installed in about a half hour, very simple and easy. This is the direction I believe television is headed. In a few years we will not even recognize the way we watch today. As another aside to this concept I offer a link to an article about hoe Hulu is kicking YouTubes tale. The main problem I see to the way most of the online T.V. sites are working is the program guides, when those are modified to the skill level of average people watch out. Article link here and here is YouTube's response to that article.
4) Link number four is offering a spot to do some future preparation for what
will surly be a host of future links coming up. What can I be referring to, well just think about the date, December 23rd 2012 is only a little over four years away. Here is a Wiki page to get you started in regards as to what will surly be one of the main topics around the water cooler very soon. Why not have some ammunition in your corner, there are a lot of quick reads on the major topics, and people here.
5) My on the lighter side link for the week, I have always liked puzzles of different forms. Here is an online free puzzle link, one of many I am sure, but I have managed to waste several hours here with puzzles that I liked. So I thought I would pass it along http://www.freepuzzles.com/
Friday, June 20, 2008
Planning a Trip to the Olympics? ( or most anywhere )
Food for Secure Computing Thought :
When traveling outside your country, LEAVE THE TOYS AT HOME!
Industrial espionage may be more of a threat than theft as you travel abroad. And don't just leave your toys at home, check everything you bring back very carefully! Treat any media as infected, be it optical ( CD/DVD/HDDVD/BluRay ), solidstate ( USB and other flash media, Solid State hard drives ) or magnetic ( internal or external hard drives ).
The article linked above has some very interesting and thought provoking comments.
When traveling outside your country, LEAVE THE TOYS AT HOME!
Industrial espionage may be more of a threat than theft as you travel abroad. And don't just leave your toys at home, check everything you bring back very carefully! Treat any media as infected, be it optical ( CD/DVD/HDDVD/BluRay ), solidstate ( USB and other flash media, Solid State hard drives ) or magnetic ( internal or external hard drives ).
The article linked above has some very interesting and thought provoking comments.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-15-08
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-15-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
Links from the Gregg Zone
1) First up for the week has to be my big spend. Yea I just spent $99.00 for a new toy, just because the money I got from those firemen’s pants was burning a hole in my PayPal account, and I did not get enough to buy the microscope I had in mind. This seemed to me to be something we will see a lot of in the future. I heard someone say the other day television as we know it today will be unrecognizable in ten to fifteen years. My toy site here http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/
2) Now that I’ve calmed down a bit time for my green link of the week. Seems Ford has a new prototype out, a flex-fuel hybrid electric vehicle. The engine is needed after the first thirty miles, provided you keep the speed down. Then once the flex-fuel (85% ethanol) it kicks out a healthy 50 mpg city, and 88 mpg highway. Sounds awfully good to me, another thought Ford stock at the moment is around $6.25 per share. Wonder how many patents they own on this technology, just a thought. Article link here http://gas2.org/
3) This is a link to a short story here falls under the same comment as last weeks cell phone corn popping link. I am fairly sure it will be shot down, but I just had to toss it in. I am not a big fan of happy faces any where, but the thought there is one on Mars just sort of disturbs my sense of faith in the idea of the universe being somehow above all that. I can only hope it does not turn yellow at sunset. For what it is worth here is the link. http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com
4) I was at Mufon the other day doing a quick check on a newspaper article that mentioned a UFO sighting, when it dawned on me that there are most likely people who do not know about the site. Say you heard about a sighting in the next town, or maybe you have seen something yourself. At Mufon you can search by time and location to see if others may have filed reports. They get thousands every year, there are also other things to read there all around an interesting place to visit. http://www.mufon.com
5) My last link was a surprise to me as I found it at a site I visit often. I am referring to New Scientist, I find myself there a lot, by links to stories or text type links. For some reason I noticed and clicked on the video link. I like T.V. stations like Discovery, Science Channel, T.L.C., Edu. 1 & 2, at this site they have the video so you can just start it and it will go to the next. Interesting short science stories, about five min. each. Almost like watching Discovery News. http://www.newscientist.com/
2) Now that I’ve calmed down a bit time for my green link of the week. Seems Ford has a new prototype out, a flex-fuel hybrid electric vehicle. The engine is needed after the first thirty miles, provided you keep the speed down. Then once the flex-fuel (85% ethanol) it kicks out a healthy 50 mpg city, and 88 mpg highway. Sounds awfully good to me, another thought Ford stock at the moment is around $6.25 per share. Wonder how many patents they own on this technology, just a thought. Article link here http://gas2.org/
3) This is a link to a short story here falls under the same comment as last weeks cell phone corn popping link. I am fairly sure it will be shot down, but I just had to toss it in. I am not a big fan of happy faces any where, but the thought there is one on Mars just sort of disturbs my sense of faith in the idea of the universe being somehow above all that. I can only hope it does not turn yellow at sunset. For what it is worth here is the link. http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com
4) I was at Mufon the other day doing a quick check on a newspaper article that mentioned a UFO sighting, when it dawned on me that there are most likely people who do not know about the site. Say you heard about a sighting in the next town, or maybe you have seen something yourself. At Mufon you can search by time and location to see if others may have filed reports. They get thousands every year, there are also other things to read there all around an interesting place to visit. http://www.mufon.com
5) My last link was a surprise to me as I found it at a site I visit often. I am referring to New Scientist, I find myself there a lot, by links to stories or text type links. For some reason I noticed and clicked on the video link. I like T.V. stations like Discovery, Science Channel, T.L.C., Edu. 1 & 2, at this site they have the video so you can just start it and it will go to the next. Interesting short science stories, about five min. each. Almost like watching Discovery News. http://www.newscientist.com/
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