Technology hates me. I used to say I emit an electromagnetic pulse that spontaneously disables appliances, watches, lawnmowers, whatever, and I really wasn't kidding. Something, something, makes my interaction with technology just that much more complex than the average person's experience. I don't know why. Maybe it's karma. Maybe I'm just a technology klutz. Maybe I really do emit an EMP.
Let's put aside the ongoing computer saga that multiple Dell and Microsoft technicians have failed to correct. (Call me crazy, but if a network works, shouldn't I be able to modify shared files on my desktop via my laptop? Call me wacky, but shouldn't a working computer let me add new music to my iTunes library?) Last night our bed was possessed. Again.
What does a bed and technology have to do with each other, you ask? Well, I have a cranky back and our old mattress' springs were so shot that we'd tumble into the center of it at night, resulting in crippling back spasms. So we invested in one of those adjustable Sleep Number air beds with a wireless remote that controls the settings. Not too long ago we noticed that my normally firm side of the bed and Lisa's normally soft side of the bed were ranging from rock hard to marshmallow fluffy, and discovered that the pump was autonomously turning itself off and on. We exchanged the pump and have had a perfectly working bed since, until recently. Last night I was woke to the sound of the pump filling up the bed, then deflating it, then pumping it back up again. Over and over. I groggily fumbled for the pump's power cord and thought I had disconnected it, but within minutes it stared up again. I gave up and resigned myself to the bed's whims.
This is either a complete coincidence or a direct result of the new wireless home network I've set up. Can a wireless router activate a wireless air pump? I don't know. But I've got a sneaking suspicion this isn't just cause and effect. No. My computer and my bed are conspiring together. Our microwave also just recently died, and we're having a new one installed next week. Another coincidence? I think not. Now they have a weapon.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
We Have Ignition
I have finally conquered my home network. And by conquered, I mean I watched a very nice Dell technician in Arizona conquer it remotely on my PC and laptop. My role was strictly to help run the little application that allowed him to access the desktops. Otherwise, I basically watched the cursors run across the screens, controlled by some unseen magic.
I do feel somewhat vindicated from my previous post's PEBKAC reference. While in fact the way I connected the various boxes from my modem to my computer may have caused some geekage, the steps required to get my computers to relax and share was definitely a system thing, not me.
Vista is still not off the hook in my book. It seems pretty clear to me that it was Vista's promise that using their little network wizard would easily connect your machines, but judging by the two or three additional layers of security that had to be modified (not to mention found), that wizard needs some work.
For me, that's strike two for Vista and its wizards. Looks like it may be time to go back to whatever Microsoft/ Hogwarts Remedial School they have to bone up on their spells. Now, let's see if I can get Outlook to work.
I do feel somewhat vindicated from my previous post's PEBKAC reference. While in fact the way I connected the various boxes from my modem to my computer may have caused some geekage, the steps required to get my computers to relax and share was definitely a system thing, not me.
Vista is still not off the hook in my book. It seems pretty clear to me that it was Vista's promise that using their little network wizard would easily connect your machines, but judging by the two or three additional layers of security that had to be modified (not to mention found), that wizard needs some work.
For me, that's strike two for Vista and its wizards. Looks like it may be time to go back to whatever Microsoft/ Hogwarts Remedial School they have to bone up on their spells. Now, let's see if I can get Outlook to work.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The Good, The Bad
Nothing gets me motivated to lose weight and control my cholesterol like the words "Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Clinic." Since my cardiologist referred me to said clinic, I’ve worked out for an hour each morning and reduced my general garbage intake.
I received some great news at yesterday' HASP Clinic follow up. Without getting too technical, I am successfully kicking my cholesterol's ass. The big numbers I'm watching are Total Cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). I started this process with a Total/ HDL/ LDL lineup of 254/ 36/ 179. I should be at <200/>40/ <160 to be called healthy, so I was clearly out of whack. Especially compared to the latest results: 159/ 35/ 103. I'm rocking the bad cholesterol, but still need to get that good cholesterol up, meaning more nuts, fish, and olives. Darn, that'll be tough. The other perk is I've dropped about 25 pounds since this started, which means I need new clothes. Again, darn.
However, this morning did not include my usual workout. Why? I needed an extra hour of sleep after the marathon Dell tech support session ended at 1:30. And my computer network is still not fixed. I gotta cut Windows Vista some slack, though. After an exhaustive session of troubleshooting (following a couple hours of just trying to speak to someone knowledgeable, but we don't need to talk about that), we finally realized that I had my VoIP box installed in the wrong place on the modem/ router/ computer chain. Suffice to say, that confused the network gremlins, hence my problems. So, the different computers now acknowledge each other on the network, but they won't share. I've got another session scheduled for tonight, one that will hopefully end before Thursday. If this works, I might even start singing Vista's praises. Right now though, this is what the tech support world calls PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair.
I received some great news at yesterday' HASP Clinic follow up. Without getting too technical, I am successfully kicking my cholesterol's ass. The big numbers I'm watching are Total Cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). I started this process with a Total/ HDL/ LDL lineup of 254/ 36/ 179. I should be at <200/>40/ <160 to be called healthy, so I was clearly out of whack. Especially compared to the latest results: 159/ 35/ 103. I'm rocking the bad cholesterol, but still need to get that good cholesterol up, meaning more nuts, fish, and olives. Darn, that'll be tough. The other perk is I've dropped about 25 pounds since this started, which means I need new clothes. Again, darn.
However, this morning did not include my usual workout. Why? I needed an extra hour of sleep after the marathon Dell tech support session ended at 1:30. And my computer network is still not fixed. I gotta cut Windows Vista some slack, though. After an exhaustive session of troubleshooting (following a couple hours of just trying to speak to someone knowledgeable, but we don't need to talk about that), we finally realized that I had my VoIP box installed in the wrong place on the modem/ router/ computer chain. Suffice to say, that confused the network gremlins, hence my problems. So, the different computers now acknowledge each other on the network, but they won't share. I've got another session scheduled for tonight, one that will hopefully end before Thursday. If this works, I might even start singing Vista's praises. Right now though, this is what the tech support world calls PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Guinness Marmite Ltd. Ed.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Taste Sensations
Three supposedly horrible combinations that taste great together:
- Olive loaf (toasted, preferably) and Vegemite
- Wendy's Chocolate Frosty and a bunch of crushed up Saltines from the condiment bar (thanks, PDA, for turning me on to this one!)
- Peanut butter and mayonnaise (thanks, Dad)
Friday, February 16, 2007
Analog/ Digital
Did I mention it was my birthday last Sunday? This is the last year of my third decade. Lisa got me a new USB turntable, which is one reason I'm so very eager to get my new computer system working.
Most of my music collection resides in a wall of LPs, unplayed in recent years. Currently 90% of my music listening is done at work off an iPod. After getting an iPod my 6:1 purchase ratio of vinyl to CD/ mp3 reversed, but I still adore records. They sound better and the big format affords packaging possibilities unmatched by inherently trinket-y CDs. But, digital is undeniably more convenient than analog, thus the success of the portable digital media player and the pending demise the CD.
So I'm excited about the new turntable as it is designed for digitizing records direct to computer. I did this occasionally before with my 20-year old turntable, but that was kludgy and that thing just didn't play well anymore. I've been reliving much of my collection through other means, but now I'll be able to revive my favorite out-of-print records, singles and cassettes.
However, with my recent negative Vista experiences, I think this all goes to illustrate the fetish with new tech and how easily we'll fall for the next new pretty, regardless of the sacrifice. I'm a first-run Vista user not by choice, but by timing, and I'm inclined to go back to XP just because I know it works and how to use it. With music I have sacrificed fidelity and packaging for convenience and price. And remember, the mp3, with DRM and an increasingly competitive, non-collaborative media industry, has no more immortality than the 8-Track tape.
Speaking of failure, I spent three hours on the phone with tech support attempting to unfreeze the inaccurately named Windows Easy Transfer I was running from my old computer to the new. Dell, the manufacturer, gamely tried to help me but didn't have enough information. I called Microsoft. They were under the misapprehension that I should pay for their support, but I clarified that the failure of their new product to live up to its name was not the responsibility of Dell or me, so they comped my call and transferred me to a tech that fought tooth and nail to help save the transfer. Ultimately we could not and I have ended up using an external hard drive for the job. (The tech, by the way, admitted that was the best way, but since this was Microsoft’s new thing, he wasn’t allowed to make that suggestion unless I asked first. Nice.) You know what’s ironic? I got that hard drive initially for this purpose, but after I learned of Windows Easy Transfer, I went that route. Why? Well, hey, it's says it’s going to be Easy, right?
Most of my music collection resides in a wall of LPs, unplayed in recent years. Currently 90% of my music listening is done at work off an iPod. After getting an iPod my 6:1 purchase ratio of vinyl to CD/ mp3 reversed, but I still adore records. They sound better and the big format affords packaging possibilities unmatched by inherently trinket-y CDs. But, digital is undeniably more convenient than analog, thus the success of the portable digital media player and the pending demise the CD.
So I'm excited about the new turntable as it is designed for digitizing records direct to computer. I did this occasionally before with my 20-year old turntable, but that was kludgy and that thing just didn't play well anymore. I've been reliving much of my collection through other means, but now I'll be able to revive my favorite out-of-print records, singles and cassettes.
However, with my recent negative Vista experiences, I think this all goes to illustrate the fetish with new tech and how easily we'll fall for the next new pretty, regardless of the sacrifice. I'm a first-run Vista user not by choice, but by timing, and I'm inclined to go back to XP just because I know it works and how to use it. With music I have sacrificed fidelity and packaging for convenience and price. And remember, the mp3, with DRM and an increasingly competitive, non-collaborative media industry, has no more immortality than the 8-Track tape.
Speaking of failure, I spent three hours on the phone with tech support attempting to unfreeze the inaccurately named Windows Easy Transfer I was running from my old computer to the new. Dell, the manufacturer, gamely tried to help me but didn't have enough information. I called Microsoft. They were under the misapprehension that I should pay for their support, but I clarified that the failure of their new product to live up to its name was not the responsibility of Dell or me, so they comped my call and transferred me to a tech that fought tooth and nail to help save the transfer. Ultimately we could not and I have ended up using an external hard drive for the job. (The tech, by the way, admitted that was the best way, but since this was Microsoft’s new thing, he wasn’t allowed to make that suggestion unless I asked first. Nice.) You know what’s ironic? I got that hard drive initially for this purpose, but after I learned of Windows Easy Transfer, I went that route. Why? Well, hey, it's says it’s going to be Easy, right?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Devil Wears Eyeglasses
Today is Valentine's Day, and I'll tell you what, I am not feeling the love. That's not to say I'm not getting love from my beautiful wife and darling baby boy. No, I got that. I'm not feeling the love from Bill Gates. As of this posting, it is my personal opinion that Vista sucks. Let me explain.
This month I upgraded all my home computing tech, thus it all came with Vista installed. I figure this is great, because I was led to believe that Vista would make your computing experience easier and more intuitive. If "doesn't work" is how you would define easy and intuitive, then Microsoft has succeeded. I admit I am only moderately tech savvy, so if you are savvier then you may see my errors as I proceed. But, for now, I prefer to blame the software.
One of Vista's new features is Windows Easy Transfer, which allows you to move all your settings and folders from your old computer to the new computer. In fact, there's an Easy Transfer cable you can purchase to do this. Hooray, I think. This means I won't have to spend an estimated 15+ hours copying my scads of music and photo data with my 8x DVD burner. This will rule.
On the outset it all looks very easy. Simple USB cable. Easy Transfer Wizard right there on Vista. A disk to download the Easy Transfer Wizard on my old XP computer. Easy. Intuitive. And for the most part I had the transfer initiated in minutes. This is great. Then it went to hell.
I have a lot of music and photos, so the transfer takes a long time. I check in periodically, and as the evening wears on I'm about 3/4 of the way through. Then I it doesn't seem to be actively moving anything, and there's a not-to-auspicious icon of a crossed-out USB connector in the corner. Sure enough, the Wizard shows that one of the files is being used (I don't buy this), and it has to stop the transfer. There are no other available options, so as I close out the Wizard promptly asks me if I really want to stop the transfer. Well, you haven't given me any other options here, have you? I click "No" and go back and check if I missed anything, but it still says I'm SOL. So I close the Wizard.
Now, the Easy Transfer Wizard's messages gave me the distinct impression that none of my files transferred and I was going to have to start from ground zero. Fine, I think, I'll just start over and hope for the best. Maybe what transferred over is in some sort of Files and Settings Limbo, waiting to be freed into the new Vista Paradise by the rest of their un-transferred brethren. I start the transfer again and I'm given the option of resuming a transfer in process. Excellent, I think, I can pick up where I left off. Then it asks me for a key provided by the old computer. There is no key. I've seen nothing from either computer in the way of a key. Great. I start the whole thing over again and go to bed.
Miraculously, the next morning the transfer is complete. This is awesome. As I try to figure out where all the data went (Vista Windows Explorer's layout is, at least at this point, very unfamiliar) I start to notice something very bad. That 3/4 of data I thought hadn't made it over to the new computer had. Even better, the Easy Transfer Wizard didn't write over the matching files during the second transfer, but instead attached a "(1)" to the end of the file names and made another copy. I have lots of music and photo files. Now I have twice as much.
Vista also features System Restore, so I figured this could be my salvation. Restore my system and start from scratch. Not so much. It sort of resets your system, except for any data or settings you transferred. Fat lot of good that does me (and, as it turns out, it bombed anyway for some reason I have chosen to block from my memory). There's no way in hell I'm going to go though and manually delete all the dups, so I decide to delete as much of the data transferred I can find and do it again. Which I do. And the wizard chokes again at about 3/4 complete. This is where the swearing really starts.
The Easy Transfer Wizard is neither easy, nor does it really transfer well, and I've concluded that it is one of those evil Wizards, like Saruman, who you go to for help and he turns on you and leaves you stranded on the roof of his tower. You know the type. At this point I figure I'll just cut my losses, figure out what data didn't transfer, network my computers and transfer the rest that way.
To be fair, I have networked my computers successfully, at least in terms of getting them access to the Internet. (Well, one computer is convinced that the connection is not secure, which it is. I think.) But when I look at my network, it (Vista, my computer, whatever) doesn't show the other computers connected, which naturally means I can't go to those other files and transfer them, and at this point I have given up, for now. I've been away from my email and Quicken for too long, so I go to set them up instead. Hey, guess what else doesn't load successfully in Vista?
On top of it all, I've got a cold. Bleh!
This month I upgraded all my home computing tech, thus it all came with Vista installed. I figure this is great, because I was led to believe that Vista would make your computing experience easier and more intuitive. If "doesn't work" is how you would define easy and intuitive, then Microsoft has succeeded. I admit I am only moderately tech savvy, so if you are savvier then you may see my errors as I proceed. But, for now, I prefer to blame the software.
One of Vista's new features is Windows Easy Transfer, which allows you to move all your settings and folders from your old computer to the new computer. In fact, there's an Easy Transfer cable you can purchase to do this. Hooray, I think. This means I won't have to spend an estimated 15+ hours copying my scads of music and photo data with my 8x DVD burner. This will rule.
On the outset it all looks very easy. Simple USB cable. Easy Transfer Wizard right there on Vista. A disk to download the Easy Transfer Wizard on my old XP computer. Easy. Intuitive. And for the most part I had the transfer initiated in minutes. This is great. Then it went to hell.
I have a lot of music and photos, so the transfer takes a long time. I check in periodically, and as the evening wears on I'm about 3/4 of the way through. Then I it doesn't seem to be actively moving anything, and there's a not-to-auspicious icon of a crossed-out USB connector in the corner. Sure enough, the Wizard shows that one of the files is being used (I don't buy this), and it has to stop the transfer. There are no other available options, so as I close out the Wizard promptly asks me if I really want to stop the transfer. Well, you haven't given me any other options here, have you? I click "No" and go back and check if I missed anything, but it still says I'm SOL. So I close the Wizard.
Now, the Easy Transfer Wizard's messages gave me the distinct impression that none of my files transferred and I was going to have to start from ground zero. Fine, I think, I'll just start over and hope for the best. Maybe what transferred over is in some sort of Files and Settings Limbo, waiting to be freed into the new Vista Paradise by the rest of their un-transferred brethren. I start the transfer again and I'm given the option of resuming a transfer in process. Excellent, I think, I can pick up where I left off. Then it asks me for a key provided by the old computer. There is no key. I've seen nothing from either computer in the way of a key. Great. I start the whole thing over again and go to bed.
Miraculously, the next morning the transfer is complete. This is awesome. As I try to figure out where all the data went (Vista Windows Explorer's layout is, at least at this point, very unfamiliar) I start to notice something very bad. That 3/4 of data I thought hadn't made it over to the new computer had. Even better, the Easy Transfer Wizard didn't write over the matching files during the second transfer, but instead attached a "(1)" to the end of the file names and made another copy. I have lots of music and photo files. Now I have twice as much.
Vista also features System Restore, so I figured this could be my salvation. Restore my system and start from scratch. Not so much. It sort of resets your system, except for any data or settings you transferred. Fat lot of good that does me (and, as it turns out, it bombed anyway for some reason I have chosen to block from my memory). There's no way in hell I'm going to go though and manually delete all the dups, so I decide to delete as much of the data transferred I can find and do it again. Which I do. And the wizard chokes again at about 3/4 complete. This is where the swearing really starts.
The Easy Transfer Wizard is neither easy, nor does it really transfer well, and I've concluded that it is one of those evil Wizards, like Saruman, who you go to for help and he turns on you and leaves you stranded on the roof of his tower. You know the type. At this point I figure I'll just cut my losses, figure out what data didn't transfer, network my computers and transfer the rest that way.
To be fair, I have networked my computers successfully, at least in terms of getting them access to the Internet. (Well, one computer is convinced that the connection is not secure, which it is. I think.) But when I look at my network, it (Vista, my computer, whatever) doesn't show the other computers connected, which naturally means I can't go to those other files and transfer them, and at this point I have given up, for now. I've been away from my email and Quicken for too long, so I go to set them up instead. Hey, guess what else doesn't load successfully in Vista?
On top of it all, I've got a cold. Bleh!
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