debcook

February 17th, 2009 is the final day that analog signals will be seen on televisions all over our country. This is not breaking news but it is still important to spread the word.

Anyone with a television that can receive a digital signal will not have a problem. Anyone that has a television connected to a subscription service – whether cable or satellite will not have a problem. What about that little television in the guest room? If it is an analog (not digital) television - yes, it will have a problem. All that will be seen is fuzz and all that will be heard is static.

There is still plenty of time to get a TV Converter Box. Two $40 coupons can be obtained to offset the cost of these boxes by filling out a short application. Once you apply for the coupons it will take about two weeks to receive them. The $40 coupons can be used toward the purchase of TV Converter Boxes at major retailers as well as over the phone or online.

Enjoy a digital television signal now. As soon as you have a TV Converter Box in your home plug your analog television into it. There is no reason to wait until the deadline.

You just want to text some messages, take a few pics, send an instant message or two, type some emails and keep track of your social calendar. Oh yes, and you want to call your BF (best friend). That’s not asking too much is it? Absolutely not – and before I forget – you don’t want to pay much for it.

Everybody does not want a device that does everything. They simply want a device that does what they want to do. If that device makes what they want to do easier you have a home run on your hands.

The AT&T Pantech Slate may be that device. It is one centimeter slim. Do you know how skinny that is? A paper clip is approximately one centimeter wide. That is almost exactly what the iPhone 3G measures.

Remember – some people don’t need all features ever loaded onto a cell phone. The 2.2” screen is not bad and the Slate had me at the QWERTY keyboard. There is a calendar but it is no Windows Mobile.

If you want to look like you have a cool phone but not have to pay a mint for a cool phone the Pantech Slate should fill the bill. However, the required call package is as pricey as any of those really cool phones.

My PDF file-writing software is one of the most important software programs on my computer. Reading PDF files is easy – nearly every computer has the free Adobe PDF reader installed. Once I installed my Adobe PDF writing software my computer world changed.

I do not mean to be too dramatic but writing a PDF file makes my life so much simpler. Every time I make an online payment or need to save a web page I “print” a PDF document file. Reports from my QuickBooks saved as a PDF file freezes the information at that moment. If any computer file changes whether online or offline I have my original copy.

Why is that important? The best example is QuickBooks files. If even one digit is changed within the program – every report updates with the new information. If a mistake is made it is virtually impossible to backtrack to the point that the change took place.

PDF files give you an exact copy of a photo or written document. Colors and layout stay the same. If you want to email a document it is easy to attach a PDF file knowing that the recipient will be able to open it. The file will be sized correctly and can be printed out on a single sheet of printer paper.

Very seldom will I print out a hard copy of a file. Unless I need to carry it somewhere it is left as a digital PDF file. If I need a hardcopy later it is always available to me.

PDF writing software is more abundant than it used to be. Some scanner software includes the ability to write PDF files and there are other (sometimes free) software that can be downloaded from the Internet.

Have you missed a favorite television show while away from home? You do not have to miss it. I am not talking about recording it – I am talking about watching it in real time.

My Slingbox keeps me from feeling deprived when I have to work long hours away from home. I have always felt that work would not be so bad if it were more like home. Watching television is one of my favorite pastimes and as long as I have a desktop, my laptop or even my cell phone I do not have to leave it behind.

The Slingbox simply connects a television and home network together and allows the television channels (or recorded programs) to be broadcast to a remote device. You can control the channels by an on screen remote control. It is very cool that any channel that can be seen at home can be seen anywhere in the world – as long as you can connect to your home network.

There is no extra cost beyond the Slingbox and your home setup, which would include a television, cable or satellite subscriptions and computer network. That is true for a desktop or laptop computer. There is however a one-time charge for the cell phone’s Slingbox Mobile software and usage charges from the carrier.

If you like watching television as much as I do get a Slingbox. I can still remember the way I felt the first time I saw my television on my computer at work. I felt like I finally had a little piece of home away from home.

Wacom tablets are one of those gadgets that look cool enough to invent a reason to have one. People that work in the graphics industry find that their work is made easier with the digital tablet and the various pens that work with it. I am not a graphics artist but I would still like to have a Wacom Tablet.

Control of details is the alluring thing for me. I have tried in the past to outline an object in a photo to digitally “cut” it away from the background. A computer mouse worked well on straight lines but once the edges curved it was all over. Writing with a computer mouse reminds me of elementary school days when I first learned to write with a pencil.

Working on a Microsoft Word document with a Wacom tablet seems like overkill but that is not to say that it cannot be done. In fact some Wacom pens work much like an ordinary computer mouse. The Wacom software allows you to set up “Clicking” (both single and double) by touching the end of the pen to the pad.

People with Carpel Tunnel can often hold a Wacom Pen with less pain than with a computer mouse. Artists that learned to draw with pencil and pad learn quickly to draw on the computer instead. Other than drawing on the Wacom Pad and seeing the results on the screen there are similarities to the paper pad and pencil.

Another reason the Wacom Pad is so popular is that it works just as well on a Mac as it does on a PC. Bluetooth and USB connections make them very easy to work with and they come in different sizes which included 4” x 6” or the larger one measures 12” x 19”. Features on each size vary as well.

The price may bring an enamored gadget geek back to reality. You could easily spend hundreds of dollars so if you don’t have a specialized need for a Wacom Tablet maybe you don’t need one – yet.

The Cintiq is a Wacom Touchscreen monitor that works directly with a Wacom wireless pen. I could truly get used to one of these. The monitor can be used at any angle. Then if you prefer to work in a more comfortable position just remove the Cintiq from its base and hold it on your lap.

I am about to convince myself that I need one of these gadgets.

Waking up in the morning could be fun. Right about now you are thinking - what an oxymoron. I will try to convince you that there is more to early mornings than just an alarm clock.

Few bedrooms have a computer monitor close to the bedside. I am not saying that there should be but I for one would like to spend my first few waking minutes preparing my mind for the day to come.

A small wireless device call a “Chumby” can deliver your choice of information off the Internet. Custom wakeup alarms, news, weather, stock quotes and music is a mere drop in the proverbial bucket of the 800+ widgets available for the Chumby. Social networks are one of the available categories so you could stay in bed while reading the latest posts.

After paying the initial cost of the Chumby (about $180) the widgets are free and can be traded out at your whim. You can see and flip through the widgets on the Touchscreen and all that is needed in the addition to the Chumby itself is a wireless network.

Maybe one Chumby is not enough. I would like to have a Chumby at work as well. It would be great to glance up and get a snapshot of my favorite Internet sites without stopping my workflow.

You carry a laptop. The laptop is loaded with expensive software and private files that need to be kept from prying eyes. So how do you keep such an investment safe?

Notebook locks are a physical restraining device that literally attaches to the notebook to a stationary item such as a desk or pillar with a cable. A combination lock completes the security circle. Some cable locks have an alarm capability so that if the cable is cut you are immediately notified.

Use a laptop sleeve to protect your laptop inside an ordinary case or bag. Thieves are on the lookout for easy targets and a laptop bag is their first clue. You cannot keep your hands and eyes on a bag every minute. As soon as the bag is left vulnerable it only takes a second for it to disappear.

Laptop alarms help when the worst happens. Some can be set to sound off if the laptop bag is moved within a specified distance from a sensor that you keep in your pocket. You would have the opportunity to know what was taking place in time to take action.

If your laptop is stolen hopefully you have already installed tracking software on it. The theory is that if the thief lets the laptop connect to the Internet an alert is sent to you via email that helps you locate it.

One of the easiest ways to discourage a laptop thief is to put a sticker on it that is hard to remove. Stickers or tags can be purchased that have your information on it so the stolen laptop can be returned to you. Often selling the laptop is the intent so the stickers make it less appealing.

These devices are not very expensive. Well known companies such as Kinsington and Targus, sell products such as the ones mentioned above. Cable locks typically cost around $30 and one with an alarm would cost around $50. Tracking software (XTool and CyberAngle) is usually charged on a yearly fee basis – typically about $50-$60 per year. Specialty stickers (stoptheft) are usually about $10 each. All small investments when compared to the cost of a laptop and the data contained on it.

The holidays are drawing closer and we are already trying to figure out what to buy for those hard-to-buy-for people in our lives. Anyone that has a hobby often already has the tools they need. If they don’t you would probably not know about it.

I recently came across the SteriPen. This is a small device that sterilizes drinking water within 48 seconds by using UV rays. Anyone could use one of these gadgets, especially those that camp out in the wilderness. Couldn’t anyone use one of these in case of an emergency?

I use water filters at home and I drink distilled water away from home. No doubt I am interested in ways to have clean drinking water. In fact, ordinary tap water no longer tastes good to me. It may be a little over the top but the SteriPen may be handy to carry anywhere that bottled or filtered water is not available.

Although the SteriPen is touted to kill bacteria, viruses and protozoa I would not drink dirty water from a stream or river unless I had no other choice. However, being prepared is always a good thing.

Personally if I received a SteriPen as a gift I would think that was a good gift. It would be a great way to strike up a conversation when you have nothing else to say.

Does Google check the listings on their search engine to insure that the title matches the content? I am asking my readers to give me feedback on this subject.

A few days ago I mentioned this issue. I am really getting fed up. Internet research is getting more difficult every day. What happened to the rules that used to apply for getting your web site or article high in the Google ratings?

Vague search phrases have a better chance of returning vague results. I understand that garbage in = garbage out. But, if a specific topic such as Aerovation laptop bags were entered into the search box I would expect that the top results would be valid sites that either sell or reports on Aerovation laptop bags. Am I wrong?

Try it yourself to see if your results are the same as mine. Go to Google and type Aerovation laptop bag into the search box. My first result says “Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bag – Aerovation Products”. It even lists Aerovation.com as the referenced website. When I clicked it I was taken to the Dell website. So, I thought maybe Dell sells the Aerovation laptop bag so I entered Aerovation into the Dell search box. Guess what – absolutely no results for that term. At least Dell is not a sticky site.

I tried to research the topic “home office”. I typed Home Office into a Google search box. The first result – “Welcome to the Home Office” with the website homeoffice.gov.uk. When I clicked the title I was taken to an unrelated site.

As I write this post I am researching and telling you my results. HOLD ON – you will not believe this.

Now I notice that if I copy the referenced website listed at the bottom of the Google result and paste it into my browser’s title bar – I am taken to the correct website. Then if I open a new browser window, open up Google.com, type in the exact same phrase (Aerovation laptop bag) or (home office) I am taken to the correct website.

Apparently once the correct cookie is set on my computer I will be taken back to that particular “correct” website each time.

Please post a comment to this post if you have had the same thing happen to you when searching on the Google.com site. I can honestly tell you that this hi-jacking has happened to me almost every time I have entered a search phrase. I can also tell you that most of the time the hi-jack site is a sticky one.

Windows Mobile has been the number one pick for SmartPhone and PDA phone users when it comes to getting work done outside of the office. But, have you noticed how “not so much fun” comes along for the ride? Some cell phones are fun and some are nearly all work.

As a Windows Mobile user my self I can vouch for the fact that at some point fun will win out. My AT&T 8525 is now my PDA and an iPhone 3G is my primary cell phone. I desperately wanted to see real web pages on my phone. That’s where it all started. Then there is the GPS and although other phones have GPS as well it is just another notch on the iPhone’s belt. The calendar is fun – you know that little wheel is so different than anything else I’ve used before.

Communication wise there is not a lot of differences. Calls, texts and emails pretty much cover the bases.

It’s been said of so many things before but it is as true as ever in this situation – I wish someone would combine the two phones with the looks of one and the brains of the other.

Could it be that someone else has thought the same thing? After all, we are being teased with the idea that Microsoft is thinking about getting involved with “voice-controlled” applications for the iPhone. After the outcry for Enterprise support for the iPhone finally got recognized we could be hopeful that the outcry from us ordinary users will be heard as well.

If anyone out there is listening - it will be great when those Microsoft Office documents can be edited and not just seen. Is that a stretch of the imagination when Silverlight (Microsoft’s Flash alternative) will likely be used on the OS of Symbian phones? What about the rumor that Microsoft is getting involved with the HTC TouchFlo interface?

Keeping the hope alive is enough to keep me watching every move Microsoft makes towards making the Windows Mobile a more enjoyable experience.

Could it be that someone else has thought the same thing? After all, we are being teased with the idea that Microsoft is thinking about getting involved with “voice-controlled” applications for the iPhone. The iPhone eventually added Enterprise support so we can be hopeful that one day ordinary user’s requests will be heard as well

Windows Mobile is a great workhorse but when other cell phones offer more fun the heads of the loyal will turn in that direction. There is some evidence that Microsoft may be working on “voice controlled apps” for the iPhone. Could that mean that someday we will be able to use Windows Mobile in its entirety?