conference fun

I love going to conferences. Conferences are so much. I love getting all the plastic and foam products. I received about 9 flying discs. I also have 6 new hats, like I would really wear them anywhere. I also received a pile of business cards. I also received a few hundred bucks in software. I entered dozens of contest. The booth babes are always fun. I watched how they flirted with people. I guess sex does pays.

To Much Software

I am always amazed at how much software I have. My kids complain how many programs I run at one time. Right now I have 21 programs actively running.

I look at my applications folder. I have 4 drawing and graphic programs, at least five browsers, five or so video programs, four word processing programs, plus quicken, plus Financial Consolidation Software, plus several video viewing programs.

This list does not include all the utility programs. I just seem to collect these programs like crazy. Why do we do this?

Trends of the Future

I know the tech markerters go a long way with market research. Every so often I receive a 'survey' that asks about one thing or the another. However, they way some of these questions go . . . I think they are selling something rather then finding trends.

I have to confess that spotting trends is hard on a good day. So why not make your trends. If you do that and call it 'marketing' then you can take that off of taxes.

Cool Paint

Well I have to paint the house. It seems like that time of the year. And I have found the paint to use! There is a new paint that EMI Shielding for wi-fi networks.

Finally, no more have to deal with entering passwords or other rot. No WPA or WEP. An open network is much faster and now with this really new cool paint I do not have to deal with WEP or WPA.

Are you sure, you want to give that up

I love technology. I mean I love everything about it. However, there is major downside to all these wonderful gizmos like cameras. scanners, and Video Conferencing. England is leading the way.

They are putting all these data they can pile together into a monster database. Yes, England had the doomsday book and now it is on line. So will your own records, pet names, and travel locations. Do not give up your privacy for the smallest amount of protection. Let me tell you . . . if you give a mouse a cookie . . .

A dead hard drive.

I had a hard drive fail recently. Grrrr. This was just on the heels of a report from Google saying how hard drives fail more then we want to admit.

This is not the first HD to fail for me.

I am really bummed that Norton Utils for Mac is a dead product. I used to have all the codes memorized. Nothing has really replaced NUM. One thing to do when you have a suspected broken HD is to take your handy dandy stethoscopes in and listen to the ole' HD spin. IF there is no noise . . . bad news. Even your kids toy one works on this.

Here is to HDs with long and healthy lives. oops system error what?

The Sweet Spot

With the new operating systems of Vista we are finding that more and more computer memory is needed. Many people are suggesting unto four gigs is the apparent sweet spot for RAM.

I am using a Macintosh with two gigs and have yet to find a need for any more. Though, I will admit that if I had was able to have more, I would. I love RAM and use it up like crazy. I have noticed that with an average ten to fifteen programs opened I have yet to dive into virtual memory.

In any case, my basic suggestion is buy as much RAM as you can.