It’s Only Rock-n-Roll Camp June 27, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging.Tags: Blog, Superman, Vacation
add a comment
…But I like it.
Well, that’s it for me today; I’m on vacation. I’ve blessed the servers and locked up all the evil IT villains I can. This is going to be a great vacation.
I’ve still got to take a nap, pack, get in a quick run, and take shower before our red-eye back east (no hard feelings, Superman – you are still the ultimate superhero).
I’m not sure what my posting schedule will be while I’m away. I’ll try to get at least a couple of posts up, though.
GM Shares Sink to Lowest Level Since 1955 June 26, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Business, News.Tags: GM, Goldman Sachs, Stock Market, Stocks
add a comment
I know this is a tech blog, but one of my other interests is the stock market. So the “geniuses” at Goldman Sachs downgraded shares of GM to Sell. The stock hit a 53 year low today: GM was the same price today that it was in 1955. According to Reuters, GM has dropped 38% just in the last month “as more evidence has piled up that U.S. auto sales weakened further in June, raising doubts about the prospect for the second-half recovery that GM and other major automakers had anticipated.”
Now if I’m a client of Goldman Sachs, which I’m not, and an owner of GM shares – again, I’m not – I’d have to be wondering why I’m paying Goldman for their research. They couldn’t figure out last fall that the weakening economy, the increasingly tightening credit situation, an uncertain job market, to name a few, just might not be a good thing for GM and the auto makers? Why not issue the sell rating then? Perhaps Goldman Sachs just wanted to be sure that GM shares would tank before scaring their clients. Or perhaps they just didn’t have the stones to make such a bold rating. After all, Wall Street firms rarely issue sell ratings on companies they follow.
I’m no stock analyst, and I do better in the market by investing in mutual funds and adding to them each month, but if shares of the company are already way, way down, why issue a sell rating? I mean, it’s like waiting for your plane to crash, and then ejecting.
Intel: No Reason to Upgrade to Vista June 26, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, News, Technology.Tags: Intel, Microsoft, Technology, Vista, Windows, XP
add a comment
Intel has decided not to upgrade its computers to Microsoft’s Windows Vista. “Intel information technology staff just found no compelling case for adopting Vista,” an unnamed Intel source said.
“No compelling case.” Wow! This is a huge blow to Microsoft, and another strike against its much-maligned OS. Intel and Microsoft are tight partners, so this can’t be good for Microsoft’s efforts to get companies to adopt Vista. Consumers and small business don’t have much choice: they get the OS that ships with a new machine, or pay extra to have Windows XP installed in place of Vista.
I wonder if this means Intel is going to be switching to the OS of a new partner; an OS “X-factor,” perhaps. Nah, probably not. Intel is going to wait for Windows 7, just like a bunch of other Windows shops.
So You Want to be a Superhero June 25, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, How To, Technology.Tags: Help Desk, IT, Superhero, Tech Support, Technology, Users
add a comment
I spend a lot of time doing research on the Internet. As the network administrator for a small company, I’m charged with doing a lot of different things, which, as they say, makes me master of nothing. So when problems arise, it’s likely that I don’t know the answer off the top of my head.
In the course of my research, I often read items in forums. Often – too often, in fact – there’s someone posting an answer in a forum that thinks he has provide a little sarcasm with his answer. Sure the answer my be correct, but having the right answer sometimes isn’t everything.
What makes me a superhero at my job is not simply providing answers to my users, but answering and solving their IT problems with a positive attitude. I try my best not to make users feel stupid for asking, well stupid questions. And I always try my best to provide service with a smile. Simply by being positive and upbeat, I’ve earned the trust and respect of my users.
You can have all the answers and be prompt and responsive, but if people don’t like your attitude, they won’t seek your help. My wife sometimes calls me for tech support with things like Excel questions, because the IT staff at her company takes forever to respond to help desk calls, and they aren’t very personable when they do respond. Unfortunately, some IT people want to just tinker with technology and not be bothered by the users. But like it or not, the people – the users – are why the technology exists, and supporting the users are why the IT guys and gals are employed.
Becoming an IT superhero is not difficult: You just need to truly care about your users. And when you honestly care about your users, they’ll know it. The more you work with them, talk to them, get to know them, the more your status as a superhero will increase.
Still Battling the Bad Tape Drive June 25, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Technology.Tags: Dell, Internet, Life, Technology
add a comment
I’m getting nowhere with my bad backup tape drive. And man, oh, man, was I mistaken when I said replacement drives don’t cost that much. Let me just say, that a whole new LTO deck will cost about $1800 more than just a SDLT drive, and the new unit will be under warranty, too.
HR had some stuff on the SDLT tapes, but they said they could re-create those documents, so no problems there with tape compatibility. Hold on a minute! I got a Help Desk ticket just this morning from a user who has lost some calendar items from Outlook. Crap! My Exchange data is also on the SDLT tapes.
So the dilemma is: New tape deck, LTO drive, incompatible with old tapes. Or. New tape drive, still no warranty, can use old tapes.
Oh yeah, and the CTO wants this here by Friday before I go on vacation. That, my friends, ain’t gonna happen.
.Mac: Key Features Make It Worthwhile June 25, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Internet, Mac, Technology.Tags: Apple, iDisk, Life, Mac, Network Storage, Technology, Windows
add a comment
I decided to take the plunge and get Apples’ .Mac service, which will soon become the Mobile Me service. I was at Best Buy last night, and the Apple guy explained and demonstrated some of the benefits of the service. I had visited the .Mac website and read about the features before, but seeing them in action sealed the deal. A big hat tip to the Apple Genius, Ames, for showing me what .Mac can do. If you’re in Colorado, stop in and visit him at the Park Meadows Best Buy store.
One of the features that I wasn’t aware of with .Mac was the backup feature. Now it’s unfortunate that Mac users have to subscribe to .Mac to get this feature-rich back up application, but the backup application by itself was a huge selling point for me. Not only can you backup your files to you iDisk, but you can also backup to optical media, and then continue backing up to optical media incrementally. In this way, I can initially backup my entire iTunes library to CD, and then, say on a monthly basis, back up any new songs or videos that I’ve added to iTunes since the last backup.
Apples’ Time Capsule will do backups using Time Machine, and can double as network storage. With the .Mac service, I can use iDisk as network storage and be able to access files from anywhere that I have an Internet connection. I have a spreadsheet on my MacBook that I use to track my budget and personal cash flow. There are times when I’d like to be able to access that spreadsheet when I’m at work. With iDisk I can access the spreadsheet, make changes to it, and when I save the changes, the file is updated on iDisk. I’ve tried services like, Box.net, but I have to download the file, and then upload a different version of the file to caputer the changes.
Apple has a utility for Windows XP that will allow you to access your iDisk through Windows Explorer. It sets up your iDisk like a network drive. You can drag and drop files, or open and save files right from this network drive.
There’s some other cool features of .Mac that I’m likely to take advantage of, too, such as photo sharing. If you’re using .Mac, add a comment and let me know how you’re using it.
Vactionitis June 24, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Technology.Tags: Technology, Vacation
add a comment
I hate the week leading up to a vacation. I don’t want to start anything new, because I don’t want anything to be open while I’m out. And since I’m an IT superhero, I don’t have much in the way of loose end to tie up. I’ve printed out my airline e-tickets, my rental car reservation, directions from the airport to hotel by the beach.
So I’m rather bored. I think I’ll go break some stuff and see how long it takes the users to call and report it — maybe I can make a game of it. Of course, I’ll need to make sure I write down what I do, so I can fix it back in a jiff. And I’ll need to make sure it’s not something too difficult to fix. That’s the other problem: I’m bored, but I don’t feel like working real hard either.
Well, I gotta go break some stuff now. If I do it right, I can elevate my superhero status while I’m at it.
Beatles: Coming to Game Console Near You? June 23, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Music, News, Technology.Tags: Guitar Hero, Music, Rock Band, The Beatles, Video Games
1 comment so far
How cool would it be to “play” some of The Beatles songs in the hit video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band? CNET is reporting, by way of the Financial Times, that Apple Corps and EMI which represent The Beatles, the business, and own their recordings could be in talks with game makers Activision and MTV Games to bring The Beatles to the popular music-simulation video games.
Representatives of The Beatles and the video game publishers aren’t commenting on an impending deal, however.
The move, which the Finicial Times reports could be done within the coming weeks, would mark a change in direction of the digital rights for The Beatles’ recordings. Beatles fans and digital music users have been teased many times before that The Beatles catalog would be available online, but no deals have yet been reached to allow any of the popular music downloads sites to offer Beatles tracks. So having The Beatles in Guitar Hero and Rock Band would be big, and possibly remove any remaining roadblocks to digital tracks of Beatles songs.
I’m just eagerly awaiting the next release of Rock Band, whether The Beatles are on there or not.
Superman Not Renting Out the Fortress of Solitude June 22, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Humor, Off-Topic, Technology.Tags: Fortress of Solitude, Superhero, Superman, Vacation
1 comment so far
I’m going on vacation soon; even superheroes need some time to decompress.
A few months ago when I was planning this vacation, I called up Superman, and said, “Hey could I use the Fortress of Solitude for a week or so end of June/beginning of July timeframe? I’ll even pay you some rent.” Superman was like, “No, I’m having the place fumigated while there’s plenty of daylight.” So I said, “What? Fumigated? What kind of bugs do you get at the friggin’ Arctic?” And he says, “Well, I’m also having it deep cleaned, and it just wouldn’t be a good time.” I was like, “Dude, if you don’t want me to use it, just say so, but fumigation at the Arctic and deep cleaning, com’on.”
Then starts in on me, “All you everyday heroes think you need to vacation at the Fortress. I’m friggin’ Superman, the most awesome superhero, and I need a place to escape and recharge. I mean, why don’t you just take the kiddies to Disney World, for crying out loud!?” I said, “Dude, I was just asking. But I guess you’re spending a lot of time up there, yourself, because the crime rate keeps rising, and there’s still terrorism and all.”
There was a long pause, and I said “Superman? I’m sorry, dude. That was mean. I know you’re busy rescuing all those kittens stuck in trees back there in Metropolis!”
I don’t think I’m getting invited back to Fortress of Solitude.
The Best Cup of Coffee You can Make June 21, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Off-Topic.Tags: Coffee, Mr. Coffee, French Press
add a comment
My Mr. Coffee coffee maker stopped working a while back. It started taking longer and longer to brew a pot, and the coffee began to taste bitter. I experimented with different grinds; some finer, some more course. Oh, and it leaked if I put more than 8 and a half cups of water in the reservoir. But ultimately I decided that it was time for a new one, which was kind of a bummer, since I’d only had the Mr. Coffee for about a year.
In my quest for another maker, I looked at a number of different models on Amazon. I like reading user comments about various products that I’m interested in, and have had some good luck purchasing items that have gotten favorable reviews.
I found several coffee makers that were highly rated. However, even some of the highly rated ones had a hand full of negative comments that made some strong arguments against a particular model.
My wife suggested that I research a French Press coffee maker, and initially I was skeptical. A French press is basically a glass beaker with a plunger. You put your ground coffee in the beaker, add some hot water, and let the coffee and water steep together for three or four minutes.
After reading some web sites about French Press coffee makers, I decided to give one a try. I found an eight-cup maker at Starbucks for about $30.
From the very first pot I brewed with it, I have been in love my French press. I get a delicious, rich, full-flavored cup of coffee, that I was never able to get with any drip maker that I had.
So if you love great tasting coffee, consider a French Press.
Web sites about French Press coffee makers:
