Sign of Spring
Went for a walk at lunch and spotted my first robin of spring. He was hunting for worms when I snapped this shot.
Spring is really in the air, it is in the mid 50’s right now. I know there will be a few more cold days before this winter is over, but at least there is hope.
New Battery
Probably the only problem I had with our netbook was the battery life. The keyboard, screen, storage, expandability, aesthetics, and speed were just fine. Luckily, unlike some fruit named manufacturers, Lenovo allows you to swap out the battery easily. So, out with the 3 cell and in with a 6 cell battery. 9 cells are available, but they add just too much bulk, and I really don’t need 8 to 10 hours of battery life. That’s a long time to stare at a 10” TFT screen. The results:
Old battery life, with WiFi on, less than 2 hours.
New battery life, with WiFi on, more than 4 hours.
Old battery life, WiFi off, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
New battery life, WiFi off, Over 5 hours.
It only adds 150 grams to the mass of the netbook and it raises up the back about a quarter of an inch. You end up with a little better typing angle, so that’s a plus in my book. It also still fits in the neoprene sleeve that I use to carry the netbook. With a rather reasonable investment, it turned a pretty good netbook into a great netbook.
What I love about the S10 is that it does not look or act like a netbook. It looks like a notebook, it feels like a notebook, especially with Ubuntu on here. Since Lenovo came out with netbooks after nearly everyone else, they learned from the mistakes of others and produced a refined, easy to use product that does not look or feel cheap or compromised and it is a rare netbook with an express card expansion slot.
As a side note, now I am on my second day without recharging the battery. I used it about two hours yesterday, and today it is still showing 3 hours remaining. I think I will keep using it until I get down to less than 5%.
Happy Birthday Wifey
Posted by Dave in Uncategorized on March 9, 2010
Happy Birthday my dear Tiffany!
You have brightened my life is so many ways and brought a beautiful boy into the world.
Enjoy your birthday will all of our love.
Daddy and Glenn.
Number 6
Posted by Dave in Uncategorized on March 5, 2010
My wireless router died and I had to replace it (No wired or wireless connections were working.) I purchased a standard ‘g’ router and got everything up and running, or so I thought. It was pretty laggy and just did not have the same speed as the last one. I fired up my netbook and ran Wifi Radar to see what other networks were out there, and what channel they were on. Turns out, almost the whole block is running channel number 6! I found out this is the default for wireless ‘g’ routers. Changed the channel to channel 3 and instantly my laginess went away and my speed more than doubled. So, the lesson learned is when setting up a new router, check to see what the neighbors are running and pick something at least 2 away from theirs. Sadly there are only 11 channels, so in a busy apartment building, this may just be a case of trying all the channels until one works for you.
Couple of neat Linux applications
I have been trying to expand my software toolbox and I came across 2 really useful applications.
First up is k9copy, which is available for KDE 3 and 4. It is a simple, easy to use DVD backup solution. Basically put a DVD in, and it will ask you if you want to keep all the original menus, titles, etc. and even automatically recommend compression factors for the video information. It makes backing up 8.5 gig to 4.7 gig DVD’s a breeze. No obtuse command lines or hand calculating things. It even shows a preview window as it works, so you can see where you are at visually. Really, a nice, stand out program.
The second is a web browser, Midori available for Linux and possibly Windows, but I have not tried the Windows version. It is based on GTK2 and the webkit redering engine (Like Safari, Konqueror, et al.) It is a nice cross between Firefox and Opera, complete with the speed dial and add ons. It is not perfect, but it is pretty quick and easy to use. Flash rendering seems better and the memory footprint is about 90% smaller than Firefox running all the bells and whistles.
So if you are Linux and KDE user. give them a try. Both programs are available for Mandriva and Ubuntu, so your distro should have an up to date version as well.
Changing tastes in reading
I have always been a big fan of science fiction novels. When I was young, I read my ABC’s, Asimov, Bradbury, and Clark. Now, trying to go back and read them, particularly Asimov, I am just shocked how poorly the stories and books are written. The characters are flat caricatures doing nothing more than problem solving. In his later novels, it got a little better, but not by much.
About 15 years ago, I started reading William Gibson. Wow, what a difference. Characters that are human beings and a world that feels real, not like a stage. If you have never tried a Gibson novel, start with the original, Neuromancer. It is a pretty easy read, with rich landscapes and just cool, but troubled characters. His most recent novels, set in the present, are not quite as good, but at least you have nine novels set in the future to read first.
About two and a half years ago, I started reading Phillip K. Dick. Amazing stuff, you can really see why so many movies have been based on his short stories (Bladerunner, Total Recall, Paycheck, and others). The characters are always interesting, and the plots make you really think about life and what it means to be human. Nearly everything is a short story, but there a few novels. Most are disturbingly possible.
There are few one-off authors I will add to the list as I go through my library.
Social networking sucks ass
I hate them all, Facebook, Linkedin, myspace. They all suck monkey balls and you could not pay me enough money to join them again. If you want to contact me, pick up the fucking phone or e-mail me.
Lost skills
Lost skills.
Getting close to 36 now makes me think of the skills lost between my generation and the the kids growing up now. Here are a few I can think of:
Use a command line interface for a computer. I would venture to guess many people would have no idea what to do with a plain screen with nothing more than a blinking cursor asking them what to do. No mouse, no GUI. When I first learned computers, true GUI’s were a few years off, and practical ones quite a way off, or just very expensive.
Use a typewriter. This goes far beyond typing. You have to know how to format and organize a page, along with knowing how to spell, well. You also have to know how to load the paper, change the ink ribbon, and clear jams (on manual versions).
Use a phonograph. CD’s came out when I was young, but I remember a time with nothing more than records and tapes. You have to treat them with respect and not drop the needle like a caveman on the record or scratch it across.
Make a mix tape. In the days before iTunes, computers, etc. you had to dub tapes manually or dub from records (or the radio) to tapes. MP3’s and CD’s killed this off.
Use a VRC. Between programming the time and programs to record (while checking how much tape you have left) it was a black art when it was new. Now, I think it probably a lost art.
Use a rotary phone. They were already getting rare when I was young, but they were still around. Patience is key here.
Read maps/learn how to use spoken directions. Some people have a hard time with maps, but it is still a good skill to know if a solar flare takes out the GPS system for days or weeks, or the battery just plain dies.
How to make soapbox racers. You really don’t see these much anymore. Even when I was a kid, our family was probably the exception.
How to fix things. Things have gotten very disposable or just easier to pay someone to fix it. Be it the kitchen blender or a computer. You used to have to fix it yourself, and you usually had the tools to do it. Now, manufacturers (Apple, I am looking at you) won’t even let you change the darn battery without risking damaging the case of their precious products.
How to read a paper book. Our attention spans have gotten very short and we have the strange need to annotate things as we are reading them. How about we just read them with no distractions.
How to single task. I really enjoy doing one thing at a time, but we are so tuned to multitasking, we forget the simple joy of doing one task and doing it well. Next time you go out for a drive, try doing it alone, with no cell phone or radio or GPS. Just you and the car. It is a very different experience.
How to polish shoes. It is a skill easily regained, but most people never polish their shoes. Trust me Kiwi still makes shoe polish in little tins and sells the hog’s bristle brushes that work as well now as they did 100 years ago.
How to purchase and hide pornographic magazines. Nowadays, it is as easy clearing your browser history or starting a private tab, but in the old days, you had to 1) find a way to obtain them 2) Find a decent hiding spot. Truly a lost art.
How to start a car in winter with a carburetor. Pump twice, turn key, hold throttle at 50% until the automatic choke kicks in. If it floods, take off the air filter cover and hold open the choke plates and try again. Anyone remember using ether to start their cars? I do, winter of 92 and 93.
Feel free to add what has changed between when you were a kid and now.
Cheap Stuff
Posted by Dave in General Comments, Life on March 12, 2010
Buying the cheapest does not work for me. I have tried, so many times, to get the least expensive version of something, but I end up disappointed. I end up spending more time trying to fix or exchange the item than actually using it. Here are my personal examples:
So much time and money wasted, when I could of just bought the better version of something. That is not to say sometimes the cheapest version will not work just fine. If it does for you, more power to you. Some things don’t really seem to be much different quality, no matter the price, like blank DVD’s, most clothes and toiletries. It all depends how you use an item, I guess. I try not abuse anything that I own, but I expect it to at least meet some minimum standards. However, I am opposed to ‘buying the best’ since ‘the best’ is usually 10 times more expensive and works 5% better than the mid tier version of something. A little more money spent up front more than makes up for the lack of heartache later.
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