Microsoft Windows Automatic Updates Broke My Computer
May 16, 2007 Posted by Tara in : Microsoft, Tips , 4 commentsWell, not really. What it did do was cause my machine to hang and prompt a system error that garbled all of the text on my screen. I called my friendly tech support team and they came to the rescue, but I decided to delve a bit deeper into the problem to see what others people’s experiences were.
It turns out that 5 other people at my company had that exact problem, and that was just at my company alone. Think of all of the hundreds of thousands of users out there having the exact same problem. If you are like me, when the Microsoft pop-up prompts me to “run automatic updates,” I just comply, fearing that if I don’t my computer will be vulnerable to all of the nastiness that can affect one’s machine. (more…)
Things That The Internet Made Obsolete
May 14, 2007 Posted by Jeff in : Opinion , 5 comments
I was sitting down tonight enjoying a cigar, listening to Internet radio, and I started thinking of how the Internet has changed our lives. However, in my usual way, I looked at it from a different angle. I decided to make a short list of things that the Internet has made obsolete.
1. Records and CDs: These are the most obvious thing. From the moment I first used Napster way back when, I realized that this was the end of record companies as we then knew them. I was loosely involved in the record business at the time, when I was doing some remixes. I realized that after I completed a remix, I could just make an MP3 and make it available on Napster. At that point, I made a handful of unauthorized remixes and put them on Napster. They were a hit. Wow! It blew my mind. Now we see major record store chains closing their doors as people prefer to pick the songs they like from any album they like from places like iTunes. (more…)
How-to: Build your server for the future
May 13, 2007 Posted by Jeff in : DIY, How-to, New Products , add a commentMay 8th: Official Crazy Day
May 10, 2007 Posted by Liz in : Humor , add a commentStory #1
Me: Hi, how can I help you?
Extremely Annoying Valley Girl Chick: My laptop, like, totally stops working when it’s not plugged in. (more…)
How-to: Find “lost” Windows Vista Drivers when adding a new device
May 9, 2007 Posted by Liz in : How-to, Microsoft , 21 commentsWhen trying to install a new device (like a USB mouse, printer, video card, etc.), Windows Vista might report that there is “no driver found for you device [sic]” and/or will not display the pre-installed Vista OEM drivers. Even by manually selecting the driver, you will still get the “no driver found…” error. This also tends to happen with HP printers (as we know their drivers are bulky and complex). You will get a red X at the end or it won’t find the drivers - again.
This is caused by a corrupted INFCACHE.1 file. This file is hidden, has restricted access, and can be found in “c:\windows\inf”. This file stores the location of drivers and their INF files. (more…)
Why I ♥ FeedBurner
May 8, 2007 Posted by Bryan in : Opinion, Reviews , add a commentI’ll tell you up front, it’s not just because they chose us for last Friday’s Publisher Buzz. (But they did.)
Really, it’s just because they’re so damn cool in every way possible.
FeedBurner is a free, web-based RSS service. From a webmaster’s perspective, it allows you to simplify the distribution of your site’s feed and track stats regarding the number of readers that subscribe to your site. For a fee you can also get more extensive stat tracking. From a reader’s perspective, using a FeedBurner feed essentially ensures compatibility with whatever feedreader you use, whether it is web-based, a part of your browser, or a standalone program. (more…)
Snazzy New Uninterruptible Power Supply from APC
May 7, 2007 Posted by Jeff in : Reviews , add a commentI was pleased to see the datasheet on the new APC Back-UPS RS 1300. It’s the latest backup power offering for small office/home office computing from APC. In addition to the genuinely reliable APC base circuitry they are world famous for, I was happy to see the new features added to their already stable and reliable designs.
Kickin’ it old school with Radica Games TV Legends Tetris
Posted by Tara in : Reviews , 1 comment so farMy partner and I are obsessed with Tetris. You will find us up late into the night with our eyes peeled open, glued to the TV as we battle it out on the Xbox, hurling obscenities at each other every time one of us gets to the next level. Tetris is the most popular game worldwide, after all, and in my opinion is as addictive as crack (or my crack, which is actually caffeine). I have been a Tetris fan for so long that I used to play it on old school Nintendo, the version that used to spit out Russian-themed music, c’mon, you remember it, don’t you?Â
Well, Tetris has evolved over the years and is available on every game system and computer there is. When I saw that my favorite toymaker, Radica Games, sells a TV Legends version, I had to have it. I wasn’t expecting much – it’s a plug and play, so I knew the graphics would be bad and it would extremely simplistic (hence the name “Legends”), but I didn’t care. It’s enough that it said Tetris on it.
How-to: Fix your Flash in a flash
May 6, 2007 Posted by Liz in : How-to , add a commentHas your Flash stopped working on YouTube or Newgrounds or some other such site of funnery? Here’s how to fix it whether your computing style is “British royalty” or “Vlad the Impaler.” (more…)
Accessorize Your Wii: Penguin United component cables and Sports Bundle
May 4, 2007 Posted by Beth in : Contests, Reviews , 2 commentsI love my Wii. It’s so cute, I just want to dress it up in little outfits and carry it in a bag like a twee lil’ dog. Since they don’t currently sell clothing accessories for the Wii, I figured I’d try some accessories that are available, sent to me by Penguin United (they also sell accessories for the PS3, Xbox 360, and DS Lite).
Penguin United sent me four items to review. I’m still testing the rechargeable battery set, so look for that review in the future, but here’s my thoughts on the other “accessowiis”:
24K Gold Plated Nintendo Wii Component Cable
This cable rocks. Since the Wii only supports up to 480p display resolution, it seems like it wouldn’t make that much of a difference if you used the standard cable or an enhanced cable. However, when I switched my Wii from the standard OEM cable to this gold-plated cable, the difference was immediately apparent. Lines were sharper and blacks seemed blacker. I also took the cable over to my sister’s house to test with their HDTV, and the difference was clear there too. It’s hard to tell in these crappy photos I took of my TV, but with the Wii-packaged cable, the blue line is kind of pixelated. With the gold-plated cable, the line is much smoother.
