Guru Meditation #00000004.0000AAC0
Internet
Google ‘Chromium’ Video
Nov 20th
Looks like Microsoft may be facing some actual competition. If Google can make an OS based on Linux that Grandma can use, well, we might have a game changer.
If everything takes place in the browser… think of what’s possible… go ahead. I’ll wait.
But then, think of what’s not possible. I’ll wait for that too, If you like. I can see Chrome OS filling a little bit of a void, but it’s not going to get rid of your desktop PC anytime soon. With no local storage, and no local apps, specialty applications like video and audio editing won’t be going anywhere else, anytime soon.
What I do like about Chrome OS is that it could possibly give users the look and feel of a Linux-based system. And I think that’s good for everyone. Except Microsoft.
You know they had to cringe when they heard the line “Well, maybe we don’t need this anymore.”
New WV area code and Windows dial-up
Mar 3rd
Now that West Virginia is getting the new 681 area code, some Internet dial-up users are finding themselves in a pickle… Not only is the new 10-digit dialing a requirement for us, it’s also a requirement for our computers.
As a friend pointed out to me last night, most people around here have set up their computers to dial only the last seven digits of their ISP’s dial-up number. (623-xxxx) Well, effective February 28, all 10 digits must be dialed, including the area code. For a quickie guide to setting this up, look below. (Of course, if you can’t get on the Internet, how are you reading this?) 
For Windows XP and Windows Vista, the fix is basically the same. These screenshots are from Vista, but the steps for XP are just the same:
Go to the Windows Control Panel and double-click “Phone and Modem Options”
The “Phone and Modem Options” window appears. (Imagine that!)
If you already have a location titled “My Location” you’re on your way! Not all dial-up software is the same, and some do not use the Windows modem options to configure their dialing. Hopefully, yours will. If you have a “My Location” line like mine above, click on “Edit…” If not, click “New…” (Though I can’t guarantee you that this will work for you. If you don’t have a location to start with, your software probably doesn’t use Windows to configure the modem. Sorry!)
If this is a new location, you’ll have to give it a Location name. “My Location” is just fine. Or, you can make up your own. Once you’ve reached the above screen, click on the “Area Code Rules” tab.
You may have an existing rule for 304. If you do, select it and click “Edit…” If you do not have an existing rule for 304, click “New…” Either way, you will reach this screen:
If the Area Code field is empty, type 304 in there. Here is the key step: Click the box beside “Include the area code.” That should be all there is to resolving this problem! Click OK three times to get out of there!
And, hopefully, you will be back online.
President 2.0? Interesting article…
Nov 24th
How Will Obama Now Use the Internet Army He Built?
http://www.newsweek.com/id/170347
Obama harnessed the grass-roots power of the Web to get elected. How will he use that power now?
This is a good little article. I think this issue deserves some attention because a lot of people who helped elect Obama expect to continue to be involved. But I can also understand the fine line that now must be walked by former campaign managers and staffers who now find themselves working for the president-elect.
The rules have certainly changed. Things like transparency and data-retention are serious issues that are complex but need to be addressed.
If I were Obama, I wouldn’t give up my Blackberry. I would certainly be very judicious about how I used it though. It’ll be most interesting to see how he will be able to use the small army of volunteers and “Facebook followers” that have been built up over the past two years. You see, it’s great that President-elect Obama uses technology to establish a two-way communication between the governed and the government, but he also doesn’t want to create a fundamental gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Believe it or not, there are still people who don’t spend their days YouTubing.
There is a lot of potential here. But the right balance has to be struck, and that little ballet will be entertaining to watch.
Playing with Utterz…
Sep 5th
This is my first utter on Utterz. I use jaiku pretty often, and I’m going to give this a try. I’d especially like to see how this “Cross Posting” concept works. I’m expecting this to show up in about three places. Let’s see what happens.
Mobile post sent by JasonTM13 using Utterz. Replies.
Internet For Everyone
Jun 25th
Vint Cerf, often called the “father of the Internet,” shares his thoughts about access to the Internet, specifically broadband access, and how that relates to future technological innovations.
A few slight changes…
Dec 10th
Well, once again, I couldn’t leave well enough alone and I had to mess with this website. Actually, I was getting error messages that I couldn’t resolve, plus I couldn’t upgrade to the latest edition of Wordpress, and I couldn’t get the “pretty permalinks” to work, and, well, basically I had to take the whole site down and bring it back up again from scratch. Whew!
Anyway, I know there are some links that need updated that will currently point you in the wrong direction. And the sidebars aren’t “complete” but I will have it all back soon.
Okay. Videos are now Flash.
Nov 20th
I’ve decided to convert all the videos to Flash format. That makes them viewable on just about everything, including the Wii. Also, I eliminated the “squish” problem I would have had by re-running all the videos back through Pinnacle Studio and outputting them in a widescreen format. Then, I ran them through Riva FLV Encoder to get them to Flash format. Whew!
Torn between two codecs
Oct 27th
Well, I’m trying to decide if I should convert all my wmv (windows media) files over to flv (flash movie) files. I know this is just a techie decision, but it’s bugging me.
There are pros and cons to converting:
Pros:
1. More compatability. I can play flv’s right on the Wii, and by simply downloading Adobe flash player on a Linux box. (No Microsoft codecs required.)
2. I can “force” 16×9 by modifying my config file, but that’s also a con–all my videos go to 16×9, including the ones that are really 4×3. (So everyone looks fat.)
3. I like the flv player.
Cons:
1. The quality seems to be a little worse than wmv. Things are a little blockier…
2. The file sizes are bigger too. For a resolution that is close (320×240) the file size jumps about 15%.
3. I can click anywhere in the timeline in the wmv and it will just start “buffering” at that point. The flv will only play what’s been downloaded.
So, I’m stuck… Do I sacrifice a little quality and convenience to get the benefit of compatability? Stick around to find out.
- Posted by MobiBlogr from mobile phone.
A Slight Change…
Apr 25th
Today I made a couple of modifications to my site. Hopefully they are improvements. Just a couple of little minor things, but nice nonetheless:
- The site should (honestly!) load faster now when jumping from page to page. I took some of the information (events, Idol blog, weather, etc.) off of all the other sub-pages, and left it only on the home page. This should seriously help performance.
- Added a “Jaiku” presence badge on the right-hand sidebar of the home page. Jaiku is like twitter. Of course, now I have to describe what twitter is, so why did I say that? Anyway, the idea behind twitter and Jaiku is like an online presence locator. It lets people know if you’re online and what you’re doing. You can update with whatever info you like. I have yet to get Jaiku working with my cell phone and I think twitter would probably work easier, so I’m not committed to Jaiku totally yet. However, it looks to me as if Jaiku has a good grip on the possibilities…
So there. There hasn’t been a whole lot of excitement lately. The kids have had a lot of soccer/T-ball practices and the weather has been nice, so I haven’t been inside enough to post! Not complaining though. I am so glad spring is here!
