Windows home server corrupts your files

(Links to other sources are available in this article, and various links are also available in those...)

read more | digg story

TSA: no spare luthium ion batteries onboard

...You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage...You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage...if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed...

read more | digg story

Why Today's Music Sounds Like Shit

"...They make it loud to get [listeners'] attention"...applying dynamic range compression, which reduces the difference between the loudest and softest sounds in a song...music on MP3...eliminates much of the data from the original CD file and can leave music sounding tinny or hollow...

read more | digg story

Vote for the Sexiest Geeks of 2007

Add your opinion to this year end best of poll.

read more | digg story

Angry Gradpa Ruins Christmas

...reminds me of past gatherings with my family when I was a kid...

read more | digg story

the response is the reward

To: Compass Bank
http://www.compassbank.com/

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS:
I was at a Whataburger, and found a debit card for one of your customers:
(name)
(card number)

Feel free to give him my eddress and phone number...we may be able to meet so I can return his card to him.

Thanks for your time.

========================================

From: CompassBank.com
To: S!ick
Subject: Re: Existing Checking Account

Thank you for your e-mail. The customer has already reported this card lost. If you would please just destroy the card. Thank you so much for taking the time and being such a Nice Person!!!

=========================================

Their reply made the effort worth it...

Big Iron Remains Career Option

"...there's financial security in this path"...the demand for mainframe specialists is not diminishing...

read more | digg story

Circuit City will see a loss

...That disappointing forecast, along with a dreadful third-quarter report, sent shares plunging...Earlier this year the company layoff of 3,400 employees in favor of lower-paid workers...it that has come back to bite the company as inexperienced staff results in weaker levels of customer service and disorder in its stores. - http://www.thestreet.com/newsanalysis/retail/10395666.html------------------------------------------------------Kinda reminds me of radio...

read more | digg story

EULA gave $1000

...PC Pitstop buried a note in its own EULA, saying they would give $1,000 to the first person who emailed them at a certain address...four months and over 3,000 downloads before someone noticed it and sent an email (and got the $1,000)...

read more | digg story

Ariel Waldman's...

bedroom, originally uploaded by arielwaldman.

...got great gams!

http://shakewellbeforeuse.com/

Firefox system recommendation = Windows XP

Windows XP recommended over Vista? The same pattern is repeated for Firefox 2 and Thunderbird 2...

read more | digg story

Buying a Big Screen, No Big Deal

shopping info

read more | digg story

Remove tell-tale metadata from Microsoft apps

...can easily include embarrassing comments, hidden text or info helpful to hackers. Here’s how to get rid of it...

read more | digg story

no law that defines an "illegal" immigrant?...

"Under 8 U.S.C. § 1325, it is a misdemeanor to enter the United States without inspection...there is no law that makes the mere presence in the United States a crime...overstaying a visa is a violation of civil-immigration law...not a crime..."

read more | digg story

newspapers cost more...for the ads...

...newspapers across the country celebrated their big advertising windfall by ... raising the sales price of the Thanksgiving-day edition...So, in other words, after making a lot of money on advertising, the newspapers choose to gouge readers as a result...

read more | digg story

new USB Revision To Include DRM

...it's that old joke about how speakers would one day have internet connections to check to see if you're allowed to listen to your own music, except that it's for real...

read more | digg story

Howard and Bubba #1 and #2 on satellite radio

Bubba The Love Sponge...is the second-most popular show on satellite radio. According to Arbitron’s first ever satellite radio ratings released in late October, Howard 100 and Howard 101 are the two most listened-to channels on satellite radio....

read more | digg story

Yahoo's new Yahoo Mail (sucks)

...Yahoo Mail (the new fancy one) has been a pain...It’s slow. It’s clunky...I’ve gone back to Yahoo Mail Classic twice...

read more | digg story

Yahoo!'s IM "Hey, Sexy!" problem

IM spam

read more | digg story

WKTU cans Whoopi Goldberg

After almost 16 months of only modest listenership, Whoopi Goldberg's morning radio show has been canceled by WKTU (103.5 FM).

read more | digg story

Zune 80 official battery test results

...Microsoft rated the Zune 80 for 30 hours...testing revealed that the Zune 80 is realistically capable of...18.5 hours...45 hours we were able to get from the competing 80GB iPod Classic...

read more | digg story

The effect of exchange rates on out-sourcing

...the Chinese drive to take more IT out sourcing away from India and Latin America is crashing to a halt...India isn’t much better off...incentives are driving many expatriates now working in the United States and Europe to head home...their problems, if this keeps up, could soon be your opportunities.

read more | digg story

Cox blocking some internet connections

...Like Comcast, Cox Communications is pulling the same trick of hindering peer-to-peer traffic, if a report by The Register is to be believed...

read more | digg story

Build a Better Web Site

...site navigation...Disorganized, cluttered pages will only frustrate visitors...are you interested in delivering a good user experience?...fast page-load times...

read more | digg story

Worldwide Water Worries, Wired Science | PBS

Water shortages are a looming potential crisis in the American Southwest...they're already a dangerous reality in many other parts of the world...many of the fastest-growing cities...are in arid areas..."act smarter, with more commitment.."

read more | digg story

You Only Live Twice

...virtual worlds and are 3D computer generated universes where you sign up, choose a body, build a house and you're ready to live out your Second Life...You can chat up strangers, slay mythical dragons or create your fantasy business and even make real money...

read more | digg story

Wal-Mart offers "Black Friday" prices

...it will unveil five holiday sales items tomorrow/Thursday on its Web site...an Acer laptop with a 14-inch LCD screen for $348...the special items are available for purchase only in Wal-Mart stores Friday...

I have heard that the sales will begin at "8 a.m."

read more | digg story

World to face laptop famine this Xmas?

"...That's the message coming out of Taiwan, source of almost all of the world's laptops, from the big brands to the little-known names..."Just an "FYI"...don't let news panic or scare ya...shop smart, "layaway" if you feel it's needed...consider waiting for the "end of the year/beginning of the year" sales...

read more | digg story

Windows Vista VHD

Microsoft has provided a VHD to test Windows Vista for 30 days...a way to see the features of Windows Vista without having to upgrade your current operating system. The VHD format is supported by VirtualPC and Virtual Server which are free to download...(a VHD of Office is available, also...)

read more | digg story

Microsoft privacy guru's site hacked

...a Web site run by Microsoft's chief architect of identity and access, has been hacked and defaced.

read more | digg story

USB to eSATA adapter

$15...No driver needed for Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista, Linux or MacOS 10 or higher. Vender driver is required only with Windows 98SE...http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00368

read more | digg story

10 common Web design mistakes to watch out for

Enhance your Web site’s chances of success by keeping these design principles in mind.

read more | digg story

"Roommates" on MySpace.com: a review

For me, the first sentence says it all...I didn't plan on watching it, and am glad I haven't.

read more | digg story

Facebook dishes out notes designated private

This isn't the first time Facebook has failed to make good on promises to keep user information private...

read more | digg story

vynil, and CD, disc

The disc is a combination of a CD or DVD, consisting of two interconnected layers: the silver layer includes digital information, and the upper black layer can be used on a record player...

AIM v6.5 vulnerability

...it still does not utilize the Local Zone lockdown. This means that if someone will found another way to inject a script to a message, it will still be possible to execute arbitrary code from remote...

read more | digg story

how not to hire a webmaster

Laugh in the Fast Lane

The Webmaster Disaster

By Roger Yohem

When the Internet revolutionized the business world, it caught many executives by surprise. They were not prepared for the pending evolution, and some blew it off as a trendy marketing gimmick.

At the time, it was easy to see why. New college grads were job hunting with a menu of innovative yet unproven job skills. Their generation had grown up in a web of bits and bytes, servers, and search engines.

Many students that I talked to aspired to be Dot.Com Prima Donnas. But sadly, their personal communications skills were weak.

At the time, the CEO I worked for saw the Internet’s potential as a powerful sales tool. His “vision” was to use it to grow his small company, to give us a huge competitive advantage in the marketplace.

What I didn’t know at the time put me at a huge disadvantage. I didn’t know the company was littered with his college friends and family members. I also didn’t know that three other Marketing directors had predeceased me.

Although building the Staff was my call, I did inherit a talented but moody graphic designer. Moving fast, I hired a marketing specialist, PR director, writer, and student intern from the UA.

For my last opening, I wanted a savvy Webmaster. But when I approached the CEO, his “vision” went blind. He already had lined up his daughter’s boyfriend.

From Day One, the boyfriend was as productive as an Internet worm. He lived three time zones away, was still in college and available only on his schedule. He talked a good game, but couldn’t walk the walk.

And as for details, the only accuracy that mattered were the hours on his time sheet.

At my Friday Staff meetings, I invited officers in from other departments. They had 10 minutes to share their responsibilities and projects with us.

After several frustrating weeks with the boyfriend, I invited the CEO to our meeting to critique our website. Within minutes, he was fuming. The website was a disaster.

“What the hell is going on here?” was his challenge to me.

I told him the problem was the boyfriend. Phone calls were not returned. Emails unanswered. And the work he did do was so sloppy, it had to be corrected four or five times over.

The CEO was in disbelief, so I called the Webmaster wannabe and put him on the speakerphone. He told the CEO my directions were never clear.

As the boyfriend babbled on, I opened my files. When the boyfriend said, “I never got that,” I handed the CEO his original memo. When he said, “That’s not what Roger asked for,” I handed the CEO the copy of the checklist.

Some of the Work Orders were even marked boldly: “3rd Request, fix TODAY!” As my Staff listened in, the worm continued his squirmy defense.

The CEO took over my computer, asking about specific assignments. On one page, they began to argue. The boyfriend insisted he had made an important data change. It wasn’t there. As I handed the memo to the CEO, I took a giant red Magic Marker and wrote the corrections right onto my PC monitor.

I circled the error on the glass screen and underlined it twice.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” the CEO popped. To which I replied, “Well, neither can your Webmaster.”

The next Tuesday, the CEO came to my office. As we discussed the situation, he kept looking at my monitor. I knew exactly what was bothering him-- I had left the Magic Marker edits on my screen.

Eventually, he agreed a change was needed. He would deal with the boyfriend. (He was taken off the website but kept on the payroll).

By Friday, I had a few candidates lined up for interviews the next week. Things were back on track until the CEO came into my office. He shut the door.

Quietly, he told me he had “taken the liberty” of finding a new Webmaster. He had hired a “really sharp” college student who had taken “some” Internet classes.

Warily, I hung on his every word: “My son starts work for you on Monday.”

This is a true story, drawn from Yohem’s 25-year communications career with Tucson Electric Power, Southwest Gas, and the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association. The names are changed to protect the guilty. Yohem’s column looks at the lighter side of “challenges” in the business world.

March 28, 2007

$100 Zune30s on Woot! today

read more | digg story

Radiohead Fans Feel Duped By Low-Quality In Rainbows

DON'T PAY FOR THIS MUSIC/ALBUM UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS STORY...

read more | digg story

Windows Update automatically changing user settings (again)

After Patch Tuesday this week (October 9), some Windows Vista users noticed something strange: Windows Update had changed their Automatic Update settings and rebooted their machines automatically without their consent.

read more | digg story

Big Brother or Big Help? OnStar 2009 can stop moving cars via satellite

I understand its beneficial uses...however, I trust NO ONE...

read more | digg story

Want blind visitors? Get alt tags

The simplest thing you can do is to place alt= tags on all images, so their content can be understood and thus "read" by screen readers, which are used by blind people to access Web content.

read more | digg story

woman loses Kazaa file-sharing case

DULUTH, Minn. —

...a federal jury found a Minnesota woman shared copyrighted music online and levied $222,000 in damages against her.

The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 30, to pay the six record companies that sued her $9,250 for each of 24 songs they focused on in the case. They had alleged she shared 1,702 songs online in violation of their copyrights.

...her attorney, Brian Toder...

...Richard Gabriel, the lead attorney for the music companies.

...the record companies accused Thomas of downloading the songs without permission and offering them online through a Kazaa file-sharing account. Thomas denied wrongdoing and testified that she didn’t have a Kazaa account.

gaming competitions (on TV)

The World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Finals is scheduled to begin on tomorrow/Thursday in Seattle at Qwest Field, will be shown live at http://www.worldcybergames.com, and televised on Spike TV on October 12th.

---------------------------------

Official Games

PC - 8 games
WarCraft III : The Frozen Throne (1v1)
StarCraft : Brood War (1v1)
Half-Life : Counter-Strike (5v5)
FIFA Soccer 2007 (1v1)
Need for Speed Carbon (1v1)
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars (1v1)
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs (1v1)
Carom3D (1v1)

Console (Xbox) - 4 games
Gears of War (4v4)
Dead or Alive 4 (1v1)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (1v1)
Tony Hawk¡¯s Project 8 (1v1)

...over 700 gamers from 75 different countries...12 championship titles using PC, Xbox 360, and (for the first time this year) mobile platforms.

===========================

Arizona contestants

18-year-old Nick "HolyHuman" Pesu, a Higley High School grad, who lives in Gilbert
Pesu's game is Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
He earns a salary as a member of NWRS (or "New Russia"), a Warcraft III team with players in three countries...

-------------------------------------

Alex Brola of Surprise
20
a k a Skew
Brola has been playing StarCraft for about four years (the game introduced in 1998).
It is his third trip to the finals. Brola said he placed in the top five at the 2004 U.S. Finals and in the top nine the following year.

http://www.alexbrola.com/

=======================================

The World Cyber Games 2007 National Final was held earlier this year...it will be televised on November 9th...Spike TV will air a one-hour special on the competition.

========================================

The Championship Gaming SeriesTM - CGS - (claims to be) the only worldwide professional gaming league...

The League’s 2007 World Championship will take place December 6-14 in Los Angeles. There's a $1,000,000 total prize purse, of which $500,000 will go to the World Champion team.

It will be broadcast by DIRECTV in the U.S., BSkyB in the UK, STAR in Asia and the Middle East, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, and DIRECTV Latin America in the rest of Latin America.

Your job search is tax deductible

You can claim job-seeking expenses as long as the amount of all miscellaneous itemized deductions is more than two percent of your adjusted gross income...your job search must be for a job in your current, or most recent, trade or business and should be at a similar level of responsibility with duties similar to those of your most recent job.

read more | digg story

bandaid sandwich

I'll bet this is the same location that, a year or two ago, I sent a letter to their corporate office about (lots of) ants in the drinks area...

read more | digg story

How to Buy a Mobile Phone

...smartphones...speeds...carriers...data services...

read more | digg story

Notepad++ text editor

If you have ever opened multiple files in Notepad, and wished its interface were more like a word processor, try this...

It's described as a generic source code editor.

I LOVE that:
I can open multiple documents and have tabs to switch between files...
...and there's an "explorer" available to make it easy to get to files, and then open them.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/notepad-plus/
http://www.download.com/Notepad-/3000-2352_4-10637422.html

The version I use, Notepad++ Portable (there's nothing to install), is available at http://portableapps.com

Zero-day flaws surface in AOL, Yahoo IM products

...recommends that AIM users disable “New IMs arrive” option in the “Notifications” settings until America Online ships a patch.

read more | digg story

The great lithium-ion battery recall

Before you think of purchasing a cheap lithium-ion battery pack...Li-ion battery technology is a family of chemistries that is constantly evolving...

read more | digg story

Is free music too expensive for SpiralFrog?

Because of their service, when I buy music, I will purchase it from them before other vendors.

read more | digg story

your phone rats you out

In a cell phone's internal memory, communication exchanged between the phone and its server remain...

Hidden flight simulator application in Google Earth

open up Google Earth, make sure you are not inside the “search” textbox, and hold down ctrl + alt + “a”...there are two airplanes to choose from, and several airports...

read more | digg story

'Til Tech Do Us Part

...spouses...say perennial arguments about who has more closet space are now joined by bickering over which TV shows get deleted to make room on the TiVo.

-----------------------------------------

...sharing one Netflix account...Ms. De Chellis likes to use the DVD-by-mail service to rent romantic comedies. To sneak in the science-fiction and anime he prefers, Mr. De Chellis has taken to covert early-morning updates of the Netflix queue.

Waking up at 5 a.m. he logs onto his computer and changes the Netflix order to put his favorite movies on top. He knows the warehouse ships the movies by about 7 a.m., so by the time his wife realizes what he's done, it'll be too late...

SOLUTION: On the top right of your Netflix queue, click on "Add Queue" to create a second profile in the same account.

Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings says squabbles like that prompted the company to create his and hers queues under one account. Different family members can each get his or her top-choice movies at the same time...

-----------------------------------------------

SOLUTION: Instead of setting up a joint email account, use the "autoforward" function in Microsoft Outlook, Gmail or other common email programs. Autoforwarding can be set so that messages received by one spouse from certain people are automatically forwarded to the other.

Marriage counselors say they're increasingly hearing couples vent about electronic clashes...

Amos Moses/WoW

A music video to the song Amos Moses by Jerry Reed. (I luvs me some Jerry Reed...)

read more | digg story

How to Use Hotspots Safely

Use a firewall, a VPN, antivirus software, turn off ad-hoc networking features...more suggestions...

read more | digg story

A Long-Ignored Threat: RTF Files

...it's easy to embed an executable inside an RTF file and for the user to execute it...

read more | digg story

What If Every Child Had A Laptop?

This story was on 60 Minutes...

read more | digg story

Sony Using Rootkits Again

A line of USB drives sold by Sony Electronics installs files in a hidden folder that can be accessed and used by hackers, a Finnish security company says.

read more | digg story

free incoming text messages

I knew it would come: wireless phone spam.

I recieved a text message from "Kermit Lambe" about "stock fdke...fredericks entertainment"...

It's why I only pay for wireless services that provide FREE or UNLIMITED incoming messages: one prepaid service I had provided free incoming calls...another provided free incoming text messages (I would rarely answer that one).

AT&T and net neutrality

"...if you can do it for one group, you can do it to any group and say, 'Well, it's not intentional'...nobody should have that power to do that and then be able to exercise distributive control over the distribution and control over the content too"...AT&T has set up secret rooms...that let the NSA snoop the nation's network traffic...

read more | digg story

Is there a radio DJ in the house?

"Some stations have no live voices at all. Technology has resulted in far fewer DJs at radio stations. How to tell...some signs the DJ is not live or works in another time zone..."

read more | digg story

(I've caught many...it's not very difficult to...)

"plugins" plug-in more than expected

When is a "plugin" not a "plugin"? I'm VERY dissappointed in Firefox...

At a website, I clicked on an audio file...Firefox said I needed a "plugin": I chose to install the "plugin"...which was the full version of realPlayer!

Shame on you both. Since this is what I can expect, I am reconsidering the amount of time I have used Firefox over Internet Explorer.

don't buy DRM

I never purchased anything from Google Video. I did suck down a lot drinks at 7-Eleven, and buy meals at Burger King, so I could get some free tunes...

I tried to play a couple of WMA files in my collection: Windows Media Player said a license is required. I found a note file I had created with "codes" for songs I had received from http://bkmusic.aol.com/music/downloadManager.htm

The link now forwards to Burger King's main website.

This is why I purchase CDs (and non-DRMed product).

my fantasy computer

The Dell XPS Inspiron M2010

a 20.1-inch widescreen SXGA+ display with TrueLifeTM technology...1680 x 1050 resolution...256MB ATI® MobilityTM RADEONTM X1800 graphics card

4GB of dual-channel memory

Cost at my preferred configuration: $3,687

Who loves me?...

AOL Mail storage limit

It states that AOL Mail and AIM Mail will have unlimited storage by the end of June...but I know of someone's mail being bounced because their inbox was "full"...

read more | digg story

UK ISPs might limit BBC streams

Streaming content might take a toll on the current infrastructure...

(I knew we all might need to face this one day.)

read more | digg story

"win a computer"

I got an e-mail...

--- Dell Laptop wrote:
> From: Dell Laptop (Jenny@rapidsbids.info)
> Subject: You Won a new Laptop computer!
> Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:50:52 PST

(Notice it said I "WON". I want my computer. I will be looking into to this to see if the legal system can help me...)

"Click Here for your Free Alienware® laptop..."

The link http://rapidsbids.info/solim?m=1215224&l=0
...took me to...

"Get a Alienware® Laptop FREE...

(HEY! "Jenny" said it was a "Dell"...)

"...with completion of all program requirements."

(OK...here we go...)

"Wide-Screen LCD Display...Up to a $1,399.00 value..."

(Uh-huh...probably a model that didn't sell...)

"ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS..."

(Hell, no...)

"OnlineGiftRewards Gift Program is not endorsed, sponsored by or affiliated with Alienware® or Alienware Corporation. Such terms are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

"...To receive the gift for this promotion you must: 1) register with valid information; 2) complete the user survey; 3) complete at least 3 Silver, 3 Gold and 9 Platinum offers...Upon valid completion of all Program Requirements we will ship your item to the shipping address you provided.."

(Before I get one) Any lawyers want a crack at this?

online music services

Spent most of the day with Pandora...

I remember that the quality of the Yahoo Music stream had been, more than once, less than desirable so I didn't bother to try them...

AOL music wasn't simple enough in Firefox and IE: I don't want to allow it to install..ANYTHING!

MSN Music: not enough variety. (I'm VERY eclectic.)

I can't think of any others to try, and I don't feel like searching...but I'm open to suggestion.

"Get dressed, Wil..."

"...you know it fits."

no TV, no problem

I had (free) satellite TV available to me...then I didn't.

I live too far from the city to watch over-air broadcast TV. I can get one station...but had satellite TV. When I do/did watch broadcast stations, I time-shift with a VCR and DVR. My control over my time...that I do what I want when I want...is very important to me.

The satellite service has been out for a week. I've never been a big (TV) watcher. I watch what I like...I have my favorites: news, tech, The Shield, Real Time with Bill Maher...

I love vodcasts: I start the download and walk away, they're there when I want them, they're free, I can rewind and forward through the content.

I wanted to be updated on the news. I couldn't think of any one website I wanted to go to , so I used Google and searched for "watch news".

One site had links to CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox. I tried them. What I wanted to see (Heroes) was not available. What I attempted to see...CBS News...crashed Firefox. Streaming video from CNN is too jerky...

I have no interest in making an effort of going through YouTube, Google Video, AOL Video, and the like, to find something I want to see.

A few days ago I scanned the AM and FM dial...twice...to see if there was anything on I wanted to hear. There wasn't. Later, when I feel like taking the time to seek for something I want to hear, I MIGHT consider listening to some streaming audio.

CNN Radio (which has an option to listen to CNN TV) did not work in Firefox. I'll bookmark it anyway...

For now, I have: terabytes of podcasts/vodcasts and music files, CDs, and DVDs, and can watch streaming video from Netflix.

I'm probably too selective. I'm not like others who will watch TV and a movie...just to watch it. I need to be interested - maybe even entertained - or I will not be pacified by the presentation.

I must have high-speed internet (and the electricity to power it)...I can do more with it, than without it.

Are you really getting the value you want for the dollar you pay?

video for mobiles competition

The Treo Mobile Comedy Film Festival entry deadline is September 14th, 2007. Entries will be accepted from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Entrants must be 18 or over...

...there’s no requirement to use a Treo™ smartphone or another mobile phone to capture video.

--------------------------------

Award Categories:

This Mobile Life: You'll be asked to focus on subjects such as mobile romance, mobile manners, or the lighter side of life as a mobile warrior.

Retake: Rewrite the ending to a famous movie. Shoot your own version of a scene from TV. Here's your chance to parody that film, TV show, or commercial.

Animation: Create your very own made-for-mobile comedic animated short on any topic you choose. (No nudity, foul language, or graphic violence.)

http://www.treofilm.com

Sprint Treo 755p

I had a chance to try the Sprint Power Vision(SM) Smart Device Treo™ 755P by Palm...

It's available in Midnight blue or burgandy.
The dimensions are 4.4" (l) x 2.3" (w) x 0.8".
It weighs 5.6 ounces.
The color touch-screen is a 1.74" x 1.74" TFT display with 65K colors, and 320 x 320 color pixel resolution.
The Camera/Camcorder is 1.3 Megapixels with 2X digital zoom.
Memory consists of 60 MB available for end user storage, of the 128 MB of total RAM.
The MiniSD Expansion Slot supports cards up to 4GB.
It works on Digital Dual-band (1900 mHz and 800 MHz) CDMA, and Sprint's EV-DO.
Continuous digital talk time is reported to be up to 4.2 hours.

Supported File Types
Pictures: JPEG, BMP, WBMP, GIF, PNG
Videos: MP4, 3G2, ASF

----------------------------------

A ringer "On/Off" switch is on top if the unit (VERY convenient). It makes it simple to switch from ringing to vibrate modes.

There's a built-in QWERTY keyboard (as a Palm aficionado, this is my first experience with one). The dial-pad is on the touchscreen.

There is a speakerphone mode, but I suggest you don't try to use it unless you are in a quiet environment.

Using the microphone on the earbuds that were provided, I was on a call sitting in a parked car with the windows open. Many times during the call I was asked to repeat myself. (I use a dual-headphone headset...not earphones...with a boom microphone that has always worked best for me.)

Per page 78 of the "user guide": "...your device is compatible with the following types of headsets that are sold separately: Wired headsets with a 2.5mm connector (3-pin or 4-pin). Wireless headsets and car kits enabled with Bluetooth 1.1 or 1.2 wireless technology. For a list of compatible hands-free devices, go to www.palm.com/treo755psprint-support..."

A set of earbuds were provided. They looked similar to a set I own. I was going to use mine and not place theirs in my ears but, even though mine match the decription in the "user guide", my earbuds did not work with this phone. I used the set provided with the Treo...

On page 79 of the "user guide": "The headset designed for Treo 180, 270, and 300 devices is not compatible with your Treo755P...Standard headsets sold with other Sprint phones are compatible..."

=============================

BLUETOOTH COMPATIBILITY
* Bluetooth (v. 1.2)

(Per Jabra technical support: "The BT620s is compatible with the 755p, you could also use the BT8010 or BT320s.")

There is a compatibility list at palm.com

-----------------------------

Per treocentral.com, the Plantronics Pulsar 590A Bluetooth Stereo Headphones for Treo 755p should work, but...

I e-mailed Plantronics:
"Are there any (bluetooth) units compatible with the Palm 755p?"

The response from a "Plantronics Technical Support Specialist" was:
"We had to pull the Treo 7xx devices from our compatibility guide because of the connectivity problems we were having with them. We heard Palm is coming out with a software release that may correct these connectivity issues."

------------------------------

Per pcmag.com:
"...You can connect Bluetooth mono headsets, but there's no support for Bluetooth stereo music playback..."

--------------------------------------

When I received the unit, no Multi-Connector/Palm® Desktop HotSync/USB cable (3170WW) was in the box. I have a Palm® Cradle Kit (3199WW) for my TX and LifeDrive...the units never seated securely in the cradle, but the cord fit the 755p great!

Software Applications include the standard Palm OS productivity tools: calendar, contacts, memo, tasks, world clock, calculator, memo pad, and alarm clock.

I LOVE the Voice/Memo Recorder! It records files in the "qcp" format. You can mail the files from the phone, and I was able to send the files, via bluetooth, to a computer. I wanted to send a file via a phone number, like text messaging, but it wasn't possible (it's on my wishlist).

Documents To Go® version 8.0 is included. It offers Microsoft Office compatibility:
you can download, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files...
rehearse PowerPoint presentations anywhere...
and view PDFs.

-------------------------------------

If you have an "appropriate service plan", you can use the phone as a wireless modem. If your laptop is Bluetooth® enabled, you should be able to connect the Treo 755P to your laptop via Bluetooth wireless technology...otherwise, you can connect using the included USB cable.

It is possible that when you are using a USB cable, the smartphone will be charging.

If the Data Transfer Mode (DTM) is set in the default position and you are in an active data session, you will be notified of incoming voice calls (rather than having them go automatically to voicemail). the data session is suspended when incoming calls are picked up.

You can send and receive wireless email from multiple corporate and personal email accounts, including Notes/Domino and Novell Groupwise environments (with additional software).

Using Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® with Direct Push Technology you can connect directly to your company's Microsoft Exchange Server to get your Outlook® email as it arrives, and update your calendar and contacts. Copies of messages, including attachments you've sent and messages you've deleted, are added to the Sent Items and Deleted Items folders on your company's server...your computer and smartphone will both be in sync. It is possible to accept and decline meeting invitations which are automatically added to your calendar, and updated on the server. You can view the meeting location and attendees on the Treo™ smartphone. The Global address lookup (GAL) of you company directory is accessable. All calendar events time-shift based on the time zones when you are traveling.

Of course, check with your company's system administrator...

You can get wireless email access to POP3 and IMAP accounts like AOL, Gmail, Earthlink and Yahoo! with the included Versamail® application.

==================================

The web browser (Blazer v4.5) lets you stream files to play music and video files in formats such as MP3, WMA, and WMV.

----------------------------------

Sprint Mobile Broadband with Power Vision provides:
customized, up-to-date web content such as sports, weather, news, money and movie information...
and live TV.

-------------------------------

In case location makes the difference, I feel the need to say I live in zipcode 85743...outside of the city limits of Tucson, Arizona. I needed to be patient because, when using the keyboard and stylus, the response to commands "lagged". Maybe it was due to my location...

In the "My Local TV" section, there were some Phoenix stations. "12 News" provided a weathercast, and http://12news.azcentral.com
It was a little jerky with some glitches/dropouts. Same with the "I-cast". My opinion is that Sprint PowerVision needs much better buffering.

(Verizon's V Cast was better.)

==============================

BEFORE YOU GET SATELLITE RADIO

-----------------------------

Sprint Radio Premier has local radio stations...I was able to access four in Phoenix. The sound quality is like a low quality mp3 file...due to the complaints I've heard from others, I'm going to assume like XM. I'm not complaining: due to the state of the technology, it should be expected. Be content to be able get the service provided.

Formats available from Sprint Radio included:
70s
todays hits
urban
ac
latin
reggaeton
smooth grooves
indies
hip-hop
country
dance

--------------------------------

SIRIUS MUSIC channels (commercial-free music) -
SIRIUS Hits 1: Todays Top 40 Hits.
The Pulse: Pop and Rock from the 90s to now.
60s Vibrations: The musical revolution of the 60s and early 70s.
Totally 70s: The most popular music from the 70s.
Big 80s: The hit music of the 80s.
Vinyl: Classic rock of the 60s and 70s.
Hair Nation: Glam rock from the 80s.
First Wave: The 80s Alt-rock revolution.
Soul Town: Classic soul hits.
Heart & Soul: The R&B hits from the 80s, 90s, and today.
New Country: Todays hottest country hits.
Prime Country: Country music superstars of yesterday and today.
Jazz Café: Smooth jazz instrumentals and vocals.
SIRIUS Blues: Authentic blues music, from past to present.
Broadways Best: Songs from Broadways most popular shows.
The Beat: Todays biggest dance hits and remixes.
Area33: Trance and progressive house dance music.
SIRIUS INTERVIEWS: Interviews and performances of favorite artists.

==================================

PocketTunes is preloaded so you can play music files...

When I had the phone, service from Pandora was planned to come for Sprint Power Vision phones.

==================================

With the time I was allowed with the phone, the Sprint Power Vision Network had too much for me to cover in detail. Some of the services available include games, and other web-based products (IM, chat rooms, etcetera).

----------------------------------

Sprint PCS Video Mail and Sprint Picture Mail allow you to take, save, publish, and share pictures and videos.

===================================

To send a text message was not simple enough...I was not able to find a SIMPLE menued option to send one, then create the message (like other mobile phones): it was easier to create a new "contact", then send a message...

In general, I believe (based on my experience) that a "hybrid" ANYTHING is not as good as a seperate phone and PDA (no different for audio and computer equipment: lose one, possibly lose it all). For example, there is no "pound" (#) key on the keypad: it's on the touchscreen...as is the letter and number combination keys.

However, compared to my PPC-6700 phone (Windows Mobile 5), the 755p is a better device.

I own a Palm Tx, and LifeDrive. If you don't, consider getting the Palm Treo 755p (with the Foleo)...

Do I want one? Yes. I do like the keyboard on the phone. (I would use it in addition to, and to compliment, my primary Palm PDA.)

To compliment the 755p, I want the Palm Foleo

Gmail offers 20 MB attachment capability

I've had a lot of trouble lately sending attachments in my e-mail messages...

The free version of Yahoo! Mail offers unlimited storage, and limits attachments to 10 MB.

The free version of AOL/AIM Mail offers unlimited storage, POP and IMAP...and I was able to get a personalized eddress...but not send some attachments.

Gmail offers POP...the ability to send and receive as if you were using your other email service accounts...and you can send and receive messages up to 20 MB in size!

What you won't hear on our show(s)...

You will not hear us playing your commercial...while at the same time talking over it.

If you are advertising on our show, you WILL hear us play your commercial(s)...something I've noticed other shows NOT doing. Check with the radio stations you have paid to air your commercials. Did they play your commercial? Are you sure that it made it on-air? When it did not air, did they charge you for it as if it did?

computer gloves

I've been spending so much time on computers, my hands (and shoulders...and back) have begun to ache.

I like and use Smart Gloves but have come to realize that, when I wear these gloves, I should use the "short"/small mice designed for portable use. I love the way a full-size mouse feels, but these gloves have padding on the palms that cause it to be difficult to hold the entire mouse.

When going through some things I had put away, I found a Deluxe Wrist Stabilizer that allows me to access the mouse better...but makes typing on my laptop awkward.

Optimizing Adobe PDF files for mobile devices

As a mobile device (Palm) fan, I hope this information gets around...

Boost customer service sucks

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:
> > Sent: Jun 4, 2007 10:24:53 AM PDT
> > To:
> >
> > **** CUSTOMER CARE. ****
> > Topic: Pay-As-You-Go
> > Feedback: I am asking for your assistance in recharging my
> > account/phone... I purchased a $20 recharge from a Circle K store...
> > I was given a receipt.
> > Online, I attempted to refill my account with no success...recharging
> > via my Boost phone has been unsuccessful (I am told that the system is
> > busy)...and I called 888-BOOST-4U, and was disconnected...
> > Date Submitted: 6/4/2007

--- online@Sprint.com wrote:
> From online@Sprint.com Wed Jun 6 10:56:19 2007
> Pay-As-You-Go
> Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:56:19 -0700
>
> Thanks for contacting us through Boostmobile.com.
>
> We are sorry to hear that you are having trouble
> with your re-boost card.
> At any time, you can contact Boost Mobile customer
> care and we will look
> up the status of your card.
>
> If you have any other questions or concerns, please
> resubmit a new request
> on-line at www.boostmobile.com. Or you can give us a
> call at 1-888-BOOST-4-
> U (1-888-266-7848) and we’ll be happy to help you
> out.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Boost Mobile Customer Care

> To: online@Sprint.com
>
> Again, I was disconnected when I called...

> --- online@Sprint.com wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for contacting us through Boostmobile.com.
> >
> > We are sorry to hear that you are having trouble
> > with your re-boost card.
> > At any time, you can contact Boost Mobile customer
> > care and we will look
> > up the status of your card.
> >
> > If you have any other questions or concerns, please
> > resubmit a new request
> > on-line at www.boostmobile.com. Or you can give us a
> > call at 1-888-BOOST-4-
> > U (1-888-266-7848) and we’ll be happy to help you
> > out.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Boost Mobile Customer Care

The Circle K store I purchased the recharge from said that they regularly have this problem. The store called Boost, and THEN the recharge was applied to my account.

This isn't the first time I've had problems with Boost Customer Service...due to their accents, I assume their in India: I can't understand them, and they don't understand the problems I describe.

Keep in mind, Boost is affiliated with Nextel and Sprint...

(SOME) TOOTHPASTE IS BAD FOR YOU!!!...

throw away tubes of toothpaste labeled as made in China...per the FDA...

The FDA has identified the following brands of toothpaste from China that contain DEG and are included in the import alert: Cooldent Fluoride; Cooldent Spearmint; Cooldent ICE; Dr. Cool, Everfresh Toothpaste; Superdent Toothpaste; Clean Rite Toothpaste; Oralmax Extreme; Oral Bright Fresh Spearmint Flavor; Bright Max Peppermint Flavor; and ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste. Manufacturers of these products are: Goldcredit International Enterprises Limited; Goldcredit International Trading Company Limited; and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Company Limited. The products typically are sold at low-cost, "bargain" retail outlets.

"Viral Superstar" video...GREAT!

Spoofs of 35 "viral" videos...

(I wish I had done this.)

CBS acquired Last.fm

We are being told that Last.fm will continue to be run independently by its founders. (Sure...we'll see...)

Race car sends deer into orbit...

...and I laughed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ0fJN10YY

Star Wars stamps available...

...tomorrow.

http://www.usps.com/http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007stamps/starwars/welcome.htm

text messages from me

I'll only send messages I feel:
you might be interested in...
need to know...
or should know.

OEM/Windows/Outlook

I had problems installing Outlook 2003...four times...with varying degrees of success...

All of the operating systems had been recently installed anew, and the had latest updates (via Microsoft Updates)...

===========================

I attempted to install (a retail version of) Outlook 2003 on OEM Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002. It hung as it was finalizing. I was unable to reboot to "normal mode", and unable to uninstall from Safe mode.

A week's worth of System Restore points did not work. In retrospect, out of the box I used the installed operating system: I did not restore computer...so I got what I got.

I was unable to boot to a Recovery Console: it was not installed by the manufacturer, and the manufacturer supplied "recovery" CDs do not boot as retail versions (of Windows XP)...which will allow booting to the CD and accessing the Recovery Console.

I chose to not spend more time troubleshooting...

From past unhappy experiences, I have made it a habit of saving anything I'd rather not lose to USB drives and a folder on the root of the hard disk (c:\"foldername of my choice"). I have had experiences of using the default locations ("c:\documents and settings" for example) and not being (easily) able to find what I wanted: data files, configuration files, etcetera.

I had considered attempting to perform a "repair installation", but wanted to experience one from the beginning. (In addition, it is possible that executing c:\i386\winnt32.exe or c:\i386\winnt32.exe would not function, anyway.)

After copying files to a USB drive, I used the CDs that were provided by the manufacturer to erase the hard disk and restore the computer (installing the operating system anew).

And then, installed the Recovery Console...

======================================

The next computer was OEM Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. Same problem with the install of Outlook 2003, but...after multiple restarts...I was able to uninstall it.

=====================================

The third computer was OEM Windows XP Professional. Same problem installing Outlook 2003. I was able to get to normal mode...

I found: "Office Outlook 2003 may stop responding on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP because of a problem in the RPC engine"

I installed the package, but Outlook 2003 would not launch (it hung as before)...

System Restore worked!

After uninstalling Outlook, I updated the operating system.

======================================

I was able to install Outlook 2003 on OEM Windows XP Home: it did stall finalizing...after a "cold boot", it did open.

As in all cases, I was not able to use Microsoft Update. I uninstalled Outlook 2003...

======================================

I'm not interested in spending $100 for Windows Vista Home Basic: I don't want to loose the functionalities I have...

I don't want to spend $100 for Outlook 2007: it's not fair to me...

And, I have yet to find a retailer that has an acceptable return policy.

====================================

Per Symantec, a Windows Updates' file transfer component was supplying malicious code downloads. There were suggestions to not update until the issue was completely resolved.

======================================

I have been unable to locate a competing product that will import all of the data, Mail/Calendar/Tasks/Notes, from an Outlook 2003 "pst" file.

I downloaded a trial version of Outlook 2007, and was able to install it. I'm not surprised...

I will probably purchase Outlook 2007...but I plan to get away from this product as soon as possible.

If it weren't that someone would have the same problems I have, I'd sell my copy of Outlook 2003. But if I do, it should be someone I wish evil on...

====================================

UPDATE, 2007 July 25

I had a computer to evaluate. Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is installed on it. After installing all available updates for Windows...I decided to try to install Outlook 2003: no problems. Hmmm. I decided to try to install Outlook 2003 on (my) Windows XP Media Center Media Edition 2002 (SP2, with all updates): it worked.

I will ASSUME that between the time I first posted my problems, to now, Microsoft may have released an update for the operating system(s) that will allow me to NOW install Outlook 2003.

doggy-style dolls

The punchlines are the pictures...

http://www.feeladdicted.com/

Sony DVDs might not work...

(from another blog)

Sony Pictures DVD’s have a new a copy protection that makes the movies unplayable on some Sony (& other makes) DVD players!

my kinda bling

2 GB
about $100
Pretec

bad web authoring/editing?

I guess this website doesn't "clean-up after themselves"...

"FCC Waves Fine Against TV Station in Arizona"

"FCC Waives Fine Against TV Station in Arizona"

Firefox

Firefox 2 has built-in spell checking...

...and "Session Restore": if Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored...

Palm accessories experiences

I had a RhinoSkin Palm LifeDrive Aluminum Hardcase that impressed me initially. After I dropped it (the LifeDrive in the case), I was never able to bend the case so the LifeDrive fit properly. And, after a few weeks, the screw on the back of the case for the belt clip broke-off...

The Palm Hard Case for the LifeDrive: I'm not happy with it. I don't know what happened, and may have done, but I cannot easily open the door...

I use a Palm TX, and LifeDrive...the synching/charging cables that came with the units don't firmly attach to the units: when synching, it is possible for the operation to be interrupted (if the unit is not physically stable, the contacts between the units and the cables can seperate). I purchased a Palm Cradle Kit: just as bad...I sit the units in the cradle, but then spend time trying to make sure they are seated as firmly as possible so there are no disconnections during synchronization.

PowerSquid

When you have a power supply/adapter that is larger than a standard electrical cord plug, you are using a power strip, and the outlets are so close together the adapter will not allow you to use the next open one...this item will place the over sized adapter away from the power strip.

Opera USB 9.10

opera-usb.com

Ick...Firefox (2) on usb seems to render MUCH better, and faster.

lapdesk for computers

I don't recommend the new Targus Notebook Portable LapDesk: too flimsy/not sturdy...

I've purchased an American Power Conversion (APC) Ergonomic Mobile Cooling Platform with Tilt

"flash", versus "hard disk", drives

I purchased a DiskGO USB 2.0 Flash Drive (see http://www.edgetechcorp.com/usb-flash-drives/diskgo-flash-drive-readyboost.asp, also)...

...and don't recommend that you get one with a body like this:
http://www.edgetechcorp.com/Repository/ProductImages/0/definitions.jpg

I found that the plastic covering can be too easily removed. I'm now storing mine in a USB drive case.

==========================================================

I've become VERY fond of non-hard drive based portable drives: I have ALWAYS been able to get them to "stop" when using "Safely Remove Hardware" in Windows (not so with the hard disk drives).

use Windows and/or MSN Messenger?

Windows® Messenger vs. MSN® Messenger: What is the difference?