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N00BS: Information Even Grandma Can Use
2008-09-10 21:43:00
Whether it's WiFi, twitter, or just Web 2.0 sometimes you need a little help explaining how it all works. Thanks to FreePint, I recently came across two gems (one that's been mentioned here before) that will help you do just that....in Plain English from Common Craft are a series of videos about technology (and a few other things) that try to streamline and simplify how things work.7 Things You Should Know is just like it sounds, a PDF list of 7 items about a particular tech subject.So now when multi-touch, twitter, or blogging are just too difficult or exhausting for you to explain, let the experts do it for you.Prepare to begin forwarding links now.- Hutch
More About: Internet , Information , Grandma

STYLE: Fashion for the chipmunk in all of us
2008-08-11 23:21:00
Fellow technology lovers, we all know how difficult it is to take our digital life on the road. Here's one solution: www.greatpockets.com. Thanks go to Bob for the link.- Hutch
More About: Fashion , Style , Chipmunk

VIDEO: The Horrifying Sequel to Cloverfield
2008-08-02 21:30:00
Beware things in fuzzy blue packages. Thanks to our friends over at Mahalo Daily for the link:- Hutch
More About: Video , Cloverfield , Sequel

VIDEO: Fonts with Personality
2008-07-24 16:23:00
Thanks to Leo and Amber over at NetAtNight for pointing out the wonder that is If Fonts Were People:- Hutch
More About: Video , Personality

ENTERTAINMENT: You Look Nice Today - Come for the misogyny, stay for the ho
2008-06-26 14:17:00
If you're a child of the 80's (and let's face it, who isn't) you'll love the random and ribald humor of You Look Nice Today : A Journal of Emotional Hygiene. One word of warning: Every time I think the hosts/vaudvillians/audio raconteurs are about to have a clean episode someone begins a profanity laced rant. Not the kind of the-swearing-was-appropriate-for-the-scen e moment you might find in a war movie or a cop buddy flick where the hardness of life pushes a man to extreme utterances. No, it's as if our garrulous guides have to peg the meter in a forced, almost juvenile fashion. Don't get me wrong, this is still high-brow entertainment. I'm just sorry to have to recommend it.- Hutch
More About: Internet , Entertainment , Stay

BLOGGING: When is "Live" blogging NOT live blogging?
2008-06-09 14:24:00
I, like many others, watched Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote vicariously on the web (we'll probably have to wait until tonight for the recorded QT video) by observing the typed live blogging efforts of folks on the scene. Typically I watch the presentation via the MacRumors.com site (macrumorslive.com) anxiously awaiting each new comment and photo. This year was no different, except that since I had a faster connection I figured I'd look at Engadget's, MacWorld's, and CNet's live blogging efforts as well. What a disappointment. MacRumor's web page updated automatically (unlike the competition) and included a lot more pictures (at least 87 at my last count). No offense to the MacRumors team, but I certainly expected these other outlets to blow them away--how wrong I was. Guess the big guys don't always have a better product.- Hutch
More About: Blogging , Live

Guilty by Association: The End of Social Networking
2008-04-03 07:29:00
In the future, no one will be your friend. At least not online.Currently we are all being asked to join, create or define online the various networks that exist in our offline lives. Some of these networks may represent a simple gathering of our current friends, co-workers, and family members as listed in our address book. Others involve the grouping of fellow competitors and compatriots in a particular game or business venture. Still other networks are built around personalities, bands, or even trends we wish to follow. And right now, we take for granted that these connections remain private (or at least semi-private), and under our control.American citizens take great pride in our protection of privacy rights, however as netizens we also tend to feed (and feed upon) the glories of openness and sharing in common. How we balance these two extremes will become very important in the near future. Right now we have limited control on who can see the online connections we create (...
More About: Social , Social Networking , Networking , Association , Guilty

iTunes Subscriptions = Other Players Shopping the iTunes Store
2008-03-20 21:33:00
Contrary to popular belief Apple is not in the design business; Apple is in the money making business. In a perfect world it would all be about simple, industrial design and clean lines, but that world is yet to come. Reality beckons. Rumors abound this week about Apple creating an all-you-can-eat model for the iTunes music store tied to higher prices for iPods and iPhones. Some have downplayed these rumors as merely wishful thinking, but here's how I think it will shake out.1) Apple wants to continue dominating the online and retail music sales industries. This will eventually make them money (remember Amazon.com took a while to become the profitable business it is today).2) Apple can't tie iTunes subscriptions to higher iPod/iPhone/iTouch pricing alone because that would lead to major lawsuits.3) Apple can't simply open access to iTunes for other players because that gives it only a basic licensing fee ($10-$20 per device) and whatever profit margin it currently makes on mu...
More About: Shopping , Players , Itunes , Store , Subscriptions

GOOGLE: The Dark Side Emerges...
2008-03-08 20:44:00
If you've read even a handful of posts here at the Hutch Tech Blog, you know that we love Google . Sadly, that relationship that just yesterday seemed so promising is beginning to sour.Weird Al's got nothing to worry about.Thanks, DownloadSquad.- Hutch
More About: Dark , The Dark , Side , The Dark Side

TECH: Twitter for Grandma
2008-03-08 06:42:00
I've been using Twitter for about a month now. I resisted the urge to use it until I could see a practical place for it in my life. For me, it became a tool to allow me to micro-blog those little, fun things I came across and didn't have time to actually write about. Recently I unearthed this video called Twitter in Plain English on commoncraft.com (through, I believe, a mention on 43folders.com). It makes the case for what Twitter can be and how can make use of it in real life.Enjoy.- Hutch
More About: Internet , Tech , Grandma

Unite Against the Time Bandits
2008-03-02 07:15:00
Below is a presentation from Merlin Mann of 43Folders.com on time and productivity. Boring topic? Maybe. But a knowledgeable, honest, and interesting speaker makes it come alive.And yes, I'm available for lunch--just look at my girlish hands.Enjoy.- Hutch
More About: Time , The Time

VIDEO: Violent Video Game Luv
2008-03-02 00:05:00
Okay, it's about two minutes too long, but this little video tribute to Jack Thompson is superb. The first minute or so includes a unique visual history of gaming consoles and systems. Kudos to my teenage son for sending me the link.Enjoy.- HutchWARNING: MAY CONTAIN VIOLENT IMAGES THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO STRIKE OUT AT SOCIETY, OR JUST LAUGH.
More About: Video , Game , Video Game , Violent

MUSIC: The Golden Days of Digital Music
2008-02-23 20:50:00
Many moons ago Steve Jobs had to spend time explaining to us what an iPod was and why we needed one. I can't even remember my life before the iPod.Enjoy.- Hutch
More About: Music , Digital Music , Days , Digital , Golden

FREE: Free Books. No, Really.
2008-02-23 20:35:00
I know some people just cannot bring themselves to read electronic books. I, personally, do not understand these people. A recent post from the Freakanomics folks in the NYT gave some links to free books from various publishers. While I know that this may not appeal to all our readers, the fact that these companies are exploring the idea tells me we may see a lot more of this in the future.I know that Amazon is pushing this idea with their Kindle device. Sony has had an ill-fated attempt with their reader as well. Eventually, though, someone will get it right. Once you have the right mix of price, convenience, and portability (along with a LONG lasting battery) we may never need a trade paperback again.- Hutch
More About: Books , Free

GIFTS: As Remaining Time Decreases Clarity Improves
2007-12-21 16:39:00
Or so I tell myself. Yep, we're getting down to the wire on Christmas shopping (especially if you're going to ship anything) and you're running out of ideas. Well, if you're reading this blog your either a friend, family member, lost, being tortured by a band of rebel militants, or quite possibly just a bit of a geek. So, here's a rundown on some of the more obvious last-minute gifts you might get the less geeky in your life:1. Flickr Account - That's right, flickr. Everyone's got digital photos these days, even if they're just taking them with their cell phone, and yet people still aren't backing them up. Who has time to burn them all to CD and put them in the safe deposit box anyway? So why not give the gift of easy, online, permanent backup. It's only $25/yr. Now, to be honest, you'll probably want to spend some time finding a nice card and creating a dummy e-mail account you can give to them as part of the package because I don't believe they offer gift certi...
More About: Internet , Gifts , Time , Clarity , Clar

More Free Entertainment
2007-12-17 21:33:00
The holidays tend to be a time when we sit around a bit more, watch some movies and just relax--or at least try to relax. And what better way to relax than with some audio-visual entertainment. You can always watch those free streaming re-runs online that I mentioned in the previous post, but why not enjoy a DVD movie and save some money at the same time? I've always loved the idea of Netflix (though I've never been a subscriber), and while you can save a load on time and late fees, it still costs money. Why not try your local library instead? Sure, they won't deliver to your house (at least not in my area), but many library systems get multiple copies of first run DVDs on the day of their release. They'll also have plenty of classic movies, hard to find stuff, and even those documentaries from PBS you've been meaning to watch (I finally did placate my Ken Burns fixation with the help of my library).Aside from movies they'll also have plenty of music CDs. Now, I'm not ...
More About: Internet , Entertainment , Free

ENTERTAINMENT: Free TiVo...Kind Of
2007-12-07 19:30:00
Here in the U.S. many things are free: fresh air, water, ummm.... Okay, maybe not so many things are free, however, one thing that is definitely not free are TV listings. Yep, you read that right. If you want to know what's on TV, you gotta pay the piper.Now I don't blame TiVo or its competition from making money, but the subscription model for time-shifting TV is starting to get me down. There are a lot of free, open-source PC-based products that provide TiVo-esque options, as well as a lot of PCs being sold with media center functions. Heck, you could even dust off the VCR. All that's great, but in the end, all we want is to watch our favorite TV shows when we want to watch them. And many us don't want to take the time to set up such a system.So here's my solution that should work for you, dear reader, with little or minimal cost. First, if you're willing (and able to get comfortable) watching TV on your computer monitor (or laptop) just do that. Go to hulu.com (NBC...
More About: Entertainment , Free , Tivo

FUN: Kindergarten was Never This Fun
2007-11-20 00:57:00
If you haven't seen it already, you need to watch the video showing the beta of Crayon Physics Deluxe. There's a link on the site that will let you download the original Crayon Physics for free. Sadly, it's PC only, but man is it cool.- Hutch
More About: Kindergarten

OFF TOPIC: Italian Spiderman
2007-11-17 23:07:00
Thanks to the team at HotAir.com I now feel culturally enriched by the phenom that is Italian Spiderman .I know, it's not about tech, but it's too good to pass up. Enjoy.- Hutch
More About: Topic

TECH: Zen and the Art of DNS Maintenance
2007-11-17 21:36:00
If you're like most people you probably never think about DNS. Why should you, usually it doesn't cause any problems. And unless your home network is confusing, convoluted, and double-NATed like mine, you just accept the defaults and move on.But for some reason, Comcast recently made some changes to how their DNS system worked--at least in my area. I don't know if it had to do with packet shaping or preventing P2P file sharing, but it made our systems less responsive and our Internet traffic pause for minutes at a time. Believe me, it's no fun to watch Mrs. Hutch's conniption fits when watching Heroes stream and stutter over the Interweb. It was time to take action.Finally I stumbled upon Open DNS.com (or did I hear about them on the TWIT podcast?). I'm not going to go into all the services they provide (including parental control/site blocking), but I will say they resolved my issues and we were back to network TV streaming bliss. Oh, did I mention that you can use them...
More About: Tech , Maintenance , Tena

TECH ANNOYANCES: - CPU Usage, Your Printer, and a Boot to the Head
2007-11-15 23:54:00
I have been fighting the spoolsv.exe service on my work PC for weeks now. Seems it would just start using 50% of my CPU resources (without asking, mind you) on a whim. I have an extremely new HP workstation (try not to drool), so I wouldn't really notice this until I was running queries in Access which would grind to a near halt. So I was left playing the kill-the-service game when I saw that extra CPU usage in my task manager which would then be followed by the restart-the-service game when I needed to print. Evidently you can't print without the print spooler service running. Weird, huh?Finally after looking through tons of articles which stated (without any direct examples or proof) that I must have a virus/trojan I came upon some info at Annoyances.org (click here for the thread in question). Evidently my use of Remote Desktop had left some residual print job in the queue of the Microsoft Office Document Image Writer (which I never use) and this was causing the CPU hogga...
More About: Tech , Printer , Head , Usage , Boot

GEEK HUMOR: We've Come A Long Way, Baby.
2007-11-14 16:48:00
Just to prove the good ol' days weren't always better comes this video from CollegeHumor .com.
More About: Baby , Geek , Long

SEARCH: Everything You Know is Wrong...If You're Using Google.
2007-11-08 19:37:00
Take a look at this entry from Download Squad along with the embedded video to understand why your searches on Google  don't always lead where you hope.  I don't know if TrueKnowledge.com will live up to expectations, but it sounds amazing.- Hutch
More About: Search , Wrong

WIKIS: Net Egalitarianism Cuts Both Ways
2007-08-22 03:19:00
People lie on the Interweb.  I know, it's hard to believe.  I can remember when we used to tout the fact that three guys in a coffee shop could create a presence on the web that rivaled Fortune 500 companies.  The Internet was our great equalizer in the world of ideas.  Little did we know that as we quietly sipped our lattes that the big, bad industrial machine would use this very tool against us.  Such is destined to be the legacy of the wiki.  A Wired blog recently reported on how some in government and industry may be using the wisdom of crowds to sabotage what has become a grand experiment in data sharing, specifically, Wikipedia.  While some of those contributing to the so-called WikiWatch may see a conspiracy behind every edit, the obvious abuses by some organizations makes one wonder if the open wiki model can survive....or could it be that some experts might actually believe they know a bit more than rank amateurs?- Hutch
More About: Wikis , Cuts , Alita , Cuts Both Ways

LEARNING: An Army of Uno
2007-08-14 07:08:00
As if our military didn't do enough for us already, now they're out to help us learn the basic phrases we'll need the next time we travel/parachute in to some exotic locale.  Someone say Azerbaijan?  That's right, you can now learn some basic cultural and linguistic information courtesy of the U.S. Army using the Field Support Modules for free.  Go to http://fieldsupport.lingnet.org/ and say all that you can say.- Hutch
More About: Learning , Earning

MAPS: The Earth, Your Way
2007-07-18 23:22:00
Google continues to amaze, especially when it comes to how we view our planet, or our backyard, or our neighbor's pool. Mapping is becoming a big thing for Google. I spend a lot of time mapping, plotting, geocoding, etc. everyday and though I use very specific GIS tools for most of my final products, but I still tend to use Google tools a lot. Google Earth is great, and I love the idea of placing 3D objects from Google SketchUp on our virtual planet. However, I am very late (about 1 week in fact) in reporting that our old friend Google Maps has received yet another face-lift with addition of Google Maps Widgets. Thanks to the openness of Google's API, you can create/use various widgets within Google Maps that take care of a variety of tasks, or supply information. My favorites thus far are Elevation Contours, Wikipedia Mapplet, and Circle Filter. I didn't count all of them today, but I'd guess there are at least 100-150 widgets currently available. So even though Google Ea...

iPHONE: iWant iAnswers Without All the iHype
2007-06-29 20:53:00
If you want answers to all your "Can the iPhone...?" questions you need to read David Pogue's recent article on the subject.  I for one was astounded to learn (and glad I wasn't waiting in line before I found out) that the iPhone cannot serve as a modem for your laptop--at least not yet. - Hutch
More About: Iphone

TAXES: Follow the Money
2007-06-18 21:28:00
I don't know where I originally saw this posted (I've looked and looked and can't find the attribution--forgive me), but someone has taken the time to develop a detailed and graphically interesting view of where our tax money actually goes. Now, before any of you wackos out there get all up-in-arms, remember, this chart only applies to those of us who actually PAY taxes (and no, your state sales tax doesn't count). The rest of you freeloading whiners don't need to worry about all this grown-up stuff. - Hutch DEATH AND TAXES: www.budgetgraph.com/posterUPDATE: I finally found my original source - one the blogs from a regional paper (the Tacoma News Tribune) posted it.
More About: Taxes , Money

TECH: Who'll Start the Rain?
2007-06-15 20:29:00
As the wise Mr. Twain once quipped, we all complain about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.  Sadly, the ol' scribe may have now been proven wrong.  Someone has taken Twain's witicism to heart and is using the weather service to report false storms in the Great Lakes/Midwest area.  Evidently the false reports of severe weather are causing a lot of panic--after all, who's really anxious to take a trip to the land of Oz.On the bright side, the reputation of meteorologists hasn't suffered any--no one has really noticed they're any less accurate than before.Ain't technology grand?  Well, of course it is.  The anonymity of the net is a wondrous thing--if you know how to stay anonymous.- HutchSee story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here.
More About: Tech , Rain , Start

MICROSOFT: Dive, Dive, Dive
2007-05-30 17:22:00
If you haven't seen the propaganda videos yet, head off to microsoft.com/surface and watch them.  On the one hand, a touch-sensitive table/monitor has some appeal (and perhaps a niche audience), however, isn't this just a bigger and less maneuverable version of the iphone's touch screen?  I don't know if this will be any more successful than last year's failed Origami project, but it looks interesting initially.  Perhaps Uncle Bill figured that if people weren't interested in micro PCs, they might just love massive monitors.  My final thought: In the end, if you can't tip it up and watch a movie on it, who will use it?- Hutch
More About: Microsoft , Micro , Dive