5-8-2008
Finally accomplished something of technical note. My daughter really likes watching videos on YouTube. (Itsty bitsy spider, etc.) However, if my wife or I are using the laptop for something else, it can be difficult to explain that we can't watch the itsy bitsy spider right now.
So, I had an old desktop that I had previously installed a Debian Etch server on that I installed the latest version of Ubuntu, Hardy Heron. Howtoforge.com had a great tutorial for setting up the perfect desktop with Hardy Heron, which I followed to install the necessary packages to enable playback of several types of media files.
Now my daughter can watch all the YouTube she wants without me having to worry about her poking the screen on my laptop. My next step is to remember to turn it on before I leave for work so that I can play around with it from my office computer. I've got all the ports forwarded and desktop sharing set up so I can access it remotely. All that preparation doesn't help though when the box is turned off.
4-29-2008
Obviously been a slow month or so for me technologically. However, all is not lost. Signed up for Twitter the other day. I've heard it's pretty cool, and I have to admit, it is. I find it similar to Facebook status updates, but a lot more mobile. I've also added my Twitter updates to the top of this blog. Maybe this will the jumpstart I need to be more techie in May.
3-28-2008
I was able to trade out my old cable modem for a new one, which was nice. When I activated my first one, it only involved a short call to Comcast, so I was expecting the same this time around. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Called up Comcast about 9:30, spoke to a nice tech and he got the required info from me. He hit a snag, put me on hold for a few minutes then came back to tell me since I wasn't in his area, he didn't have access to add my cable modem and those people left at 9. Bummer. Good thing I didn't have to have the internet that night, or else I would have had to go sit outside next to my neighbor's house and "borrowed" some Wi-Fi.
All was not lost since I had just picked up Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Knocked out a few levels then went to bed. Called them back last night and got hooked up. Next, time for some more Call of Duty 4!
3-26-2008
Slow month technologically speaking for me. My cable modem has apparently gone haywire after the power went out at my house last week. It resets every couple of minutes, preventing me from using the net consistently. Xbox Live is a big no-no. Tonight I'm going to take it back to the place of purchase and see if I can get a swap out since I have a extended warranty. Hopefully this will be the case and I won't have to go through the hassle of shipping it off.
I tried to call Comcast last night at about 5:30, but they had already closed, so instead I go into a chat with an "analyst." He tried to send a signal to my modem, but that didn't do what it was supposed to do. Anybody have a clue as to what that "signal" actually is?
2-27-2008
Why must Apple continue to tempt me? Why must they update their laptops and make me want to spend money?
Then there is the other question. Do I go for the Macbook, or the Macbook Pro? I've currently got a 12" G4 Powerbook, which is more like the Pro. However, I really like the size of the Macbook, since it has a 13" screen, very handy for surfing on the couch. Decisions, decisions.
2-8-2008
Not a lot going on recently in my tech world. I've been playing a little Call of Duty 4 and Guitar Hero III on my Xbox 360. I've changed my router configuration to enable UPnP, which I know is not ideal for security, but I was unable to forward both ports I needed for Xbox Live. It was quite puzzling, because I've had them forwarded in the past. I kept getting error messages saying the port was needed for another service or something like that.
Also been thinking about upgrading my cell phone. My current one still works well, but I'd really like one with Bluetooth, camera, etc. I just can't seem to justify the data plans for a Blackberry or iPhone. Sure, it's "only" $20-30 a month, but that's a lot of dough over the course of a year.
The IT guys finally came and took my laptop away to try and fix my loose screen connectors. I've got a loaner right now, and it's amazing how nice things look in full color.
1-23-2008
Finally put the emulators on my Xbox, and they're great! One of my all-time favorite games is Super Mario World. I was blown away when I first played it at a friend's house, and I still love this game. During college I beat it completely, finding all the exits, Star World, etc.
The only small gripe is playing SNES games with an Xbox controller feels kind of weird, but it's a big step up from a laptop keyboard.
On a sadder note, my Google rank dropped to page 9 in one day. Puzzling, to say the least.
Check out my food blog > http://bill-adkins.blogspot.com