For those interested in Apple's latest iPad Tablet product, visit their web site at http://www.apple.com/. Apple have made the Steve Jobs presentation available as the entire focus of their main page. I don't know how long they'll keep it as their only focus, but I'm sure they'll have a link to the presentation for some time.
What I found interesting is initially I couldn't work out how big the iPad was. Based on rumours I thought the device was going to be smaller, which goes to show you shouldn't listen to rumours. Once you see the video you get a good idea of the size.
A number of areas with the iPhone, which to me are limitations, have been improved with the iPad. The larger on screen keypad and the external keyboard docking station looked very good. The price of the iPad at $499USD (with WiFi, but without 3G) locks like a great price. Even paying $130USD extra for the 3G model offers value.
The smaller screen on the iPhone is often an issue (as a result of the browser and email applications) which causes me to reach for a netbook and this now looks like it should be less of an issue with the iPad.
With the iPhone and now the iPad, I couldn't help feel Apple are losing their reputation for selling expensive products. The iPhone and iPad pack a lot of features for a very good price.
I currently use my iPhone only for internet usage for my own reasons and I would be one of the target market for the iPad. When I was looking at the iPhone I was actually seriously considering the iTouch. But I wanted the GPS, faster processor of the 3GS series and 3G data, so I felt the iPhone for me was a better bundle than the iTouch. Now the iPad would be a very serious option.
A couple of thoughts do cross my mind.
In the presentation Steve Jobs points out they believe they are creating a third market. The iPhone, the notebook and now the iPad. Due to the size of the iPad, I can't help think, would I be bothered with carrying the unit around. I have a netbook which to me is a great product, but I don't carry that around with me on a day to day basis, but I do carry around the iPhone because of its size. The netbook has been fantastic when travelling in Australia and overseas. It has also been a great help when I've needed to carry my Windows applications with me. But I rarely take the netbook with me on a daily basis and I wonder if the same would be true of the iPad.
The next feeling I get is the Apple product is for those who just want to use the technology. As an IT person I want to more than use the technology. I want to tailor it to my needs and my clients' needs. The closed shop approach of Apple doesn't appeal to me. I can however get around that by doing everything on the internet. With cloud computing options improving, that approach isn't a bad option. For those who just want to be a consumer of the product, it looks like an excellent product. I get the feeling that perhaps the IT market of old is slowly going and even I will soon largely be a user of the technology. That may even be a good thing as it shows the market has matured.
I'm not usually an Apple fan, but with the iPhone and now the iPad, I have to say I feel Apple are producing products which package together many features I want at an affordable price.
There are still things I would like to see in the iPhone and iPad, but since I don't have the technical skills, as a consumer I have to accept if I use the products, I have to accept the limitations.
Overall, full credit to Apple for what looks like an excellent product. I'll be very interested to check out the iPad when it comes to the local Apple store.
- Kelvin
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
invitations@hi5.com, e-cards@123greatings.com, noreply@coca-cola.com, e-cards@hallmark.com, e-cards@americangreetings.com, svc@ppal.com
I'm sure most people receive fake emails from invitations@hi5.com, e-cards@123greatings.com, noreply@coca-cola.com, e-cards@hallmark.com, e-cards@americangreetings.com, svc@ppal.com and many others. I also receive them, but they never reach my computer. I use a program I wrote called OzEfilter which deletes the emails at the mail server before they ever reach my computer.
Today for example I received 41 emails. Of those 35 were spam or malware. All 35 were disposed of at the mail server and never came close to my computer. As a result of using OzEfilter I save time and minimise the chances of a costly and time consuming infection, or worse, a successful phishing attempt.
OzEfilter is built on a very simple idea. I want to receive emails from people I know, but I want to first check emails from people I don't know before receiving them into my computer. I then delete all the unwanted emails from strangers (spam, malware, phishing attempts) and only receive the emails I want.
The following is the view screen which shows me the emails on the mail server for me to review before receiving.
The email address and subject are enough to let me know whether I want to receive an email from a stranger. The country of origin at the left is a further clue about whether the email is bona fide or not.
OzEfilter also saves me time. On a normal day I receive 50-100 emails a day. Around 80-90% of those are not wanted and potentially dangerous. A quick review and a click on the delete button purges the unwanted emails. Much faster than receiving and then deleting each email and much safer too. Just think about it. If you receive just 10 unwanted emails a day, that's a lot of wasted time deleting unwanted emails, but more worrying is that's 3,650 potential threats to you or your computer a year.
If unwanted emails is a problem to you, if you've been tricked by malware and want minimise the chances of that happening again, then consider OzEfilter. No anti-virus program can protect you against the latest malware threat. It takes time for the software companies to identify and release new signature files. Often up to a couple of days. That is the time you are most vulnerable. Every anti-virus program I've tested has let malware into the computer undetected resulting in infected computers. Why take the risk.
OzEfilter comes with a peace of mind money back guarantee. Give it a go and see what you think. You have nothing to lose except unwanted emails.
- Kelvin
Today for example I received 41 emails. Of those 35 were spam or malware. All 35 were disposed of at the mail server and never came close to my computer. As a result of using OzEfilter I save time and minimise the chances of a costly and time consuming infection, or worse, a successful phishing attempt.
The following is the view screen which shows me the emails on the mail server for me to review before receiving.
The email address and subject are enough to let me know whether I want to receive an email from a stranger. The country of origin at the left is a further clue about whether the email is bona fide or not.
OzEfilter also saves me time. On a normal day I receive 50-100 emails a day. Around 80-90% of those are not wanted and potentially dangerous. A quick review and a click on the delete button purges the unwanted emails. Much faster than receiving and then deleting each email and much safer too. Just think about it. If you receive just 10 unwanted emails a day, that's a lot of wasted time deleting unwanted emails, but more worrying is that's 3,650 potential threats to you or your computer a year.
If unwanted emails is a problem to you, if you've been tricked by malware and want minimise the chances of that happening again, then consider OzEfilter. No anti-virus program can protect you against the latest malware threat. It takes time for the software companies to identify and release new signature files. Often up to a couple of days. That is the time you are most vulnerable. Every anti-virus program I've tested has let malware into the computer undetected resulting in infected computers. Why take the risk.
OzEfilter comes with a peace of mind money back guarantee. Give it a go and see what you think. You have nothing to lose except unwanted emails.
- Kelvin
Monday, January 25, 2010
Melbounre, Melborne, Melboune, Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.
For many spelling Melbourne can be a bit tricky, but if you want to find out about the real Melbourne, then follow the experiences of Renée Barber in her JustLocal blog as she explores Melbourne. See and experience Melbourne as you've never seen her before.
Renée has already shared her experiences of the Queen Victoria Market, the Fitzroy Gardens and a fantastic balloon ride over Melbourne. What is really interesting is we never know where Renée will visit next.
Thanks Renée for sharing Melbourne as you see her.
- Kelvin
Renée has already shared her experiences of the Queen Victoria Market, the Fitzroy Gardens and a fantastic balloon ride over Melbourne. What is really interesting is we never know where Renée will visit next.
Thanks Renée for sharing Melbourne as you see her.
- Kelvin
Friday, January 22, 2010
ATM skimming
Recent articles in the press about ATM skimming and Card skimming had me wondering about the exposure and how the skimming was being carried out. My concern is I've heard of thousands of people's accounts being potentially compromised. None of the articles I read in the press provided any information which would help me determine how skimming works.
As it turns out, when your card is being scanned, a second scanner attached to the ATM also scans the card. In addition the pin needs to be captured. To most people the skimmer just looks like part of the device.
This article from the Commonwealth Bank provides some excellent information including pictures of the equipment being used.
Recently it has been reported in the press that skimmers have managed to steal millions. What concerned me is recent skimming was being done at McDonald's. I don't know how they could be doing that as every McDonald's I've been to, use handheld scanners and not ATM machines. One article I read alleged the keypad was being replaced. If true, and the keypad unit was identical, there would be almost no way for a consumer to know their account details and pin had been skimmed.
Thanks to the Commonwealth Bank for the article as it helps on what to watch out for.
Kelvin
Tags: ATM card, ATM machine, ATM machines, card skimming, ATM skimming
As it turns out, when your card is being scanned, a second scanner attached to the ATM also scans the card. In addition the pin needs to be captured. To most people the skimmer just looks like part of the device.
This article from the Commonwealth Bank provides some excellent information including pictures of the equipment being used.
Recently it has been reported in the press that skimmers have managed to steal millions. What concerned me is recent skimming was being done at McDonald's. I don't know how they could be doing that as every McDonald's I've been to, use handheld scanners and not ATM machines. One article I read alleged the keypad was being replaced. If true, and the keypad unit was identical, there would be almost no way for a consumer to know their account details and pin had been skimmed.
Thanks to the Commonwealth Bank for the article as it helps on what to watch out for.
Kelvin
Tags: ATM card, ATM machine, ATM machines, card skimming, ATM skimming
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Balloon rides over Melbourne
For those considering a balloon ride over Melbourne, Renée shares her latest adventure and some great shots on the JustLocal postcode 3000 blog. Thanks Renée.
- Kelvin
- Kelvin
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Fitzroy Gardens and Queen Vic Market
Having lived in Melbourne all my life, it is very refreshing to see Melbourne through the eyes of another. Renée Barber has recently moved into the centre of Melbourne and is generously sharing articles on the places and things she sees and experiences.
Renée's first article on Queen Victoria Market and her photograph shares the vibrancy of Melbourne's night life. Her second article on Fitzroy Gardens and Captain Cook's Cottage takes me back to the fun times I've had at the beautiful park.
Thank you Renée for sharing your experiences with us.
You can find Renée's articles on the blog for JustLocal postcode 3000 page. If there are places you'd like to see Renée visit let Renée know. You never know, your favourite place in Melbourne may be something Renée might be interested in seeing and sharing with others.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Renée's first article on Queen Victoria Market and her photograph shares the vibrancy of Melbourne's night life. Her second article on Fitzroy Gardens and Captain Cook's Cottage takes me back to the fun times I've had at the beautiful park.
Thank you Renée for sharing your experiences with us.
You can find Renée's articles on the blog for JustLocal postcode 3000 page. If there are places you'd like to see Renée visit let Renée know. You never know, your favourite place in Melbourne may be something Renée might be interested in seeing and sharing with others.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Virus Alert: You have received a Christmas Greeting Card!
Tonight I've received dozens of emails with the subject You have received a Christmas Greeting Card! and felt is was appropriate to advise everyone.
These emails are fake and carry malware. Norton Internet Security (the current anti-virus software I'm testing) didn't pick up the malware. Microsoft's Security Essentials identified and deleted the malware once it was saved to the computer.
The email purports to be sent from e-cards@123greetings.com and has an attachment with the file name Christmas Card.zip. Inside the zip file is an executable program with the name Christmas Card.doc.exe . The number of spaces is used so the extension exe is not easily visible and tricks people into believing they are receiving a Word document.
Using Microsoft Security Essentials and OzEfilter is an excellent way to identify these malware emails and to delete them safely at the mail server before they reach your computer.
You should immediately delete these emails if you receive them.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Update: It's now 8:10am and dozens more of these emails were received overnight. OzEfilter shows the infected emails coming from Korea, South Africa, Netherlands, France, United States and India, so this infection is worldwide. Norton Internet Security is now identifying and removing removing the malware.
These emails are fake and carry malware. Norton Internet Security (the current anti-virus software I'm testing) didn't pick up the malware. Microsoft's Security Essentials identified and deleted the malware once it was saved to the computer.
The email purports to be sent from e-cards@123greetings.com and has an attachment with the file name Christmas Card.zip. Inside the zip file is an executable program with the name Christmas Card.doc
Using Microsoft Security Essentials and OzEfilter is an excellent way to identify these malware emails and to delete them safely at the mail server before they reach your computer.
You should immediately delete these emails if you receive them.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Update: It's now 8:10am and dozens more of these emails were received overnight. OzEfilter shows the infected emails coming from Korea, South Africa, Netherlands, France, United States and India, so this infection is worldwide. Norton Internet Security is now identifying and removing removing the malware.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Alert: eBay Motors - don't miss today's private deals !
Most of the time I report emails which have malware attached that is not picked up by the anti-virus software. However, since I've seen a number of emails with the subject eBay Motors - don't miss today's private deals !, I decided to investigate. This email looks like a scam.
The email consists of a single image file which if downloaded, contains mapped areas to make people feel there are email addresses they can click on. The link to www.ebay.com.au in particular is not an actual link and another very good indicator the email is a fake.
Checking the origin of the email showed it came from the United Arab Emirates. Other similar emails have been received from Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia. Again very good clues these emails are fakes.
My guess is the aim of the email is to trick people into responding to one of the yahoo.com.au email addresses provided, and if they can trick someone, they will.
You should immediately delete these emails, or have a product like OzEfilter delete the emails safely at the mail server and never receive them into your computer.
Clicking on the image potentially provides the sender with your IP address and if your computer/internet connection is not secure, may be a further exposure. Experienced users won't even bother to look at the picture before deleting the email. The sender may take looking at a picture as a clue to you being a less experienced user. I don't know how these people think and I suspect most people don't either. It is best to minimise your exposure where possible.
Kelvin Eldridge
The email consists of a single image file which if downloaded, contains mapped areas to make people feel there are email addresses they can click on. The link to www.ebay.com.au in particular is not an actual link and another very good indicator the email is a fake.
Checking the origin of the email showed it came from the United Arab Emirates. Other similar emails have been received from Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia. Again very good clues these emails are fakes.
My guess is the aim of the email is to trick people into responding to one of the yahoo.com.au email addresses provided, and if they can trick someone, they will.
You should immediately delete these emails, or have a product like OzEfilter delete the emails safely at the mail server and never receive them into your computer.
Clicking on the image potentially provides the sender with your IP address and if your computer/internet connection is not secure, may be a further exposure. Experienced users won't even bother to look at the picture before deleting the email. The sender may take looking at a picture as a clue to you being a less experienced user. I don't know how these people think and I suspect most people don't either. It is best to minimise your exposure where possible.
Kelvin Eldridge
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Welcome Ms Rising Star
With Christmas just around the corner, you may wish to give a gift either to yourself, or someone you know, of an in-depth reading by Ms Rising Star. When I say in-depth, the report is 39 pages. You can find Ms Rising Star at JustLocal.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Dictonary. Oops. I meant dictionary.
As I mistyped the word dictionary today, I wondered about the many ways people may mistype the word dictionary.
The following are the misspellings I found.
dictonary
dictionery
dicitonary
dictinary
dictioanry
dicionary
dictioary
dictionay
dictoinary
diconary
dictornary
dictonery
If you’re not sure of the correct or preferred spelling of a word in Australia, you can now use Word Check to verify the spelling. You can find Word Check on the main page of JustLocal.
- Kelvin Eldridge
The following are the misspellings I found.
dictonary
dictionery
dicitonary
dictinary
dictioanry
dicionary
dictioary
dictionay
dictoinary
diconary
dictornary
dictonery
If you’re not sure of the correct or preferred spelling of a word in Australia, you can now use Word Check to verify the spelling. You can find Word Check on the main page of JustLocal.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Hoax: Mobile Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
I received an email saying Mobile Phone Numbers Go Public this month and stating PASS THIS ON TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN.
This is a hoax. Do not send it on.
Before sending any emails on that suggest you send them on, do a quick check. It took a couple of seconds to check the Do Not Call site to see this was a hoax.
Take the time to check. Your friends will thank you for it. I've seen a number of people completely embarrassed when they realised they've be suckered with a hoax virus. A hoax virus often does no harm except it tricks people into taking action. One hoax virus we did see, tricked a person into deleting an important file off their computer, so they can be harmful.
OzEfilter is great way to catch these emails before they reach your computer. The email is from someone I don't know and is also from America. Both good indications the email is suspicious.
From what I read the Do Not Call register records your details for three years. Those who registered three years ago will need to re-register, or their telephone numbers will be available to telemarketers. I hadn't read anything about mobile numbers and felt this email was likely to be a viral hoax.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: donotcall, do not call registry, do not disturb, telemarketer, telemarketers
This is a hoax. Do not send it on.
Before sending any emails on that suggest you send them on, do a quick check. It took a couple of seconds to check the Do Not Call site to see this was a hoax.
Take the time to check. Your friends will thank you for it. I've seen a number of people completely embarrassed when they realised they've be suckered with a hoax virus. A hoax virus often does no harm except it tricks people into taking action. One hoax virus we did see, tricked a person into deleting an important file off their computer, so they can be harmful.
OzEfilter is great way to catch these emails before they reach your computer. The email is from someone I don't know and is also from America. Both good indications the email is suspicious.
From what I read the Do Not Call register records your details for three years. Those who registered three years ago will need to re-register, or their telephone numbers will be available to telemarketers. I hadn't read anything about mobile numbers and felt this email was likely to be a viral hoax.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: donotcall, do not call registry, do not disturb, telemarketer, telemarketers
Monday, November 30, 2009
Norton Internet Security misses the following malware.
In the last week Norton Internet Security missed the following malware.
From: order-update@amazon.com
Subject: Shipping update for your Amazon.com order 254-71546325-658732
Attachment Shipping documents.zip
From: invitations@twitter.com
Subject: Your friend invited you to twitter!
Attachment: Invitation Card.zip
From: (faked email from myself)
Subject: Your Membership Details!
Attachment INFO.zip (Password protected: 2627)
From: (fake email from myself using non-existent email address)
Subject: Free one year trial
Attachment: SECURE-INFO.zip (Password protected: 9176)
From: (fake email from myself using non-existent email address)
Subject: Free one year trial
Attachment: SECURE-INFO.zip (Password protected: 4141)
All of these emails would have been deleted by OzEfilter at the mail server and never reached my computer.
No matter which anti-virus program you are using you have to always be careful. The latest malware and password protected zip files can get past the anti-virus software. Take care with all emails containing attachments.
In addition quite a few emails which are phishing attempts were also received with no warning. These emails would have also been deleted by OzEfilter. Do be careful of links in emails. Often the lead you to sites which may look legitimate, but are only designed to obtain your username and password details.
Please do take care.
- Kelvin Eldridge
From: order-update@amazon.com
Subject: Shipping update for your Amazon.com order 254-71546325-658732
Attachment Shipping documents.zip
From: invitations@twitter.com
Subject: Your friend invited you to twitter!
Attachment: Invitation Card.zip
From: (faked email from myself)
Subject: Your Membership Details!
Attachment INFO.zip (Password protected: 2627)
From: (fake email from myself using non-existent email address)
Subject: Free one year trial
Attachment: SECURE-INFO.zip (Password protected: 9176)
From: (fake email from myself using non-existent email address)
Subject: Free one year trial
Attachment: SECURE-INFO.zip (Password protected: 4141)
All of these emails would have been deleted by OzEfilter at the mail server and never reached my computer.
No matter which anti-virus program you are using you have to always be careful. The latest malware and password protected zip files can get past the anti-virus software. Take care with all emails containing attachments.
In addition quite a few emails which are phishing attempts were also received with no warning. These emails would have also been deleted by OzEfilter. Do be careful of links in emails. Often the lead you to sites which may look legitimate, but are only designed to obtain your username and password details.
Please do take care.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Telstra's new broadband plans.
Recently I noticed Telstra was about to announce new broadband plans. Their plans for quite some time have lagged behind others in terms of value. Today the announcement hit the mainstream media.
The problem with mainstream media is they don't satisfy my insatiable desire for detailed information and don't provide links to the source information. But the media is great for letting you know what is going on in general. You can easily access the latest news from different sites using the NEWS link on JustLocal.
Detailed information enables us to make better decisions. I decided to hunt out the press release. The press release from Telstra contains all the details to satisfy my appetite for information. You can find Telstra's press release here.
As to whether or not Telstra's new plans are good really is up to each person to decide based on their needs and situation. Considering entry level plan comes from having 200MB to now having 2GB, Telstra had a woefully inadequate entry plan which forced most people I know to almost immediately switch to a much dearer plan. (They had no choice because they were locked into a contract.) At 2GB that is better, but the excess charges are still a real problem. I also consider bundling and lengthy contract periods to be a concern.
Do your sums, check the fine print and shop around. Then you'll know if the new Telstra plans are for you or not.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: Telstra, Telstra Broadband, wireless broadband prepaid, broardband, ADSL2, ADSL broadband
The problem with mainstream media is they don't satisfy my insatiable desire for detailed information and don't provide links to the source information. But the media is great for letting you know what is going on in general. You can easily access the latest news from different sites using the NEWS link on JustLocal.
Detailed information enables us to make better decisions. I decided to hunt out the press release. The press release from Telstra contains all the details to satisfy my appetite for information. You can find Telstra's press release here.
As to whether or not Telstra's new plans are good really is up to each person to decide based on their needs and situation. Considering entry level plan comes from having 200MB to now having 2GB, Telstra had a woefully inadequate entry plan which forced most people I know to almost immediately switch to a much dearer plan. (They had no choice because they were locked into a contract.) At 2GB that is better, but the excess charges are still a real problem. I also consider bundling and lengthy contract periods to be a concern.
Do your sums, check the fine print and shop around. Then you'll know if the new Telstra plans are for you or not.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: Telstra, Telstra Broadband, wireless broadband prepaid, broardband, ADSL2, ADSL broadband
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sell your second-hand furniture, books, cars or clothes for free.
MyTreasure enables you to promote your second-hand items for free. Furniture, cars, boats, books, clothes, or any of your personal items, at no cost.
The beta version 1.0.5 of MyTreasure is now available and can be downloaded from the MyTreasure page. No registration is required. We'd love to hear from you if you're using MyTreasure, but that's entirely up to you.
MyTreasure version 1.0.5 has been updated with the addition of a search engine for MyTreaure sites, and for those interested in profiting for referring, Virtual Profit Sharing is now part of MyTreasure pages.
Check out MyTreasure. The most profitable way to sell your pre-loved items and it's FREE.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: second hand furniture, secondhand furniture, secondhand dealers, secondhand stores, secondhand books
The beta version 1.0.5 of MyTreasure is now available and can be downloaded from the MyTreasure page. No registration is required. We'd love to hear from you if you're using MyTreasure, but that's entirely up to you.
MyTreasure version 1.0.5 has been updated with the addition of a search engine for MyTreaure sites, and for those interested in profiting for referring, Virtual Profit Sharing is now part of MyTreasure pages.
Check out MyTreasure. The most profitable way to sell your pre-loved items and it's FREE.
- Kelvin Eldridge
TAGS: second hand furniture, secondhand furniture, secondhand dealers, secondhand stores, secondhand books
MyAnswers. Professional solutions to your computer problems
As an IT consultant I solve client's problems every day. I also get asked for my opinion many times during a week. I decided some years ago to document this information so more people could benefit at a lower cost, than asking me direct.
The solutions and responses are documented in the MyAnswers database and can be purchased for a small fee over the internet.
Most of us including myself search the internet for solutions. I've been known to search for hours to solve a problem. Along the way I see many solutions that are partially correct, incorrect, and some that are outright dangerous. The problem with most public forums is anyone can participate. Even the forums offered by leading software vendors contain substandard information. If you think about why the public forums may offer substandard information it is pretty obvious. The vendors want people to feel part, to participate. In doing so however the vendors aren't providing their professional advice and guidance, but letting those who participate share information. It saves the vendor time and money, and they appear to be helping users. In my experience much of the help provided if you're not experienced can be inadequate. Without experience it would be very hard to separate the real knowledge from the gossip.
On one forum for open source software which I participated in, one person offered their advice to users which I knew would corrupt a person's computer. To their credit they meant well, but passing on untested information that has been posted by others is a recipe for disaster.
MyAnswers are my notes of what I've done to solve a problem. The solution has worked for my clients and in most cases it will work for you. I say most, because a slight change in situation may mean a different solution is required. All solutions come with a money back guarantee, so if it doesn't work for you, you won't be out of pocket.
If you want solutions, rather than gossip, check out MyAnswers. If you want to see the latest issues other people are finding with their computers, then check out the Recent solutions page. You will find it makes interesting reading.
Kelvin Eldridge
The solutions and responses are documented in the MyAnswers database and can be purchased for a small fee over the internet.
Most of us including myself search the internet for solutions. I've been known to search for hours to solve a problem. Along the way I see many solutions that are partially correct, incorrect, and some that are outright dangerous. The problem with most public forums is anyone can participate. Even the forums offered by leading software vendors contain substandard information. If you think about why the public forums may offer substandard information it is pretty obvious. The vendors want people to feel part, to participate. In doing so however the vendors aren't providing their professional advice and guidance, but letting those who participate share information. It saves the vendor time and money, and they appear to be helping users. In my experience much of the help provided if you're not experienced can be inadequate. Without experience it would be very hard to separate the real knowledge from the gossip.
On one forum for open source software which I participated in, one person offered their advice to users which I knew would corrupt a person's computer. To their credit they meant well, but passing on untested information that has been posted by others is a recipe for disaster.
MyAnswers are my notes of what I've done to solve a problem. The solution has worked for my clients and in most cases it will work for you. I say most, because a slight change in situation may mean a different solution is required. All solutions come with a money back guarantee, so if it doesn't work for you, you won't be out of pocket.
If you want solutions, rather than gossip, check out MyAnswers. If you want to see the latest issues other people are finding with their computers, then check out the Recent solutions page. You will find it makes interesting reading.
Kelvin Eldridge
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Why I've now added a password to Word Check?
We all use the internet as a great resource. Most of us, including myself, go from site to site, using what is provided and never once thinking about the business or person providing the information. It is free after all. This is neither a statement that this behaviour is either good or bad. It just is.
As the developer of the Kelvin dictionary used in Word Check, I estimate the Kelvin dictionary I am building will take around a thousand hours of research before it is at the level I am happy with and ready for general release. A thousand hours of time to give away to others is something I'd like to do, but sadly can't afford to do.
I've made the decision to focus on people who are interested in giving and receiving. Those who join my mailing list give a small amount of their time to hear what I have to say. To see if something I am doing has value for them. There is no cost to join the JustLocal mailing list. You do not have to buy anything unless it interests you. You won't get flooded with emails from me every day. Your information will not be provided to others.
I apologise in advance to anyone I may inconvenience. I do trust you'll understand my reasons.
- Kelvin Eldridge
As the developer of the Kelvin dictionary used in Word Check, I estimate the Kelvin dictionary I am building will take around a thousand hours of research before it is at the level I am happy with and ready for general release. A thousand hours of time to give away to others is something I'd like to do, but sadly can't afford to do.
I've made the decision to focus on people who are interested in giving and receiving. Those who join my mailing list give a small amount of their time to hear what I have to say. To see if something I am doing has value for them. There is no cost to join the JustLocal mailing list. You do not have to buy anything unless it interests you. You won't get flooded with emails from me every day. Your information will not be provided to others.
I apologise in advance to anyone I may inconvenience. I do trust you'll understand my reasons.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Are you myopic with your spelling?
OK, I just had to write that headline. Most people really do get into their spelling habits and if their spelling is challenged, you can get into a pretty good argument. With my dictionary work I take a different tack. The Kelvin dictionary is my preferred spelling. I've spent hundreds of hours researching the preferred spelling in Australia and made decisions based on that research. The spelling is how I now spell. I often find I need to change my spelling habits based on the outcome of my research. How others spell is up to them.
Now I mentioned the word myopic, because whilst it does mean narrow-minded, it is also another word for short-sighted. When I researched the word myopic I felt it showed a little about what I'm trying to achieve with my work and I thought that was worth sharing.
The current spellchecking tools we have in many ways aren't helping us, and could be hurting us and our children's spelling. This is true for commercial and open source software.
Type the following into your favourite word processor or browser (assuming the browser has spellchecking) and see what your spellchecker does.
spellcheck
- Most software will suggest spell check. This is an incorrect spelling for Australia. However this usage is now so common (by around 26:1), it may end up be the correct spelling in time. Microsoft Word 2007 suggests spell check and spell-check. Both are wrong in Australia. The correct spelling is spellcheck. (For those who are interested, the correct American spelling is spell-check.)
shortsighted, short-sighted, shortsightedness, short-sightedness
- The correct spelling is short-sighted. For short-sightedness the Macquarie and Oxford dictionaries agree on the spelling. If you type in shortsighted, Microsoft Word 2007 will suggest both short sighted and short-sighted.
nearsighted, near-sighted, nearsightedness, near-sightedness
- The correct spelling is near-sighted. The Oxford dictionary suggests near-sightedness and the Macquarie suggests nearsightedness, as the correct spelling. Microsoft Word will accept all spelling variations and is thus incorrect with nearsighted.
What then is the correct spelling of nearsightedness/near-sightedness?
We can check usage in Australia, but the problem is the main tool people use for writing in Australia is Microsoft Word. The good thing is near-sighted has greater usage in Australia which makes that word easy. For nearsightedness/near-sightedness usage is low, but the version used most often is nearsighted.
If we check the dictionaries for far-sightedness and long-sightedness we find the Macquarie and Oxford agree with the word being hyphenated.
For consistency, and because in all other forms the hyphenated version is used, with the Kelvin dictionary, the hyphenated version of the word is included. The words nearsighted and nearsightedness are also added to the Microsoft Exclude file, so they will now appear as spelling errors for anyone using my Exclude file when the next version is released.
For a bit of fun, you might want to try typing the following into your word processor, or browser.
The room had a lovely vu.
I went to the school fait.
I think you'll be quite surprised with the result. One person asked me what black magic had I performed on their computer. They couldn't believe the result.
Enjoy,
- Kelvin Eldridge
Now I mentioned the word myopic, because whilst it does mean narrow-minded, it is also another word for short-sighted. When I researched the word myopic I felt it showed a little about what I'm trying to achieve with my work and I thought that was worth sharing.
The current spellchecking tools we have in many ways aren't helping us, and could be hurting us and our children's spelling. This is true for commercial and open source software.
Type the following into your favourite word processor or browser (assuming the browser has spellchecking) and see what your spellchecker does.
spellcheck
- Most software will suggest spell check. This is an incorrect spelling for Australia. However this usage is now so common (by around 26:1), it may end up be the correct spelling in time. Microsoft Word 2007 suggests spell check and spell-check. Both are wrong in Australia. The correct spelling is spellcheck. (For those who are interested, the correct American spelling is spell-check.)
shortsighted, short-sighted, shortsightedness, short-sightedness
- The correct spelling is short-sighted. For short-sightedness the Macquarie and Oxford dictionaries agree on the spelling. If you type in shortsighted, Microsoft Word 2007 will suggest both short sighted and short-sighted.
nearsighted, near-sighted, nearsightedness, near-sightedness
- The correct spelling is near-sighted. The Oxford dictionary suggests near-sightedness and the Macquarie suggests nearsightedness, as the correct spelling. Microsoft Word will accept all spelling variations and is thus incorrect with nearsighted.
What then is the correct spelling of nearsightedness/near-sightedness?
We can check usage in Australia, but the problem is the main tool people use for writing in Australia is Microsoft Word. The good thing is near-sighted has greater usage in Australia which makes that word easy. For nearsightedness/near-sightedness usage is low, but the version used most often is nearsighted.
If we check the dictionaries for far-sightedness and long-sightedness we find the Macquarie and Oxford agree with the word being hyphenated.
For consistency, and because in all other forms the hyphenated version is used, with the Kelvin dictionary, the hyphenated version of the word is included. The words nearsighted and nearsightedness are also added to the Microsoft Exclude file, so they will now appear as spelling errors for anyone using my Exclude file when the next version is released.
For a bit of fun, you might want to try typing the following into your word processor, or browser.
The room had a lovely vu.
I went to the school fait.
I think you'll be quite surprised with the result. One person asked me what black magic had I performed on their computer. They couldn't believe the result.
Enjoy,
- Kelvin Eldridge
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Great Give-Away: Winner of the 4GB Lexar USB drive.
Congratulations to Simon Adams of Victoria who is the latest winner in The Great Give-Away. Simon has won the 4GB Lexar Jumpstar USB drive.
Thank you to everyone who entered and I wish those who didn't win, the best of luck next time.
- Kelvin Eldridge
MyTreasure beta Version 1.0.3 now available.
Version 1.0.3 of MyTreasure beta is now available. The latest version adds a search engine feature. MyTreasure is available from http://www.mytreasure.com.au/.
The following are two MyTreasure sites.
http://mytreasure.com.au/sites/kelvin/
http://www.risingstardesigns.com.au/mytreasure/
If you want to sell some pre-loved treasures of yours, or check out what others have available, feel free to check out MyTreasure.
The MyTreasure software is provided for free and enables you to easily create your own online Garage Sale at no cost. No auction fees. You don't have to sit around all day waiting for people to turn up. You don't have to worry about what the weather is going to be. Your MyTreasure page works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For those who don't know how to upload files to the internet to your free space (which really is pretty easy to do) I do provide low cost space for your MyTreasure page. This is completely optional. For those who use the space I provide I'll provide extra promotion via my blog and your information will appear in the search engine (subject to Google indexing the page).
Enjoy,
- Kelvin Eldridge
The following are two MyTreasure sites.
http://mytreasure.com.au/sites/kelvin/
http://www.risingstardesigns.com.au/mytreasure/
If you want to sell some pre-loved treasures of yours, or check out what others have available, feel free to check out MyTreasure.
The MyTreasure software is provided for free and enables you to easily create your own online Garage Sale at no cost. No auction fees. You don't have to sit around all day waiting for people to turn up. You don't have to worry about what the weather is going to be. Your MyTreasure page works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For those who don't know how to upload files to the internet to your free space (which really is pretty easy to do) I do provide low cost space for your MyTreasure page. This is completely optional. For those who use the space I provide I'll provide extra promotion via my blog and your information will appear in the search engine (subject to Google indexing the page).
Enjoy,
- Kelvin Eldridge
iPhone 3G/3GS battery life
An interesting thought came to me the other day which is: how long will the iPhone battery last before it needs to be replaced?
I decided to check the Apple site and whilst it has very good information on how much usage you'll get from a charged iPhone, lots of information on care of the battery, a statement the battery has a limited number of cycles, the glaring omission to me is: how many times the battery can be fully recharged, or cycles as they call it.
How many cycles before the battery needs to be replaced. I would have thought that figure should be clearly stated. Replacing a battery probably represents more than 10% of the cost of a phone, so the battery is a fairly expensive consumable.
The other question I have is: if the number of cycles is limited, then if I use the iPhone direct off the power whilst surfing the web using wireless, will that extend the battery life? The answer I think should be yes, but it would be good to confirm.
I've not yet found information from an authoritative source, but one site did indicate a figure of 400 cycles for the iPhone. That's probably a fair figure because if you are a heavy user of the iPhone, meaning the iPhone has to fully recharged each day, then the battery would need replacing in a little over a year. That would be expected based on the information I've read.
If we use the figure of 400 recharge cycles, and then the amount of usage time when using different features of the iPhone, you can get a good idea of how long a battery should last for you.
The battery usage information for the Apple iPhone 3GS is the following. (Credit for information: Apple web site.)
Talk time:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 12 hours on 2G
Standby time:
Up to 300 hours
Internet use:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
Audio playback:
Up to 30 hours
Video playback:
Up to 10 hours
Whilst I haven't done any timing tests, I do find with my current limited use of the iPhone (it isn't my main phone at the moment), that I have to recharge every couple of days. My main usage is internet usage which could be a 1-2 hours a day spread over the day. Given the battery usage information, and that I do use the iPhone for internet usage, I should probably expect to replace the battery every 1-2 years. Most of my wireless internet usage is around the home, so if having the iPhone running off mains power extends the battery life as I expect it should, then I could probably extend the life of the battery to 2-3 years, which would be pretty good.
Interestingly for those looking at a second-hand iPhone, if it is more than 12 months old, they should probably budget for a replacement battery on top of their purchase cost. Those upgrading to new models and selling off their existing iPhone which isn't very old, might indicate they tend to be a power user.
The 3G battery information indicates shorter usage time by possibly 30%, which would result in a significantly shorter battery life. Out of curiosity I decided to check the recent iTouch models and they provide up to 6 hours of playback, which is shorter again. In my recent article on the iPhone versus the iTouch I gave my reasons for going for the iPhone. The battery life could be added as another reason.
It took a while to gather this information, but now having learnt what I need to know, I'm in a better position to know how I can extend the life of the battery, and possibly even avoid the need to purchase a replacement battery.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Tags: iphone 3g battery life, iphone battery pack, iphone external battery, iphone backup battery, iphone battery extender, change iphone battery
I decided to check the Apple site and whilst it has very good information on how much usage you'll get from a charged iPhone, lots of information on care of the battery, a statement the battery has a limited number of cycles, the glaring omission to me is: how many times the battery can be fully recharged, or cycles as they call it.
How many cycles before the battery needs to be replaced. I would have thought that figure should be clearly stated. Replacing a battery probably represents more than 10% of the cost of a phone, so the battery is a fairly expensive consumable.
The other question I have is: if the number of cycles is limited, then if I use the iPhone direct off the power whilst surfing the web using wireless, will that extend the battery life? The answer I think should be yes, but it would be good to confirm.
I've not yet found information from an authoritative source, but one site did indicate a figure of 400 cycles for the iPhone. That's probably a fair figure because if you are a heavy user of the iPhone, meaning the iPhone has to fully recharged each day, then the battery would need replacing in a little over a year. That would be expected based on the information I've read.
If we use the figure of 400 recharge cycles, and then the amount of usage time when using different features of the iPhone, you can get a good idea of how long a battery should last for you.
The battery usage information for the Apple iPhone 3GS is the following. (Credit for information: Apple web site.)
Talk time:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 12 hours on 2G
Standby time:
Up to 300 hours
Internet use:
Up to 5 hours on 3G;
up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
Audio playback:
Up to 30 hours
Video playback:
Up to 10 hours
Whilst I haven't done any timing tests, I do find with my current limited use of the iPhone (it isn't my main phone at the moment), that I have to recharge every couple of days. My main usage is internet usage which could be a 1-2 hours a day spread over the day. Given the battery usage information, and that I do use the iPhone for internet usage, I should probably expect to replace the battery every 1-2 years. Most of my wireless internet usage is around the home, so if having the iPhone running off mains power extends the battery life as I expect it should, then I could probably extend the life of the battery to 2-3 years, which would be pretty good.
Interestingly for those looking at a second-hand iPhone, if it is more than 12 months old, they should probably budget for a replacement battery on top of their purchase cost. Those upgrading to new models and selling off their existing iPhone which isn't very old, might indicate they tend to be a power user.
The 3G battery information indicates shorter usage time by possibly 30%, which would result in a significantly shorter battery life. Out of curiosity I decided to check the recent iTouch models and they provide up to 6 hours of playback, which is shorter again. In my recent article on the iPhone versus the iTouch I gave my reasons for going for the iPhone. The battery life could be added as another reason.
It took a while to gather this information, but now having learnt what I need to know, I'm in a better position to know how I can extend the life of the battery, and possibly even avoid the need to purchase a replacement battery.
- Kelvin Eldridge
Tags: iphone 3g battery life, iphone battery pack, iphone external battery, iphone backup battery, iphone battery extender, change iphone battery
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