Category Archives: technology

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-8PE667
• Processor: Intel P4 2.4 GHz
• Memory: 512MB DDR PC2700/333
• Hard Drive: 80GB 7200rpm 8MB Cache
• Video Card: GeForce MSI 8X MX440-T 64MB DDR

Smarterchild? It is AOL Instant Messenger screenname. It is neither male or female, it is an interactive agent. Interactive agents are software applications, often called "bots," that interact with users on Instant Messaging or other text messaging services. To send a message to Smarterchild on AIM, just type and said hi! It won't hurt, Smarterchild will be your Artificial Intelligence's (A.I.) best friend!

I bought a new device, Lexar's JumpDrive 128MB portable USB storage. Store. Transfer. Carry. Any Data. Anywhere. I can store my digital pictures, files, etc. into the JumpDrive and carry anywhere into my key ring!

I am handing the JumpDrive attached the one of the key chains.

JumpDrive plugged into the USB in front of my 2 months old computer!

A friend asked me what kind of digital camera I posted pictures in my blog page.

Yes, it's Canon PowerShot S330, I ordered it online for $350, in July 2002, and currently I still love using it. Since then, I have collected almost over 2,000 pictures and movie clips. Also, I have very nice accessory, S330 waterproof case. It allows me to use all-weather outdoors without worrying.

I researched the AIM tools for a week, and I find the most useful tools for AIM:

DeadAIM - It is one of most comfortable add-ons for AIM! There are several features: run multiple AIMs windows with different screennames (clones), remove ads, records of logs such as conversations, chatrooms, and events (e.g. sign on & off).

BuddyVision - I can send the live pictures via snapshots and videochat through the web cam. It is useful for me to see people’s faces through AIM whenever what they looks like. Also, it have videocam, which runs between 15-20 fps, which looks pretty good, and I can able to use ASL (American Sign Language) with my girlfriend.

Without those two above, I would feel my life of AIM is limited…

irishgrl21f36 sent me an AOL instant messagner:

irishgrl21f53 (11:49:18 PM): Whats up sexy? :-) I just 
started up my webcam and was wondering if you wanted to come 
watch, its completely free, I work for donations :-). click 
here to watch my LIVE webcam for FREE i'll be waitin for ya with 
my pretty pink vibrator ;-) 

I'm sick of AIM spam, why in the world do they want to send me the message? Like Justin and NSLog(); said the same thing. Personally, I tend to 'warn' and 'block' on AIM spam bots every time they sent me the message. To avoid this spam, you need to set the AIM privacy preferences, to set ‘Allow only users on my Buddy List’ to apply the preferences.

The disadvantage part for me to setting “Allow only users on my buddy lists” on my AIM: I have almost two hundred AIM screen names on my buddy list. I can’t keep the screen names more than two hundred due to AIM limitations. I decided to remove several screen names which I am not interested into, and they might never see or talk to me on their buddy lists.

And other disadvantage is Some of my closest friend from AIM, decided to change their new screen name, and delete their old screen name. So, my friend told me that they don’t have my email or website, so they are having hard time to contact me through AIM since I set up “Allow only users on my buddy lists.”

Well, AIM Spam is evil.

I tried a evaluation version of Paintshop Pro 8, and I really enjoyed creating the new effects below:

Here are great features to edit my pictures from digital camera:

• Save Time - I can create a script, Automated Productivity Scripts (PHPScript), to record, edit and save commonly used tasks to a single image or batches of images. I can batch ALL 1600x1200 images change into 640x480 in very short time!


• Tools - I could fix my digital camera pictures to straighten, correct perspective, and warp images!

I like it, I like it a lot. I am forwarding to buy this full version!

Belarc Advisor, a small software program tells you how many MHz or GHz on your CPU, how much RAM you have installed, lists of software versions, brand of NIC card, and brand of hardware. Even, Belarc scans the computer and generates a profile of everything installed on the computer from main circuit board to software programs.

Very interesting.   Best of all, it's free program, it took about between 15 and 30 seconds to tell the result on my computer.   Remember, the profile information is kept private on PC.

Too bad, you can't try this on Mac.

I got Micosoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer present from my dad, and installed it on my computer.   I loved it.   Very Comfort.   The features: wireless, optical, five programmable buttons, ergonomic design, and improved the longer battery life.   The mouse has a new feature: tilt wheel for side-to-side scrolling.   This is very neat, and can be very useful in Macromedia Flash or Director to scroll left & right on timeline (Flash) or score frame (Director).   I gave my 3-year-old Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer away to my brother, Billy.

Fontifer lets you to write your own handwriting into a computer font.   I grabbed the template, print it out, write my own handwriting on template, scan the template to save a gif image and send it to Fontifer. It took me less than a minute to get a font file, and installed it on my computer. Here what it looks like:

This font size is around 80.   Bad, bad quality.

UPDATE (1/10/04 11:47 pm): Also some people does not get what it (the font handwriting) said.   I typed this: "daveynin thing".

Take a first look my bedroom.   Bear with me, this image quality wasn't that best.

This program was made by The Panorama Factory, it is a panoramic stitching program for Windows.   It creates high-quality panoramas from a set of overlapping digital images.   The Panorama Factory transforms (warps) the images so that they can be joined seamlessly into panoramas whose fields of view can range up to 360 degrees.   This program supports hotspot editing, web page creation, and QTVR, IVR and PTViewer!

• Four preset temperatures
• Programmable to set any temperature
• Thermal Insulated, keeps beverages hot or cool
• Digital LCD display
• Safety cap at 170 F degrees
• Removable washable inner liner
• 12V Socket plug and cord

My friend need a help to find a good price deal for the quality specs of the computer tower. I provide him the best computer deal I ever find on the internet: CyberPower. This is an outstanding choice for students, home users, and middle-of-the-road gamers.

AMD Althon XP for $404, not included the monitor, DVD drive and operating system. You have to buy extra cash if you need this.

While I was working on WPSD Alumni Association website, the alumnus asked me to scan several history pictures of WPSD for their website; I used my HP PSC 2110 All-in-One to scan the pictures.   The problem: I cannot scan the oversized items, which it could damage the pictures on scanner between upper sides of edges and closed lid.

I am trying to find a solution where I can find the scanner that can scan the oversize items. I found the solution: HP Scanjet 4670.   This scanner is unique – vertical flatbed scanner.   It stands vertically on the desk, two metal legs flip out to prop it up, but you can also fold the legs away in order to store the scanner or use it horizontally.

I am using the freeware software applications on my PC computer, which I live for comfort and use:

Avant Browser – If you’re Internet Explorer lover, then Avant Browser is for you. It is fast, stable, supports versatile multi-window. Avant has best built-in Pop-up stopper and Google or Yahoo search engine.

Firefox – See my previous permalink.

Metapad – I have been using Notepad many times – to communicate with my family to use notepad instead writing on notes to my family. Forget Notepad, Metapad is a small, fast and free text editor. I like their features: a button of primary font / secondary font. When my mom cannot read the small words on text editor, I can click one a time, to switch secondary font, to make font bigger and easier to read on the screen.

PSPad – It is a text and code editor like UltraEdit. PSPad is an ideal for web developer to use their tools to speed up and save the time. Thanks to Chris Pirillo for his suggestion, PSPad is excellent programming. Did I say excellent?

• Integrated full QWERTY
• 176 x 220 resolution, 8 lines
• 65,000 color display
• Integrated Bluetooth wireless technology
• Internet access
• Downladable games, pictures, wallpaper and applications via J2ME technology
• Multimedia messaging service (photo, voice text, email, sound, AIM)
• Email support (PoP3, STMP, Imap4)
• Support virbation
• Features: alarm, clock, calculator, organizer
• Battery Standard, Li-Ion 850 mAh. Stand-by: 200 hours; Talk time 5 hours.
• Not announced: date, prices and service plan.

Since I have AirPort Extreme already installed in my Powerbook G4, I decide to look around the locations to find free and legal wi-fi hotspots. I have found few places such as Panera Bread, some hotel and inns to access into the free wi-fi area.

There’s one thing I do not like to spend my money to pay T-Mobile HotSpot (it can be found in Starbucks and Borders) This price could burn my money if I do not spend much time using wireless laptop in hotspots.

I decide to look the free wi-fi in Google website (term "wi-fi finder") and there is not enough information in site about finding the free wi-fi locations in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

My co-workers from Mellon suggest me to try a freeware software program, MacStumbler for Mac OS X. This is mainly designed to help find access points while traveling, or to diagnose wireless network problems. This is pretty neat, I could find myself to find legal and free wi-fi across the places, to let me know if my PowerBook G4 network is connected or not.

Dear Kensington, I do not need that kind of product to get ’cause MacStumber is priceless which I could save $30 myself.

Oh, one more thing, are you looking for PC like this above? It’s NetStumbler for PC, somewhat equivalent to MacStumber for Mac OS X.

I'm signing off, wi-fi to go!

Found via Engadget > Textually.org > Orlando Sentinel.

Here is quick summary from Engadget:

Like many groups united by distinct traits, the deaf have long had their own culture, centered around local deaf clubs, where the hearing-impaired could meet and participate in community events. Now, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, deaf culture is in danger of being wiped out by some of the very technologies that have made it easier for the deaf to participate in mainstream life: email and text messaging — not to mention closed-caption TV. "Lost to the new technologies of e-mail and text-messaging are the emotions and inflections of deaf communication," the Sentinel article states. While the same argument could be made about the hearing, the deaf already face isolation, and advocates are exploring ways to keep them together as a community, while recognizing the double-edged sword presented by new technologies.

People of the Deaf use their pager for two hot topics in social networking: email and instant messenger. Like the hearing people use their cell phone, Deaf takes their advantage to use text for communicating through the email and/or instant messenger instantly.

I don’t think our technology will fade Deaf culture in some specific ways. I believe the technology and Deaf culture are evolving. If Deaf culture does not act to change their actions for technologies, it could dismiss their culture.

The other way is technology could destroy Deaf clubs. Back in beginning of 20th century, there were huge number of deaf people attended the Deaf clubs to socialize, and caring each other during the time there are no technologies. The technology has created innovate and evolved through several decades. Deaf people find themselves to have advantage to use devices such as TTY, pagers, computer, closed captioned on television, and it is the biggest reason to decline the number of people to gather the Deaf clubs today.

Deaf events and organizations has been growing stronger than before, like USFFD, Deaf Chat Coffee, and DPHH Networking, big thanks to world wide web. We can keep in touch with their activities to enjoy our Deaf culture pastime.

Deaf Culture will, ever never dies forever.

Check out the interesting special article in CNN.com: Online Revolution. Don't miss out their article, "The Internet transforms modern life"

I am happy myself to see that Internet is now part of modern life to people to do - tasks on Internet in every day's things. I remember a long time ago, ten years step back in 1995, when I was high school student, that year I first got new personal computer, Compaq with 125 MHZ, 16 MB RAM and least 2 GB hard drive. I still never forget about what my life looks like back in 1995. I would imagine myself the compare between ten years ago and today's:

1995: I spend lot of time reading the newspaper everyday in the morning. I even read this repeatedly later in the afternoon.
2005: I spend very little time reading the newspaper only in the morning. I tend to go the news sites on Internet most of time.

1995: I do check the weather on newspaper in the mornings and television.
2005: I check the weather on-line. I rarely check them on the newspaper and television.

1995: I have to contact my friends for the plans - through in person or on TTY phone.
2005: Contacting my friends through instant messenger and email instantly. I rarely use TTY this year.

1995: Sometimes I go garage sale, yard sale to find something goodies and cheap.
2005: One word - eBay.

1995: I subscribe the video game magazines through mail; anxious to find the reviewers and upcoming new video games. I repeatedly read the same video game magazine like 20 times a month.
2005: I still subscribe the magazines, but reduced down to 2 or 3 times repeat to read this. I tend to check tons of reviewers and upcoming new stuff of videogames on online daily.

1995: Tend to find the definitions of the word in dictionary and encyclopedia on heavy, hard books found in bookcases in our living/office room.
2005: I tend to find the dictionary of Merriam-Webster and encyclopedia of Wikipedia for free.

1995: Ask friend for the address and directions to place, and need the map book to figure it out.
2005: Ask friend for the address, and find the result of directions in Google Maps.

1995: Never own film camera.
2005: Owned digital camera, snapped over six thousand pictures since 2003, storage in my computer/external storage drive, and post instantly through Flickr. It has become as my photographer hobbyist.

After all, 10 years ago, few people imagined it wouldn't be long before you would able get a satellite picture of a city a continent in Google Maps or read the local news from three time zones away or even order pizza without talking to the folks a few blocks away or automated regularly online bills instead lick the stamp on envelope bills to send the mail.

Yet again, I still call this today as Information Age.

I am stumped into the most useful resourceful of GUIdebook (Graphics User Interface guidebook) gallery contains dozens of screenshot of operating systems, applications, advertisements, icons, books and articles related to computer.
Shutting Down - dozen screenshots show the screen or a window shown while shutting down on operating system. The picture shows from Win95 to Longhorn.

Photoshop Welcome Splash - a splash image shown during Photoshop's launch. You might find more of applications splashes in there.

Icons - Components, drives & devices, documents & folders and mouse pointers, need we say more?

Don't miss that GUIdebook is excellent resource for developers out there!

Wonder how the desktop computer produces the power consumption (watts) and heat effect (degrees F) at your bedroom/office? This also affect your electric and gas billing during turning machine on 24/7 at your home.

The best way to have your energy-saving for power consumption, simply turn the monitor off while you're not using the computer. Set your Windows XP to 'Stand-By', to put the computer in sleep, acts like it has been turned off. It saves the time when you wake up from stand-by mode, it will take less than 30 seconds to wake the computer up. If you shut down the computer instead stand-by, and reboot again, it could eaten your time - least 5 mintues to get the computer desktop on.

And, the heat is my enemy during summer season. The desktop computer effectively heat to change the temperature in your small room. As I have air contionder in my home, its produces more watts to cool in my room.

The good thing that my home includes the gas, so I do not have to worry the electric bills when the winter comes.

I owned point & shoot digital camera, Canon PowerShot S330 for 3 years. This camera, Point & Shoot is the great choice for the beginners like me as my first own camera. I became more proficient with knowledge of point & shoot digital camera for now.

I have been thinking about buying a second digital camera this year or next year. Because I would like to get more serious about higher-end digital photography point and shoot which my old digital camera can't do.

I found the best discussion forums: Digital Camera Suggestions in Flickr, several Flickr members pointed that Canon EOS 20D ($1,500) and Nikon D70 ($1,000) are the top-notch digital cameras - one of best all around. I can't afford those much more than 500 dollars, and I prefer to find the correct and reasonable price of high-end digital camera that fit my needs.

I will always keep my first old digital camera for long time because this has loads of accessories - waterproof case, back-up lithium batteries, and compact card. This old digital camera is ideal for vacation such as adventurous, wet areas, and wild party events.

I don't know when I will purchase second digital camera, but time will tell in my blog!

I had my personal old TV for more than ten years for broadcast cable and gaming. Also my old TV includes the internal VCR, to watch rental VCR movies on my TV. Five years forwarded in 2000, I bought Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) and connected with my TV, and for ultimate experience gaming and anticipated to watch DVD movie from my PS2 video game system. Until I learned that there are poor quality of TV screen during playing DVD movie from my PS2 because of copyright infragment - DVD player finds there is another player - internal VCR attached to TV, and DVD prevent from making a copy of the tape from DVD.

My TV is becoming decade old and aged, I have dreamed of getting a new TV since 2000, and during that time I can't afford to buy better, bigger, and bad TV because of - college student and no full-time employee.

Until now, I finally bought a new flat tube TV - Toshiba 30" Diagonal TheaterWide High-Def Television. Stats? 16:9 wide screen Flat Picture Tube, HDTV, V-Chip, Progressive Scan, two jackpacks of S-Video, Audio/Video, Component and one jackpack of HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) just like DVI (Digital Video Interactive) which I can plug it from my Powerbook G4 dual screen.

That's good enough for me, and this is my long-term goal to have this television for another 10-year until 2015, there will be good deal of 40-60 inches of LCD/plasma flat screen TV for least one thousand dollars.

The digital cable box requires to have component (YPbPr) cable attached to HDTV to create a high performance picture. The regular/analog closed captioned (CC) will not shown up on TV when having HD cable box attached to TV. Most of newer digital cable box have built in digital captioned, I have to set the digital capiton to turn it on for HDTV to view the caption performance on HDTV.

Also my Toshiba HDTV supports picture format of 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p and 1080i. The "p" stands for progressive, every pixel on the screen is refeshed simultaneously, like 60 frames per second (fps). "i" stands for interflanced method involves refershing pixels in alternation - first the odd lines and then the even lines, like least 30 fps. This digital cable box supports all picture formats as well. I chose to use 720p or 1080i on my HDTV.

I have watched some HDTV programs only with full widescreen 16:9 format. Some HD channels does not support, they use pillarbox format (4:3, black on both sides.) They also use high quality pictures to watch.

Yesterday I watched Monday Night Football with HDTV 16:9, and I am totally die for that - awestruck, my eyes are glued on HDTV and am in heaven to see ultra clear, life-like picture on TV. That make me feel like I am already in there.

Can't wait to watch Monday Night Football: Steelers versus New England Patriots in Heinz Field on 9/25/2005... it's going to be much fun to watch. And, hopefully to have HDTV for NHL Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game to watch Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby playing.

The price of gas is going up, and up, most likely 4 dollars per gallon anytime very soon, maybe tomorrow? Fill your car up FULL quickly as possible, because there is another natual disaster coming - Hurricane Rita, it will impact the oil economy if it hits Texas or New Orleans.

Think of hybrid car? I have been wanting this one, and have been thinking about this for long, long time.. if my decision is tough and good, and probably I will look at this next year.

My 2002 Canon PowerShot S330 has been become aged for 3 years and half today. Lagging shutter and cycle times. The longevity for the Lihon batteries has deceased - least two hours to use. It's time for me to look the new digital camera. Here are feature list I would like to see:

• excellent battery
• no shutter lag
• high-end digital
• Canon brand name
• Reasonable price

I have been watching this model for four months to research all over the most trusted reviews for PowerShot S2 IS:
Digital Camera Resource Page
Imaging Resource
Digital Photography Review
Lets Go Digital
Megapixel.net
Steve's DigiCams

Also, the most important thing for me to watch: S2 IS uses AA batteries. The reviewer said the 2000 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries can run up to eight hours. 2500 mAh can live up to 10 hours. Impressive. This is the reviewer's choice. Made in Japan.

I made my decision: I bought PowerShot S2 IS yesterday. I toyed and experiment around with this new camera, and posted some of them in my Flickr. I am very satisfied with this. It's just one day, kid!

As first time I saw two monitors connected to single computer at my old college computer lab, I tried this out for my project homework, and I fell in love with this. I can have more productive with my projects, multitasking on the applications (three screen programs separate in same desktop.)

This is my dream list I want to have this, but the problem it comes pricey that I need powerful graphics, additional monitor and more memory. My estimate this could bring almost $1,000 between $500 and $700.

A recent New York Times article, adding an extra monitor will give your output a considerable boost - 20 percent to 30 precent. Additionally, Microsoft Research shows that a larger screen can improve productivity nearly 44 percent.

Via Somewhat Frank

Take a look the least 4 minute video clip what iCommunicator can do for deaf and hard-of-hearing:

Is iCommunicator worth or not? I have seen this display through my eyes before at our corporation meeting for disabilities a year ago in 2006. This software device looks very nice, but I came up in my mind the software have several disadvantages hit hard:

Speech to Text: It lacks translates in real-time, having recognition errors from speech recognition into Text if there’s disturbed noise. Another problem is you have to persuade people to wear the microphone to have conservation. Using speech recognition can be very tiring and irritating.

Speech/Text to Video Sign Language: The videos are then played one by one, without any further sentence prosody. Even worse, it does not sign pure ASL, but Signed Exact English (SEE) at best. Also I believe this doesn’t account for context, could lead to isolation without grammar including facial expression. Like I said above, you can afford to lose the people’s affection by using communicate between iCommunicator software tools.

Ultra expensive: $6,499 per software kit. However, EnableMart sells the advised training for an additional $125 an hour. Of course, it is not free, not being having easy money to spend. Unfortunately, iCommunicator business case may actually rest sales to hearing people in corporation or organizations who wish to reduce or entirely avoid the cost of interpreters for the Deaf workers.

Morgan Greene’s last words in this video clip:

Before, I knew I would not have much of a chance to get a higher job. So, I was majoring in a lower job, like mechanics. But now, I have been majoring for a higher job like computer programming and the computer field because now I know I have more chances. iCommunicator has helped me a lot!

What a hall of shame.

This is my first try. Honestly. Can you?

Via mamamusings

I learned something in my lesson about what happened with my USB storage device (or USB drive) as I lost the few files.

One time when working on photo files, I downloaded the photo files out from my digital camera, and erased the photos from digital camera. Then, I was about to copy the photos to different directory path in my Windows XP platform to edit the photos.

Usually, My habit is to use lot of keyboard shortcuts such as COPY (ctrl + C), CUT (ctrl + X) and PASTE (ctrl + V).

I copied few photos to different directory path in Windows XP with keyboard shortcuts, and realized that I moved into wrong path - photos in USB drive path. I chose myself to delete the photos in USB drive, and went back to original directory path where I downloaded the photos from digital camera to copy the files to correct path.

Until I realized that few photos are gone in original path. I must have mistaken (should I say typo?) that I have used keyboard shortcut, CUT instead COPY. Now, I have to find out the way to recover the lost photo files, I went back to recycle bin in Windows XP - the photos are not in there. Surprised. Then, I tried to 'redo' to bring the lost photo files back, and it does not work. Hmmm.

Does the external storage devices such as USB drive put the limitations on XP operating system that cannot recover the lost files? I tried an experiment with USB drive on two operating systems - Windows Vista and Apple OS X 10.5. Vista have same situation with XP but OS X can manage to undo the deleted files.

Interesting, Apple doesn't allow me to click 'delete' button on physical keyboard to erase the file in Finder, (my assumption is that OS X disabled it). Instead of that, I had to click arrow point to file path with CTRL to open the sub-menu selections - to click 'Move to Trash', or drag the file to Trash icon in Dock.

XP and Vista can follow 'delete' button on keyboard to wipe off the file from external storage for good.

Well, Apple Mac wins.