breley's Comments

Just Another Mobile Monday : Trouble brewing at XDA Devs

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:30:43 +0000

There's a lovely archaic British phrase that sums up my take on this: Gammon and spinach! Sage and onions! (I.e., Nonsense) I expect this James Young is likely NOT an authorized Microsoft Representative. Doug might have some insight on this, but I expect an bona fide legal representative would use an actual certified letter to deliver the threat of legal action directly to the domain owner or ISP itself, as emails can be easily spoofed. A simple examination of the originating domain microsoft-antipiracy.com, from the email shows that the server resides at a UK/Oxford Pipex ISP per my Firefox Geotool: http://jamesholden.net/2007/04/25/microsoft-didnt... I think we should deputize Doug to send the potentially offending ISP notice with his appropriate legal title and letterhead that they are hosting a site that may serve to impersonate a US legal entity.

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: PPCTechs Giveaway & New Website Features

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:11:24 +0000

Sue, the Webistic text pops up in the desktop version of Firefox 3.0.7. This does NOT occur in IE7 (both on Vista). A few of aesthetic observations: 1. On IE7, the right edge of the gray area at the level of most page's footer links (Home/FAQ Contact US...etc.) is offset to the left by 1 to 2 pixels. It looks fine in Firefox 3.0.7. 2. I wonder if the gradient color or text color on the home page for Featured Repairs/Upgrades/Accesorries needs to "pop" better, maybe similar in color to the orange Start Here or click here in the top center of the page. 3. Since I mentioned orange...IMHO the "Need Warranty Service for" click here buttons and the WriteShield's anti-GLARE and DETAILS color choice might look better if they were a consistent shade. if the color is part of the WriteShield logo and/or is a 3rd party product where that color is explicitly required, maybe change the Details button color to match the shade of orange elsewhere. 4. Details buttons on home page. I also wonder if the Details buttons in WriteShield should match the size and style of the other Details buttons below. It seems strange that one set should be orange and the rest be blue, and with either a tighter kerning on the text or a smaller size. Seems the font choice should be consistent, as should the button placement, i.e., the Full Service Repairs' & Mounting Solutions' Details buttons should be flush with the bottom of the bounding box as seem everywhere else in their particular grouping. Okay, I guess that's a long-winded way to say the details buttons on the home page at least should be consistent in terms of size, font, and placement. Just my verbose $0.02. :)

Just Another Mobile Monday : Ladies and Gentlemenâ¦Mr. AxDroid!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:22:49 +0000

It doesn't look like it's being run natively, though, since it's being launched from within Windows Mobile.

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: PPCTechs Giveaway & New Website Features

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:06:53 +0000

One quirk of the Search feature is that if I enter my device, in this case a Fuze, a list of compatible devices is displayed. I then choose a particular accessory from the device dropdown and get take to the appropriate page. So far so good. However, if I click the browser's Back button, I see that the previously chosen entry(ies) is still selected, so that I have to click *Select a Unit then click Fuze again in order to go back. What would be more intuitive would be for the list page of compatible items to default back to *Select a unit, because otherwise users end up doubling their clicks which can be a slight nuisance if you're comparing several accessories. This effect is cumulative, btw, so one could reach a point where all accessories show AT&T Fuze and each dropdown has to be clicked 2x again to get to that accessory item's page. One other thing. If a null result in the search box is returned, the text "Webistic" appears briefly to the left and just below the search pane. Not sure if that is by design or not, just distracting.

Gear Diary : Febreze Odor Removal Appliance = awesome

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 12:43:03 +0000

As a side note, if I remember correctly, many of the fabric odor removal sprays are comprised of a 5-10% solution of magnesium sulfate (better known as Epsom Salts) and water. So simple we make our own odor removal solution to use at home, geeks that we are. :)

Gear Diary : Why school projects should be banned [rant]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:16:24 +0000

She worked in a biochem lab testing immunological properties of milk via gas chromatography/mass spec and HPLC, next door to the lab where I worked. When I first saw her, I knew I would marry her some day (a few years later, as it turned out, thanks to our mutual love of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass). The biological lab where I worked was downsized when the company owner died, but my wife's department was spared. I found work testing software and doing IT support for a company that creates multimedia for major tech firms...that was more than 10 years ago. She's civilized me a bit, so that I can discern the difference between chocolates and how to pronounce things like OPI (Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ and such). Right now she's doing our 1040s by hand (she thinks it's brain challenge), and is handy with a pistol. She's one tough, smart girl. :D

Gear Diary : Why school projects should be banned [rant]

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:13:25 +0000

Good work Wayne, goaskmom & Julie. This should be a Public Service Announcement. ;-) For kicks I pointed my scientist wife to the link (yes, we met in a lab and had, er, good chemistry--though I've been out of the lab for over 10 years) to get her take. I guess that gives us an unfair advantage over other parents, lol. :D

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: Some Great TalonPR Goodies to Giveaway!

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:57:28 +0000

We should have a Citizens Day where non-government/school/bank employees get the day off. I mean really, why doesn't the average Joe get Presidents Day off but the government, school and banks do?

Gear Diary : What If Your Town Got Nuked? A Ground Zero Project

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:32:56 +0000

Well, what a cheery way to start the day! :) I better break out the old "The Day After" reruns. Shoot, I'd get conflagrated even with the wimpiest of nukes due to my proximity to a particular engine industry. Though, the tool does not of course take into account blast overpressure and secondary effects such as fallout, resulting fires and infrastructural collapse.

Gear Diary : Review: Clarion Mind â Media, Internet, and Directions All-In-One? Not Quite.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:56:29 +0000

Wow, Doug. Your MSI Wind comparison really threw the Clarion Mind pricing disconnect into sharp relief. I'd really love to see where some of these OEMs get their price schemes. It's pretty ironic too given my Dilbert calendar had Dogbert taking Dilbert into the "Land of Unrealistic Business Assumptions." Sounds like someone at Clarion may have vacationed there.

Gear Diary : FreeAgent 1TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive - $99

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:05:39 +0000

I just got the 1TB (you know, I always see TB and think of the disease first) Western Digital MyBook Essential at Newegg for $94.99...that price is good until 2/22/09.

Gear Diary : Win One of Three HP Vivienne Tam Wireless Optical Mice

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:02:22 +0000

(I'm entering for my now-fully mobile-PC wife) A cracked fireplace bench. It was aluminum painted to look like brass, and the giver swore up and down to me it was a genuine antique. Right down to the small gold "Made in China" sticker on the underside. Apparently those stickers have been around since the 1920? ;-)

Gear Diary : MWC09: HTC Releases the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:43:53 +0000

That Touch Pro2 looks pretty sweet. Of course I just picked up the Touch Pro (Fuze) a couple weeks ago and was wondering why it didn't have a tilt screen like the, er, Tilt. Curious the depicted design has a more than passing resemblence to the iPhone...

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: Valentines Geekiness!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:49:24 +0000

The geekiest gift I received was a home-made Valentine card decorated with heart-shaped molecules and equations from two female lab students back when I proctored organic chemistry labs as a junior in college. It was so cute and unexpected. And I still have the card after more than 20 years...

Just Another Mobile Monday : Quick Look: Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:38:55 +0000

What an intriguing game! At first I wasn't sure what platform this was for, though the nice graphics and landscape orientation and Tags finally clued me in that it was for the iPod. :) I blame this cold medicine for the mental sluggishness on my part...

Gear Diary : Geek Therapy

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:40:02 +0000

I need to send this to my wife. She's had a devil of a time migrating her desktop system to her new Vista laptop and migrating her emails from Thunderbird to Outlook, among other things.

Just Another Mobile Monday : A Quick Look At A History Of The United Statesâ¦On Your iPhone.

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:52:43 +0000

Nice writeup, Doug. Either sounds like a fine addition to my iPod library, since I'm a history buff too, though more concentrated on medieval Europe than US. Of course, I can now never read the US Constitution without the ABC Schoolhouse Rock song popping into my head. Curse their easy rhythm!

Just Another Mobile Monday : Review: Sena iPod Touch 2G Milano Flip and Premium Stand cases

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:32:28 +0000

Ragart, I have the Sena Premium Stand case, and I completely agree with your assessment. In fact I was considering writing a piece about my experience as well. For standing purposes, I thought the clasp was the answer, but it really doesn't work well that way, and it doesn't really work without the clasp. I can get it to work simply by using the flap itself as a stand, but it's not very stable. For the price of this otherwise fine piece I expect it should work better.

Gear Diary : Glasi Hergiswil Pilsner Beer Glass Review

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 13:34:23 +0000

Looks like a very nice glass, Chris. I'm partial to the inverted cone styles, and intrigued by the type of lead-free crystal used. Your comments about Chicagoland weather inspired a bit nostalgia. In a few months, you'll likely be treated to broadcasts about the National Weather service issuing a severe thunderstorm/tornado watch/warning for the following counties: DeKalb, McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook, Will... Good times... ;-)

Gear Diary : Win One of Six Seagate FreeAgent Go Portable Hard Drives From Gear Diary and The Gadgeteer

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 13:11:37 +0000

Way back in the days of DOS, our company used to back up all its data onto an external SCSI Tandberg tape drive. The 2GB tape itself (phat for the time) was the kind that had the metal plate on one side and the two large visible tape spools in the clear cartridge, kind of like an oversized cassette tape. But I digress...anyway, we'd do daily and weekly backups with alternating tape sets, and I'd alternate with another fellow. These data sets contained all programmatic, graphic and email backups for the company. Things were hunky-dory for a few months, until one day when the other caretaker capriciously decided to relabel the sets of tapes so the dates and signatures and IDs would be more easily read. They did indeed look much better, and since he had finished with his set of backups he handed me the tapes for my week. I set up the tapes and backups went fine for a better part of the week. Unfortunately, in those days we loved to use Micropolis SCSI drives, whose operation had all the musical sweetness of a low-speed dental drill, and the main server's drive failed. No problem, just fix the RAID, oh wait, no, that would have been too easy. No, we had a Gateway P100 box pressed into service as a server (such were the days in a small company), so when the drive failed it was time to haul out the tapes. A couple of graphic designers and programmers eagerly awaited our results, because an important project had been temporarily been stored on that server drive the week before. However, unbeknown to us, careless project manager deleted the folder because she needed space on the server for her project (in those days, 500MB of 320x240 video was a space hog). Restores were measured in geologic time back then, and after many hours of tediously restoring the server and the file data we discovered the needed directory was missing--the guy I worked with who labeled the tapes in fact mislabeled them, so that week set 1 was labeled week set 2 and vice versa. I had unknowingly been using the wrong tapes, so that the tape that should have had the designers' files from the previous week had been overwritten and now didn't, and tens of thousands of dollars worth of video shoot footage, premier files and custom programming had been irretrievably lost. BTW, that coworker and PM no longer work at the company...

breley's Comments

Just Another Mobile Monday : Trouble brewing at XDA Devs

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: PPCTechs Giveaway & New Website Features

Just Another Mobile Monday : Ladies and Gentlemenâ¦Mr. AxDroid!

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: PPCTechs Giveaway & New Website Features

Gear Diary : Febreze Odor Removal Appliance = awesome

Gear Diary : Why school projects should be banned [rant]

Gear Diary : Why school projects should be banned [rant]

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: Some Great TalonPR Goodies to Giveaway!

Gear Diary : What If Your Town Got Nuked? A Ground Zero Project

Gear Diary : Review: Clarion Mind â Media, Internet, and Directions All-In-One? Not Quite.

Gear Diary : FreeAgent 1TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive - $99

Gear Diary : Win One of Three HP Vivienne Tam Wireless Optical Mice

Gear Diary : MWC09: HTC Releases the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2

Just Another Mobile Monday : Contest: Valentines Geekiness!

Just Another Mobile Monday : Quick Look: Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville

Gear Diary : Geek Therapy

Just Another Mobile Monday : A Quick Look At A History Of The United Statesâ¦On Your iPhone.

Just Another Mobile Monday : Review: Sena iPod Touch 2G Milano Flip and Premium Stand cases

Gear Diary : Glasi Hergiswil Pilsner Beer Glass Review

Gear Diary : Win One of Six Seagate FreeAgent Go Portable Hard Drives From Gear Diary and The Gadgeteer

Just Another Mobile Monday : Ladies and Gentlemenâ¦Mr. AxDroid!

Gear Diary : Review: Clarion Mind â Media, Internet, and Directions All-In-One? Not Quite.

Just Another Mobile Monday : A Quick Look At A History Of The United Statesâ¦On Your iPhone.