SNAP!

That was the last straw…

Microshit apparently decided Vista (even the “Professional” version) didn’t need Hyperterminal. I found this out when I grabbed my trusty USB-Serial cable and trotted back to the server room to configure a new router. I don’t know WHY I expected a utility that has been included with Windows for something like ten years would actually still be there.

Naturally Hilgraeve (the company that wrote Hyperterminal) no longer has a free version available. I really can’t blame them, but I’m not going to pay $43 for something I only use a few times a year.

I’ve threatened it for months, and it’s actually happening now. Reformatting the HDD on my laptop and installing JUST Ubuntu. No more dual-booting and no more letting Microshit control MY computer.  My company started acquiring Vista computers for our users in the past couple of weeks. Lord help us all. I’m so glad I’m not responsible for technical support anymore.

$3 HDMI Cable!

Yahoo! Shopping – Find Great Products Online, Compare, Shop & Save

Today’s Sellout.Woot deal is a $2.99 6.6′ HDMI cable. If you’ve ever shopped for these suckers- you know how expensive they can be. This is an amazing deal. Get 3- you won’t regret it.

Vonage

So, I’ve had Vonage for a little over a year now. I’m starting to reconsider it. My Dish Network PVR is having issues using it (probably because they don’t officially support any sort of modem connection), and I’ve had call quality issues. The problem is- I don’t really know if the problem is related to them directly, or my Internet connection. I know if I’ve got one or more computers downloading updates- call quality goes to hell, so my Internet connection is at least partially to blame. I’ve tried various QOS settings on my DSL router, but none of them seem to actually do anything, and in many cases- they actually made the call quality WORSE.

I have also been having issues that I’m pretty sure are directly related to their service. Voicemail seems to have gotten flaky, for example. I’ll check my phone for a flashing voicemail indicator and/or stuttered dial-tone when I had been expecting a call, only to find none. Then- two minutes later, the indicator will start flashing and the message will be there (from an hour ago). Caller ID almost never resolves a name, so all I get are numbers. I’ve also dialed calls and had them go to dead air or fast-busy, and answered calls with nobody there (from friends/relatives- not telemarketers).

There are several other VoIP providers out there, but none of them seem to have the track record or pricing plans that Vonage does. I refuse to go back to Qwest (even though they are my DSL provider) because I refuse to pay their prices, especially after adding CallerID. Unfortunately I may have to because I also refuse to pay Dish Network’s $5 monthly “Access Fee” if their receiver can’t “phone home” regularly.

So- does anyone else out there who happens to read my LJ use Vonage or some other VoIP provider. If so- what has your experience been?

(Cross-posted to LiveJournal.)

Mozilla Developer News » Blog Archive » Firefox 3 Beta 1 now available for download

Mozilla Developer News » Blog Archive » Firefox 3 Beta 1 now available for download

Wow. Just started playing with this. It’s impressive. Performance has definitely improved, and it may be my imagination- bit it seems things “look” better. I think they re-vamped the rendering engine big-time. The one-click bookmarking and tagging are really nice too.

This is a BETA, and only the first beta release, so there will undoubtedly be problems, although I haven’t encountered any yet.

Tech-Gasm

“Transformers” + HD DVD = SO worth the $$ on an HD setup. Wow.

Quick Gripe

Why the frell can’t iTunes do an update/upgrade like every other respectable piece of software?!?!

I don’t EVER want to see Quicktime on my desktop, quicklaunch bar, or system tray, period. I’m also really getting sick of having to re-create my iTunes quicklaunch icon every single time it gets “updated”.

It also gets progressively slower.

I started using Banshee on my Linux boxes, but it is a bit flaky. I even installed WinAmp on my one Windows machine. Neither of them make podcasts as convenient as iTunes, and I still buy several songs a month from ITMS and listen to music on my iPod Shuffle. iTunes is starting to be very annoying and burdensome though. I see giving up on it completely before the end of the year.

Complaints: Qwest Can’t Get Wireless Working Because Macs Are “Practically An Obsolete System”

Complaints: Qwest Can’t Get Wireless Working Because Macs Are “Practically An Obsolete System”

Okay- as an IT professional, I have to say this: NEVER use the install disk provided by Qwest, Comcast, or anyone else to configure a broadband modem/router, period. Take a few minutes to actually READ the manual for the router/modem you got and configure it yourself using its Web interface. If they didn’t provide you with a manual- download it from the Internet. If you use the install CD- it is almost guaranteed to F*CK up your computer’s network settings. If you do this with a work laptop- it guarantees your company’s IT department, or at least help desk staff, will loath you for many years to come.

ALL broadband modems/routers have a Web interface, and they aren’t all that hard to configure from scratch.

Generally it goes like this:

Plug your computer into the router using a crossover cable or via a hub or switch.
(Most, by default, won’t allow you to configure via wireless.)
Set your computer’s IP address to: 192.168.0.2
(If you don’t know how to do this- you probably shouldn’t be using the Internet anyway.)
Browse to: 192.168.0.1
Use the spiffy Web interface to enable DHCP.
If the ISP sent you a “PPP” username and password- enter them in the username and password boxes.
Hit [Save Settings].
Change your computer’s IP address back to DHCP.
Enjoy broadband Internet.

If you are doing wireless- you will also need to set a system ID (or at least make a note of the default one). By default- most will be fully enabled with 802.11B&G, and possibly A as well. Please, please, please CHANGE the system ID once you have made sure you can connect. Also PLEASE enable WPA security, unless you really want your tech-savvy neighbor or someone parked on the street to sniff your network and get all your unencrypted passwords.

Using the “Install CD” provided by an ISP is akin to installing an AOL CD, which should be a hanging offense. If you need technical support, and the idiot on the other end of the line can’t help you manually configure your broadband box- call back and get someone with a brain, or ask for a manager. The Web interface for THEIR box is independent of any OS you are running on your computer. Trying to cop-out and say they won’t support it because you are running OS-X or Linux or FreeBSD or whatever is BS. If you can access the Web using a browser- you can configure your modem/router. Just tell them flat-out you don’t want their software screwing with your computer’s setup, and you will cancel their service and demand a full refund of any setup charges if they won’t help you.

My experience with Qwest is their DSL modem requires a PPP username and password, but they don’t actually send it to you. Their “Install Disk” uses a numeric code that they send you to look it up online. All you have to do is call them up and tell them you need the username and password. After they verify your identity- they will give it to you. I just told them flat-out that I run Linux (another “Obsolete” system as far as they are concerned) and even if I ran Windows- I would sooner have a root canal than install MSN, which is part of their “Install Disk”. Comcast does something similar as I recall from several years ago.

So, once again:

You should NEVER need to install software on your computer to configure a broadband modem/router, PERIOD.

Cheap HD DVD

http://holiday.ri-walmart.com/?section=secret&utm_source=Walmartcom&utm_medium=POV1&utm_content=secret1&utm_campaign=holiday&povid=cat14503-env15844-module117145-lLink1

So- today I bought a $99 HD DVD player at Wal-Mart.

This is significant for a couple of reasons. First of all- today’s Orange Friday (at least that’s what I am calling it) sale at Wal-Mart seems to indicate a shift away from the traditional “Black Friday” sale after Thanksgiving. Besides the HD DVD player, Wal-Mart also has/had amazing deals on a laptop and 50″ plasma HDTV, as well as a bunch of “loss leader” HD DVDs. It wasn’t nearly as extensive as Black Friday’s sales- but had a lot of the same elements. Some poor soul walked up to the Electronics Department counter at the Wal-Mart I was at to ask a question- and was almost lynched by an angry mob for not getting in line…

Beyond that- there have been a lot of rumors in the Tech media over the past year that Wal-Mart was going to start selling dirt-cheap HD DVD players and shun Blu-Ray. While the rumor mill had the HD DVD player price as low as $50, the $99 price they had today puts that much closer to reality. It really wouldn’t surprise me to see them at the same price, or closer to the $50 mark by Black Friday.

I say- good! I want to see the High Definition DVD format war end. I hate Blu-Ray for a number of reasons, not the least of which are that it was never accepted by the DVD Forum, and it is spearheaded by Sony. I sunk a lot of home entertainment money into Betamax way back in the 70s, Mini-Disc in the 90s, and UMD more recently. I’ve learned  (not soon enough) not to invest money in any new technology spearheaded by Sony.

With the cheapest Blu-Ray players going for around $400, with or without attached crappy video game console, it  seems like a no-brainer for people to move to HD DVD. Even without the loss leader sale today- HD DVD players are available for under $200 now. That’s HALF the price of the cheapest Blu-Ray players.