I'm a PC and this was NOT my idea

OK, all you macheads out there are going to pounce on this with a great big "I told you so."  But I'm hoping someone out there might have some suggestions I haven't thought of for my computer conundrum.

We got a netbook for Christmas that's running Windows 7 Starter (don't get me started on the lame Starter edition -- that's a whole other blog post).  It took me a little while, but eventually I figured out how to network it with my other computer, which is running Windows XP Pro.

Life was good for a time.  Nolan and I could sit in the basement and watch "Doctor Who" episodes saved on my external hard drive.  I could sit in bed and watch video podcasts I had downloaded from iTunes on the other machine.  And I could print anything I needed to from the netbook.

Then one day, poof.  The connection was gone.  The computers just decided they didn't want to play nice and talk to each other anymore.

I have absolutely no idea what happened. I assume this is the result of an update that was automatically installed to one of the computers, but I have no idea which one or which update -- or if that even really is the problem.  I just know that I didn't make any changes that I'm aware of that could have caused this.

So tech nerds, what's the deal? Has anyone else experienced a problem like this? And if so, tell me you figured out how to fix it.

Spring ahead

On weekends we often don't bother setting our alarms.  We usually wake up when we hear the kids get up.  They almost always arise around the same time whether their alarms are turned on or not -- around 7 a.m.

Today was no different -- sort of.

We awoke to the sound of the kids going downstairs and digging into the Sunday paper, looking for the funnies.  Kris eventually decided to get up and hop in the shower and I dragged myself out of bed to go downstairs and start breakfast.

I was in the midst of starting a pot of coffee when Thomas looked at the cable box noted that the time on it was "wrong."  It said 8:16, not 7:16.

D'oh!

The Mass we usually attend starts at 8:30.  We probably would have gone to a later Mass, but Kris and Thomas were scheduled to usher this morning.

I don't know how we did it, but somehow we all managed to get dressed and arrive at church just in the nick of time.

Shortly after church started we spotted someone coming in late.  Kris noted that she had wet hair and acknowledged it made her feel better to know we probably weren't the only ones rushing around this morning.

How about you? Have you ever forgotten to change your clocks before a time change and then been caught by surprise the next morning?

RSS for Dummies

Not long ago I had to explain to someone (who I thought should have known better) what an RSS feed was and how it's so much easier to follow all of the websites and blogs you like with an RSS reader.

I've been using an RSS reader, mostly Google Reader, for years. Almost as long as I've had this blog and certainly longer since I've been on Facebook and Twitter. So I guess I take for granted that everyone knows what it's all about.

I posted this "RSS in Plain English" video almost three years ago. For those who still don't get it, here's a refresher.

'Oh, it's good to be back'

"Iron Man 2" looks like it's going to be a ton of fun.

Wookie Mania

"Oooh, Look! There's Chewbacca!"

It wasn't the kids who were so excited. It was me.

I took to the boys on Saturday to the annual Kidz Expo at the Empire State Plaza. It's filled to the gills with booths and displays from various kid-related businesses pushing their services. There's some things to do, like giant bouncy-bounces, video games, mini golf and lots of other stuff. Laser tag was the biggest hit for Nolan and Thomas.

For their giant geek of a dad it's seeing people wandering around in really cool Star Wars costumes. There was a variety of stormtroopers and Jedi. We even saw a Jawa. Darth Vader was also lurking about.

But my eyes lit up when I saw the first mate of the Millennium Falcon.

"Hey, Chewie! How about a picture?" I asked after rushing right over to him.

Except while everyone else was taking photos of their kids with George Lucas' creations, I promptly handed my camera to 6-year-old Thomas and proudly took my place next to my favorite Wookie. I admit, part of me wondered if the guy in the costume thought I was nuts.

Afterward, almost as an after thought, I asked the boys if they'd like their picture with Chewbacca.

"Um, no, dad. That's OK."

The guy in the Wookie suit might not have thought I was crazy. But I'm pretty sure my kids did.

Then again, they're probably used to it. I had a similar reaction at last year's Kidz Expo when I had my picture taken with Lord Vader.

App writers unite!

Remember that blog post I wrote about the Internet becoming fractured by all of the different options for wireless apps depending on who manufactured your device or what carrier you used?

Well, maybe it won't come to that.

Goofy goggles

I'm sorry, but doesn't the protective eyewear Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sported during an laser science exhibition in Iran last week look just like the safety goggles worn in the "TV room" in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

Words trailing off

Ever wonder what happens to the words floating through space after they go by at the beginning of "Star Wars?" Where do they go?

The question is answered in what is likely the most geektastic viral video you'll see this week...

The Splinternet

Is the World Wide Web an endangered species?

Driving home last night I listened to author Josh Bernoff on NPR's Marketwatch make the case that the golden age of the Internet is over. Bernoff argues that smart phones and devices like Apple's iPad are fundamentally changing the nature of the Net.

...it's really the Web that is shattering into pieces here. We've had 15 years now where there was a common standard for the kinds of computers that were connecting up to Web sites, and this really made it easy for the people who were delivering content to those folks. But now, between iPhones and Tablets and Kindles, you can't be sure if you build a Web site that everybody will experience it the same way anymore.

The comparison was made to the early 1990s when you had AOL and Compuserve -- the Coke and Pepsi of the Internet. You either used one or the other. There some features and services that one had the other didn't -- pros and cons to each. Then the Web came along and unified the way we use the Internet.

But up until now the Internet has been tied down to our home computers or even our laptops.

Now it's gone mobile. We carry the Internet around in our pockets with iPhones, Blackberries, Droids and whatever else. The Internet is often accessed and utilized through various apps. But there is no standard for them. An app for one device won't necessarily work on others.

This could pose a challenge for developers and consumers alike as they try to choose which horse to back. Is this the Internet equivalent of Beta vs. VHS?

iPod inspection #4

Time for another iPod inspection.

I've been getting some odd mixes lately. The other day I was rocking out to a classic Van Halen song only to awkwardly segue into a much more easy listening James Taylor tune.

And the last time I went running I kept getting hit with slow songs like Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman," which just goes to show I need to use a playlist for exercising instead of just shuffling everything.

Anyway, here's today's random 10 songs:

1. "Killer Queen" - Queen
2. "Every Breath You Take (Acoustic)" - Sting
3. "Mr. Pitiful" - The Commitments
4. "Imperial March" - John Williams (what, you all know I'm a giant geek)
5. "Paper In Fire" - John Mellancamp
6. "Black And Tan" - Hair of the Dog
7. "Where the Streets Have No Name" - U2
8. "Even Flow" - Pearl Jam
9. "Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea" - Genesis
10. "Frankestein" Edgar Winter

It seems like I get a U2 song and a Hair of the Dog song every time I do this. You'd think that's all I own, although I can assure you that's not the case.

What's got your ear these days?

Fun at the Frost Faire

I've written before about how much I enjoy going to the Saratoga Battlefield. It is just so awesome to stand amid such beautiful scenery and know you are surrounded by history.

We paid another visit to the battlefield today for their annual Frost Faire.

We started out by taking a horse-drawn wagon ride out to the big tubing hill. And when I say big, I mean BIG. There was more snow last year. This year there were actually some patched of grass on the hill that slowed things down a bit. But it still went pretty fast. Nolan and I went for a few good runs down the hill.

Thomas was a little intimidated by the steep slope. So he hung out by the campfire at the top with Kris, who was nursing a sore knee, and worked on a assembling a life-sized puzzle of a British soldier.

Then it was off to the warming tent for hot chocolate and cookies before taking the 3/4-mile wagon trip back to the visitors center. That's where Nolan got a lesson in how to handle musket (it was only a pretend one) and Thomas got to practice writing with a quill and ink. There were some crafts to work on and -- best of all -- one of the big canons was fired off a few times. I never, ever tire of that!

It made for a pretty fun afternoon, and every time we go to the battlefield we leave having learned something new.

Social media ain't kid stuff

It seems like I still run into people who think Facebook and Twitter are for youngsters. But get a load of these figures Lost Remote pulled from a Forrester Research report...

• A third of adults post at least once a week to social sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
• A quarter of adults publish a blog and upload video/audio they created.
• Nearly 60% maintain a profile on a social networking site.
• 70% Read blogs, tweets and watch UGC video.

Clash of the talk show hosts

There are a lot of subtle details to the late night TV debacle at NBC. This video sorts it all out.

Sure it's in Chinese. And it depicts Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jeff Zucker as costumed superheroes battling each other. And it features David Letterman wacking Zucker with a folding chair.

But otherwise, it really tells the story well.

Avoid the Noid

Domino's Pizza has new ad campaign touting a new tastier recipe and saying they've listened to the comments of their customers.

Enjoy Stephen Colbert's analysis of the campaign...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alpha Dog of the Week - Domino's Pizza
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

iPod video test

I'm impressed with the video camera on my iPod Nano.

Over the weekend while Thomas was playing in the front yard I decided to pull my iPod out of my pocket and play with the camera since I had never really used it before.

The tiny microphone doesn't pick Thomas up very well, but you can hear my voice just fine. The camera lense is also in kind of an awkward spot -- right where it would feel most natural to place your hand while holding the iPod.

Other than those nitpicks, the video looks pretty good considering it came from such a small device.

iPod inspection

Time for another iPod inspection. I’ve been listening to a steady diet of podcasts lately (I’m hooked on Current Geek). But when we shuffle the tunes, here’s what comes out…

1. “The Scotsman” – Hair of the Dog
2. “Up on the Roof” – James Taylor (Live)
3. “One Year of Love” – Queen
4. “In ‘N’ Out” – Van Halen
5. “You May Be Right” – Billy Joel
6. Hard to Handle” – The Commitments
7. “Crash Course” – Crash Test Dummies
8. “Oliver’s Army” – Elvis Costello
9. “Bullet the Blue Sky” – U2
10. “Lonely Ol’ Night” – John Mellencamp

What are you listening to these days?

Passing it along

There is nothing better than sharing something you love with your kids and seeing them enjoy it too.

For Kris, this often comes when we go camping or spend time in the Adirondacks. She tries hard to instill an appreciation of the outdoors in the boys and loves seeing that pay off.

With me it often comes with more geeky pleasures.

Case in point -- last night I took Nolan to see "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at the Palace Theatre in Albany. He had seen the movie before, but I assured him that he had never seen it like this. I told him that there was something magical about sitting in a dark theater and watching the adventure play out on the giant screen. I told him that the picture might be scratchy or the sound not always crystal clear, but it would still be way better that watching a DVD in our basement.

I don't think he understood what I was talking about. But when the movie was over, he told me that I was right. He got it.

Another example -- it was a big weekend for "Doctor Who" fans. The latest (and some might argue greatest) actor to play the main character in the long running British sci-fi show left the series.

One of the things that has kept the show going since 1963 is a clever little plot device that allows different actors to come and go in the role. You see, the Doctor is an alien with the ability to regenerate -- essentially transform into a new body -- when he is dying.

Fans of the show always have a certain fondness for their first Doctor. For me it was Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor. For Nolan and Thomas it has been David Tennant, the 10th Doctor.

When I was a kid I was aware that there had been other actors who had played the Doctor. But still, seeing Tom Baker regenerate into the fifth Doctor blew my mind. And that was the case for my boys. There was much hoopla and hype leading up to Tennant's departure. When the moment of the big transformation finally came, they were literally on the edge of their seats. It was so cool to watch them enjoy that.

There are lots of things we try to pass on. Some things take better than others. It's always a thrill when you find you can share something you love.

'Is this real life?'

EW's PopWatch blog has declared "David After Dentist" as the number one viral video of 2009...



Hard to argue. You should also make sure to check out the parody with Chad Vader...



You can read the rest of PopWatch's list here.

The one I'm surprised wasn't on it was "JK Wedding Entrance Dance." We discovered today that someone here at work was the one person in America who hadn't seen it yet. So after she watched it with the sound cranked up, we've all had the song stuck in our head! (Maybe that's why I have a headache right now)

Also conspicuously absent was Herb Brooks' pregame speech as performed by 4-year-old Rizzo...



What were your favorite videos of the year?

My year in Facebook

I have decided that from now on, I'm just going to read Sarah's blog and rip-off whatever she does.

This time, she's pointed out an app on Facebook that gathers a sample of your status updates from the past year. Looking back over the year's worth of Facebook ramblings I see that I spent a lot of time complimenting my wife's cooking and expressing a desire for more coffee or beer.

Here's a sample of what I had to say in 2009...

Hey Ya! It's Christmas again, Charlie Brown!

I first posted this on the blog three years ago. But a discussion today of Rolling Stone's list of the top 100 songs of the decade, where "Hey Ya" placed fourth, has prompted me to bring it back.

Enjoy...