The Hutch Tech Blog

NO FOOLIN': Watch Amazon VOD on the iPad

2012-01-23T16:10:00.001-08:00

Special thanks to my co-worker Darren who shared an app with me today called iSwifter. As an Amazon Prime member, I had been looking to play Amazon VOD titles on the iPad. I'd tried some of the browsers that promised to play flash video, but wasn't able to get any of them to work. So I downloaded the free version of iSwifter, signed in to Amazon VOD and hit the link for LOST--it worked like a charm.

iSwifter bills itself as an app for playing social media games on Facebook, Google+, etc. But I think I've found the solution to my Amazon VOD dreams.

Now, fair warning, iSwifter only gives you 24 minutes of video for free, but with the $4.99 in app purchase you can get rid of the time limitation.

Enjoy!

- Hutch

How Amazon Followed Apple and Google Didn't

2011-09-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

Amazon finally took the plunge today and went all in on the Apple model. Well, kind of.

You see Apple has been all about the ecosystem for the last decade. Their devices and computers each share enough of the same DNA now to make them feel somewhat similar, familiar. And if you really want to use them, you need to buy into the iTunes media world that they've created. Good, bad or ugly it doesn't matter. It's worked. And worked well. Like ol' Palmolive Madge used to say, "You're soaking in it."

But slowly, quietly, almost deftly Amazon has been building an ecosystem of its own. You probably didn't notice S3 or EC2, but you're using them more often than you know. You missed the fact that they had an MP3 store, until you realized how easy it was to save some coin on your music and that they're little iTunes importer actually worked (cross-platform too). Then came the streaming movies and TV shows. Okay in a pinch and sometimes cheaper than iTunes. Finally you figured, hey, why not join Amazon Prime, I'm ordering everything from Amazon anyway. And you were right, but then, what did they do, they GAVE you free streaming stuff. What? Free? What are these people thinking? And then you realized it. Another ecosystem. It was too late to stop once you noticed. They had you. You were using the Kindle device, or at least an app on your smart phone or iPad, or maybe even in the browser on your computer. And there it was, clear as day, you were living in another ecosystem.

And now comes the (at least currently) sad part of our story. Let me preface this by saying what a total Google fan-boy I am, but alas this tale of woe is true. Google just can't get a break. They're either late the game (e.g. Google+ [which I TOTALLY LOVE]) or they're way too early (e.g. Google Wave [which I TOTALLY miss]). Sure they'll store your music, and maybe even sell you some, but it's not really everywhere, accessible, easy. They have a bookstore, but it's B-grade at best. Google's still big and powerful and they're not out of the game yet. But let's be honest, isn't it just a bit sad to see how poorly the Google ecosystem works (or doesn't work) together? It is for me. I so desperately want Google Docs to be meaningful, but Dropbox bests it in almost every way. Wait! Do you hear it? There's a faint rustling coming from over there. Maybe it's G-drive. Maybe he can save us! Or maybe, just maybe, he'll create yet a third ecosystem that we'll all have to be a part of.

Stranger things have happened.

- Hutch

From PCMAG: 'Shady RAT' Attacks Could Have Hit Thousands of Targets

2011-08-04T05:45:00.001-07:00

McAfee: 'Shady RAT' Attacks Could Have Hit Thousands of Targets

By Mark Hachman

The McAfee researcher responsible for the company's report on the five-year "Shady RAT" attacks on high-profile U.S. government agencies, the United Nations, the IOC, and numerous defense contractors and IT companies believes that "thousands" more targets could have been attacked.
In total, McAfee identified 72 major targets of the Shady RAT attacks, virtually all of which the company declined to identify.

via pcmag.com

So wait, are the victims or the perpetrators the rats in this story? I can't tell.

My Dog Wrote My Paper - From Schneier on Security: Identifying People by their Writing Style

2011-08-03T08:56:00.001-07:00

It seems reasonable that we have a linguistic fingerprint, although 1) there are far fewer of them than finger fingerprints, 2) they're easier to fake. It's probably not much of a stretch to take that software that "identifies bundles of linguistic features, hundreds in all" and use the data to automatically modify my writing to look like someone else's.

via schneier.com

Back in my day, there were those in college who might have someone write a paper for them--for a small fee, of course. Does this mean that now you could write one paper, run it through the "Writing Style Personalizer 3.5" software and pump out multiple versions? Think of the money you could...I mean, think of how wrong that would be.

PRIVACY [VIA LIFEHACKER.COM]: What You Need to Know About the Internet Snooping Bill (and How You Can Protect Yourself)

2011-08-01T04:53:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives approved an internet snooping bill that requires internet service providers (ISPs) to keep records of customer activity for a year so police can review them as needed. Here's what this bill means for you and what you can do about it.

What Is This Internet Snooping Bill, Exactly, and Why Is It Bad?

The lovingly titled Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011 (PCFIPA of 2011) requires ISPs to retain customer names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and dynamic IP addresses. It's a record of your personal information plus the web sites you visit. It's like handing over a year's worth of browser history plus the contents of your wallet to the police. The thing is, you're not really handing it over so much as your ISP is—without your consent.
You might be wondering what this has to do with child pornography and protecting children, as the bill claims to exist for those reasons. The idea is that child pornographers will be easier to catch if these records are available, and that, in turn, will protect children. According to the Denver Post, child pornography cases have been on the rise and there have been over 10,000 arrests since 1996. While the police should be prosecuting child pornographers and consumers, the problem isn't so out of control that these extreme measures are necessary.
Internet World Stats reports that there are currently 272.1 million Americans connected to the internet. The 10,000 known child pornography consumers make up a tiny fraction of a percent of Americans online. Even if the number of child pornography consumers were as much as 1,000,000, it still wouldn't make up a single percent. That's not to say that we wouldn't want to prosecute them and get them to stop, or that even 10,000 is a small number when it comes to a crime like this, but making a year's worth of records doesn't solve the problem.

Consider the browser history of a single person over the course of a year, and then multiply that by 272,100,000. Then try to find 10,000 people in that data that have, at some point during that year, downloaded at least a single piece of child pornography. Finding a needle in a haystack is hard, but it gets to be pretty close to impossible when that haystack is the size of a country. There are too many people not downloading child porn to easily locate an offender and too few policemen to thoroughly look through the information. Like we've seen when the RIAA prosecuted music downloaders with little success, you get nowhere going after the consumers. Instead, you have to go after the providers. It's why police are much more interested in drug dealers than the people who buy from them. You need to cut off the source. But this bill isn't targeting the source at all. Furthermore, there are already provisions in place (like the Protect Our Children Act of 2008) that give the police a means of collecting information on a potential child pornography consumer.

Essentially, this bill does nothing more than make the browsing histories of approximately 272.1 million Americans readily available to the police. And that information comes with credit card numbers, addresses, and more. It not only encroaches upon personal privacy but is a complete waste of resources.

How You Can Block Snooping ISPs and Protect Your Privacy

It could be worse. One nice feature of the PCFIPA of 2011 bill is that it doesn't include cellular data, so if you've thought about switching to 4G wireless data at home you'll soon have another reason. That's not an option for many people, however, but that doesn't mean you're out of luck.

Your best bet is to find yourself a good VPN provider and hook it up to a good VPN tool to encrypt and route all your internet traffic through a third-party that isn't your ISP. Virtual Private Networks creates secure, encrypted connections between your computer and a server on the internet, then routes all your internet activity through that server. Your ISP would only really be logging the IP address of your VPN server, which doesn't give them much of your private info.

Tor is one of the easiest ways to browse anonymously online (even if it isn't perfect). If you're a Chrome user, you can even create a simple Tor toggle button to use it only when you really need it. By anonymizing your browsing, your ISPs won't have a record of what you've been doing. They'll know you were online, but the details won't be available to them or the police. Of course, there's no assurance that any anonymous browsing tool will provide full protection but it's definitely better than nothing at all. If setting up Tor seems a little daunting, Vidalia can help simplify the process. You'll also want to read our guide on protecting your privacy when downloading for more suggestions.
Got any suggestions of your own? Share your privacy-protecting strategies in the comments.

You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Twitter's the best way to contact him, too.

via lifehacker.com

Once again liberty and technology clash in an ethical battle. Can we not punish the guilty without constantly violating the liberty of the innocent? Oh, wait a minute, if I'm not doing anything wrong then I shouldn't have anything to hide, right? Wax your skis, my friends, here comes that slippery slope.

VIA LIFEHACKER.COM: Top 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Gear (Without Spending Extra Money)

2011-07-31T16:51:00.001-07:00

via lifehacker.com

Yes, you can do more with your gear. And, yes, it can be free or cheap. No, you're not dreaming.

Your ISP Is Screwing You: As Your Service Costs Go Up, Their Backbone Costs Go Down | TechCrunch

2011-07-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

Basically, ISPs claim our data usage is going up and they must react. In reality, their costs are falling and this is a dodge, an effort to get us to pay more for services that were overpriced from day one.

Basically, they’re quietly raising our rates while pretending to prevent a tragedy of the commons.

via techcrunch.com

Don't get me wrong, I fully support profit and free enterprise--we definitely don't want the government regulating our Internet--but isn't this where the free market, supply and demand is supposed to kick in? What's that you say? Collusion? Nooo, couldn't be.

YES, I AM TOO PICKY: @meckardt's Lion Bleacher saves iCal in Lion

2011-07-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

@meckardt Lionking

Ugly leather skin in iCal & Address Book? That's #Apple, that's #Lion. Get Lion Bleacher to restore them back to normal. macupdate.com/app/mac/39514/…

via twitter.com

Actually, Lion Bleacher saves iCal and Address Book from the horrible faux leather skinning job that Apple gave them in Mac OS X Lion (10.7). Thank you @meckardt! Now Apple, should thank you.

- Hutch

INTENDED CONSEQUENCES: Beligian Newspapers Claim Retaliation By Google After Copyright Victory

2011-07-17T05:35:00.001-07:00

Beligian Newspapers Claim Retaliation By Google After Copyright Victory

Jul 16, 2011 at 3:57pm ET by Greg Sterling

Perhaps the lesson is: be careful what you sue for. The French and German-language Belgian newspaper consortium that successfully sued Google for copyright infringement got more than it bargained for this week.

The newspapers’ content has been removed not only from Google News (as desired) but the entire Google index. Now the newspapers are crying foul, saying that Google is “retaliating” against them for their legal victory.

via SearchEngineLand.com

Ah, don't you just hate to see it when people get what they want/deserve. No? Me neither. Idiots.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: WINGstand is too Cool Not to Get

2011-07-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

I'm going to make my pledge right now--you should too.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/445602678/the-wingstand-make-your-tablet-...

- Hutch

FUTURISM: The Future is Glass

2011-05-04T22:13:00.001-07:00

Someday we'll look back on this video like we do the old world's fair presentations of the video-phone and flying car, but for now it's cool.

Is it just me, or does this make my iPad look pitiful?

- Hutch

ONN Breaking News: You Knew Facebook was Evil, Now You Know Why

2011-03-21T17:02:00.001-07:00

Guess it's time to switch to wanbee.

- Hutch

NERD ALERT: 20+ Years of Windows Upgrades - Amazing and Sad

2011-03-05T14:46:00.001-08:00

I found the following video via The Consumerist (an excellent blog on consumer-related issues BTW) and had to share.

If you take the time to watch, you'll notice that there is absolutely no problem upgrading from MS DOS 5 (released Summer 1991) all the way through to Vista (though the author takes umbrage with the fact that later OSes don't migrate the color scheme).

While I find this technically interesting, there is one note the author makes that caused me to pause: Certain DOS and early Windows programs were still functional, even 20 years later while running these new operating systems. Backward compatibility is great, don't get me wrong, but could this be part of the reason that Windows continues to look out-dated, bloated, and has not moved forward much since Windows XP (which was released in 2001)? The original Longhorn version of Windows Vista was slated to be an amazing, forward-thinking OS (go back and look at the old developer videos from 2004 if you don't believe me), but it was scrapped along the way, and we got what we know as today's Vista instead. Windows 7 is a slight step forward, forcing some older software to run in emulation instead of natively within the OS.

At some point, Microsoft is going to have to bite the bullet, just like Apple had to with OS X, and move forward. So while the following video is impressive, don't forget to shed a tear for innovation as you watch.

- Hutch

TIMELY DATA: The Challenge: Visualize Your Taxes from DataVizChallenge.org

2011-02-25T08:59:00.001-08:00

How timely--just look at where all those tax dollars are going. Oh, and just in case you missed the irony, there's a reason we pay taxes in April and vote in November, so try not to forget these numbers next time you cast your ballot.

The Challenge: Visualize how your individual federal income taxes are spent.

We give you the numbers; you make them speak to us. Our jury will be awarding $10,000, including $5,000 for the top submission. Click “get started” to learn more about the challenge, view an example, and get the data.

This challenge was created by Eyebeam and Google, with data provided by WhatWePayFor.com.

Banner visualization shows 2010 income taxes on $50,000, divided into major budget categories.

via datavizchallenge.org

FROM LIFEHACKER.COM: The Best Times to Buy Anything in 2011

2011-01-18T12:38:00.001-08:00

via lifehacker.com

EXCERPT ABOVE FROM LIFEHACKER.COM
-----------------------------------
Not that I need to spend more money or accumulate more stuff, but if I have to buy something I might as well take advantage of seasonal savings.

- Hutch

INTERNET SCAMS: Identify Internet Scams and Become a Net Ninja with the OpenDNS > Phishing Quiz

2011-01-05T09:16:00.001-08:00

Congrats! You correctly identified out of 10 websites in the OpenDNS phishing ID quiz!

You're a phishing website ninja. Have you ever considered volunteering your services to Phishtank, to help protect others from phishing attempts?

Drop everything right now and go to the link below to test your skill at identifying Internet scams. We're all using the Internet more and more each day, so you know you need to do this. Besides, who doesn't want to be an Internet ninja!
OpenDNS Scam Quiz: http://www.opendns.com/phishing-quiz/?utm_source=nl012011&utm_medium=email&ut...
- Hutch

TV/MEDIA: When is Hulu Plus NOT Hulu Plus?

2011-01-04T12:52:00.001-08:00

It's an age old question...okay, not really, but it is a question worth asking BEFORE you buy that newly-marked-down-last-chance-previous-model-Internet-connected TV, Roku box, iPad, or [insert Hulu enabled device here].

Let me begin by stating clearly that I love Hulu. Not only do I love it, it's helped me reduce my monthly cable bill down to squat. Hulu and Netflix account for 90% of our household television/media consumption. I say this by way of disclaimer and to create a context for the rest of this diatribe.

Hulu Plus sucks. There, I said it. Now, let me clarify. I have a laptop connected to our TV through which we access Hulu Plus and the experience is great. However, try Hulu Plus on any other device (Internet connected TV, iPad, Roku, etc.) and if you want anything beyond the basic prime-time blather, the experience is less than thrilling.

For example, on the Roku I did a search for the Charlie Brown Christmas Special on Hulu. Lo and Behold, they had it--but in small print was written the sad tale of most Hulu Plus content: "Web Only". This is true of the iPad, and any other Internet connected, Hulu-supported device that is not a computer. Now, I have a laptop connected to the TV, so this was not a problem for me. The web is easily accessible and we enjoyed watching the classic Christmas special about neurotic children and their maniacal dog.

So this begs the question why does Hulu care if I watch Charlie and the gang on my iPad vs. my Roku vs. my laptop? Well, it's not really Hulu that's at fault here, it's the networks and content owners. See most of them don't believe that we're smart enough to actually hook a computer up to the television, so they're happy to let us have access to TV content on our computers where we will begin to suffer neck and back pain which forces us to migrate to the couch and PAY for the same content through other channels (I can almost see them rubbing their money grubbing hands together in glee). But I have to ask, does Fox Business really gain anything by making the John Stossel program unavailable to me via Hulu on my iPad while it's available to me on my laptop? I use both as they rest on a table next to my easy chair and the laptop screen is much larger (in fact it's technically larger than my TV based on the distance each lies away from my face). Are they really gaining anything by just making me frustrated?

So, Hulu, thank you for making all this great content available via Hulu Plus. I'll keep watching on the TV via my old laptop and have unlimited access to all your content. But the Roku box has been returned, and I won't spend any extra money for the currently defunct Google TV or any other Internet connected TV since it doesn't actually deliver the full Hulu experience. And to you evil content providers who refuse to let me watch what I want via Hulu on my iPad, have a crummy New Year and I hope your content collects dust. Guess that dust must be worth more to you than some extra ad revenue (can you really be this stupid?). Just remember, those of us with a little knowledge will always thwart your attempts to limit our access. And guess what? We already have.

- Hutch

P.S. Oh, and Netflix, thank you for giving us everything, everywhere regardless of the device. It is greatly appreciated. Have a Happy New Year.

SECURITY: Google Likes to Share...Your Private Information

2010-11-20T13:07:00.001-08:00

The slippery slope of trusting the web rears it's head again. I love Google (and, yes, I'd marry it) and I love web 2.0, but I'm getting tired of the privacy and security compromises. Yes, I'm well aware the web was not built with security in mind, rather it was built to share information, but can we not build new standards on old protocols that protect all of us?

This is just too ridiculous.

- Hutch

FROM TECHCRUNCH:
Whoa, Google, That’s A Pretty Big Security Hole
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/20/whoa-google-thats-a-pretty-big-security-hole/

LIFEHACKER: Tweet Without Being a Twit

2010-11-05T13:14:00.001-07:00

I'm still not a huge Twitter user, but this article does help make the case for how one might use it.

http://lifehacker.com/5682061/how-to-use-twitter-as-an-adult

Yep, Apple Killed The CD Today

2010-10-21T07:34:00.001-07:00

Stop. Take a deep breath. Before my headline gets you all worked up, consider what I’m saying here. The CD and other optical discs, like DVDs and Blu-rays, are obviously going to live on for a while as a way to transport media. But make no mistake that today, with two unveilings, Apple has effectively sealed the fate of the optical disc in the computer industry. Soon, it will go the way of the floppy disk.

Last week, I wrote a post laying out what I hoped Apple would bring with a revamped MacBook Air. I came to the realization that I had never once used the optical drive in my current MacBook Pro, and it was simply taking up a lot of space and was making my computer unnecessarily bulky. I wanted to replace it with a MacBook Air. And now I can. And I’m not going to be the only one that does.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: but the MacBook Air has been around for a couple of years and it hasn’t killed off the optical disc yet. That’s true, but a couple key ingredients were missing the last time around.

First of all, the first-generation Airs were a bad combination of underpowered and overpriced. That is no longer the case. Second, they required some convoluted desktop computer CD syncing system to be able to install something from an optical disc to the Air (or an optional USB add-on). That is also no longer the case (though both still exists).

When you get your MacBook Air and you open the box, you will find exactly zero optical discs inside. Normally, Apple includes at least one back-up DVD to reinstall OS X and other software if your computer fails. But now, that has been replaced with a super-slim USB stick. This stick, packed in with your manual, is all you need to reinstall your system now.

This makes a lot of sense. CDs were replaced by DVDs because they offered a lot more storage. But flash memory cards, such as the one Apple includes with the Air, are already blowing DVDs out of the water when it comes to storage. They may still be more expensive to produce, but Apple has clearly figured out a way to make it work. I suspect we may see more drives like this one (which use much less plastic than typical USB flash drives — and appear to even use less plastic than optical discs).

But that’s only one half of the future.

The other half is a potentially much bigger announcement Apple made today: the Mac App Store. While Apple didn’t give a ton of details yet, it appears that this store will work pretty much just as their App Store does on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. There will be free and paid apps. There will be one-click downloads. There will be automatic updates. All that.

What there won’t be are any optical discs.

Up until now, the vast majority of software (at least the legal variety) has been distributed by way of CD or DVD. The Mac App Store could very well change that. Every app found on that store, undoubtedly including the big ones we all know and love and use on our computers today, will be distributed over the Internet. This is long overdue.

Plenty of companies have tried Internet distribution for a long time. Some have success, and some don’t. But none have the type of central repository that Apple is offering here. This is going to be huge.

If it sounds similar to what Google is working on with the Chrome Web Store, or what Mozilla is proposing with their Open Web Ecosystem, remember that those are only web apps. We’re talking native applications for the Mac App Store. We’re talking apps that run on your computer, just like you have now, they’re just distributed in a way that makes a lot more sense.

They’re distributed in a way that makes the CD, DVD, and every other optical disc obsolete. And that’s good, since soon the optical drives will start to fade out of existence as well.

With the launch of the iTunes Music Store seven and a half years ago, Apple put the wheels in motion to kill the CD. Today, they kicked off their final assault. There will be no survivors.

More: Free As A Bird: Initial Thoughts After A Day With The New MacBook Air

[image: flickr/stuartpilbrow]

CrunchBase Information
Apple
MacBook Air
Information provided by CrunchBase

via feedproxy.google.com

Awesome! While I'm old enough to remember the introduction of the CD, and I still think it has that futuristic look, it is nice to see us move beyond mechanized parts and into the era of Star Trek and it's data cubes.

New Site!

2010-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

While all the articles will be cross-posted here, check out our new home at hutchtech.posterous.com!

BE PREPARED: Stuff You Won't Learn From the Boy Scouts

2010-09-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

Like a good off-site backup, these helpful hints are easy to ignore, until you need them--and end up calling me. Wax on, wax off...it is part of your training, young one.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/fn0G4EEH7Jo/be-prepared-for-everyday-tech-problems-with-an-essentials-backup-kit

Be Prepared For Everyday Tech Problems with an Essentials Backup Kit [Backup]

Technology is great until it stops working. Be prepared and solve your technology frustrations by preparing a tech essentials backup kit. More »

- via Feeddler RSS Reader

Sent from my iPad

WIRED: Must See TV is (Almost) Here

2010-09-03T16:07:00.001-07:00

I ran across this article in September's Wired magazine. Very interesting and helpful info when deciding what media you need (and don't need). We're almost there, folks.

- Hutch

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_howto_watchtv/all/1#

FROM LIFEHACKER: Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gmail [Google Voice]

2010-08-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

An excellent overview of some not-quite-so-obvious things to do with this great new tool from Google.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/fJ_ZIIU5QxQ/eight-clever-ways-to-take-advantage-of-free-calling-in-gmail

Netflix for Wii: Mario Must be Happy

2010-03-29T09:16:00.001-07:00

My family was one of the privileged few to receive an early copy of the Netflix for Wii disk. Once you pop the disk in (yes, it is required each time you want to watch video from your instant queue) just authorize the disk using the special code (you only do this once on another computer via the Netflix site) and you're on your way.

Other than the fact you couldn't do a free text search for movies, I found the experience to be slick and well thought out. You can browse your queue, sift through the various genres, or even pick up where you left off on your recently viewed items.

We watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop without any hiccups, and the audio and video quality were excellent even while using our wireless connection.

The product definitely did not feel like a beta release. Now maybe they can work on allowing that free text search.

- Hutch

AMAZING TECH: Can Real X-Ray Goggles be Far Behind?

2009-10-21T08:55:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late to this story, but thanks to the Tom's Tips blog I found the following video (originally linked from a Wired.com article):

Beyond the obvious spying/stalking/surveillance uses, I'm not sure what all this could be used for--but you have to admit it's cool.

- Hutch

MEDIA/HUMOR: Ctrl Yourself

2009-08-16T14:29:00.001-07:00

I happened upon a wonderfully funny web series called Ctrl. The series is from NBC and stars folks you'll recognize. The production value is great and the humor is amazing. That said, go ahead and watch it, then come back...I'll wait.

Watch it here: iTunes, Hulu, NBC

This type of in-show-advertising-based, short form production may be the future of the sitcom. I came in when only 6 episodes had been released, and already I can't wait until Wednesday for the next one.

- Hutch

OS: Why Apple Just Won the OS Wars

2009-06-08T10:55:00.001-07:00

I don't know what it will do to their bottom line, but Apple may have just won the OS wars today by pricing their upcoming Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) at $29.

Think about it this way: If you buy a new Mac today with Leopard (OS 10.5) in September you can upgrade to the latest and greatest for $29. If you buy a new Windows-based machine today with Vista in October you can upgrade to the latest and greatest (Windows 7) for $200--or even $300+ if you want the Ultimate version.

I'll grant you that you'll have to buy Apple hardware to run Snow Leopard, or be willing to risk running a Franken-Mac on "non-approved" hardware, but that Apple-tax folks so often quote is starting to sound a lot lower.

- Hutch

UPDATE 6/9/09: Heard rumor that Microsoft may give an upgrade price to Windows 7 of only $50 or so. However, that still begs the question on what will it take to get the "ultimate" version?

GOOGLE: Ride the Wave

2009-05-30T16:59:00.001-07:00

Just in case you don't have time to watch the entire video, head over to mashable.com and enjoy their review.

- Hutch

INTERNET: The Future is Now... A Cliche' No More

2009-05-28T23:12:00.001-07:00

Okay, if you're not ready to geek out, and you have trouble getting past the horn-rimmed glasses and plaid button-down shirts you might want to skip this...HOWEVER, if you're ready to see the cool new stuff coming to your browser, then by all means take the time to watch these videos from the Google I/O conference.

WEB DESIGN: Soothing Balsamiq

2009-04-02T12:08:00.001-07:00

I've recently had occasion to dust off my rusty web design skills. In the past when I've wanted to demo/prototype a site for a client I've usually just gone ahead and built the site using my web design program du jour. Why not, right? You're going to build it anyway, so just start now. However, taking this approach can also lead to limitations, or even setbacks. What if the client changes the scope of the project in such a way that it changes the tools I'll be using to create the site? What if I just get the colors wrong, and that takes the focus off the initial layout design?

Too often we get started on web design by focusing on everything but the design. Yes, there's a place for function, prototyping, testing, but in the beginning layout needs to be king. That's where Balsamiq comes in. Balsamiq takes a unique approach in web layout by becoming your virtual paper napkin and pen. They actually take hand drawn shapes and text and allow you to do your layout with that old-fashioned, manual look. I'd heard about Balsamiq on the TWIT network's Net@Night show months ago, but only recently took it for a spin.

At first glance it would be easy to get turned off by the seemingly "unprofessional" look, but remember, the whole point is to focus on layout--you'll have time to dress it up later. Hopefully with the right tools already established. This method also lends itself to helping your client actually look at layout issues and not get enamored (or distracted) with logos, color, 3D buttons, etc. After all, isn't layout just as important as graphic perfection?

Balsamiq's competitors (e.g. ProtoShare) provide tools that are so vast and deep that I might as well start my design the old fashioned way, back in my web design program. This is where Balsamiq's simplicity is it's strength.

My only suggestion (thus far) would be this: Why not have Balsamiq play double-duty and have a secret set of duplicate objects that, with the click of a button, would allow me to turn my hand drawn version into something more corporate and professional? This way, I can use my digital napkin, but if I happen to run into one of those fussy clients, I can always click the "professional version" button and have the less artistic, more crisp looking version at hand.

Don't get me wrong, Balsamiq has plenty of options and flexibility, and it doesn't need to try to be anything more than what it is--an excellent web design layout program.

Enjoy. No really, you can try it for free, so why not give it a shot.

- Hutch

P.S. Since it's web-based or run's as an Adobe Air product, it's cross-platform.

SEMANTIC WEB: Lord, Help Us

2009-03-20T08:34:00.001-07:00

My faith in technology (no pun intended) was disturbed today when I received this recommendation from Amazon. Perhaps there's a connection I'm missing here.

- Hutch

GOOGLE: Calendars Are Meant To Be Free

2008-12-02T09:09:00.001-08:00

One of the hardest things I faced when switching from my PC to the Mac back in 2004 was my addiction to all things MS Outlook. I had an Exchange server and was used to all that glorious synchronization. Entourage was not a solution (the notes and tasks would sync with the server but not back to MS Outlook on the PC). I then tried a 3rd party solution from Snerdware (I debated mentioning their name, but figured that you needed to know it to avoid it) that was thoroughly under-supported and still didn't do all I wanted.

Eventually I ditched any hopes of syncing with the PC world apart from using the web-based version of dotMac/mobileMe.

Then Google Calendar started supporting the CalDav standard. If you followed the instructions it worked well, but it was not exactly intuitive. It's worked so well, in fact, that it's one of the key reasons I decided to ditch mobileMe altogether (see my article on replacing mobileMe for free here).

So imagine my surprise when I read in Macworld today that Google has introduced a tool called Collaboration that makes syncing your Google Calendars with iCal a snap. If the instructions above were just too daunting, this tool will help you make the switch--and it's VERY painless.

And for my PC-using friends out there, if you've got Outlook 2003 or 2007 you can easily setup syncing with your Google calendars as well.

When the good stuff is free, why pay more?

- Hutch

Oh, and as an added bonus: If you're looking for information on all-things calendar/PIM-related check out calendarswamp.blogspot.com.

GOOGLE: Predictive Flu Virus Analysis Via Web Search

2008-11-13T13:11:00.001-08:00

Thanks to our friends at DownloadSquad.com, I now believe that Google does indeed know far too much...about everything. Evidently they can use your IP location information along the current and historical flu-related searches around you to determine when you're most susceptible to the flu virus.

Wow!

- Hutch

HUMOR: A Long, Long Time Ago, In A Dorm Room, Far, Far Away

2008-11-10T08:18:00.001-08:00

And the award for best science fiction saga retelling by quadruplets using acapella themes from other movies scored by John Williams goes to...this guy:

This is what happens when technology gets too cheap and powerful--talented geeks will rise up and rule the world.

- Hutch

MAC IN THE CLOUD: MobileMe for FREE

2008-11-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you, but as much as I've enjoyed dot mac (now MobileMe), I just can't bring myself to fork out another $100 a year for the privilege of having a yournamehere@me.com e-mail address (or even keeping my grandfathered @mac.com address). Yes, I know, there's a lot more to it than that, but here's how I've finally broken the MobileMe stranglehold on my pocket book. I want the backup/synchronization functions I get with MobileMe, it's just in a world of free-mium services I can't justify paying for it. Is that so wrong?

The only element I've yet to replace (and I'll be beginning my search immediately before that pesky re-enrollment date comes 'round) is space to host my web sites. I really don't want to re-vamp my sites to fit the constraints of some of the freebie solutions. I just want some basic server space for my existing HTML. When I find something I'll let you know.

However, all the other MobileMe functions have been fairly easily replicated. Other than the somewhat laborious setup of Google Calendars with iCal on my Mac, the transition has been fairly painless. I've been using the following as replacements for the last couple of months, and I have to say that I haven't had nearly the problems I had with MobileMe--particularly the slow and unstable iDisk.

Mail: Gmail with IMAP

Address Book: Plaxo

Calendar: Google Calendar with WebDav (be sure to read the detailed help article)

Tasks: Remember the Milk

Gallery: Google's Picasa Web Albums

iDisk: DropBox

Other Options: Fruux, 30Boxes, Microsoft's Live Mesh

Now, I don't begrudge Apple making a buck on their services, and there is always a price to convenience. In fact, if you want extra space from any of these services, you'll need to pay. Come to think of it, with the current economy who's to say how long any of these options will be around? I for one plan on enjoying the free stuff while it lasts.

- Hutch

N00BS: Information Even Grandma Can Use

2008-09-10T12:43:00.001-07:00

Whether it's WiFi, twitter, or just Web 2.0 sometimes you need a little help explaining how it all works. Thanks to FreePint, I recently came across two gems (one that's been mentioned here before) that will help you do just that.

...in Plain English from Common Craft are a series of videos about technology (and a few other things) that try to streamline and simplify how things work.

7 Things You Should Know is just like it sounds, a PDF list of 7 items about a particular tech subject.

So now when multi-touch, twitter, or blogging are just too difficult or exhausting for you to explain, let the experts do it for you.

Prepare to begin forwarding links now.

- Hutch

STYLE: Fashion for the chipmunk in all of us

2008-08-11T14:21:00.001-07:00

Fellow technology lovers, we all know how difficult it is to take our digital life on the road. Here's one solution: www.greatpockets.com. Thanks go to Bob for the link.

- Hutch

VIDEO: The Horrifying Sequel to Cloverfield

2008-08-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

Beware things in fuzzy blue packages. Thanks to our friends over at Mahalo Daily for the link:

- Hutch

VIDEO: Fonts with Personality

2008-07-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Leo and Amber over at NetAtNight for pointing out the wonder that is If Fonts Were People:

- Hutch

ENTERTAINMENT: You Look Nice Today - Come for the misogyny, stay for the homophobia

2008-06-26T07:17:00.001-07:00

If you're a child of the 80's (and let's face it, who isn't) you'll love the random and ribald humor of You Look Nice Today: A Journal of Emotional Hygiene. One word of warning: Every time I think the hosts/vaudvillians/audio raconteurs are about to have a clean episode someone begins a profanity laced rant. Not the kind of the-swearing-was-appropriate-for-the-scene moment you might find in a war movie or a cop buddy flick where the hardness of life pushes a man to extreme utterances. No, it's as if our garrulous guides have to peg the meter in a forced, almost juvenile fashion. Don't get me wrong, this is still high-brow entertainment. I'm just sorry to have to recommend it.

- Hutch

BLOGGING: When is "Live" blogging NOT live blogging?

2008-06-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

I, like many others, watched Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote vicariously on the web (we'll probably have to wait until tonight for the recorded QT video) by observing the typed live blogging efforts of folks on the scene. Typically I watch the presentation via the MacRumors.com site (macrumorslive.com) anxiously awaiting each new comment and photo.

This year was no different, except that since I had a faster connection I figured I'd look at Engadget's, MacWorld's, and CNet's live blogging efforts as well. What a disappointment. MacRumor's web page updated automatically (unlike the competition) and included a lot more pictures (at least 87 at my last count). No offense to the MacRumors team, but I certainly expected these other outlets to blow them away--how wrong I was. Guess the big guys don't always have a better product.

- Hutch

Guilty by Association: The End of Social Networking

2008-04-02T22:29:00.001-07:00

In the future, no one will be your friend. At least not online.

Currently we are all being asked to join, create or define online the various networks that exist in our offline lives. Some of these networks may represent a simple gathering of our current friends, co-workers, and family members as listed in our address book. Others involve the grouping of fellow competitors and compatriots in a particular game or business venture. Still other networks are built around personalities, bands, or even trends we wish to follow. And right now, we take for granted that these connections remain private (or at least semi-private), and under our control.

American citizens take great pride in our protection of privacy rights, however as netizens we also tend to feed (and feed upon) the glories of openness and sharing in common. How we balance these two extremes will become very important in the near future. Right now we have limited control on who can see the online connections we create (it's a lot less than you think), and usage agreements seem to quickly change (often without notice to the end-user) if the keeper of the data can make a quick buck. Privacy has a value to users and gatekeepers which is not always equitable.

For example, let's say you're a young teen who wants to keep up with your friends, their comings and goings, their favorite music, their thoughts and dreams. Today, you do that quite easily through myspace. It's all there to be shared and enjoyed, and heck, you can even make certain things private, or shared only among your closest friends. You can see who makes up the common network you share with the important people in your life. But as often happens in the march of time, people lose contact, paths diverge, and those who used to be our BFFs are now just names in an address book with whom we exchange the occasional e-mail. College and career are beckoning and taking us in different directions. So, you being the upstanding citizen and successful go-getter push through school and you're now ready to hit the pavement and look for a job in the real world. Now, we've all been warned to be careful what we post. There are no pictures of drunken parties on your myspace page, no nasty open letters to your ex on your blog. But lo and behold, your good buddy from high school hasn't been as mature or discreet. There before your future employer lies a map of your social network: friends, schoolmates, fellow gamers all with stories to tell, pictures to display, and extreme opinions to share. And now, they're a part of YOUR backstory. You've chosen to associate yourself with this lot. Surely these people represent the real you. Or do they? It doesn't matter. You're guilty by association.

Not to sound too pessimistic, but certainly the next Enron is a yet unknown but growing and currently successful concern. And just as certainly, executives at that company are using the power of LinkedIn to develop their business contacts. When the company implodes, how many links away will you be? Those six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon are looking like great canyons, miles wide and deep compared to the contacts list you've created with these folks. Now you're heading for that big job interview which will allow you to move on and move up. The HR department for your future employer does its due diligence on your background. The fact that you have "friends"/associates with that guy who cheated his company, employees, investors, and the government doesn't exactly show you've got stellar business sense. It doesn't matter that you're two links away and never met the guy. Looks like you'll be spending some time with your family without that golden parachute.

None of the connections/friends/links noted above may actually or accurately represent your views, morals, values, etc. But it doesn't matter, they're YOUR friends. You're associated with them by choice. Bad company corrupts good morals, as the good book says.

So, will we overcome this new sociological dilemma? I'm sure we will, but as always these social changes take time to metastasise. Technological improvements ALWAYS have a downside that is typically unseen or underplayed with which we still must deal. We may be drawn (or sometimes forced) to take advantage of these connections just to keep up with the competition, but these connections have a cost. It remains to be seen how long it will take society to recognize that just because I have you in my Plaxo address book that doesn't mean I approve of your ideas/behavior/lifestyle/etc. So, in the future (hopefully just the near future) you may want to ditch your friends, at least online. Going it alone never looked so good. How sad.

- Hutch

iTunes Subscriptions = Other Players Shopping the iTunes Store

2008-03-20T13:33:00.001-07:00

Contrary to popular belief Apple is not in the design business; Apple is in the money making business. In a perfect world it would all be about simple, industrial design and clean lines, but that world is yet to come. Reality beckons.

Rumors abound this week about Apple creating an all-you-can-eat model for the iTunes music store tied to higher prices for iPods and iPhones. Some have downplayed these rumors as merely wishful thinking, but here's how I think it will shake out.

1) Apple wants to continue dominating the online and retail music sales industries. This will eventually make them money (remember Amazon.com took a while to become the profitable business it is today).

2) Apple can't tie iTunes subscriptions to higher iPod/iPhone/iTouch pricing alone because that would lead to major lawsuits.

3) Apple can't simply open access to iTunes for other players because that gives it only a basic licensing fee ($10-$20 per device) and whatever profit margin it currently makes on music/movies sold.

So, why not combine all of these into one simple package: Dominate sales by licensing open access to iTunes media AND allow for additional all-you-can-eat packages tied to individual Apple and non-Apple devices. This way when Apple doesn't outright sell the device, it at least makes a cut in the license fees AND the all-you-can-eat package fee. At the same time, this drives dependence on iTunes as the delivery mechanism giving it a huge advantage at the bargaining table. This, in turn, removes the anti-competitive/anti-trust legal dilemma because anyone who wants to comply and pay up can join the happy iTunes family. Sure, it's not an open standard, but it could certainly be argued that this would be a fair standard. I know this is the path Microsoft tried with it's ill-fated playsforsure model, but they put the cart before the horse.

We've all heard rumor that iPod sales growth is slowing, and if these rumors are true, why not turn the business model on its head and start making money on the media instead of just the media player?

- Hutch

GOOGLE: The Dark Side Emerges...

2008-03-08T11:44:00.001-08:00

If you've read even a handful of posts here at the Hutch Tech Blog, you know that we love Google. Sadly, that relationship that just yesterday seemed so promising is beginning to sour.

Weird Al's got nothing to worry about.

Thanks, DownloadSquad.

- Hutch

TECH: Twitter for Grandma

2008-03-07T21:42:00.001-08:00

I've been using Twitter for about a month now. I resisted the urge to use it until I could see a practical place for it in my life. For me, it became a tool to allow me to micro-blog those little, fun things I came across and didn't have time to actually write about. Recently I unearthed this video called Twitter in Plain English on commoncraft.com (through, I believe, a mention on 43folders.com). It makes the case for what Twitter can be and how can make use of it in real life.

Enjoy.

- Hutch

Unite Against the Time Bandits

2008-03-01T22:15:00.001-08:00

Below is a presentation from Merlin Mann of 43Folders.com on time and productivity. Boring topic? Maybe. But a knowledgeable, honest, and interesting speaker makes it come alive.

And yes, I'm available for lunch--just look at my girlish hands.

Enjoy.

- Hutch

VIDEO: Violent Video Game Luv

2008-03-01T15:05:00.001-08:00

Okay, it's about two minutes too long, but this little video tribute to Jack Thompson is superb. The first minute or so includes a unique visual history of gaming consoles and systems. Kudos to my teenage son for sending me the link.

Enjoy.

- Hutch

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN VIOLENT IMAGES THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO STRIKE OUT AT SOCIETY, OR JUST LAUGH.

MUSIC: The Golden Days of Digital Music

2008-02-23T11:50:00.001-08:00

Many moons ago Steve Jobs had to spend time explaining to us what an iPod was and why we needed one. I can't even remember my life before the iPod.

Enjoy.

- Hutch

FREE: Free Books. No, Really.

2008-02-23T11:35:00.001-08:00

I know some people just cannot bring themselves to read electronic books. I, personally, do not understand these people. A recent post from the Freakanomics folks in the NYT gave some links to free books from various publishers. While I know that this may not appeal to all our readers, the fact that these companies are exploring the idea tells me we may see a lot more of this in the future.

I know that Amazon is pushing this idea with their Kindle device. Sony has had an ill-fated attempt with their reader as well. Eventually, though, someone will get it right. Once you have the right mix of price, convenience, and portability (along with a LONG lasting battery) we may never need a trade paperback again.

- Hutch

GIFTS: As Remaining Time Decreases Clarity Improves

2007-12-21T07:39:00.001-08:00

Or so I tell myself. Yep, we're getting down to the wire on Christmas shopping (especially if you're going to ship anything) and you're running out of ideas. Well, if you're reading this blog your either a friend, family member, lost, being tortured by a band of rebel militants, or quite possibly just a bit of a geek. So, here's a rundown on some of the more obvious last-minute gifts you might get the less geeky in your life:

1. Flickr Account - That's right, flickr. Everyone's got digital photos these days, even if they're just taking them with their cell phone, and yet people still aren't backing them up. Who has time to burn them all to CD and put them in the safe deposit box anyway? So why not give the gift of easy, online, permanent backup. It's only $25/yr. Now, to be honest, you'll probably want to spend some time finding a nice card and creating a dummy e-mail account you can give to them as part of the package because I don't believe they offer gift certificates. But you'll figure it out. Oh, you might want to use words like "backup" and "posterity" and even "future" in your gift message.

2. Jungle Disk - If you need to save a few more bucks and you're willing to spend the time setting things up for your loved one, why not get them a $20 (lifetime) Jungle Disk download. Yes, they'll have to sign up with Amazon's S3 service (which the Jungle Disk instructions walk you through), and though that part isn't free, it is VERY cheap--say $1/mo or less for GIGS of storage (in fact it's $0.15 per Gig stored and $0.10 per Gig transferred up). They'll thank you later. I'll grant you that it's still not easy to pull stuff down again, but you can't beat the price for the knowledge your stuff is backed up securely. Once again, the key words for your card in the paragraph above still apply.

3. Computer Cleaning Gift Certificate - WARNING!!! You risk two, nay, three things with this gift. First, it's very 6th-grade. I suggest not creating the gift certificate using crayon. Second, you had better have your act together and know what you're doing. We're not talking about tweaking their system, we're talking about cleaning. You know, updating the AV, cleaning out spyware/malware, defragging and disk error checking, and if you're really brave: cleaning the registry. Don't install Firefox without permission, don't change their background or screen resolution, don't move a single icon on the desktop. Just clean. Don't say I didn't warn you. And third, you're really giving the gift of time--you're time. It's gonna take a while to do all this, but if you play your cards right you could end up getting a free meal out the deal. Please, please, please be careful with this one. Sure it's useful, but it can blow up in your face real quick if you're not careful. You have been sufficiently forewarned.

So there you have it, Hutch's guide to last-minute, frugal holiday gifts. Think carefully about your options--we'll all do better next year.

- Hutch

More Free Entertainment

2007-12-17T12:33:00.001-08:00

The holidays tend to be a time when we sit around a bit more, watch some movies and just relax--or at least try to relax. And what better way to relax than with some audio-visual entertainment. You can always watch those free streaming re-runs online that I mentioned in the previous post, but why not enjoy a DVD movie and save some money at the same time? I've always loved the idea of Netflix (though I've never been a subscriber), and while you can save a load on time and late fees, it still costs money. Why not try your local library instead? Sure, they won't deliver to your house (at least not in my area), but many library systems get multiple copies of first run DVDs on the day of their release. They'll also have plenty of classic movies, hard to find stuff, and even those documentaries from PBS you've been meaning to watch (I finally did placate my Ken Burns fixation with the help of my library).

Aside from movies they'll also have plenty of music CDs. Now, I'm not advocating stealing from your library by copying/ripping the CDs, but you could have a great listen and purchase only the tracks you really love online. Speaking of buying music, I am a huge iTunes fan (and if you've got an iPod you pretty much have to be), but you can save yourself a buck or two by double-checking the availability of your favorite tune from Amazon's MP3 store first. Their tracks are DRM free (which means you'll be able to easily move them to other devices in the future), sometimes cheaper, and Amazon provides free software to move your purchased music directly into your iTunes library. What's not to love?

So grab the 'nog, put on your comfy slippers and be entertained--all for gratis.

- Hutch

ENTERTAINMENT: Free TiVo...Kind Of

2007-12-07T10:30:00.001-08:00

Here in the U.S. many things are free: fresh air, water, ummm.... Okay, maybe not so many things are free, however, one thing that is definitely not free are TV listings. Yep, you read that right. If you want to know what's on TV, you gotta pay the piper.

Now I don't blame TiVo or its competition from making money, but the subscription model for time-shifting TV is starting to get me down. There are a lot of free, open-source PC-based products that provide TiVo-esque options, as well as a lot of PCs being sold with media center functions. Heck, you could even dust off the VCR. All that's great, but in the end, all we want is to watch our favorite TV shows when we want to watch them. And many us don't want to take the time to set up such a system.

So here's my solution that should work for you, dear reader, with little or minimal cost. First, if you're willing (and able to get comfortable) watching TV on your computer monitor (or laptop) just do that. Go to hulu.com (NBC and Fox flash-based streaming video of the last 5 episodes of current shows--currently in beta) or any of the big network web sites and watch streaming shows to your heart's content. Yes, there are commercials, but a lot fewer than on broadcast TV. Some networks still only offer clips and not entire shows, but the tide is turning. I suggest using video.tvguide.com as your one-stop-shop to find free, pay, and clip content from TV shows.

Second, if you really want the TV experience, then plug your computer into your television and sound system. If you have a fairly recent model laptop, you probably have this functionality built in. Get your yellow RCA video cable, grab that wireless keyboard and you're ready to surf, channel surf. Your local electronics store will have a wire that'll convert your headphone jack into the familiar white and red RCA jacks for your TV or stereo. If you have a modern flat screen TV, you may be able to simply plug your computer video output directly into the TV. Granted, you might not have either of these free options to connect your desktop PC or laptop to the TV, but you can purchase a connector to go from DVI/VGA out (your computer's video output port) to your TV, which is still cheaper than a year's subscription to TiVo.

I won't go into any more technical detail here (write if you need help), but the point is you can enjoy the time-shifting revolution without that pesky monthly subscription fee, and you may already own all the parts you need.

- Hutch

FUN: Kindergarten was Never This Fun

2007-11-19T15:57:00.001-08:00

If you haven't seen it already, you need to watch the video showing the beta of Crayon Physics Deluxe. There's a link on the site that will let you download the original Crayon Physics for free. Sadly, it's PC only, but man is it cool.

- Hutch

OFF TOPIC: Italian Spiderman

2007-11-17T14:07:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the team at HotAir.com I now feel culturally enriched by the phenom that is Italian Spiderman.

I know, it's not about tech, but it's too good to pass up. Enjoy.

- Hutch

TECH: Zen and the Art of DNS Maintenance

2007-11-17T12:36:00.001-08:00

If you're like most people you probably never think about DNS. Why should you, usually it doesn't cause any problems. And unless your home network is confusing, convoluted, and double-NATed like mine, you just accept the defaults and move on.

But for some reason, Comcast recently made some changes to how their DNS system worked--at least in my area. I don't know if it had to do with packet shaping or preventing P2P file sharing, but it made our systems less responsive and our Internet traffic pause for minutes at a time. Believe me, it's no fun to watch Mrs. Hutch's conniption fits when watching Heroes stream and stutter over the Interweb. It was time to take action.

Finally I stumbled upon OpenDNS.com (or did I hear about them on the TWIT podcast?). I'm not going to go into all the services they provide (including parental control/site blocking), but I will say they resolved my issues and we were back to network TV streaming bliss. Oh, did I mention that you can use them for FREE--as in beer?

Check them out and see if they resolve some of your Internet speed woes. I have no doubt you'll be glad you did.

- Hutch

TECH ANNOYANCES: - CPU Usage, Your Printer, and a Boot to the Head

2007-11-15T14:54:00.001-08:00

I have been fighting the spoolsv.exe service on my work PC for weeks now. Seems it would just start using 50% of my CPU resources (without asking, mind you) on a whim. I have an extremely new HP workstation (try not to drool), so I wouldn't really notice this until I was running queries in Access which would grind to a near halt. So I was left playing the kill-the-service game when I saw that extra CPU usage in my task manager which would then be followed by the restart-the-service game when I needed to print. Evidently you can't print without the print spooler service running. Weird, huh?

Finally after looking through tons of articles which stated (without any direct examples or proof) that I must have a virus/trojan I came upon some info at Annoyances.org (click here for the thread in question).

Evidently my use of Remote Desktop had left some residual print job in the queue of the Microsoft Office Document Image Writer (which I never use) and this was causing the CPU hoggage. Kill the print job and the problem disappears. Way too simple to do--not so easy to find.

Thanks again, web geeks, you have saved me from certain mental collapse once again.

- Hutch

GEEK HUMOR: We've Come A Long Way, Baby.

2007-11-14T07:48:00.001-08:00

Just to prove the good ol' days weren't always better comes this video from CollegeHumor.com.

SEARCH: Everything You Know is Wrong...If You're Using Google.

2007-11-08T10:37:00.001-08:00

Take a look at this entry from Download Squad along with the embedded video to understand why your searches on Google don't always lead where you hope. I don't know if TrueKnowledge.com will live up to expectations, but it sounds amazing.

- Hutch

WIKIS: Net Egalitarianism Cuts Both Ways

2007-08-21T18:19:00.001-07:00

People lie on the Interweb. I know, it's hard to believe.

I can remember when we used to tout the fact that three guys in a coffee shop could create a presence on the web that rivaled Fortune 500 companies. The Internet was our great equalizer in the world of ideas. Little did we know that as we quietly sipped our lattes that the big, bad industrial machine would use this very tool against us. Such is destined to be the legacy of the wiki.

A Wired blog recently reported on how some in government and industry may be using the wisdom of crowds to sabotage what has become a grand experiment in data sharing, specifically, Wikipedia. While some of those contributing to the so-called WikiWatch may see a conspiracy behind every edit, the obvious abuses by some organizations makes one wonder if the open wiki model can survive.

...or could it be that some experts might actually believe they know a bit more than rank amateurs?

- Hutch

LEARNING: An Army of Uno

2007-08-13T22:08:00.001-07:00

As if our military didn't do enough for us already, now they're out to help us learn the basic phrases we'll need the next time we travel/parachute in to some exotic locale. Someone say Azerbaijan? That's right, you can now learn some basic cultural and linguistic information courtesy of the U.S. Army using the Field Support Modules for free. Go to http://fieldsupport.lingnet.org/ and say all that you can say.

- Hutch

MAPS: The Earth, Your Way

2007-07-18T14:22:00.001-07:00

Google continues to amaze, especially when it comes to how we view our planet, or our backyard, or our neighbor's pool. Mapping is becoming a big thing for Google.

I spend a lot of time mapping, plotting, geocoding, etc. everyday and though I use very specific GIS tools for most of my final products, but I still tend to use Google tools a lot. Google Earth is great, and I love the idea of placing 3D objects from Google SketchUp on our virtual planet. However, I am very late (about 1 week in fact) in reporting that our old friend Google Maps has received yet another face-lift with addition of Google Maps Widgets. Thanks to the openness of Google's API, you can create/use various widgets within Google Maps that take care of a variety of tasks, or supply information. My favorites thus far are Elevation Contours, Wikipedia Mapplet, and Circle Filter. I didn't count all of them today, but I'd guess there are at least 100-150 widgets currently available.

So even though Google Earth is sexy, don't forget about the quick and Simple 2D sibling--besides, Google Maps will run on your Grandma's 5-year-old computer.

- Hutch

iPHONE: iWant iAnswers Without All the iHype

2007-06-29T11:53:00.001-07:00

If you want answers to all your "Can the iPhone...?" questions you need to read David Pogue's recent article on the subject. I for one was astounded to learn (and glad I wasn't waiting in line before I found out) that the iPhone cannot serve as a modem for your laptop--at least not yet.

- Hutch

TAXES: Follow the Money

2007-06-18T12:28:00.001-07:00

I don't know where I originally saw this posted (I've looked and looked and can't find the attribution--forgive me), but someone has taken the time to develop a detailed and graphically interesting view of where our tax money actually goes. Now, before any of you wackos out there get all up-in-arms, remember, this chart only applies to those of us who actually PAY taxes (and no, your state sales tax doesn't count). The rest of you freeloading whiners don't need to worry about all this grown-up stuff.

- Hutch

DEATH AND TAXES: www.budgetgraph.com/poster

UPDATE: I finally found my original source - one the blogs from a regional paper (the Tacoma News Tribune) posted it.

TECH: Who'll Start the Rain?

2007-06-15T11:29:00.001-07:00

As the wise Mr. Twain once quipped, we all complain about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Sadly, the ol' scribe may have now been proven wrong. Someone has taken Twain's witicism to heart and is using the weather service to report false storms in the Great Lakes/Midwest area. Evidently the false reports of severe weather are causing a lot of panic--after all, who's really anxious to take a trip to the land of Oz.

On the bright side, the reputation of meteorologists hasn't suffered any--no one has really noticed they're any less accurate than before.

Ain't technology grand? Well, of course it is. The anonymity of the net is a wondrous thing--if you know how to stay anonymous.

- Hutch

See story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here.

MICROSOFT: Dive, Dive, Dive

2007-05-30T08:22:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen the propaganda videos yet, head off to microsoft.com/surface and watch them. On the one hand, a touch-sensitive table/monitor has some appeal (and perhaps a niche audience), however, isn't this just a bigger and less maneuverable version of the iphone's touch screen? I don't know if this will be any more successful than last year's failed Origami project, but it looks interesting initially. Perhaps Uncle Bill figured that if people weren't interested in micro PCs, they might just love massive monitors.

My final thought: In the end, if you can't tip it up and watch a movie on it, who will use it?

- Hutch

SCIENCE: Inconvenient Facts

2007-03-19T20:49:00.001-07:00

Is there such a thing as global warming? Perhaps, but it's not what you think it is. Take a look at some of the stuff Uncle Al forgot to put in his Keynote (READ: PowerPoint for Macs) Presentation from this recent BBC documentary: The Global Warming Swindle.

Watch out for the human-haters, gate keepers of the new religion, roaming about out there, they don't want you to hear this stuff.

Click here for Google Video Search

- Hutch

FRAUD: Journalism, Research and Best-of-Breed E-mails

2007-03-08T11:09:00.001-08:00

I recently read an article from Slate.com regarding their being duped by someone posing as a BMW exec. Was it the Armani suits, expensive lunches, Rolex watches, and (need it be said) BMW that fooled them? No. It was an e-mail address.

The article mentions the ol' adage which states, "On the Internet no one knows you're a dog." While that may be true, evidently journalists have difficulty even knowing how to look up basic corporate information (re-read the portion in your journalism textbook on "fact checking"). That pup can come back to bite you. Sure, they come clean in the article, but I find it more than just a bit satisfying when the high-and-mighty media gets taken in one of these scams. Sorry, it's just the blogger in me. I wonder how many more of these we never hear about?

Enjoy the article here:http://www.slate.com/id/2063114/

- Hutch

P.S. Perhaps the folks at Slate need to start listening to the Security Now podcast on a regular basis.

MEDIA: Who Needs Knives and Spoons?

2007-02-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I've become accustomed to taking my media with me. Now, I haven't yet succumbed to the video iPod yet (that's more my teenage son's style), and when you have a beautiful 17" screen on your MacBook Pro, why not use it? However, that same machine also sucks battery life when you're playing a DVD. Sure, I could copy the files to my hard drive, but who has 4-8 GB handy for every movie they want to take with them?

To the rescue comes MediaFork, an offshoot of the likes of Handbrake for Mac/PC/Linux. It'll rip your legally owned DVDs to various resolutions (and yes, it'll work with your iPod). Thus, you'll save disk space, and power.

Now if I could only get a 200 GB flash RAM drive, I'd be saving battery life all over the place.

- Hutch

A special shout out to our friends at FreeMacWare.com for sharing the love on this one.

LIFE HACKING: Who do you want to be today?

2007-02-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Though not overtly about technology a recent series in the News Tribune poignantly makes the case that identity theft is quite personal. Yes, tech was involved (hence, it makes its way onto the HutchTech blog), but social engineering, the dark-side of life hacking, is really what identity theft tends to be about.

If you're a person with an identity (and I trust most of you are), you owe it to yourself to read Sean Robinson's excellent tale, spun here: A Case of Identity

- Hutch

HUMOR: Vista Upgrade Decision Making Made Easy

2007-02-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I've been torn about upgrading some of my PCs to Vista. Sure, I've played with it on a test box and in a virtual PC, but am I really ready to make the commitment? On the one hand, there's better security; on the other, there's the intrusive, draconian DRM for HD technologies. Now, thanks to the guys at BBSpot you can walk through the decision making process in a few simple (and humorous) steps: Vista Upgrade Flowchart.

- Hutch

HACKING: CHEAP BUT NOT FREE

2007-01-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am what you might call, frugal. Okay, maybe you'd call it stingy, but I just can't bear to part with my money (or my department's money) when I don't have to.

Today at work our HP cp1700 informed us that the yellow ink cartridge had expired. Mind you, it didn't say it was "low", just "expired". Never mind we were printing a black and white text document and didn't need yellow. The printer refused to continue in its duties until we coughed up some coin for its alma mater ("Don't make me call the mother-ship"). Funny thing is the cartridge is still half full.

Now, I had heard the horror stories online about this issue and read about the lawsuits, but I had never experienced the utter frustration that is HP customer satisfaction for myself. Thankfully, my mighty minions of meta (READ: people on the Internet) were able to rescue me from the terrors of pointless purchase peril.

Doing a quick Google search (no, it's not a verb), I came across fixyourownprinter.com and found an answer directly related to my HP model. Simply remove a cover panel, place a piece of plastic between the onboard battery and contact and, viola, you're back in business. No more greedy HP nagging. The ink levels still function. Printouts work just fine. Thank you very much.

HP has had a lot of negative headlines of late. I guess when you're busy trying to cheat one another in board room there's every reason to cheat your customers too. Well, here's to you HP, I beat you at your own game and I'll never buy another one of your printers. Ever.

Oh, hey, have you met my buddy, Samsung...

- Hutch

WEB APPS: Houston, We Have a Vision

2007-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

Apollo. No, we're not talking about the god of Greek mythology, nor the U.S. manned missions to the moon. No, not even the fighter pilot from Battlestar Galactica (both original series and SciFi channel version). No, Apollo is the code name for Adobe's venture into taking Flash and Adobe Reader out of the browser and onto the desktop [see video here]. They're not alone.

I've been anxious to see things like goowy or iscrybe come to fruition as local clients that work seemlessly online and off. I may be connected to the net 99% of the time, but as a laptop user that 1% is still important to me. I can't commit to google calendar if I can't get to it 100% of the time. Now it sounds like ajax developers, java developers, and adobe developers are seeing the opportunity to be everything to everyone, regardless of their online status. Since these development platforms are all mutli-OS compatible, you can develop one app and get it out to everyone at once. And you can make it work locally and on the net, without a browser.

Could these developments be what pushes the OS back into being ONLY an operating system and not a bloated, self-contained software suite? Could Microsoft's LIVE strategy actually work? Stay tuned...

- Hutch

iPHONE: Add Me To The List...

2007-01-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, I will probably be one of those sheeple who charge down to the Apple store the first day the iPhone is available. I've been waiting for a smart phone, and my Razr (though I love it) just doesn't cut it. I've gone the PDA route and found that to be too limiting and slow--besides, the ham hocks I call hands just weren't made to hold a stylus.

After all the waiting and hype I was honestly expecting the iPhone to disappoint. Other than the knowledge that I'm going to have to find an extra $50 in my monthly budget for EDGE connectivity, I was severely impressed with Mr. Jobs announcement. When he said the iPhone was a monumental leap forward, he wasn't kidding. I'll be anxious to see what the other guys do in the intervening months before the iPhone's release. Guess it's time to slow production on those Treos and Qs.

- Hutch

GAMING: Greetings, Dr. Falken. Do You Want To Play a Game?

2006-11-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

I've been reliving some of that cold war, 1980's, Red Dawn angst by watching Jericho on CBS, and I recently screened Wargames for my teenage son (who, quite to my surprise, enjoyed it immensely). So imagine my post-apocalyptic joy when Macworld mentioned a game (PC only for now, but available for the Mac soon) called DEFCON: Everybody Dies. It's the old Global Thermonuclear War game (which I sorely loved on my C64) on steroids. The downloadable demo has both single player and online multiplayer modes. I haven't fired it up yet only because I knew that if I did, this post would have been delayed...significantly.

Just remember, in a game where everybody loses, it can still be fun to try and lose the least.

- Hutch

FUN: Find a Career in Law Enforcement

2006-11-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not a cop, but I play one on TV. In my pre-teen years I remember getting hold of a detective kit. It came with fingerprinting powder, cards and tape, evidence bags, crime scene logs, and a face-kit for building suspect pictures based on witness descriptions. Well now, thanks to the Interweb and a little German ingenuity, you too can play detective and help your witnesses build a suspect sketch. Check out the flash tool at flashface.ctapt.de.

You're supplied with a bevy of eyebrows, facial hair, and noggin shapes that'll make your head spin. So grab your badge and go find that "person of interest" with renewed confidence.

- Hutch

NEWS: This Isn't Your Father's RSS--Or Is It?

2006-10-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

I love my RSS readers (yes, I use more than one), however I despise truncated content. I know that these poor, old web sites need traffic for advertising revenue, but that's what the ads at the bottom of each feed are supposed to help with.

On the other side of the information equation, I get tired of subscribing to e-mail newsletters. I get too many of them. I don't have time to read them. By the time I do read them, they're no longer fresh news. Sadly, I often lie awake at night worrying about what possible nugget of knowledge I've lost when I hit the delete key. Not really.

So what's a news-hungry, RSS-savvy, e-mail-newsletter-hating tech guy like yours truly supposed to do? Well, according to Scott Bourne on a recent episode of MacBreak Weekly, you turn to SimplyHeadlines.com. SimplyHeadlines lets you pick from various pre-screened feeds, or add your own. So, I took the plunge and subscribed to a daily digest of one of my favorite blogs, and here's the result:

Now, you'll notice that SimplyHeadlines doesn't resolve my truncated content problem, but it does give me yet another, quite readable way to have my content all in one place. There are the Web 2.0 mandatory social-networking options--hey, don't you want to know what you're friends are reading? Me neither. And please don't worry, contrary to what SimplyHeadlines believes, I do have friends.

SimplyHeadlines e-mails are readable, pithy, and quite clickable, but we'll see if it fares any better than the other newsletters languishing in my inbox.

- Hutch

MEDIA: TV for Your PC

2006-10-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Granted, if you have a modern desktop computer, a good size monitor and a comfortable viewing area, you've always had a way to watch TV via your PC: hardware add-ons. Media ready PCs and laptops are now even available with built-in tuners and Tivo-esque recording options. However, in the age of iTunes, bit-torrent, and the downloadable movie, where is commercial TV going? The answer is quite simple: online streaming.

I've recently had issues with my Comcast broadband service giving me intermittent connectivity, but even so these online streaming options have been worthwhile. Say, for example, the IR blaster on your PVR decides not to change the channel and record the latest episode of your favorite show? Or maybe you don't have enough money for the generation 3 Tivo, and your PVR won't record two shows at the same time on different channels. Well that knock on your door isn't opportunity, it's the networks looking to retain some advertising revenue.

I am of those people that uses iTunes religiously, but I don't have an iPod with video capability. If I watch something it's going to be on my laptop or the PC connected to my television. I also can't bring myself to pay $2.00 an episode for low quality video (yes, 640 x 480 is low quality), especially of a TV show. Thankfully the networks have risen to the challenge and are attempting to meet the on-demand demand.

Here's the current rundown:

NBC - Only offers the most recent full episodes for 7 of its shows. The site is confusing, poorly designed and doesn't offer a lot of their top content. Quality is okay, but "full screen" mode isn't really full screen. Far too many commercial breaks interrupt the broadcast. This option sure came in handy when my ReplayTV didn't record last week's episode of Heroes, but other than that, I've been very disappointed. Definitely not must see IPTV.

However, NBC does offer some content from its other network holdings: SciFi, USA, Bravo, NBC Sports, iVillage, Brilliant But Cancelled. There are a few full episodes available, with some much better full-screen options than their NBC-only shows. Again, you've got to launch the right video player to get this content, so unless you're willing to hunt and click around, you may not find what you're looking for.

CBS - The CBS Innertube has full episodes of 10 CBS shows (including all 3 CSIs). Some shows have their whole season-to-date available (e.g. Jericho). There's a lot of extra content, but it feels out of date--I found a huge batch of Threshold clips and interviews, but the show was cancelled months ago, after only 5 or 6 episodes if memory serves me. Full screen is definitely full screen and commercial breaks are limited.

ABC - ABC started us down the path to network IPTV last year by offering full episodes of shows the day after they aired. It still has the nicest looking and most user friendly site, but only offers 7 shows for viewing. Those shows that are offered seem to have all this season's episodes available (I don't know how long that will last). Quality is good, but you're limited to "small" and "smaller" viewing windows. Commercials are limited.

FOX - Well, since I'm evidently not running Windows98 SE or later (yes, that's what the error message said) I can't tell you about the quality of the FOX shows. I also can't tell you if the commercials are obnoxious either. I did notice you could watch multiple episodes for 10 of FOX's shows. Interestingly it's hosted on myspace.com--looks like ol' Rupert's getting desperate to make some money on that net property. I can only hope they'll make their site more browser compatible by the time 24 starts up again in January.

CW - I don't watch anything from the see-dub on TV, so I wasn't really worried about their site having any video--good thing, it doesn't seem to have anything but previews, snippits, and flash animation.

A&E - The flash viewer would load, but I couldn't get any content to play in either Firefox or Safari. Looks like I'll be able to get that American Justice fix soon enough, though.

Now, I know there are all kinds of burgeoning IPTV options (Revision3, Democracy, various webTV options from overseas), but until there is a more unified way to get our content, chances are we'll chase down our favorite TV shows via the Interweb. I'm not ready to chuck my cable-box yet, but I can see that day coming--maybe when we all get fiber to the home.

- Hutch

NOSTALGIA/GAMING: Admiration for Aging Emulation

2006-10-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, I was the proud owner of a Commodore64. And while the sound and graphics (especially on my 19" color TV) seemed to blow away the competition, I have to admit that I always suffered from a bit of Apple II envy. Quite frankly the Apple II had the games that appealed to me (Wizardry, Time Traveler, Ultima), and most of these never made it to the C64. Well, envy no longer, VirtualApple.org has all this and more available for free (donations accepted) online.

I heard about this on a recent episode of TWIT, but evidently this thing has been on digg and slashdot for a while too. Sadly, you will have to use IE on Windows to play (this is the reason God created Parallels for your Mac). I plan on spending a rainy day living in the 80's soon. You should too.

- Hutch

SECURITY: FEMA For Your PC

2006-10-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Perhaps my titular comparison is a bit unfair, but it helps make the case. On a recent episode of Security Now, Steve and Leo were discussing the issues related to zero-day exploits--those nasty security bugs that get released into the wild with no notice from the evil-doers and little or no anticipation by Microsoft. And they have little possibility of being patched quickly.

So what's an average user to do? Prayer definitely comes to mind, but remember, when the floodwaters are rising consider the boat and helicopter you're sent to be signs of divine intervention. A group of heroes has risen to the challenge and come to our PC's rescue: ZERT, the Zeroday Emergency Response Team. If you're a super surfer, rely on public wifi for connectivity, or just need to make sure you're safe from the daily onslaught of nefarious ne'r-do-wells that roam the cyber highways, you need to check them out.

Now I've been trying not to be too cocky about such security issues since I've made my switch to the Mac (and according to CNN today I have reason not be), but as the Mac user-base continues to grow I sure hope the guys at ZERT get the Mac bug. Maybe that's not the right term to use.

- Hutch

FREEWARE: App Hungry?

2006-10-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

Whether you're frugal, or (like me) just plain cheap, you need to check out Software for Starving Students at www.SoftwareFor.org. A huge list of amazing open-source, freeware, and donate-ware software is available for download in ISO (for Windows) or DMG (for Macs). You can check out links to the homepages of individual apps if you just like to browse, but if you want it to feel like Christmas has come a bit early, download the whole thing, burn it to a CD, and wrap it up.

- Hutch

PRODUCTIVITY: Busy, Busy, Busy

2006-10-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just saw the article about Scrybe on TechCrunch--you owe it to yourself to take 7 minutes out of your busy schedule and watch the video on the Scrybe homepage right now. I don't know if this will resolve ALL my issues, but this system looks to be quite powerful and resolve some of the problem that many of us face: online/offline availability, powerful task lists, web-based availability with desktop app versatility.

Check it out now and sign up for a beta invite.

- Hutch

FAV5: Serendipitous Findings

2006-08-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, the Internet still manages to surprise me once in a while. Here are five of my accidental discoveries of late:

Gruntmedia.com - Home of the videogrunt and podgrunt podcasts. Don't even know what a podcast is? Watch the first episode of podgrunt. I haven't gotten through all the available material, but from what I've seen so far I'm greatly impressed.
Gotuit.com - Another one of those "catchy" play-on-words sites that hosts media content. But this isn't a free-for-all like YouTube, no here you can watch sports, news, etc., and actually pick a channel to watch. I know IPTV has a long way to go in the next few years, but if you want to see how it might look, check this out.
Goggles - No, I didn't misspell Google. Goggles is a simple flying game you can play using Google maps. Give it a try--I managed to crash my plane on the moon.
YouOS - Thanks to TechThisOut! for the heads-up on YouOS, the web-based operating system. Now, I've played with Goowy and Netvibes, but you might still want to try this one out--it does "feel" less like a news reader and more like you have a web-based desktop.
SpyBlog - If you're a computer, gadget, and security freak like me (and, hey, why wouldn't you be) you'll love SpyBlog. Oh, but let me add this, if you want to feel cozy and safe using your computer, don't bother--reading SpyBlog will keep you up at night.

- Hutch

BLOG: Loving the Sound of Your Own Vox

2006-08-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Posting on blogspot since 2004 has been a great joy, however, there is a new game in town and it may not be a flash-in-the-pan. Vox.com is a new blogging service from Six Apart, the people who brought you Movable Type and TypePad. Blogging front-ends are nothing new (heh, you're soaking in it), but vox has brought together the worlds of easy-blogging, and social networking. Check it out for yourself: hutchtech.vox.com. I'll probably continue to double-post for a while, but eventually a full switch may be in order--something I thought I'd never say.

My only complaints are that I'd like some more themes and that I haven't found an easy way to keep my stats or use my blog-roll for adding my list of links to the site--but hey, vox is still great.

A special thanks to Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur for pointing it out on Inside the Net.

- Hutch

TECH LIVING: Knowledge is Power - Be the DIY Expert on Everything

2006-08-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

I am a long time fan of Stephen Colbert (Stranger's With Candy, anyone), and so when his manic grin graced the cover of Wired Magazine this month, I was more than pleased. Mr. Colbert was supposed to show us how to be an expert on everything. But my joy was short lived as I realized that he was only writing the lead-in article, funny though it was, to a series of short lists about DIY expertise on various topics: optimizing your web site, how to work smarter, how to shoot like Spielberg, etc. While each of these was supposed to have been compiled by a well-known expert in that field, I nearly quit reading in quiet protest. I was promised a helping of Colbert, but was given only miniscule taste. Good thing I kept reading though--the rest of the stuff is actually enjoyable. Maybe even useful. If you don't get the magazine, check out the online version here. Just promise me that when you do become an everything-expert, you won't let it go to your head.

- Hutch

STORAGE: Free Storage at What Cost?

2006-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I love all this free storage we're getting now, but what gives? Is bandwidth the only cost left on the Internet? TechCrunch has a great article [click here] on AOL's new offering (5GB), with links to Streamload (25GB) as well. Don't forget to check out their earlier storage round-up too.

- Hutch

TECHTV: Business Week Magazine Diggs Kevin Rose

2006-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Business Week has an interesting read on the new Silcon Valley rich kids [click here], including TechTV alum Kevin Rose of Digg.com.

- Hutch

FAV5: Podcasts

2006-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

I listen to several Podcasts (and watch a few Video Podcasts/Vidcasts as well). These are a just a few of my favorites: [Note that I've linked the title for each of the podcasts to the iTunes subscription link.]

This Week in Tech - As a huge fan of TechTV and Leo Laporte, how could this one not top my list? Leo and an ever-changing hodge-podge of TechTV alumni and other tech savvy guests discuss, you guessed it, the week in tech. By the way, there are a multitude of excellent podcasts on the twit.tv site, so check it out.
The Daily Giz Wiz - Though it might be an acquired taste (it does actually make its own gravy), I just can't get enough of Leo and Dick DiBartolo (of MAD magazine fame) attempting to review a gizmo while entertaining one another--and us. If only it were the Hourly Giz Wiz.
DL.tv - Digital Life TV is another great podcast featuring another of my favorite TechTV hosts: Patrick Norton (with a little help from his bubbly/demented sidekick Robert Herron). DL.tv is about as close to the old ScreenSavers show as you can find. I list it as a podcast, even though it comes in a multitude of digital video formats (and streams live twice a week), because I listen to the audio-only version during my commute. I find it just as insightful and useful even without the pictures.
Security Now - While this podcast is not for the faint of heart, it is definitely geared toward the tech n00b. If you thought computer security was just for big business and the government you're wrong--and with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte's help you can learn this stuff. Leo does a good job of asking the questions we all would like to ask, and Steve does his level best to use word-pictures to simplify some rather complex security issues. Give it a try.
Cranky Geeks - My admiration (and paltry imitation) of John C. Dvorak seems to know no bounds. If you like his work as much as I do you'll enjoy Cranky Geeks. If, on the other hand, you find him an offensive, opinionated bore you should try it anyway, and then get your head examined. Besides, he's only wrong when he talks politics (the 60's weren't good to John). Cranky Geeks is topical, fast moving, irreverent, and entertaining. How's that for a plug?

There are several more I'd recommend, but five's the limit. Guess there'll have to be an update someday.

- Hutch

FAV5: Stuff Hutch Just Can't Seem to Live Without

2006-08-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share interesting and useful tech stuff (READ: sites, tools, articles, etc.) with my friends and co-workers. E-mail seemed to just get lost in the mix, and wasn't all that appropriate when some of the topics might not be work-related. Blogging was the obvious solution. Even though I've strayed at times from my original format, the intention has remained the same: share interesting and useful tech information with a few thousand close friends.

There are times that a simple list of these serendipitous findings will do just fine. Such are the FAV5 - five of my favorite tech-related links on a particular topic. Look for "FAV5" in the title from time to time for these tasty tech tidbits. Times change, tastes change, technology rolls on and so I am certain that these lists will continually change (and the links will eventually break), but I hope you'll enjoy them.

- Hutch

SECURITY: Airport Starbucks Lead to Terrorism

2006-07-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

My headline may be attention getting, but it is hardly far from the truth. At least according to Bruce Sterling's recent article in this month's Wired Magazine: Barbarians at Gate 8. I don't often agree with Mr. Sterling's politics, but his writing is always enjoyable and thought provoking. While that great promoter of anti-Babel, the Internet, seems to be a Westernizing influence at first glance, it is much more akin to the amoral flame. The same fire that heats your home from the fireplace, can burn it down if not contained.

I don't have any great insight in how to resolve this particular issue (both freedom and liberty can be used against themselves--see Rousseau), but I think this article is worth some pondering.

- Hutch

STORAGE: Drives, Drives Everywhere, But Not a Mac to Sync

2006-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Space. No, not the final frontier, nor an odyssey, space is something we all need. We've got file servers, NAS, thumb drives, firewire/USB externals; you name it, we've tried it. But sometimes you need (or want) that storage to be available anywhere; or perhaps you just want it to be off-site for safe keeping. The web has always had various file storage/file sharing options, but those available today are simpler, more compatible, and often free. Personally, I rely heavily on iDisk. Sadly, it costs me money. The upside to iDisk (for the Mac user) is that it not only is online storage/backup, it also syncs my calendars, bookmarks, address book, etc. Fine, if you have more than one Mac. But all most of us really need is a file backup/storage solution. While we all wait for Google to release its upcoming G-Drive, what are the options?

Here are just a few of the one's I've looked at (if you want more, check out the TechCrunch blog):

- FolderShare - While technically NOT an online web storage solution, it is an option if you have several computers you want to have synchronized folders. Why not use MS Briefcase or Synchronized Files and Folders, you say? Have you tried them? I used to rely on them back in the day, and they worked 99.999% of the time, but that once-in-a-while oops can really burn you. Besides, they only work great on computers using the same network. If you just want to sync folders on one or more computers, and have access to these shared folders via the net, give FolderShare a look-see. While it is now owned by Microsoft, it is both PC and Mac compatible.

- Box.net - While some of the features aren't yet Mac compatible, Box.net is just what its name describes: a box on the internet for your stuff. It has drag-n-drop capability and 1 GB is free.

- OmniDrive - Still in beta, OmniDrive will be for both PCs and Macs and allow you map a drive, sync it, etc. It wasn't clear from my skim of the site if 1 GB will be free.

Sync up and enjoy.

- Hutch

GOOGLE: Release Your Inner Draftsman

2006-06-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

I loved architecture and engineering in High School. I wasn't great at it, but I enjoyed it. It probably didn't hurt that our teacher, Mr. Woods, was a fantastic and passionate educator. It just so happens that I was learning about drafting right as the transition from pen-and-paper to CAD was taking place, so I saw the best of both worlds. Now Google is allowing me to re-live those salad days and design things that actually look nice with yet another free tool: Sketch-up (http://sketchup.google.com). You've really got to watch some of the demo videos to appreciate how awesome this tool is. Not only can you create three-dimensional objects, you can place them in other spaces, say, Google Earth.

While some of Google's recent beta launches have been met with skepticism, perhaps deservedly so, sketch-up may just help Google regain its reputation for giving away really cool tools.

- Hutch

MEDIA: The End is Nearer than You Think...

2006-05-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't heard, Media (whatever that might mean) is dead. Well, okay, it's barely breathing. Well, perhaps its actually just morphing. Either way, you need to watch the three (free) episodes of "The End of..." which recently aired on CBC (yes, from our friends north of the border), and which are now available for download at www.cbc.ca/theend. The three episodes cover the end of TV, Radio, and Print Media. While your TV is probably the least likely to "die", the fact that you'll have to watch these on your computer (and that they're even available outside of YouTube) should tell you something.

- Hutch

VOIP: The Best Reason Yet to Call a Canadian

2006-05-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Canadians...they dwell among us, camouflaged by nature's gift of a similar language and culture. Okay, so maybe William Shatner isn't exactly a threat to national security, but with all the talk of illegal immigration these days it only makes sense to keep those Canuks safely ensconced north of the border. And now, thanks to Skype, you can keep those mayonnaise loving mounties where they belong AND talk to them without all those outrageous phone bills.

From now until the end of 2006, you can call any U.S. or Canadian land-line telephone via Skype (using Skype OUT) for FREE. I've played with Skype (and Gizmo, GTalk, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger) before, and while voice chat is nice if you have geeky friends who also have the know-how to set up PC-based VOIP it actually works pretty well. But chances are that Grandma and Grandpa (or even Mom and Dad) aren't going to mess with it--they already have a phone. Well, feel free to release your inner-geek and call them from your laptop at the coffee shop this year.

Granted, you're not going to be getting any incoming calls from them without laying out some cash, but free is still free, whether you're using dollars or...whatever that funny-money up there is called.

- Hutch

FREE STUFF: PC World Delivers the Latest Free Lunch

2006-04-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Because of my recent job change, I'm back to splitting time between my PC and Mac (something that Apple's new Boot Camp will soon let me do on just one machine). So I've been slowly re-acclimating myself to the PC and was elated to get the latest edition of PC World's 101 Fabulous Freebies. I've already been able to ditch the over-bloated Adobe Reader and begin using FoxIt Reader for PDFs. As I spot other gems in the list, I'll be sure to let you know. You can do the same in the comments section.

- Hutch

PERSONAL: For Those Who Worried about the Hutchster

2006-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Fear not loyal HutchTech readers, I have not disappeared into blogosphere oblivion. While I know all of us have the same 24 hours a day, I will lay out my excuses (briefly) for not keeping up-to-date, and my plans for the future here.

First, the excuses: I started a new job with a local Sheriff's department as a crime analyst. CSI it's not, though I do have two 23" monitors. While my official duties are not support related, the job is indeed tech-heavy and there are ample opportunities to provide tech support to the detectives and patrol officers around me. The job is challenging, rewarding, and I have an amazing boss and fellow analyst to work with. Needless to say, learning my new role has kept me more than busy.

Now for the future: I have been promising a podcast forever. I still plan on delivering on this promise--just not in the near future. I'll be updating the blog 3-4 times a week, and I do plan on giving it a general facelift (for those who read this at hutchtech.blogspot.com)--not much I can do with the TechRepublic version, though it's not bad to begin with.

Anyway, thanks for your patience. I hope to reward it soon.

- Hutch

SEARCH: Will Windows Live Search Kill Google?

2006-03-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

Probably not. However, you do owe yourself a look-see at search.live.com, the latest attempt by Microsoft to wrest control of the universe from Google.

The first thing you'll notice is the sparseness of the interface and the lack of Microsoft blue. Once you complete a search, google-ad-sense-esque ads appear on the right hand side of your screen. I noticed that they even change as you scroll through your results. At the same time, you'll note that you can use a slider to increase or decrease the amount of detail each result displays (ala most RSS readers). I especially liked the more fluid scroll bar--the further down I pushed the slider, the faster my results zipped by.

All cosmetic niceties aside, what remains to be seen is the validity and usefulness of the results. It'll take a lot to get most of us to abandon our Google lifestyle, but this live.com thing is starting to make some headway.

- Hutch

MICROSOFT: Uncle Bill Makes Yet Another Power Grab

2006-02-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

I'd heard about this issue several months back, but dismissed it as an Intel chipset problem, but lo' and behold Uncle Bill's legion of driver-smiths have struck again (did anyone else suffer those intolerable USB-reboot issues back in the Win98/2K days?). Evidently an MS driver component keeps your laptop system (particularly Intel Core-Duo models) from properly sleeping if certain USB devices are attached at the time. This, naturally, leads to your battery draining more quickly than it should--and you thought memory leaks were bad.

Anyway, read the deftly crafted tome at cNET by clicking here.

- Hutch

MAC/SECURITY: The End Is Near? A LEAP of Faith...

2006-02-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

So maybe it's not really a virus, and maybe you'd have to be daft to open an unsolicited iChat attachment, and maybe OS X forces you to enter your admin password every time you install something, and maybe this is an issue for all 'NIX based systems (UNIX, BSD, LINUX, etc.), and maybe it's been all over the tech news. But all these maybes add up to one thing in the mind of non-techie user community: Macs get viruses too.

This isn't the digital Pearl Harbor I've been anticipating, but it's making me think hard about putting ClamXAV back on my precious iBook. You can read the sordid tale at The Register by clicking here.

- Hutch

SECURITY:Security Begins at Home

2006-02-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

Whether you've cut up your credit cards, clipped your cable, or even joined a cloister at the local Luddite monastary, I.D. theft and cyber-security are still going to impact your life. Take a look at the latest help from cNET: The Personal Security Dashboard. Even a casual glance at this on a regular basis will give you a leg-up on the bad guys. So dust off that password and head down to the local library for a gander.

- Hutch