Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock
Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock

There has been a lot of chatter all over the web regarding Apple’s expected announcement of the iSlate tablet device on or around January 26, 2010.

There are a lot of people with a lot of ideas about what the iSlate tablet is, what product niche it is designed to fill in Apple’s product line, what its features will be, and how much it will cost. While no one knows the specifics yet, I believe a lot of the rumors are slightly off-base.

Everyone is wrapped up in what Apple has ordered from suppliers, what the iPhone can do, Apple’s supposed need to compete with netbooks, and pure desire for something new from Steve Jobs.

Many of the people turning the crank on the rumor machine are fogetting some of the known Apple quantities:

1. Steve Jobs doesn’t chase market niches – he redefines them
2. Steve jobs has publicly stated that netbooks are substandard hardware
3. Apple risks cheapening its brand by selling a sub-$1000 computing device
4. This is a lifestyle device – people will not buy it because the need it. People will need it because they want it

Rather than getting all caught up in the expected specifications, whether or not it has an OLED screen, or attempting to decode vague requests to iPhone application developers for more high-resolution apps, I am going to make three general Thorstradamus predictions:

1. There is a distinct possibility that the late January announcement is about an improvement in the iPhone. I peg this at a 60% chance. Apple is about the software & apps, and they’re just not there yet.
2. If the announcement is about an Apple tablet, it will cost more than $1200. It may be re-released later at a lower cost as Apple did with the iPhone
3. I do not think Apple will launch a device designed to compete with $400 netbooks EVER

What do you think? Post a comment below to go on the record. Let’s see who is right on this one!

I saw this USB power outlet online and I honestly will be installing a couple of these in my home office!

These are standard 110-volt outlets with two additional USB ports built right in. This would allow me to charge my iPhone, video camera, and the host of other USB devices I use in one convenient place!

They are a little pricey for outlets at $10 each, but cool nevertheless!

Microsoft is releasing six new updates today that will impact all Windows users in some way.

The updates, scheduled to be automatically downloaded and installed tonight on most Windows systems, patch severe security issues in Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, and Microsoft Office. Because of the Internet Explorer 7 component, just about every Windows System made after 2001 will be impacted.

This set of updates will address a critical security flaw that could allow users to take control of your computer, so it is important you get these installed.

If your computer is having trouble installing updates for any reason, contact us in Lincoln or Omaha, or seek the assistance of a technician who can get them installed before your computer is infected.

Beginning over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend and continuing until recently, a report by security company named Prevx published a blog post stating tat a coming Windows Update will render millions of Windows 7 PCs inoperable suffering from a “Black Screen of Death.”

Today, ZDNet has published an article explaining the details and the time line of events that lead to industry giants like PC World Magazine picking up the story as fact.

After further investigation and a near heart attack at Microsoft, Prevx recanted the story and claimed they were not responsible for the damage that was caused to Microsoft by its initial report. Their statement reads:

Regrettably, it is clear that our original blog post has been taken out of context and may have caused an inconvenience for Microsoft.

According to ZDNet, it looks like Prevx’s initial report was titled with the headline, “Black Screen woes could affect millions on Windows 7, Vista and XP.”

Major Tech Publications Punked

Computer World and PC World Magazine noticed the headline and without waiting for any corroboration or comment from Microsoft, ran with the headline “Latest Microsoft patches cause black screen of death.”

The fact of the matter is that after investigation, there is no problem and this is a prime example of how the Internet echo chamber can lead to an inflated story – especially when there is competition to break the story first online where seconds matter to search engines.

No Takebacks, No Way

The most shameful thing of all is that PC World and PC Magazine both refuse to change the old headlines that they now know to be wrong. That means they will be present in search engines for years to come, continuing to mislead and misinform the poor Windows 7 user with a VGA cable that fell out.

Have you ever wondered if your computer is giving you the actual speed and quickness that was advertised when you originally bought it?

In modern computers the advertised speed should really be considered the “up to” speed because few if any of the computers in the marketplace are actually giving you the advertised speed ratings – especially when they are being stressed with a difficult or time consuming task

What is PC Component Throttling?

It’s pretty easy to make PC component throttling sound more sinister than it is. The bottom line is that your computer is engineered to protect its self.

Its pretty much common knowledge that many PC BIOS chips today will adjust fan speed to match the heat being generated by the processor. This keeps the CPU cool under stress and prevents it from burning itself up.

The idea behind the technology (called SpeedStep in Intel based systems and Cool and Quiet in AMD based systems) is that to reduce the speed of the components in the computer to reduce heat when the fans are working at 100% and you are doing a really intense task like rendering video, playing a high-end game, or editing 50 high-resolution images in Photoshop at one time like my wife does.

If your computer is cooling at its maximum and that’s not enough, it will drop the speed until the temperature falls back to normal levels.

Why You Want / Don’t Want It

Views on PC Component throttling generally fall into two camps – high-performance junkies hate it because if it gets too hot they will just install more / better fans.

Average Joe users love it because there is literally no risk or burning up a processor or a motherboard because the computer was working too hard.

Throttling comes in extremely handy when dealing with notebook computers. Notebook computers throttle performance for heat management like desktops, but also for power consumption.

Have you ever noticed that more of your CD burns fail when you are on battery? Have you noticed that the speed of your computer drops by about 15% when you yank out that AC adapter? These are al measures to save battery power.

How to Throttle Your Computer to Maximum Speed

If you are a performance junkie and you want to punch your computer’s potential speed through the roof it’s pretty easy to do.

** WARNING **

These instructions involve editing your BIOS settings. The layout and available options contained within your BIOS< as well as the method of entering the BIOS will differ depending on the brand of computer you are using. Please don’t change these settings on a notebook or laptop computer, and only change them on a desktop PC if you are confident you have proper cooling. Failure to adhere to these warnings could result in permanent component damage to your system.

1. To boost your computer’s speed, enter into the BIOS. This is typically accomplished by pressing F2, F10, or the DEL key on your keyboard as the computer is booting.
2. Next locate the SteedStep or Cool and Quiet options in the BIOS (Typically under power management)
3. Turn off Cool and Quiet (AMD processors) or SpeedStep (Intel Processors)
4. If your board supports this, set your maximum CPU temperature to no more than 125 degrees. Anything hotter than this will almost certainly damage your processor. This acts like a partial safeguard against component damage.

William Safire’s recent death has stirred an interest in the speeches he wrote over his many years in public service.

However it is rare to read the draft of a speech that was never delivered – let alone a speech that was to be delivered in the event of an unspeakable tragedy that could have actually happened.

Below is a transcript of the William Safire speech written for President Richard Nixon to deliver to the nation in the event the Apollo 11 astronauts became stranded on the moon.

To: H. R. Halderman
From: Bill Safire
July 18, 1969

IN THE EVENT OF MOON DISASTER:

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men are laying down their lives in mankind’s most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in their constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT

The President should telephone each of the widows-to-be.

AFTER THE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT, AT THE POINT WHEN NASA ENDS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THESE MEN:

A clergyman should adopt the same procedure as a burial at sea, commending their souls to the “deepest of the deep,” concluding with the Lord’s Prayer.

Thank God that speech was never needed.

Today, computers are incomplete without their peripherals. These peripheral devices have greatly enhanced the ability of computers and have helped us achieve a lot more. Several new devices have been created that are not only improving the quality of computing, but are also allowing us to phone friends, play games, watch movies, click photographs and much more.

One device that stands out among all these devices and continues to be used most extensively is a computer printer. A lot of businesses and their processes are completely dependent upon printing devices for providing service to their clients. Another big user of printing devices apart from various businesses is the student community.

This important peripheral device can also be a cause of lot of frustration when it gets stuck or generates errors at a crucial time. While most of the large businesses can afford to immediately summon printer experts to resolve the problem, the smaller businesses and common users have to attempt to troubleshoot the printer problems themselves.

DLL errors are also one of the causes of a few PC printer problems. These printer DLL errors are usually a result of obsolete printer drivers. In other cases a newly installed application may also cause interference in the working of DLL files related to printers and prevent the printer from functioning properly. This is evident in case of the hpslpsvc32.dll file which exhibits very high CPU usage if there is problem in driver related to Hewlett Packard All-In-One Series printer.

Other similar errors are hpzimc09.dll error related to the DeskJet printers of Hewlett Packard and zsr.dll which is associated with the 1020 series of LaserJet printers from Hewlett Packard.

Fixing Printer DLL Errors:

You need to perform the following steps in order to fix hpslpsvc32.dll and svchost.exe and other printer DLL errors.

1.

Start with getting rid of existing printer drivers. You may need to uninstall them either by using Add/Remove program utility present in the Control Panel or by using the Device Manager tool.
2.

Delete all files from the directory named Spool Driver. The path of this directory is C:\Windows\system32\spool\drivers.
3.

Next, delete all files with the extension .spl and .shd from the Printers directory. The path of this directory is C:\Windows\system32\spool\printers.
4.

Delete all files from the Windows Temp folder.
5.

Open the built-in Registry Editor (RegEdit) which is provided by your operating system and go to HKLM\SYSTEM\Current Control Set\Control\Print\Printers. However, you must be very careful during this process and take a complete backup of your registry before you begin editing it. You need to remove all entries associated with your printer. If you are unsure, then it is recommended that you use a good third party automatic registry cleaner to scan the errors related to your printer and repair them.
6.

Next step is to rule out any malware infection by performing a thorough scan with a reliable anti-virus and anti-spyware.
7.

Find all the icons related to your printer and its configurations, and remove them from your PC.
8.

Reboot your computer.
9.

Now you can install the new printer drivers. The new drivers must be of latest version and should be downloaded from the official website of the printer’s manufacturer. If you find it cumbersome you can take assistance of a reliable driver scanner tool which will automatically do this job for you.

For the past few years Apple has had a heyday with ads proclaiming that Macs are inherently free of viruses and spyware because of the superior software they employ.

And for the past three years on my radio show I have said that the reason Mac users don’t get many viruses is because not many people were using Mac.

After Vista’s shortcomings gave Apple an opening to sell a LOT of Macs and their marketshare broke 10% of users in the US.

With more and more people using Macs, attackers are now realizing that Mac users are a very undeserved population. Many don’t run any security software at all because they believe they are impervious to attack.

Do Mac Users Need Security Software?

In short, if you plan on doing anything important with your Mac, you need security software. If you are using a Mac to play games for your 4 year old, then you can probably go without.

Before you pack your student up for college and send that Mac off to class, here is a list of security software providers who have products you can use to protect yourself and your identity.

Remember the gold old days when you could get a free computer as long as you agreed to pay a monthly dial-up provider like AOL $30 a month for slow, overpriced Internet access?

Well grab your credit cards and put on your bifocals! The deal has returned courtesy of Best Buy and Sprint, but this time the screen is a bit smaller.

ZDNet is reporting that the two companies are partnering to offer a Compaq-branded HP Mini 110c netbook for only 99 cents when you sign a two-year 3G Internet contract.

These free computer offers are REALLY tempting because consumers in a recession-battered economy get what they want right now – a new computer – by signing a promise to give more money later.

Breaking Down the Numbers

Under this deal, you get the $389 retail value netbook for only $.99. The contract costs about $60 a month, so if you multiply that by 24 months, you would find that the contract will cost you $1,441 over its two year term.

Obviously the Sprint 3G connection is portable, so you are paying a price premium on your Internet connection to be able to take it with you anywhere you go. Additionally, there are limits to how much Internet connectivity you can use before additional charges get lumped in.

For the sake of comparison, the cost for you to buy this netbook and use it on a budget cable modem or DSL connection would be much, much less expensive.

Try $20 a month for the DSL Internet connection and $389 for the netbook. The total cost over 2 years is only $869 – a savings of $572 over two years (nearly $24 a month).

I have been playing around with a solid state hard drive for the past few weeks to get a better understanding of how they improve my notebook’s performance under different operating systems.

While I certainly don’t look like Goldilocks, my solid state drive experience was a lot like the classic children’s fairytale.

Windows XP on a solid state drive was fast, but at times too fast. With XP, my notebook booted so fast that I could log in, and open Firefox just to have it fail because the system had not negotiated an IP address yet.

Windows Vista was not much faster than a traditional hard drive. I got a serious case of heartburn thinking I had just spent $450 on a 120 GB solid state drive when a $60 drive would have done the same job.

Then there was Windows 7. It booted in seconds. Response times were amazing. Windows 7 was JUUUUST RIIIIIGHT!

Why is Windows 7 So Fast on a Solid State Drive?

Flash drives became fashionable when Windows XP as around, but only as a backup medium or for temporary storage.

Nine years later, a bundle of super speedy flash drives can be teamed up to create an entire hard drive with no moving parts. Lower failure rates, faster access times and no defragging.

It sounds like a match made in heaven, except that XP and Vista were hard-coded to treat all drives like they spin.

That means that unnecessary operations happen all the time on a solid state drive that tie up valuable resources and sap the power of this expensive performance booster.

That is, all operating systems except Windows 7. Windows 7 is the first Microsoft operating system that was specifically designed to detect if it is operating on a solid state drive or a rotating disk drive.

Windows 7’s secret is a technology Microsoft calls TRIM. TRIM allows Windows 7 to detect

* Enhancing device wear leveling by eliminating merge operation for all deleted data blocks
* Making early garbage collection possible for fast write
* Keeping device’s unused storage area as much as possible; more room for device wear leveling.