Computers Without Tears (computer tips, advice and help)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Computers Without Tears, by Volcano Seven

WEB ADDRESS: http://computerswithouttears.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: I have worked with computers for 20 years, starting out with the Macintoshes when all they had were the tiny 4 inch screens and a floppy disc drive to run applications, and now have a Sony Vaio laptop running XP, and a Dell Dimension 4600 running XP. I give advice to a guy with a Dell Inspiron running Vista, and an aunt with a Lenovo running Vista and a Macintosh.

In this blog I'll give tips on how to work with various computer applications, such as Word and Excel, Windows Moviemaker, Freecorder, and so on, as well as how to work with your control panel, your add and remove programs, your anti-virus software, and so on. (I also give advice on how to use the Kindle.)

MY REVIEW: This blog is aimed at the newbie, from youngsters who are getting new computers, think they know everything without reading manuals, and screw everything up, to the older generations who are hesitant to touch the mouse for fear they'll erase their hard drive.

If you need help with your computer - if only to find out what you don't know - give this blog a try.

Posts are made every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Sample post:

If you're reading this blog, chances are you've already got your computer up and running, and are only now facing problems - either with the applications on the computer like Word and Excel, or in your journeys around the World Wide Web.

But I'm a chronologist and I'm going to start at the very beginning.

These days, computers are very easy to set up. All the cords come with color-coordinated tips. You just match the appropriate color at the back of the computer tower. These days, for PCs anyway, it seems like everything plugs in at the back of the tower.

Run out of USB ports? You used to be able to buy keyboards that had a USB port in which to plug in your mouse. Now you can purchase "hubs". You stick one end into the USB port on your computer, and you now have five or six more USB receptacles. (The same as all the plug ins on an extension cord.) Depending on what you're using your computer for you might not need all those receptacles, but it's nice to have if you play games, have flash drives, external hard drives or DVD drivers, and so on.




However, that's for the future. Right now I want to talk about your cords. Depending on how old your computer is -and some people have computers that are pretty old and yet work just fine for their purposes, you might not even have USB ports - those are a "relatively" new thing.

If you look at the cord for your keyboard, for example - if you have a PC - chances are the tip of it, color coded purple, is not a USB port (a very small, rectangular plug in) but rather a small, circular plug in. That's the way all peripherals used to plug in to the computer.

There are so many cords - your power cord from the monitor, your power cord from the tower, the power cord from the speakers, and power cord from the printer (if you have one) that you will want to plug them all into a surge protecter.

And nothing is more annoying than bending down into the cubbyhole of your desk, peerig at the surge protector hidden behind the desk, trying to figure out which power cord goes to which piece of equipment.

The solution? Take some white out, or other non-corrosive marking tool, perhaps different colored types of tape. Place a bit of tape at the top of the cord, so you know what color you're looking for, and a piece of color halfway down the cord or at the bottom, to aid you in tracking down the right power cord.

Also, try to keep your cords with a straight shot to the plug in, rather than having them tangled together. Twist ties help with this.

You may need to identify your cords only once a year...but when it comes time to do it, it will sure make things easier if you have them marked appropriately.

RECENT POSTS:
--Mark All Your Cords
--I Tell The Computer WHat to Do
--Manifesto

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

Musings of Wired Pig (technology, law and order - misc)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Musings of Wired Pig, by Wired Pig

WEB ADDRESS: http://blog.wiredpig.us/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The personal and eclectic blog of Wired Pig, a retired cop and technophile residing in the Pacific North West.

MY REVIEW: An interesting blog. No real theme...the author is a retired police officer but he doesn't really discuss law and order. Most of his stuff seems to be about computer technology.

The caveat is that there's lots of videos, and links, so give it a try with your two-week free subscription, to see if its something that interests you.
Sample post

BEAVERTON, Ore. — The City of Beaverton has expanded the scope of a celebration that started out as a party for Mexico’s Independence Day.

The city on Friday announced they were broadening the festival to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month for the “Year of the Bicentennial” in the Americas as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico all marking 200 years of independence over the month.

It was scheduled for September 16 at 6 p.m. at Beaverton’s City Park.

Earlier this week, controversy erupted when radio commentator Lars Larson interviewed Beaverton City Commissioner Betty Bode to ask why the city was officially celebrating Mexican Independence Day, but had no official celebration for American Independence Day.

According to the U.S. Census, Beaverton is the most diverse city in the state. Twenty percent is “non-white,” 16 percent is classified as Hispanic. Larson argued that fact did not necessarily mean of Mexican descent.

A request for the event was taken from the Mexican consulate, Bode said. Bode said the aim of the celebration was to allow people of Mexican heritage into closer ties with the community at large.

Beaverton’s Mayor Denny Doyle was set to speak at the event, along with performances by a Mexican folk ballet, maricachi bands and food. The cost to put on the event was $6,000 The festival is free to attend.

But critics call it ridiculous, when the city doesn’t even have a taxpayer-funded Fourth of July Celebration.

RECENT POSTS:
--Talk like a pirate day
--Variations on a photo
--iOS 4.1 Jailbereak Inevitable - Update
--Flap Over Beaverton Mexican Celebration

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Check out the following blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
Rush Limbaugh Report

All Things Digital (industry specific)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: All Things Digitial, by Dow Jones

WEB ADDRESS: http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: All Things Digital is a blog devoted to news, analysis and opinion on technology, the Internet and media. Sassy, but also well sourced and accurate, All Things Digital offers lots of opinion and analysis, with plenty of fact as well.

MY REVIEW: This blog receives articles multiple times a day, from the authors: John Paczkowski, Katherine Boehret, Peter Kafka, and Walter Mossberg.

Anyone who is a "techhead" or is interested in investing in such businesses will find this blog of interest.

Sample post:

Can’t Wait for Google Music! (But We Can’t Say That Out Loud)
by Peter Kafka
Posted on August 5, 2010 at 6:32 AM PT

SharePrint Warner Music Group (WMG) saw revenues drop last quarter, while losses increased. Meanwhile its digital business, which is supposed to be its growth engine, bumped up only 2 percent.

Warner has the same problem that the rest of the business has: For now, digital music is pretty much owned by Apple’s (AAPL) iTunes, and that business has been flattening out for some time, at least in the U.S.

What’s going to change that? Google (GOOG), says CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. More specifically, Google getting into the mobile music business, where the market is still open.

Bronfman, speaking to analysts during Warner’s earnings call this morning, chose his words carefully: “Google has yet to make any announcements about its music plans, and I certainly don’t want to preempt those.” And for the record, I don’t believe Google has a deal yet with Warner or any other big music label yet.

But Bronfman and the rest of the industry certainly expect Google to get into music — most likely some kind of download store tethered to Android, perhaps coupled with some kind of cloud-based “locker” service. And the hope is that when Google does that, it will accomplish two things:

Provide the industry with a new revenue source and
Even more important, provide competition for Apple, and give the industry real bargaining power when it comes to setting terms with Steve Jobs.
It might even happen! Then again, it might not — the industry had similar hopes for Amazon (AMZN) when it got into digital music a couple of years ago. But while Jeff Bezos clawed a few share points, the market hasn’t fundamentally changed.

RECENT POSTS:
--Warner Music: We Can’t Wait for Google Music! (But We Can’t Say That Out Loud)
--Time to Go: Time Warner Set to Swap Out Magazine Boss Ann Moore
--Murdoch: We’re Not Giving Up on MySpace Yet

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Check out these blogs:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

The Lansey Brothers (science and technology

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Lansey Brothers, by Eli, Jonathan/Yoni and Aryeh Lansey

WEB ADDRESS: http://lanseybrothers.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Lansey Brothers' Blog is a joint project between the Three Lansey Brothers: Eli, Yoni and Aryeh (in age [not height] order).
Three posts per week. One brother per post. Results not guaranteed.

MY REVIEW: If you're a blogger who wants people to pay - albeit a small sum - to subscribe to your blog, it would make sense to tell people what your blog is about! It looks like all three Lansey brothers are all physicists or techno-nerds, rather like the guys in the Big Bang Theory, so a lot of their posts are techno related.

Another problem with the blog - at least as it exists now, is that the authors don't each post once a week as they promised. It seems rather that one brother or the other posts once a week, so they average five posts a month, if that.

So, if you're interested in the stuff they do, you might find this blog of interest. But otherwise...not!

RECENT POSTS:
--Happy Pi Approximation Day
--Self Bow
--All night at BNL
--Flying High
--Electronic billboards run Windows
--Lightning
--Sign of the Recession

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Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Google Geo Developers (computers, industry specific)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Google Geo Developers, by Google

WEB ADDRESS: http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: News and notes from the Geo Developers team.

MY REVIEW: If you're a Google mapper, or are interested in how Google mapping works, you'll be interested in this blog. I admit it was over my head. There are a few caveats. It's only updated once a week or so, and occasionally there are a lot of links in the text, and its a hassle to access them, whereas if you read the blog on the web, it's easy.

Nevertheless, check it out.

Sample post:

Announcing the Google Qualified JavaScript Maps API V3 Developer program
Friday, June 25, 2010

Last year, we launched the Google Qualified JS Maps Developer Program. This qualification, and your inclusion in the directory, will help interested parties contract with you for their geo development projects. Hot on the heels of the Maps API V3 graduation we are now announcing an update to the program which now includes JS Maps API V3 Developer Qualification. What does this entail, exactly?

The Google Qualified Developer program uses a version release and points threshold strategy rather than setting an absolute term on earned qualifications. Instead of picking an arbitrary duration such as one year, developers have the opportunity to continuously earn points towards their qualification by resubmitting assignments and assisting with exam updates and testing.

Current JS Maps API developers earned a minimum of 3000 out of a possible 5000 points in order to become qualified. To earn these points, they submitted practical evidence of their programming capabilities by writing applications, demonstrated their commitment to the developer community, supplied professional references, and passed the JS Maps API Exam.

Now that JS Maps V3 has been released, the developers who did not participate in early testing have been notified of potential points expiration. Developers will have 30 days to take the new V3 exam, and submit new applications using the V3 API. To read more about the program, take a look at our site. We look forward to expanding our API support and growing the Developer Qualification program. Please reach out to us with questions and feedback at devqual-proctors@google.com.

RECENT POSTS:
--Summer Reading Fun
--Big Birthday... Google Maps API Turns 5!
--Announcing the Google Qualified JavaScript Maps API V3 Developer program
--Geo at Google I/O 2010

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Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Windows Live Writer - auf Deutsche edition

REVIEWED BY: Ms Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: No

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Windows Live Writer Blog (German Edition) , by Stephan Walcher

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.live-writer.de/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Ein Blog zum belieben Offlineblogger Tool von Microsoft, dem Windows Live Writer

MY REVIEW: There are 42 blogs, written in German, on Kindle to date. I'm starting with this one, although it has been inactive since March 2010, just for the sake of completion.

For anyone wishing to learn German, these blogs make interesting reading, and of course for native German speakers...these blogs are for you!

RECENT POSTS:
--Live Essentials 2010 nicht für XP?
--Posterous-Dienst nutzen dank writerous-Plugin
--Import and Export Wizard Plugin
--RSSCloud Notify Plugin

Excel Enthusiasts (computers, math, hobbies)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Excel Enthusiasts, by Robert DeLaMartre, M.Ed, AU, AIS, MOS

WEB ADDRESS: http://excelenthusiasts.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A weekly blog on all things that are cool in Excel. Material ranges from topics for neophytes to advanced subjects for experts.

MY REVIEW: An excellent blog for those who are familiar with Excel and want to learn all its features. Not so good for the very beginner! Updated on a weekly basis. For Excel enthusiasts (that's a powerful spreadsheet program, for those out there who don't know) this is a great blog.

RECENT POSTS:
--You are the Excel Guru!
--I am Here for You
--Good Databases (Part 2)

Dave Morin Blog (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Good blog, but not suitable for a Kindle

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Dave Morin Blog

WEB ADDRESS: http://davemorin.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Dave Morin Blog. A place about technology, entertainment, and design. And, sometimes skiing and photography.

MY REVIEW: This is an interesting technology blog that is big on photos, video links, and other blog links -- which is great for someone surfing the web, but if you are looking for a great blog to subscribe to on a Kindle, this is not it.

That said, this is a very engaging site. Given that as I am reviewing this the i-pad is preparing for launch, you can only imagine the posts and attention it is receiving (and rightfully so for this audience).

The topics vary wildy, which is one thing that caught my attention. Besides the i-pad, there are random posts about snow in Rome, a new coffee bar in Williamsburg, Ten rules for writing fiction, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) and what Bill Gates has to say. There are posts about the Olympics, tele-porting energy, well you get the picture.

The blog is interesting and well done. He posts erratically - sometimes every 3 or 4 days, sometimes every day, sometimes multiple times a day.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Graffitti in Haifa<
--Neat Idea
--Instapaper really is fantastic
--If you keep showing up, I will keep playing for the rest of my life. I promise.
--I just found out there is no such thing as the real world

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Ann Currie publishes:
My Life a Bit South of Normal
Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiar

Five Internet Blogs

In the Internet and Technology niche, there are several subtopics:

Here are five in the Internet sub category:

1. Buzznovation NO
2. How To Change the World NO
3. Scobleizer YES
4. TechCrunch YES
5. Techdirt YES

Buzznovation. Self-described "Geek wanna be, ActiveWords evangelist, and small town Minnesota boy," Buzz Bruggeman writes about the world of technology, innovation, and more. Publisher: ActiveWord Systems

Unfortunately, Buzznovation has been inactive since November 24, 2008. I got the impression from reading the last two posts he made that he will not be picking this blog up again.

How To Change The World. How to Change the World offers valuable advice for "newbie entrepreneurs." Written by one of the original employees of Apple who is now a successful venture capitalist, How to Change the Worlds covers topics that range across all aspects of the entrepreneurial world. Publisher: How to Change the World

Although this blog is written by Guy Kawasaki, a big name in the entrepreneurial world, it turns out to be unsuitable for the Kindle. There’s a paragraph of advice, with a Read More link, which is just not viable on the Kindle – at least as it is now. http://blog.guykawasaki.com/. Now, if these blog subscriptions also feed to the Ipad, which have quicker internet access (I don't know if they do, but if they do) then it might make sense to subscribe. But again, for the Kindle interface, I simply find it too unweildy.

(New entries are made every four days or so)

The last five entries:

-How to avoid gullibility
-How to be empathetic
-How not to be annoying on twitter
-The elements of guile: British blogging
-How to follow the Apple announcement.

TechCrunch. TechCrunch is a group-edited blog that is dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new and existing Internet products and companies that are making a commericial and/or cultural impact. Business Week readers and CNet have voted TechCrunch one of the top tech blogs. Publisher: Tech Crunch

TechCrunch, Techdirt and the Scobleizer provide industry info (they can fit in both the internet and industry-specific categories, but I'm going to keep them in the internet category). They each seem to cover different niches.

TechCrunch is for information on building web apps
Techdirt is more interested in covering copyright issues.
The Scobleizer seems focused on Google and its competitors

TechCrunch seems to average five posts a day or so.

-Paypal, Venrock incubate BillFloat to develop Innovative Payment Services, by Robin Wauters
-Refinery29 raises seed funding foy hyperlocal fashion news site, by Leena Rao
-Google, Mozilla claim AOL’s China portal may harm your computer, by Robin Wauters
-What’s better, saving the world or building another Facebook App, by Vivek Wadhaw
-MySpace Stream Architect Monica Keller Jumps to Facebook, by Jason Kincaid
-Pownce Founder Lea Culver Leaves Six Apart

Techdirt. Voted "Best of the Web" by Forbes, Mike Masnick uses his background in marketing and business development, and his experience working for a tech start-up company, to provide valuable and easily digestible tech news that helps businesses make better, more informed decisions. Bloggers have a wide range of knowledge in fields of technology, communications, media, biotechnology, financial services, retail, automotive, and government.

From his last few posts, it looks to me more like he focuses on copyright issues and intellectual property, rather than anything else, but for anyone who puts something on the web and doesn’t want to see it stolen (or in some cases wants validation that they’re not really stealing), it’s a must read.

Here are the last five posts:

-Google Music Blog Mess Highlights Why Three Strikes Will Not Work
-Teen Remixes the Work of Others into Best Selling Novel, by
-Entertainment Industry Get Their Own Piracy Policy in the Justice Department
-Australian Phonebook Says You Can’t Copyright Facts, Phone Books Not Protected
-Olympics Using Bogus Copyright Claims to Take Down All Videos of Fatal Luge Crash
-Should the Feds Need a Warrant to Find out where your Mobile Phone is?

Scobleizer. Scobleizer is a technical blog created by Robert Scoble, the vice president of Media Development at Podtech.net. It features breaking news about the latest developments in computer software. Publisher: Robert Scoble

Well, after reading TechCrunch and Techdirt, the Scobleizer seems to pale in comparison. Or perhaps its just because he seems to have a narrow focus – Google at war with its competitors. To me, it doesn’t seem to be enough info for the price. (It costs $1.99 to have it delivered to your Kindle. So do TechCrunch and Techdirt, but you get so much content from those two, that its worth it.

His blog is at http://scobleizer.com/, and here’s who he is: Robert Scoble is an employee of Rackspace, which can help you with all your hosting needs. He is chief troublemaker in the building43 community of Internet fanatics.

So, if you’re interested in watching Google either succeed or get its come-uppance (and I admit I resent them having purchased DejaNews, lo these many years ago) you can read it here.

Here are the last five entries:

-Why Google won’t give Twitter or Facebook a Buzzcut Tomorrow (this was uploaded Feb 8). Google was scheduled to release a newsfeed to compete with Facebook and Twitter. [Well, I suppose that’s better than them buying Facebook or Twitter!]
-The social failings of Google
-A TED responsibility
-Why if you miss Siri you’ll miss the future of the web
-Google’s two-front war with Apple and Facebook; who are the winners and losers