Site Meter Home Computer Talk

Computers Eat Time

by JM

hourglass.jpg
So it’s late, I’m at home after a busy day and, after a phone call to Mr JM, he’s going to be late.

Why is it so?

Well, he’s busy with a computer Read the rest of this entry »

Where on Earth…?

by JM

One of the pleasures in owning a computer is the variety of things you can do with it. Or rather the pleasures of owning a computer and the Internet. Or maybe it should be the pleasures of owning a computer and the Internet and high speed access.

You don’t really know how much pleasure high speed access is until it is suddenly not there. It isn’t so frustrating to use dial-up for internet access - until you have had the use of ADSL (Broadband) that runs at 10 or more times the speed of dial-up.

We have a Broadband plan that runs at ADSL2+ speeds. This means, particularly at the off peak times, speeds that allow downloads of 200MB’s in just a few minutes. It’s not unusual to start a download of sixty or seventy MB’s & have it finish so quickly you think something went wrong with the download.
googleearth.jpg
So, what do you do with all that speed and bandwidth? Well, Mr JM regularly downloads TV shows that I haven’t seen. He downloaded a couple of seasons of Charmed for me – I hadn’t been able to watch them before I came to Australia – and we’ve caught up on all the new Doctor Who and Torchwood episodes.

But one of the most addictive things to do is Google Earth.
Google Earth lets you strap on a satellite Read the rest of this entry »

Your TV Should be Lonely

by JM

Have you looked, really looked at what is on your TV lately? I mean, leave behind the ideas about the shows you ‘can’t miss,’ the daydreams about the actor(s) you are never going to get into your bed but really wish you could, & take a good honest look at the content of your weekly viewing.
tv.jpg
Take away the soap operas. They have no redeeming value at all – they’ve become so far removed from anything approaching normal life they can’t even be viewed as societal commentary.

Minus the ‘interview’ shows – programs like Oprah or Dr. Phil have Read the rest of this entry »

Infection!

by JM

Or… He should have read my last post!!!
It hasn’t happened for a long time but Mr JM got his computer infected yesterday. Given we use Symantec Antivirus, Spybot – Search & Destroy and Adaware as protection, I was curious as to how it happened.spybot.jpg

As explained in Save Money on Movies there are Torrent sites that provide access to software and movies. Given the prices of both as well as the Read the rest of this entry »

Spyware for Dummies

by JM

Spyware can be hard to spot and the effects are many and varied. Spyware sounds like all it does is spy on us, but it can do much more.

It doesn’t restrict itself to watching what we do, although that is a big part of why it gets installed. Spyware watches what is done and tracks website visits, but it goes further.
Spyware can install other software, can Read the rest of this entry »

Computer Friends

by JM

In our ‘modern’ society, we’ve moved away from knowing the people around us.
village.jpg
Once, back in time, we lived in communities, close knit and small enough that we would know everybody we were likely to see. Depending on the circumstances, strangers were either welcome distractions or hostile presences needing to be removed soonest.

Now most of us Read the rest of this entry »

How Many Computers are Enough?

by JM

How many computers do you have?
laptop.jpg

How about printers?printer-i960.jpg

What about scanners?

In the 1980’s personal computers became a reality. In the beginning Read the rest of this entry »

The Time Machine

by JM

Windows comes with a built-in Time Machine function. It’s called System Restore and it offers a way to roll back changes and let Windows work as it did before the change messed it up.helpsupport.jpg

Many people wind up with a computer that either stops working, does strange things or begins to run really slow for no apparent reason. Some of the strange things Read the rest of this entry »

When it Breaks

by JM

tired.jpgYou’ve seen some of this before in how to freshen your PC… see http://www.homecomputertalk.com/old-age-or-just-clogged-arteries-part-2/

From Mr JM
Way to fix Windows problems so you can get back in and Read the rest of this entry »

Beware The Monolithic

by JM

I write on a number of blogs sites, mostly for 451Press but also at Web TV Hub about YouTube videos. Recently I’ve noted a problem with the YouTube videos I write about. A number of times that videos I want to view or to reference in my posts aren’t playing.

I thought it was a problem with the YouTube site and mostly just looked for other versions of the videos to use.

There was one I wanted to show to Mr JM. We’ve been watching the Planet Earth series by David Attenborough and there’s a number of bird mating dances that are quite funny. It’s truly amazing what some creatures do when there’s a possibility of sex.
bird-dance.jpg
Yes, that’s a bird making that big mouth face.

But the video Read the rest of this entry »

Which Browser?

by JM

One site that has become a major force in the Internetting world is YouTube. For the three people on the planet who haven’t heard of it, it’s a site (obviously backed by large storage capacity and lots of servers) that allows people to upload their videos.

Careers have been kick started by YouTube; musicians have posted their compositions online and found fame enough to give them a mainstream life. Others have become famous and boot-strapped their lives from that fame. Some have become rich by using their YouTube presence as a stepping stone.

Now to get to YouTube, you need a connection to the Internet and a browser. There are a number of browsers but by far the two most popular are Internet Explorer (IE) from Microsoft and Firefox from Mozilla.

IE is installed with Windows – it is VERY difficult to have Windows without it, in spite of a court case some time back about such practice from Microsoft. Firefox is a free download from Mozilla and made most of it’s gains by being firstly, small and secondly, more useful than IE.

Firefox introduced an in-built popup stopper, password saving, and most popular, tabbed browsing.firefox.jpg In IE, if you wished to open a new site Read the rest of this entry »

Talking TO Computers

by JM

Without fully developed AI (Artificial Intelligence) being perfected, which may be difficult because we don’t really even have a definition for real Intelligence yet, and the numbers of those displaying the characteristics of it seem to be decreasing daily, our computers aren’t going to be carrying on witty repartee any time soon.

So what can we do with our computers and Voice technology?

Another level of computers using Voice technology is being able to use spoken commands to operate the computer. Programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking come at a price but allow many kinds of voice interaction with your computer.dragon9standard.jpg

From Windows XP, Microsoft included support for Voice technology, meaning that we can actually use voice commands to control things like Microsoft Office programs as well as parts of Windows. It is possible, once Windows has started, to use words to Read the rest of this entry »

Talking Computers

by JM

So, the Max Headroom style of talking computer isn’t really something that is available for now. The text version of AI (Artificial Intelligence) doesn’t really fill the slot either. What we want is for our personal Computer to talk to us and hopefully, understand what we mean when we talk to it.

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, we met the HAL 9000 computer, one which certainly fit the description of a computer that could talk to, and understand humans.hal9000.jpg

Text to Voice is one step along Read the rest of this entry »

Making your Computer Talk

by JM

There are a number of ways computers can respond to, and use, voice. I don’t know how many of you remember a TV show featuring a character called Max Headroom? maxheadroom.jpgI think many people think computer talk is like that show; the reality is somewhat different.

The storyline is about a video reporter, Edison Carter, in a world ’20 minutes into the future’ who runs afoul of the Corporations that run the rather seedy world of the future. In his zeal for getting at the truth, he finds out about a new form of advertising called ‘Blipverts,’ an ultra-effective way Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a Surfer?

by JM

surf - to float on the crest of a wave toward shore
surf - to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting program on television.

If you leave out ‘the shore’ in the first definition it could still apply to the Internet. The crest of the wave that has yet to recede. Millions surf the net every day, some seem addicted to it. It’s a trap that can grab us out of the blue as we track down an idea or follow links that show on an otherwise innocuous site.
wiki-search.jpg
We could be starting with an innocent question - someone mentioned the Baha’i religion in a conversation so you take a Google at it. That brings up a Wikipedia page so you click on it…
Then you see Read the rest of this entry »

About Home Computer Talk

This site is for home computer users. Learn more about how to use your PC at home and ask questions. Any questions will be answered promptly.

Home Computer Talk Author(s)
    » JM

Blogging Flair

Technology Channel Posts

  • HDMI CEC Is a Mixed Blessing; It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
    the HDMI interconnect - not only a demon of DRM, but also a positive force in control of componentry   Standards are a wonderful thing. The establishing of standards allows everyone to be on [...]
  • Panasonic Gets It Right The Second Time Around
    Panasonic DMP-BD30 - sleek, compact, and snappy! One of the problems of almost all ( well, every one I saw) of the first generation Blu-ray players was the excruciatingly long start time from disc [...]
  • Spyware for Dummies
    Spyware can be hard to spot and the effects are many and varied. Spyware sounds like all it does is spy on us, but it can do much more. It doesn’t restrict itself to watching what we do, [...]
  • Computer Friends
    In our ‘modern’ society, we’ve moved away from knowing the people around us. Once, back in time, we lived in communities, close knit and small enough that we would know everybody we were [...]
  • TiVo - The Best Until On Demand Materializes
    Much ado is made of the On Demand services offered by several purveyors of content. The word is bandied about as though it was a foregone conclusion that it was true. Let us be clear. There is no [...]
  • Occam's Razor and Multichannel Stereo
    First, for those not familiar: Occam's razor - n.   A rule in science and philosophy stating that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. This rule is interpreted to mean that the [...]
  • How Many Computers are Enough?
    How many computers do you have? How about printers? What about scanners? In the 1980’s personal computers became a reality. In the beginning they were primitive things, needing a [...]
  • Man Legally Changing His Name to 'Microsoft Zune'
    Well, good for you! I love how there are these types of people out there, ya know, the ones that will do absolutely anything to suck up to their most beloved company or product. Not to say that [...]
  • The Time Machine
    Windows comes with a built-in Time Machine function. It’s called System Restore and it offers a way to roll back changes and let Windows work as it did before the change messed it up. Many [...]
  • Wooden portable NES lets you game in style
    Ever want to play your SNES when you feel that the XBOX and the PS3 [ and of course the Wii ] are not enough for your video gaming needs? Well, here you have it, play your SNES games just like [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • Drinks for a cold night
    We're having a rather bitter winter and it's slowing me right down. It's just as well that I have drink reports to warm the cockles of my heart. They warm the tester in a much more immediate [...]
  • Reviewers Wanted
    Interested in reviewing books on your blog? Would you like to interview authors? We are seeking qualified bloggers who would like to become tour hosts for our clients. If you are a blogger who [...]
  • Singing Heaton and Colby's nose...
    Cute outfit today, as Rachael welcomes Patricia Heaton back to the show. She says she's having fun, and promptly jokes that she was belching pork balls in the make up artists face while getting [...]
  • Special Olympics, Iowa Summer Games, competition...
    Iowa Summer Games, competition through noon 515-986-5520 [...]
  • A blizzard in May?
    Photo credit: WireImage Don't worry, that snow is just movie magic! At least, I would guess so, what with it being May and all. After a quick trip to NYC with John, during which she enjoyed a [...]
  • Super Nanny on the Hot Seat!
    We start off in the kitchen today with a plug for the Yum-O! Family Cookbook, 100% of the proceeds that go to the Yum-O! charity. It takes kids from breakfast, to lunchbox, to dinner. She makes [...]
  • Hogs Clean Up in 10K, Score 19 Points
    FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Shawn Forrest, James Strang and Peter Kosgei picked up 19 points in the 10,000 meters for Arkansas Razorback track and lt;br />field on day two of the SEC Cham [...]
  • Cory Martin And Valentina Srsa Win Titles At SEC Track And Field Championships
    Cory Martin and Valentina Srsa won the men's and women's hammer throws for Auburn to highlight the second day of competition at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hutsell-Rosen Track. [...]
  • Jason Says To Build Community
    I'm listening to the current episode of Podcasting Underground and Jason is talking about the importance of building a sense of community around your podcast. I absolutely agree. I launched [...]
  • Frugal Savings - Part 1
    Making Credit Work For You Make your credit cards pay you, not the other way around! There are tons of card companies these days that offer ‘pay you back’ incentives – usually one to two [...]