1. sudo su root

(enter password)

2. vi /etc/apt/sources.list

3. Uncomment the two lines that I have bolded and italicized below:

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical’s
## ‘partner’ repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the ## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner

(save the file)

4. apt-get update Once this update is finished, you are ready to install the Sun Java JDK and all the other components that are required.

(I know that is entry is a bit more technical than most that I write about, but it is something that I am sure is holding up a lot of people. It took me a little while to figure it out.)

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

The iPad is a device that I have wanted for over two years. I own Sony’s e-reader, but have always been disappointed by the black and white screen and speed. I wanted a supercharged e-book reader that could also be used for other purposes. In my opinion, the iPad was a dream device. I envisioned it as a large iPod Touch or iPhone and in many ways it is. There is one way, however, in which it is drastically different—it is blazingly fast. Yes, super fast. The new processor that Apple designed and put in the device is super charged. When you move your finger across the screen, it responds instantly. This makes the iPad a joy to work and play with.

Much has been made about the 150,000 iPhone apps that are available. The iPad will let you run these, but they look horrible. Apple doubles every color dot on the screen to make it bigger on the iPad screen. The graphics and letters look terrible in this mode. Fortunately, there is a mode that lets you run these apps in the original size. This gives you an app centered in the iPad screen with a huge black border. This being said, I do not think that this is a major problem for Apple or for iPad buyers. The reason I don’t think so is that there is so much money to be made in making iPad-specific applications, that many developers are hard at work on these. Some of the early iPad apps that I have tested are elegant and useful, others are just spectacular. I recommend GoodReader for storing documents, photos, PDFs, ZIP files and any other type of data that you want on the iPad and need to have password protected. GoodReader does an excellent job at file management and at connecting to a variety of servers using a multiple protocols. It is $.99 well spent. Two free apps that are spectacular are Yahoo! Entertainment and ABC Player. These are just beautiful apps that can be used for obtaining entertainment information or watching ABC shows in gorgeous quality.

If these first apps are any indication, the iPad will have hundreds or thousands of applications that will make the device even more useful over time. I am so convinced of this that I have created a new company called, AirSplash, Inc. just for the development of applications for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. You can visit the web site at http://www.airsplash.com. This is a preliminary web site that will be enhanced over time. Our first application for the iPad is out in the App Store now. It is a simple, easy-to-use and graphically stunning calculator. (Yes, it is weird that Apple chose not to include one with the iPad.) It has been on sale for four days so far and the sales results are encouraging. You can view it (or buy it for $.99) by clicking here.

 
We are working on many more apps. This one was our way of testing the market.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting &
AirSplash, Inc.

The user interface is no longer an underpowered version of the Windows desktop with a “Start” button and menu system. Instead, it is a series of large colorful tiles that expand into spaces. Each of these spaces is a window into a large pane that is full of information. Some of these spaces are dedicated to People, Music & Videos, and Pictures. Others are more business oriented like e-mail, search and office connectivity. The People space includes information gleaned from Facebook and presents a constantly updated view of your friend’s updates and profile pictures. This will attract the socially voracious younger crowd. The Xbox Live platform that is integrated into the device will also appeal to the younger user. Everyone loves Music, Videos and Pictures so these spaces will have broad appeal and are so well designed and tightly integrated with the phone that they surpass the iPhone. The business oriented space contains sophisticated Outlook-like e-mail that is constantly synchronized with Exchange server. It also synchronizes with Microsoft Office OneNote and SharePoint Server. These business functions put it ahead of all other phones and makes the Microsoft server offerings even more appealing.

The hardware that is planned for the Windows Phone 7 must adhere to a hardware specification that Microsoft has created. All the phones must have multi-touch screens, a powerful processor and three buttons for navigation. This is a departure from Microsoft’s laissez faire attitude from the past. Fortunately, it should help create a Windows Phone 7 experience that rivals Apple’s iPhone experience. The viewing spaces are all larger than the viewing area of the screen and are navigated by dragging them across the viewing area with your finger. Responsive hardware is critical to making the Windows Phone 7 navigation work well and feel like a quality product.

I am excited about Windows Phone 7, but not because it is a new generation device that integrates personal and business information seamlessly. I am excited about it because it is a new software platform that demonstrates Microsoft can still be creative when challenged. It has the potential to be much more than a phone platform. I believe that Microsoft could use it as a new tablet operating system. I can see it being more useful on a tablet form factor than the iPhone (or iPod Touch) operating system. It is more intuitive, more beautiful and encompasses everything that the vast majority of people would want to do on a tablet. I also think it is better than having Windows 7 on a tablet. It is perfectly geared for touch computing. I give Microsoft an A+ for Windows Phone 7 and for the potential that it has on other form factors.

To see demos of the user interface: http://www.windowsphone7series.com/

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

I purchased a CardScan 800c based on a recommendation from a colleague. I saw him scanning a stack of business cards effortlessly and asked him what he was using. He told me that he was using a scanner called “CardScan Executive.” He stressed the “Executive” part because he said that he had purchased a lower end unit from the company that he did not like. The “Executive” version is also known as the CardScan 800c.

The scanner is extremely easy to use. You connect it to your computer, load the software and start placing your business cards into it one by one. The unit will scan the card, save the image of the card and then recognize the relevant company, address, phone, fax, web site and e-mail fields. The data is automatically entered into the included organizer software. You can then verify that it has obtained the correct data by looking at it and the image of the card on the screen. From experience, I can say that it is over 90% accurate. It sometimes gets confused with elaborate logos that are placed on cards in lieu of the spelled out company name.

Once the data is in the organizer software you can have it synchronize with Outlook manually or automatically. This is a great feature and a time saver. I have it set up to automatically sync with

Outlook. Since I have my iPhone automatically synchronizing with my Outlook contacts, all it takes a simple and quick scan of a card to get all its data into my iPhone. This is how gadgets should work.

I am very happy with the scanner and with the results. I am even happier with the customer service that the company provides. Dymo is the company that sells the CardScan. My unit would not work after an upgrade to Windows 7 on my machine. I am not sure what happened to it, but after suggesting I try a new driver, reinstalling the USB cable and other things that I had already tried (I am a computer consultant.), the customer service representative thought that it might be a hardware failure. He sent me an RMA number so that I could return it to the company. Being without the unit for a few days and having to pack it up and send it were not an exciting prospect for me. However, the next day I was pleasantly surprised to receive a box from the company with a replacement unit and a prepaid Fedex slip to use for sending the defective one back. I unpacked the new unit, plugged it in and it has been working perfectly. I sent the other one back in the new unit’s box. That is what I call excellent service. I will buy products from Dymo before I ever buy from a competitor based on this excellent experience. Kudos to Dymo!

I wholeheartedly recommend this product.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Despite the strange name, the device is desirable. It comes with a 9.7 inch screen, runs all existing iPhone applications and comes with direct iTunes and App Store access. Even more exciting is the iBook application that allows the reading of books in ePub format and that integrates into a new on-line book store. The application looks very polished and easy to use. It even has animated page flipping and a book shelve for the books that you have already purchased. You control it using the multi-touch technology. Slide your finger across the screen and you are on the next page. Take that Kindle and Sony Reader.

The iPad is half an inch think and weighs 1.5 pounds. It runs up to 10 hours on a charge and can be purchased with a case that doubles as a stand. Also available as an option is a stand that includes a keyboard. The hardware and software looks very slick and will probably draw a lot of attention from gadget lovers as well as productivity seeking executives. Apple will also release $9.99 versions of the applications in iWork. You will be able to create documents with the word processor, spreadsheet or presentation application without having to take a laptop on your trip or without using a desktop computer. It also has a slick version of the Safari web browser that is a larger version of the one in the iPhone. Unfortunately, it still does not have support for Flash.

During the introduction, Steve Jobs showed off mapping, video playback and a new slick iLife-inspired photography application. You can now see albums easily and group them according to people, events or even locations. You can show the photos off in slideshow mode and can even use the iPad as a photo frame when it is not being used for some other productive task. Since I am an amateur photographer, I loved this functionality. I also have to admit that I saw great promise in the e-mail, calendar and contact applications. I can see this becoming my primary computing device around the house and on trips.

The iPad will be available in 60 to 90 days. The Wi-Fi only version will come out first with a price of $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB version and $699 for the 64GB one. The Wi-Fi and 3G (unlocked) version arrives thirty days later and costs $130 more for any of the memory configurations. The plans are through AT&T and require no contract. They are $14.99 for 250MB or $29.99 for unlimited data. Plans include free AT&T Wi-Fi and are activated directly from the iPad.

That’s it for now. I’ll tell you more once I buy one in 60 days…

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

There was no amazing technology or flashy e-mail or project management software like the vaporware shown in the Courier video demo. Perhaps this was Microsoft attempt at beating Apple to the punch and then delivering a real product after Apple announces what its new tablet can do. I guess we will all have to wait and see if that is the case.

Apple will be introducing its product near the end of this month. It is speculated that it will not be available until late March.

Once the announcement is made tonight, I will report the details here.

You would think that the United States military would be smarter than sending live video streams from multi-million dollar aircraft without encryption. Unfortunately, they are not. You can see the unencrypted, live feeds using this inexpensive software.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Microsoft’s Windows 7 was released today and the consensus is that it is a great new operating system for PCs. It is fast, elegant, stable and even visually appealing. Windows 7 has plenty of features, but features are not its claim to fame. Microsoft is stressing the fact that it is a streamlined piece of software that works well. After its Vista debacle and the bad publicity that it garnered for the company, I am very heartened by this new release and can recommend it unequivocally.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 works well with almost all hardware and even has functionality built in that will enable you to see a picture or drawing of new hardware that you connect to it. Next time you buy a printer or digital camera and plug it in via a USB port, you may be surprised when you see a picture of the device on your screen confirming that it is recognized and working.

I am very fond of the BitLocker technology that is included with the Windows 7 Ultimate Edition. With it, you can encrypt and password protect your computer’s hard drive. This protects your data in case your machine is stolen or lost. It is particularly useful for laptop and netbook owners since these are often stolen from hotel rooms. The BitLocker To Go technology makes it possible to also encrypt removable hard drives and USB thumb drives.

The Libraries feature allows you to group related folders together under a category like documents, music or video. This simplifies the task of backing up groups of documents or creating music playlist from music that is stored in multiple locations. You can use the new Windows Backup utility to create those backups and even schedule complete backups of your PC. I love this new backup tool because it will also create a system repair disk for you that you can use to restore your machine after a catastrophe.

It is important to note, that some older versions of software do not work with Windows 7. Two that I know won’t work are Norton Ghost and the various versions of Microsoft Fingerprint Reader software. Symantec is working on an upgrade for Norton Ghost that will be compatible and Microsoft is offering rebates to owners of the Microsoft Fingerprint devices and software.

Perhaps the only real issue I have with the new release is that it comes in too many versions. Microsoft is selling a Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise version. It is also selling versions that are for 32 bit and 64 bit computers. It is confusing as to which version is good for office, home and notebook use. It is also unclear whether a machine can handle the 64 bit version. It is so confusing that Microsoft has put up a web page that compares the versions.

Alonso Consulting can help you decide if upgrading is the right move for you. If you decide to upgrade your existing machines, we can guide you through the planning process, back up your existing data and then upgrade you to the correct version. Users of Windows XP do not have a direct upgrade path with Windows 7, so all data and applications have to be backed up and reinstalled.

If you prefer to buy new machines, we can provide you with a great deal* on Dell computers preloaded with Windows 7 Professional. Once we install the new machine and port your data over, we’ll erase your old PC’s hard drive, remove it and give you a $100 credit for it that you can use towards additional support from us. We will also provide you with a pass-along gift certificate worth $250. It is our way of saying thank you.

Call us at (973) 575-1414 to start upgrading to this excellent new version of Windows.

Thanks,

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

* Here’s the deal:

You get a Dell PC with Windows 7 Professional worth $765. You also receive up to two hours of service to install your old applications and data. We will remove your old PC and give you a $100 credit for future support plus a pass-along gift certificate worth $250 so you can share our services with a business associate. The total value is $1,365. If you decide to upgrade and pay on our web site by October 27th, you will receive the PC, our service, a $100 credit, and the gift certificate which is a total value of $1,365 for only $899 per PC. Here are the specs on the PC:

Processor	Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E7500 (2.93GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB)
Operating system	Genuine Windows ® 7 Professional 32 bit
Monitor	18.5 inch E1910H Flat Panel Monitor
Memory	3GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHZ – 1×2GB 1×1GB
Optical drive	Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive
Hard drive	250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Video card	Integrated Video, Intel® GMA X4500HD
Security software	Norton Internet Security™ 2009 30 Day Trial
Sound	Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
Keyboard & mouse	USB Keyboard and USB Optical Mouse
Adobe software	Adobe Acrobat Reader
Resource DVD	Resource CD and DVD
Setup guide	System Quick Reference Guide
Network interface	Integrated PCIE 10/100/1000
Warranty & service	1 Year Manufacturer’s Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service

]]> http://www.robert-alonso.com/2009/10/22/happy-birthday-windows-7/feed/ 0 http://www.robert-alonso.com/2009/10/20/bitlocker-to-go-on-windows-7/ http://www.robert-alonso.com/2009/10/20/bitlocker-to-go-on-windows-7/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:42:50 +0000 Robert Alonso http://www.robert-alonso.com/2009/10/20/bitlocker-to-go-on-windows-7/ The clock is ticking towards the release of a faster and generally more robust operating system for PCs. As many of you know, Windows 7 will be released in two days. What does this release mean to you? The most immediate impact is that it will become increasingly difficult to find any machines with Windows XP. Vista was so unpopular that Microsoft allowed Dell and other PC makers to offer downgrades to XP. Most of my customers chose that path and paid an extra $100 for the privilege.

Once Windows 7 is released, Microsoft will try to never talk about Windows Vista again and will instead tout the great new improvements in Windows 7. This is not without precedent. The same thing happened with Windows Millennium Edition (Me). Most people have forgotten about Windows Me but it was the worst operating system that Microsoft has ever sold—far worse than Vista. It followed the successful Windows 95 and 98 and preceded Windows XP which was arguably the most hardy PC operating system produced by Microsoft so far. Maybe magic will strike twice and Windows 7 will be a huge success and, more importantly, be a solid replacement for Vista.

If you are a reader of this blog, then you know that I have been testing Windows 7 for some time. I have also been reporting about features that I find useful or interesting. I have found one that makes Windows 7 worthwhile to me. That is the “BitLocker To Go” feature. This is an extension of the BitLocker functionality that Microsoft released with Windows Vista Ultimate. BitLocker is still only available on the Ultimate version, but now comes with this additional feature that enables the complete encryption of external hard drives or USB thumb drives. I find this extremely useful because I am always worried about losing a USB drive with important documents or pictures that I would not want a stranger to have. With BitLocker To Go, I can live in peace knowing that my data is secured.

You enable it by inserting the removable device into the computer and then starting the BitLocker application. Once it is started, you tell it to encrypt the USB drive and give it a password. It takes care of the rest. The next time that you insert that USB drive into the computer it prompts you for the password before you can access the data on it. If you provide the password and check off an option on the screen, the PC will recognize that drive and make the files available each time that you plug it into that specific machine without you having to retype the password.

If you are wondering if that USB drive will then work on an XP machine, you are in luck. It does. When you insert the USB drive into the XP machine, it prompts you for the password and loads an application that lets you copy the data off the device and use it. However, one of these encrypted drives will not work on Apple Macintosh computers.

If you are like me and are worried about your laptop being stolen or lost, you can use BitLocker to encrypt the entire drive of your machine. The process is straightforward and works automatically. It takes a long time to process initially, but once completed, you have peace of mind. That hard drive’s data will be inaccessible without your password. This is the case even if the drive is removed and put into another machine.

To me, these two related data security features are enough of a justification for upgrading to Windows 7.

Windows 7 introduces a new user interface concept called, “Libraries.” When you first install Windows 7, there are four default libraries. These are:

• Documents
• Music
• Pictures, and
• Videos

Anyone who has been using Windows for a while will recognize these types of files as being part of My Documents and other like named folders. What makes this a different type of structure is that a library can contain multiple folders on your machine that contain whatever file type you designate. For example, the Music library on my machine contains three folders that have music. One is the folder “My Music” on the “C:\” drive, the other is the public folder for music on my machine and the third is a network location where I store some music. Windows 7 determined these locations from my usage of them in Vista prior to the upgrade. It could not have been from scanning my machine because it missed a large amount of music on my “D:\” drive.

Far more interesting than what Windows put into my library for music is that I can tailor it to my needs. I can add and delete folders that contain music. When you use File/Open or other file based tools including Windows Explorer you are presented with the libraries as if they were folders. You can thus manipulate and use related file types from one location regardless of their real location. The allowed folder locations are:

• C:\ Drive
• External Hard Drive
• Additional Internal Drive
• USB Flash Drive (as long as certain conditions are met)
• Network (as long as the location is indexed or has been made available offline)
• Homegroup

Please note that removable media like CDs and DVD are not supported. Libraries can contain up to 50 folders from the allowed locations (above). You can set the default save location for new items that you save to the library and you can also change the type of file that the library is optimized for. This makes for a very easy-to-use way to categorize your files, access them and save them.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Since Windows 7 is not being sold on retail shelves yet, one could argue that I was being a bit unreasonable in my search. However, you would think that someone had developed software for Windows 7 backups in advance of the release of the operating system. It turns out that someone did–Microsoft.

Windows 7 comes with an integrated backup program that will create images of your hard drive and will also backup files incrementally. I decided to give it a try. The following screen shots and text show how to set up the backup software.

Type “backup” in the search box that comes up when you click on the Windows Start menu. You will see a program called, “Backup and Restore.” Start it. Once you do, you will see the following image.

 
Click on “Set up backup.” A dialog box like the one below will be displayed as the software scans for backup destinations.

It will then present you with the following screen. (The destinations will be different for your machine.)

I selected my “D:” drive and was told that it did not have enough space for a system image. I decided to make space on it by moving some files to my “G:” drive using Windows Explorer. I then clicked on “Refresh” and was presented with the new totals for free space on each destination. I picked the “D:” drive again and was able to proceed. The next image shows what you will see.

Unless you are really picky about what is backed up, pick the “Let Windows choose” option. It will backup your files and create a system image in case you have a major problem with your computer. The next screen shows you what will be included and the schedule that will be used for the backups. I do not work in the office on Sundays, so I will change the default schedule to a day that I am in the office and have a lighter workload. That is Friday starting at 3:00 PM for me.

Changing the schedule is accomplished by clicking on “Change schedule.” The screen that is displayed will look like the following one. Note that I have already changed the schedule to Fridays at 3:00 PM using the drop down menus. I then clicked “OK” to save my schedule.

Once the schedule change was completed and saved, the previous screen is redisplayed. I then clicked on the button that reads “Save settings and run backup” and was presented with the following screen showing the backup in progress.

That is it! I now have a working backup that is scheduled to run weekly on Fridays. I also created a system repair disc by clicking on that option in the upper left hand side of the screen above. I even took the risk of doing so while the backup was running. Surprisingly, it worked just fine.

I hope I never need to use it, but if I do I will be ready. If you install Windows 7, I recommend that the first thing you do is run through these steps and create a backup schedule and system repair disc for your computer.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Microsoft has finally decided that they should offer protection—something I believe should have been part of the operating system since the fist malware was ever detected years ago. The new offering is free and is called, “Microsoft Security Essentials.” You can download a free copy with updates from here.

I recommend that every reader of this blog install one of the anti-malware products mentioned here. If you don’t, one day you will discover that your machine is infected and that you have very little recourse but to call tech support. If you have tried the free support from companies like Dell, then you know that their solution is to do a system restore from the manufacturer’s CDs. You will lose your data if you do this. Paid support like the one my company, Alonso Consulting, offers will result in the removal of the virus and the saving of your data, but it will not be free. It is, therefore, in your best interest to install one of these tools now. What are you waiting for?

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Products mentioned:

Although not perfect, this backup strategy saved me from losing my Vista installation once. Something I installed, or a virus, caused my system not to start and to display a black screen with a blinking cursor. I took out the Norton Recovery Disk, booted from it and restored my entire PC from my last image backup. This process took a few minutes and left me with a completely functional PC.

Unfortunately, I do not have this safety with Windows 7. Norton Ghost 12 and even the newer version 14 do not work properly with Windows 7. The Windows 7 upgrade process even recommends that you uninstall them before upgrading. This is something that I ignored, hoping that the incompatibility would be minor and I could still use the program. I was wrong. It does not work properly.

The Symantec message boards have some messages saying that Norton Ghost 15 will include support for Windows 7. It will also feature user interface improvements and added functionality. There is no release date announced yet, but I can’t wait.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

The device has one button and has indicators along the edge of one of the tablets for displaying battery power and Wi-Fi connectivity. At this time, it is unknown how the device will be charged. The back side of one tablet has a camera with flash. Pictures of the camera lens indicate that it will be 3 megapixels and that it will also have a 4X zoom. It is not clear whether the zoom is digital or optical, but I’d bet on the former. I can easily see this device being used to read books or newspapers in full color and with a page flipping metaphor. (Watch out Amazon Kindle and Sony PRS-505.)

If and when Microsoft releases this as a product, the device could eliminate the need for notebook computers while travelling. From what is visible in the video, it has excellent handwriting recognition. The tablet user in the video writes an Internet address in the browser and is taken to the site. Perhaps this will also work with some yet undisclosed email client. If you can have your schedule, a note taking device, a web browser and email in this handy form factor, why would you lug around a notebook or even a netbook. It is not known if the device will offer any entertainment options, like the ability to play music. If it does, then Microsoft will have a hit on its hands and will finally have a tool that can take away the “cool” designation from Apple.

For pictures click here.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

When you launch the application, it bounces a few times in the dock and then ends. If you look at the console, the error message that is displayed describes an apple.cocoa.foundation.NSRuntime error. It appears that the error is related to Apple’s removal of a Java to Cocoa interface. It is no longer possible to call a Cocoa framework from Java. Although this problem sounds irreparable, the good folks at Roxio have already made a beta fix available on their web site. The new version uses no Java and can then circumvent this issue. If you are a registered user, you can get the fixed version here.

Beatles: Rock Band video game hit stores shelves yesterday and is on its way to becoming a major hit. Even my eleven year old sons want it and they had never even heard of the Beatles prior to this video game. They are more familiar with the new rock bands like Linkin Park. (Is that pronounced like Lincoln? I think I am too old to know for sure.) What I do know for sure is that Linkin Park is a real rock band. They do not put out pansy little songs like the Beatles did. I know I can expect a lot of vicious comments over this, but when think about it the Beatles’ biggest hits were silly love songs that Paul McCartney composed. I happen to like those songs, but my point is that they are not real rock.

News reports indicate that this video game is a huge success. Best Buy in NJ has reported that there were people lined up outside stores for a chance at being first to buy the video game. The game is available for the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The official web site is here.

Not wanting to be left with two inoperable devices, I searched the Internet for possible solutions. There are some who claim that you can install the software and then set the application and associated DLLs (program functions in a separate loadable file) to run in Windows Vista or lower compatibility mode for all users on your computer. I have not tested this yet, because I first have to figure out a way to get Windows 7 to install the software in the first place.

If you are not into these convoluted workarounds, that may not work, there is an alternative. I found a mysteriously vague Microsoft web page that says that you can call a phone number if you are having trouble with the Fingerprint Reader. I called the number, worked my way through the various menu prompts to speak with a Microsoft representative and was told that Microsoft was discontinuing the product. The gentleman on the line then asked for my serial number and said that Microsoft would be mailing me a check for $39 in four to eight weeks. (I think this was the amount. I was in shock so I do not remember exactly.) That is not bad. It is more than I paid for the device. I am no longer angry at Microsoft, but I am also not sure why strange things like this occur during an upgrade—especially since the device is Microsoft branded. If anyone has additional information please email me or contact me through the link on the About page. You can visit the Microsoft page with the phone number here or you can call Microsoft at: 1-800-360-7561.

I love the functionality. I can now instantly see which photos are receiving page views and which are becoming other people’s favorites. I can browse through my photos and sets of photos. I can even directly send copies of my photos from the application using the iPhone’s email facility. This is a direct “touch” from the application and it provides a preview before you click on “Send.”

The application makes it easy to look at your favorite photos from other photographers, photos that your contacts are uploading or even photos that anyone on Flickr.com has uploaded. You can enter a keyword and the search functionality will return relevant photos in a grid pattern. You can then touch the one you want to see and it is displayed full size.

Since I purchased my iPhone, I have constantly searched the Apple App Store looking for a Flickr application. Until this release, I had to use the Flickr.com mobile web site which is very good, but limited by comparison. The new app will also let you take pictures and upload them to your account, but I will probably not use that feature that much. I prefer uploading high quality photos in the 12 megapixel range.

The requirements for the app are that you have an iPhone or iPod Touch with OS 3.0.

I also wrote that I was upgrading some Mac Minis to the new 10.6 (known as Snow Leopard) version of the Mac OS. The good news is that the upgrade was inexpensive and relatively painless. It took slightly over an hour to upgrade each Mac. I had no glitches or problems and can report that the Macs are working fine and appear slightly faster. I cannot quantify this for you, but it is the feeling I get from using them. One thing that I am disappointed in is that I have yet to get the Exchange synchronization to work. It does not recognize my server in the office using a direct LAN connection and it does not recognize it from home using a fast Internet connection on both ends. I have not given up on making it work. It is the reason I upgraded. I suspect that there is a filter or firewall in the way that is not allowing the Mac Mail traffic to reach the server. I have one of Alonso Consulting’s best techs working on it.

One thing that I have not written about that much is Windows 7. I think the reason for this is that Windows Vista has been such a disappointment. Vista was and is beautiful and also graceful in the way it works, but it is a resource pig that is unacceptably slow. I have used Vista on two Intel Core 2 Duo Q6600 machines running at 2.4 Ghz with four cores and it sometimes took nearly half a minute to right click on a file to move or copy it. This is just the right click, never mind the copy and/or move which often did not work for inexplicable reasons. I found that a small Aspire netbook running Windows XP Home on a low powered Intel Atom processor often outperformed the faster machine running Vista. That is really pathetic performance for Vista.

Well, I am happy to report that I have upgraded three Vista machines to the Windows 7 and the performance has improved noticeably. The user interface for Windows 7 is still beautiful and elegant, but I found Vista’s more so. Maybe Window 7’s user interface will grow on me over time. I have found that devices work very well with the new operating system and that it was able to correctly identify everything connected to my machine. It shows even external hard drives by the name of the drive. For example, a My Book, shows up named as such in the “Devices and Printers” application. Other devices that are correctly identified are an Apple iPhone, various HP printers, the type of mouse, fingerprint reader and the monitor that I use. The version of Windows 7 that I installed is the Ultimate version and it is the final release that will be on sale in late October. I was able to download it from Microsoft because of Alonso Consulting’s  partner status with Microsoft.

Here is the bad news, it took over two hours for the upgrade from Windows Vista Ultimate. There were a few Dell applications on my system that the upgrade advised me to uninstall. It also did not like the version of Adobe Encore, iTunes and Norton Ghost that I had on my system. This is unfortunate since I use, Norton Ghost for my automated backup every week. When it advised me to uninstall all these apps, I removed the Dell apps and left the others. I also took out a few others that I knew I did not use. I needed a restart after the uninstalls and forgot about it. After going through the system check for about 20 minutes, I was told that the upgrade could not be performed until I rebooted. I rebooted and ran through the same system check for a third time before experiencing over two hours of the upgrade process including a few automated reboots. The Mac upgrade also took over an hour, but it was a little smoother.

On a Toshiba laptop that I upgraded, I was informed that the upgrade could not continue because the Vista that was installed was not Service Pack 1. I had to download that, install it and wait over an hour during that process and then upgrade to Windows 7. That really made me angry. I think the upgrade should work with any version of Vista and with any service pack level. I was also not pleased that I could not upgrade from the 32 bit version of Vista to the 64 bit version of Windows 7. To make that move requires a complete reinstall. Both of the Q6600 machines will support the 64 bit version of Windows 7 and Vista, but were sold to me with the 32 bit version.

That is all the news for now. I will update this blog as I discover more about the Mac Snow Leopard and Windows 7 upgrades.

Of all the new features that I have heard or read about, the most exciting to me is the integration with Microsoft’s Exchange Server. This new release synchronizes Mail, iCal and the Address Book with a corporate Exchange Server. This is a sweet feature which will enable Apple to work smoothly and elegantly in a Microsoft-centric office environment. I’ll report any issues or neat features that I discover in the next couple of days.

You can buy your copy here.

Microsoft may appeal this decision or take some other action. For example, it could try to buy the company and end up owning the patent. It is unlikely that they would risk having to stop selling Word. I can’t imagine that scenario, but we will see in the next 60 days.

If you go to Bing.com, the first thing you notice is that the search engine is the anti-Google. It has a beautiful home page with images that change with each visit. These background images load quickly, are not obstructive and can help you learn facts. For example, in a recent Bing visit, I was presented with an image of the Bastei bridge in Saxon Switzerland. By moving my cursor over a small square in the image, I was told that the bridge was constructed of sandstone in 1851. I was also given an option to learn more. Clicking on the link, brought up search results for the bridge and included a Wikipedia entry as the top result. This distracted me from my main search, “Robert Alonso,” (just kidding) but I can assure you that it was far more instructive. It gave me the feeling I would get scanning through microfiche of old newspapers and discovering something new that I did not know before.

You perform your search just like you would on Google. For example, the image below shows the results for a search for “Democrats fishy activities program.” If you look at the image, you will also notice that under the “Bing” logo and orange colored band on the left, there is a “SEARCH HISTORY” listing. I have removed mine for this image, but that comes in handy if you need to go back to a previous search. You also have the option of turning that feature off completely.

Perhaps the most interesting feature is that you can move your mouse over any of the results and see a popup blurb of the content to be found on the site. This is very helpful for finding out if a result is what you are looking for without having to click through to the site. The third image below shows the popup blurb feature in action. To get it to appear, I placed the mouse over the second result and waited a few seconds. In some of these blurbs, you are also shown other links and prominent items that are found on the page. This gives you a very clear idea on whether to proceed or not.

These neat features aside, what really matters is finding what you are looking for. Bing compares very well with Google on relevance of results. In many tests that I have run, it actually does better. You can test this for yourself using this site: bing-vs-google.com. The site will give you a split view of the results from both engines side by side. This allows you to be the judge yourself.

Another feature that you are sure to like is that the left panel of the Bing results will show you meaningful links. The next image shows the results for a search on “Elisha Cuthbert,” an actress from the television drama “24” and from various films including, “The Gil Next Door.” You will notice that the results are very good and feature several images and the most likely sources of information including Wikipedia and IMDB. The left hand panel shows links to, “Images, Biography, Wallpaper, Posters, Fan Club, Interview and Videos.” These are the most typical results that people searching for her might want.

The next image shows what a search for “Bill Gates” delivers.

You will notice that the left hand panel is different and offers, “Images, Biography, Quotes, Books, Blog and Interview.” It is this kind of subject knowledge that makes Bing far superior and cooler. If you try entering a product name, like “Nikon D90” you are presented with a chart summarizing the camera, images and meaningful result listings. The left hand panel will give you relevant links that include the manual. This is very cool. There are many other features related to image and video searches, but I will recommend that you try them for yourself and let me know what you think in my comments section.

(I must also include a shameless plug. If you are needing help with search engine optimization (SEO), please contact Alonso Consulting. We will create a comprehensive plan for making your site appear higher in search results.)

I have grown accustomed to several open source applications on the PC. Three of these are TrueCrypt, FileZilla and VirtualBox. These are for encrypting volumes of files, using the FTP protocol for file transfers and creating virtual machines on the PC, respectively. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were Mac versions of these available. I installed them and a few other very useful applications including Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac and am at the point where I could do all my work on the Macs and ignore the PC completely.

I am quite pleased with the way the Mac OS X works. It is pleasant and fast. I find the performance on a 2 GHz, dual core Intel processor with 1 GB of memory to be superior to the 2.4 GHz Intel quad core processor with 3GB of memory on my Vista PC. The only thing that I can’t stand is the crappy Mac keyboard that is flat and missing tactile feedback. I found a way of using an old IBM Model M keyboard with a Belkin USB to PS/2 Keyboard adapter and now feel more comfortable typing on the Mac.

Apple has a good thing going for itself requiring a Mac to develop apps for the iPhone. As we make progress on some applications, I will keep you posted on the progress. If you are looking for iPhone development, please consider my company; Alonso Consulting. We will deliver excellent results at a very reasonable cost.

It continually updates from the various news sources and stores news for offline reading. You can also share a good story with your friends by sending a link via email or posting a link to Facebook or Twitter directly from the application. You can download it for free from the Apple App Store. It is developed by Fluent Mobile.

If you want to order it from Amazon click below:

To get this functionality now, in Vista you have to go to Start, Computer, select Map Network Drive and then click on the link that says: “Connect to a Web site that you can use to store your documents and pictures.” You are then taken to a wizard that walks you through a series of steps to connect to the WebDAV folder. This is not what I consider progress. Microsoft, how about a patch that fixes this downgrade to a real upgrade?

New functionality in the iPhone 3.0 software eliminates this hassle, albeit not perfectly. It now synchronizes the notes application on the phone with notes on your Outlook client, but only when the phone is physically connected to the machine with the Outlook software. It does not synchronize over the air like it does with email and contacts. This is an unfortunate limitation, but one that I will live with. To me, this was one of the most pleasant surprises of the new 3.0 software.

One improvement which is not getting a lot of attention is the built in Stocks application. This application allows you to track a portfolio of stocks. You simply look up the symbols and save it to the interface of the application. Figure 1 shows a sample portfolio with Ford Motors (F) highlighted. The upper part of the interface shows the stocks in your portfolio and their current prices (delayed 20 minutes.) You can press your finger on the colored area that shows the change in price and it will show you the percent change. This has always been the case, but the new software gives you an additional level of information. If you press a second time, you get the market capitalization of the stock.

Fig1. Stocks Base	Fig 2. Stocks News	Fig 3. Stocks Summary

The bottom portion of the screen shows a graph of the selected stock’s progress. You can select various time periods by pressing on “1d,” for today, “1w” for a week and continue increasing the time period as necessary by pressing the appropriate time period button. The new software adds the ability to scroll the entire graph region with your finger to obtain news on the selected stock. Figure 2 shows news for Ford.

Another scroll  to the right will display a summary screen on the stock. The summary screen shows the opening price, high, low,  volume, highs and market capitalization of the company. This is a very handy addition since getting this information in the past  required going to Yahoo! Finance. Figure 3 shows the summary screen.

Perhaps the most interesting improvement is the new landscape mode of the application. If you flip your iPhone (or Touch) on its side, you will see an enhanced graph of the price of the stock over time. You can then press your finger down on the display and move it to the left  or right on the display to get the price at any given point in the graph. The image to the left shows the graph with a vertical line through it showing the price at that point. That vertical line represents where my finger was on the screen when the screen was captured. If you use two fingers and spread them in opposite directions, you can  get the change in price for any period of time. The image below and to the right shows a range with a drop in value of 3.13% for Ford’s stock.

You can see the other stocks in your portfolio and stock indexes, by moving your finger along the top of the graph (where the symbol and date is displayed) to the right or left and the graph will change to the next or previous stock or index in your portfolio.

The functionality that this little application offers is just incredible. Just about the only improvement that you could ask for is real-time quotes. If that happens, then the iPhone will become and indispensible tool for anyone trading stocks seriously. My congratulations go to the developers of this handy tool. Bravo!

Sun acquired MySQL AB, a company distributing an open-source database server, for $1 billion about a year ago. Why Sun would have purchased a free database server for so much always eluded me. It did not make sense fiscally and did not appear to be a strategic fit–that is, unless the goal was to subvert the popular database and pass it along to Oracle.

The fact that Sun acquired MySQL may be the real reason Oracle acquired the company. If you take it a step further, maybe Sun acquired MySQL as a favor to Oracle or as a precondition for a deal. Oracle acquiring MySQL directly would not have passed the smell test with me or possibly with regulators.

This acquisition should be an indicator to the open source community that it is time to fork the MySQL development and come up with a new database server that Oracle does not control. What do you think?

Early reports are that the user interface is superb and resembles the user interface in the Zune. Unfortunately, the user interface will lack the multi-touch features found on the iPhone.  This will have the anti-PC crowd snickering.  Even Microsoft supporters, like myself, think that the omission of multi-touch is a serious deficiency. After owning and using over half a dozen Windows Mobile phones, I am an iPhone convert. It would take an amazing improvement to Microsoft’s software and its partners’ hardware for me to even consider switching back.

Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s MobileMe service is currently being tested. It is a free service that they are calling “My Phone.” The company has an opportunity to beat Apple with this service. It is supposed to offer backups of contacts and photos onto Microsoft servers.

In other related news, Microsoft announced that LG Electronics will be putting the new Windows Phone software on 50 of its smartphones. This should help Microsoft establish this new version (6.5) of Windows Mobile. Microsoft currently trails Symbian and Research in Motion, but is ahead of Apple’s iPhone in terms of smartphone market share.

Although these moves may make Microsoft more competitive and help it maintain or gain market share, it really needs a new game changing user interface and hardware combination. Playing catch-up  is not the way Apple rocketed from no market share to fourth place. Apple’s game changing iPhone is arguably in first place in terms of “cool” factor, ease of use and momentum.

We’ll see soon enough what effect the new software and relationship with LG will have, but I believe that Microsoft needs to stop designing software in number increments. It needs to set up mini-Microsofts with creative designers and programmers to create new, innovative products outside of the myopic vision of the parent behemoth.

I have felt particularly disappointed lately in its performance because I purchased a mini-notebook with an Atom processor and 1GB of memory. It came with Windows XP Home SP3. I have to tell you that the little machine feels many times faster than my quad-core desktop or dual core notebook.

The latest disappointment that I have had with Vista is that it does not have a telnet client by default. I needed such a tool to test a POP3 and SMTP connection to a server that was giving me problems.

I discovered that Vista does come with a telnet client, but you have to choose to install it. It is not installed by default.

These are the steps that you need to follow:

1. Start the Control Panel from the Start Icon.
2. Click on "Programs"
3. Click on "Turn Windows features on or off"
4. Scroll through the list that is presented and check off the "Telnet Client" (see image above)
5. Click "OK"

After some disk activity, you should have the Telnet client installed and ready for use. You can access it by opening a Command Prompt and typing "telnet."

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

As you might expect, all is not perfect–it never is. Apple has demonstrated remarkable greed with the release of the iPod Touch and iPhone 3G. One example of this is that many of the cables that worked with previous iPods do not work with the new iPod Touch or iPhone. These include car chargers and USB docking stations not sold or licensed by Apple. The iPod Touch and iPhone do not have a way of outputting video to a TV set without an Apple purchased cabled that plugs into the flat connector at the bottom of the unit. The standard AV mini plug only outputs audio. Previous iPod generations sent audio and video out through the jack. The cables were swapped around to encourage people to pay extra for the Apple branded cable. The new setup apparently checks for some Apple chip or signal and requires the Apple part. This is just greedy on Apple’s part.

The cable situation made a video cable that I owned, a car charger and travel charger obsolete. Needless to say, I am not happy about this. Since I have owned several iPods over the years, I also own a Bose SoundDock for listening to music in my kitchen and dining area. It also has served as a charger for the kids iPods and my wife’s iPod. Unfortunately, the new iPhone will not charge on the Bose device. It says that it is not a compatible device. This is one of the premier third party products for the iPod line and Apple has now made it less useful to me. It can play music from my iPhone, but will not charge. Again, this is Apple greed.

One would think that Apple would not have made the Bose SoundDock user base experience any problems, since they now resell the dock on their web site. Perhaps newer models do not experience the issues that I am experiencing. These signs of Apple greed will make me think twice about further purchases from the company.

Other issues that I have experienced with the iPhone include poor data connectivity and no signal for calling. At seemingly random times, I cannot access web sites or my e-mail through the device. It often seems that it is not the connections, but instead some sort of DNS resolution issue. DNS resolution is when a server is called upon to convert a web site address like alonso.com to the numeric address for the server on which it resides. The “no signal” issue has plagued the iPhone from the very first day that I had it. I will get a message that there is no signal and will need to restart the device for it to find a signal. This is reminiscent of restarting a Windows PC that is running a bit slowly.

Although every issue I’ve mentioned so far takes away from what could otherwise be a perfect product, the one issue that really rankles me the most is that you cannot buy applications from anyone other than Apple. This was presumably done to guarantee the quality of the applications. I can tell you that having downloaded dozens of applications (some of which I have removed now) most of them are full of bugs and crash all the time. I use the New York Times application to read articles from the paper on-line and have to load it at least four times to get through a lengthy article. It continually crashes without any error message. Apple is not delivering a quality experience with the third party software. Unlike music which you can buy from Apple or from any third party and then install on your iPod with the iTunes software, the applications have to purchased and downloaded from Apple. This give Apple the ability to prohibit certain types of applications. One application that was released on the Apple store–presumably by mistake–called Netshare was removed and has not been seen since. It enables an iPhone 3G owner to share the 3G connection using WiFi so that a laptop can connect to the Internet through the iPhone. I managed to get a copy while it was listed, but now have no way up getting upgrades. This is horrible market control and should be investigated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Now it is up to you to decide whether you can live with Apple’s greed and ridiculous control.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Robert Alonso

The Airport Express takes this a step further. This inexpensive device lets you stream music from any iTunes installation to a distant location in your home wirelessly. You can set these up in your living room and family room and iTunes will recognize them and allow you to send music to one or more of the devices. But the best part is that you can control the music from Remote on your iPod or iPhone.

I purchased two of these after I saw how useful the Remote application was. I did not have high expectations for the devices since I know how imperfect a wireless connection can be. I was pleasantly surprised. The devices are incredibly easy to set up. You plug one into the wall and you see that an LED flashes yellow. You insert the Apple CD into your wireless notebook and it automatically finds the device. You then tell the software wether you are setting up a new wireless network or integrating the device into an existing one. If it is an existing one, it allows you to pick which one from a list and to then enter the password for it. After this step is completed, you name the device. In my case, I called one, "Living Room" and the other one, "Family Room." The configuration is saved to the device and the LED begins to flash green. That’s it. You are done. You can now unplug it and put in the desired location and plug an audio cable from it to your stereo. iTunes will find the Airport Express and display it as a viable speaker set. You can also see it from Remote.

I wish all software and hardware combinations were this easy. It is truly remarkable.You can buy one hereat Amazon.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting, Inc.

Another improvement is that when you are entering a URL like: http://www.alonso.com into the Safari browser, you can now enter the “.com” or other extensions like “.net” and “.edu” by pressing and holding down the “.com” button at the bottom of the on screen keyboard. It will present you with a menu that allows you to make the correct selection. This is an improvement over the previous software that only had the “.com” shortcut. I consider this a great time saver.

You can now save pictures that you see on a web site by touching the picture and holding your finger on it. An option for saving the picture is displayed. If you press it, the picture is saved to a folder called, “Saved Photos.” You can later copy it from the device when you connect to your PC using a USB cable. Your computer will now treat your iPhone or iPod Touch as a hard drive. Unfortunately, Apple does not allow two way copies. You cannot write to the drive with the photos–only read from it and copy the pictures to your PC.

You may also find the ability to take screen shots of the device useful. Let’s say you are on a web site with some graph or news that you want to capture. You can do so by pressing the “Home” key followed by the “Sleep/Wake” button on the top of the screen. This will save an image of the screen to the “Saved Pictures” folder.

This is great software. Enjoy!

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

I have only used it for a day, so there will be more detailed posts in the future. My testing so far has revealed that the software synchronizes with an Exchange Server remarkably well. It can use the push or fetch method for getting your information. When you get e-mails, the mail icon on the home page of your device tells you how many messages you have received. You click on the icon with your finger and start reading your e-mails by clicking on a mail item with your finger and navigating through the message with finger motions. All e-mail messages are displayed in their full HTML. You can magnify a message if it looks too small by using two fingers to expand away from a center point. The converse motion, shrinks the message. It is easy, beautiful and intuitive–the way software should work. (Are you listening Microsoft?)

Your calendar is also synchronized and displays pending appointments on the startup screen you see when you turn on your iPod. You can also browse through your calendar by using finger motions. For example, if you want to see tomorrow’s appointments, you simply drag your finger across the screen towards the right and they are displayed.

You can browse through contacts from multiple contact folders in your Exchange Server and also from contacts that are discovered and not necessarily entered into a contacts folder. I am not sure how this works yet, but it appears to scan e-mail addresses of people that you have communicated with. You can select which group of contacts to display or you can select to see them all at once.

Another interesting feature in the new software is that you can now save images that you see on web pages in Safari. These images can then be synchronized to your desktop when you connect the iPod. They appear as an imager folder would when you are using a camera. I love how this works.

The App Store is a feature that Apple likes to talk about. The reason is obvious–they will make money off the purchases made. I have tried the App Store directly from the iPod and can tell you that it is elegant. You can browse by category of applications and download and install them with two clicks and your iTunes password. I installed a few free applications. These were the New York Times, Paypal, Bank of America, Facebook and Remote applications. The names are self explanatory, except for the Remote application. It allows you to use your iPod as remote control application for your iTunes library. You can access all of your music and pick songs to play on your computer from anywhere that you have a wireless connection. If you have your computer connected to stereo equipment you have the makings of an unbelievable jukebox. The Remote software is free.

So far, my experience has been so magical that I am considering getting an iPhone so that I can use all the functionality while out of range of my WiFi signal.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Downloading and Installation

The first thing I did was search for "Skype" on Google and found that the first listing is the web site for Skype. The Google listing is very well organized and has links to all the areas of the Skype web site that you might want to visit. I went right to the download page, but then decided to do some reading before actually downloading and installing the software. After a few page reads, I decided that it was alright to download this software. It took a few minutes to download. I chose to run it directly after the download. The install process was smooth and took only a few minutes.

Configuring Skype

After the install completed, the Skype software requires that you choose a user name and give it an e-mail account and password. This took me a little longer than is probably usual because I am very picky about user names and do not like names like "robertalonso56897." Since every variation of my name was taken, I settled for "alonso.consulting." (Now, readers of this blog have another way to reach me…)

Test Call and Contacts

Skype automatically loaded my contacts from my Outlook. This was something that I found a little disconcerting. I still don’t know if this information resides on my local machine only or if they uploaded it somewhere. I am very leery of cloud computing when it comes to my contacts and financial data. I then tried a test call to an automated system that Skype provides and discovered that my microphone was not working properly. Once that problem was fixed I was ready to call people.

Calling People

You can call people on Skype by finding their listing in the directory. You can search by name, Skype name or e-mail address. Once you have found someone you know, you add them to your contacts and that person is notified that you are attempting to add them. They can accept or decline you. Once they accept you, you can click on that person’s name in the Contacts tab and the Skype software literally rings on their end. When they answer, you can talk as if your were on a phone, you can watch each other if you have a web cam and you can also text message and send files to each other. If you become a big user of the service, you can buy a Skype certified headset that includes a microphone for about $29.

After my initial calls from my PC, I downloaded the software for my Smartphone and was pleasantly surprised to see it work through my phone’s data plan. That is what I call very cool.

Although I did not try it, you can also call contacts that are not on Skype. You need to pay to call land or cell lines, but the fee is very reasonable at $.021 per minute.

Final Thoughts

I recommend this service because it is unobtrusive, works reasonably well and is mostly free. I do have a warning for you if you decide to use it: Skype’s terms of use allows them to monitor your conversations, web video and text messages as well as your contact relationships for the purposes of improving the service and providing you with goods and services that you might want to purchase. I found that more than a little creepy–so think about it before using the service. You should also note that the service is owned by eBay.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting, Inc.

It is different from a KVM in that each computer requires its own monitor. The software is loaded on PCs running any Microsoft Windows operating systems (except Vista which is not listed as supported and has not been tested by me as of this writing), Macintosh operating system (10.2 or greater), and Unix or Linux based operating system. You can then control one or more machines using the same mouse and keyboard. You set it up so that when you move the mouse pointer off to the side of the screen the mouse and keyboard begin to control a different machine and the display that is active is the one for that machine. If you have ever used a dual monitor setup on a PC, you know how this works.

The reason that I think this product is great is that it supports all the most common operating systems and enables you to have a little less clutter on your desktop. One keyboard and mouse does the trick.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

It turns out that the real culprit is that the server’s time was 40 minutes behind the time that was displayed on client machines. This sort of disparity is not allowed and results in the Exchange Server services not starting. The error messages that Exchange displayed were not that helpful. Setting the time correctly fixed the problem and the services started immediately. I am adding this blog entry, just in case someone else runs into this problem and finds this simple solution through a search engine.

I think that the problem lies with a faulty server that has timing issues. We will have to look into it.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting, Inc.

There are so many things wrong with it that I could write a very lengthy entry on all the items. Rather than bore you with every problem, I will concentrate on the two that really bother me. The reason that I have purchased Windows Mobile phones is to read e-mail and do light Internet browsing. Other than synchronizing with Exchange, the e-mail client and Internet Explorer version in Windows Mobile are absolute garbage. I am especially disappointed in the Windows Mobile 6 version because I expected so much more.

I purchased a new phone to “upgrade” from Windows Mobile 5. The reason I made this purchase was to get the extra functionality that I believed was in Windows Mobile 6. I naively believed the marketing hype that I could read my e-mail in HTML and that attachments that were in the newer Office 2007 format could be read with it. Neither one of these is really true out of the box. When you start using a Windows Mobile 6 phone you immediately realize that you need to have Exchange 2007 as the back-end server for your e-mail in order to see HTML e-mails. Otherwise, “HTML” is not available as a message format. I was using the previous Exchange version. Other features like searching through your messages on the server or marking them for follow up also require that you have Exchange 2007 server. I used a workaround to get my HTML messages. I created a separate e-mail account on the phone and used IMAP as the protocol. I set it to download a few times a day and was able to read messages in HTML this way. This proves that there was no real need for Exchange 2007, except for Microsoft’s desire to force you to purchase the server upgrade as well.

The reason I call Windows Mobile 6 lame is that any software that forces you to use a workaround to get something done is obviously seriously flawed. The magnitude of lameness is incredible. Once I upgraded to Exchange 2007, I could stop downloading my e-mail twice–once through the ActiveSynch method and once through IMAP to get HTML messages. After using HTML extensively, I realized that Windows Mobile does a horrible job of rendering the messages and also has problems with scrolling horizontally through a message. You first have to tell the program that you want to scroll horizontally rather than being taken to the next message in your inbox.

Windows Mobile 6 also does not support Office 2007 file formats. You first have to download a free upgrade to get this functionality. This takes up more memory on your device and is a feature that I was expecting to have the moment I turned on my device. The Office 2007 reader programs are part of what Microsoft calls Windows Mobile 6.1. You can download this upgrade here. The only positive thing I can say about this upgrade is that it is free. Apple would have probably charged $20–like they did with the iPod Touch recently.

Internet Explorer is also very weak on Windows Mobile 6. It is better than in previous versions, but it offers a tiny window into the web. In fact, when I first purchased my phone, my bank did not support my phone and I was not able to do on-line banking with my “upgrade”  to Windows Mobile 6–something that I was able to do with my Windows Mobile 5 phone.

The Safari browser on the Apple iPhone and Touch makes Microsoft’s attempt look feeble. I have both and can tell you that the Windows Mobile 6 browser feels like riding a tricycle–you can get there, but you better pedal like hell and hope for some down hills. Safari makes you feel like you are using a fast titanium-built racing bike. The Apple browser works exceptionally well and is ultra-fast. The marvelous touch based interface just makes it an exhilarating experience. Are you listening Microsoft?

It is time for Microsoft to give up on Windows Mobile altogether. It is too tied to other Microsoft products and the development mindset appears to be to create a mini-Windows. To really innovate, Microsoft needs to stop thinking about the “Start” menu and program menus and all other things that are Windows-like. Start fresh. Use inspiration. Hire new people and do extensive usability research. Otherwise, Microsoft’s mobile platform will become irrelevant.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

However after using Notepad more than once, chances are that you have also experienced some of its limitations. One of these is that file sizes are limited to a little more than 64 thousand characters. Another is that it does not display line numbers. This is particularly a problem for modifying source code or web sites. When working with these types of files, you are often looking for a specific line that has created a problem in a program or web site. Notepad is useless for this purpose and requires that you manually count each line–not a very productive option.

A free, open source replacement is now available. It is called Notepad++. Notepad++ lives up to its name. It is a expanded Notepad with line numbers, the ability to open multiple files at once, sophisticated search capabilities, bookmarks, syntax highlighting for various computer languages and so much more. It can also print your file in color with source code keywords highlighted. Although it is optimized for programmers, it is very useful for any text file manipulation and is an excellent replacement for Notepad.

One of the cool features is that you can edit two sections of the same document within the editor. Notepad++ also support drag and drop. That means you can click on a file in Windows Explorer and drag it over to the Notepad++ icon on the desktop and the program will open with the file. You can also drag and drop a file into an open Notepad++ instance and it will open the file as a new document without affecting any other document that it already has open. Another useful feature is the Zoom feature–it makes all the lines in a file larger and is popular for people with sight issues.

Notepad++ also has a plug in function that allows you to add functionality that others develop for it. There are dozens of plug ins available. One that is useful is a spell checker, but there are many others that are specialized for different fields.

One last feature that you should know about is the macro recording capabilities. You can have Notepad++ record a sequence of actions that you perform within it and then replay these actions as many times as you want. This is useful for editing a group of lines in a file with the same pattern without having to type the same thing repeatedly.

I recommend this free program wholeheartedly. You can get it free here: http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/download.php

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

I have found this tool indispensable for renaming groups of media files. With MP3 files, you can create rules that rename the media files according to the ID Tags that are embedded within the files. These tags often have the correct artist, album and song information. Using this information you can rename your MP3 files so that they are self descriptive and easy to organize.

The best thing about this utility is the price. It is absolutely free. You can get your copy here: http://download.beroux.com/renameit-setup.exe

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

The newest Tivo’s allow you to use features from the Internet. Mine is connected to the Internet using a high-speed cable connection. With it, I can access Yahoo! functionality, I can purchase or rent Amazon movies from Unbox, or even transfer video to and from my PC. This latter feature is accessed using a piece of software called Tivo Desktop.

The latest version of Tivo Desktop allows you to send Podcasts to your Tivo for watching on your TV. I have subscriptions to a few technology Podcasts trough iTunes that my Tivo Desktop software transfers to my Tivo. It is a winning combination. The software comes in two versions–a free version and one that is priced at around $25. The paid one let’s you convert movies that you record on your Tivo to your portable devices–including your iPod. This makes it an excellent tool for two way use of your media.

As if these features were not enough to make me love my Tivo, there are two more features that you should know about. You can watch your pictures and listen to digital music files that are on your PC or home network on your TV. These features make the Tivo/Tivo Desktop 2.6 combination the ultimate (legal*) home entertainment system.

*The reason I say legal is that you can get many of these features in a more refined form from XBOX Media Center. This software runs on modified XBOXs and is free open source software. Additional versions of the software are being worked on by volunteers now.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

First, some explanations: An ISO image of a CD is a file that typically is stored with the extension ISO. This file contains an exact duplicate of the original CD. You can use it to create a clone of the original. When using the Microsoft Virtual CD software, you can load that image into memory and see it as a drive letter on your machine. This allows you to install additional tools from it or to make configuration changes to your system.

You can download the free Microsoft software here. (It is designed for Windows XP.)

If you don’t know how to make ISO images of your CDs, you can use a free tool like Alex Feinman’s ISO Recorder or you can use a paid tool like Roxio CD Creator. Alex has versions of the ISO recorder available for XP (with or without any service packs), Windows 2003 and Vista.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Windows Live Writer is a low end word processor, but it dedicated to creating and posting entries to blogs such as this. In fact, this posting was written in Windows Live Writer. I have to say that the program is excellent for the task. It is easy to set up and “understands” how to work with many different types of blogging software. Initially, it asks if you want to set it up with Microsoft software and services, but once you say that you are using something else, you are prompted for the type of software or service and guided through the process.

I am pleased with the way it works. It automatically downloaded information from this blog and presented many options for formatting this posting in a word processing format. It also provided me with ways to add hyperlinks, images and even videos. Because of its ease of use and cost, I recommend it. Try it.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

The latest and greatest version now supports Vista and can encrypt an entire hard drive. This is particularly useful for people who travel and have sensitive information on their notebook computers. Using this software might decrease the number of news stories on television about thousands of social security numbers or bank account numbers being stolen along with a notebook that was left unprotected. Come to think of it, this software should be mandatory for anyone with sensitive data.

The latest version can be downloaded from this link: http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads.php. Keep in mind that the software is free.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting