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 fact that Amazon is so good with books, computer parts and computers has gotten me excited about a new web site that they have put up for selling wireless phones and service plans. You can get to it by clicking here. I recently purchased a Mi-Fi router for my iPad through Amazon and can tell you that I was very satisfied with the transaction. It cost me $.01 with a two year plan. This was cheaper than the price on Verizon’s web site. You can get any of the following popular phones for $.01:

If instead you want the Motorola Droid or HTC HD2 Windows phone, you can get the Droid for $19.99 as of this writing and with HD2 for $99.99.

Motorola Droid A855    

HTC HD2 Windows Phone

Happy shopping!

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

I was recently asked by a friend what would be the best way to get notified of news stories surrounding Tiger Woods. Since I have been taking advantage of Google News Alerts for over a year, I knew that the easiest way to track any item of interest is to set a Google Alert on it. I have alerts on “health care reform,” my customer’s company names, my name, my wife’s name and many other topics and people of interest. Google dutifully sends me a daily e-mail with a recap of all the web, news and blog mentions of each subject. I told my friend about the alerts and you could immediately see that he grasped how useful Google Alerts could be for business.

If you want to set an alert on news about Tiger Woods go here. You can also use the page to set alerts on any other topic that might interest you.

I am providing 26 easy steps to upgrading your Mac Mini. I hope this helps you. Please remember to be careful and gentle. The case is delicate and it is better to spend a little extra time to get it right than to damage your case.

Step 1. Buy Memory and get a spatula, small flat head screwdriver screwdriver and kitchen knife. One of the technicians her at Alonso Consulting was able to forgo using a spatula. However, I think it is easier with a small, sturdy spatula. Before you proceed, unplug all cords from the Mac Mini and place everything on a padded surface. You can use cloth for this purpose.

Step 2. Start opening case by prying it open with spatula or kitchen knife. Be careful and take your time. You do not want to break any of the plastic tabs that grip into the sides of the Mac Mini case.

Step 3. Use hands to pry the case off once you have popped off the sides.

Step 4. You can also use the small screwdriver to hold a side up so that it does not clip back into place as you work around the case.

Step 5. You will start to see the bottom separating from the top of the unit.

 
Step 6. Continue to move around the case until you pry it apart completely. Apply pressure away from the upper section with your fingers. Be gentle.

Step 7. Once this is done, you can  lift the bottom section off the top and see the insides of the Mac Mini.

Step 8. You can place the bottom of the unit which contains the electronics on a flat padded surface.

Step 9.  Locate the wireless antenna. It is in one of the corners. Remove it gently without separating the cable from the rest of the unit.

Step 10.  Remove screws that are found on each corner. Be careful about placing these somewhere in the order that they were removed. They are not all the same length.

Step 11.  Now lift the electronics off the bottom plastic very gently.

Step 12. You can lift from the side using your thumbs.

Step 13. As you lift, you will see the memory sockets. There are two SODIMM sockets.

Step 14. Here is a better look at the memory.

Step 15. Remove the installed memory and replace it with your two SODIMMS.

Step 16. You should buy memory that will max out your Mac Mini so that you will not have to do this again. I installed two 2 GB memory modules for a total of 4 GB on my Mac Mini. Please note in the picture that the modules were inserted sideways under the electronics with a lot of gentle care.

Step 17. Here is a closer look at the memory modules in their slots.

 
Step 18. In this step, the technician is putting firm pressure on the two memory chips so that they snap in place. You will hear a slight click.

Step 19. Set the electronics back into place in the plastic case.

Step 20. Replace the screws that you removed earlier.

 
Step 21. Replace the wireless card that you removed. Make sure that it clips into place and is not sticking out. If it is, then you will have problems putting on the cover or getting wireless networking to work.

 
Step 22. Here is a picture of the Mac Mini electronics ready to be put back together with the upper portion of the plastic Apple cover.

Step 23. Start by placing the electronics into the case as pictured. Make sure you line up the back potion with the cable ports correctly. You will not be able to close the case any other way, so this should be intuitive.

Step 24. Apply gentle, but firm pressure all around the case. Please note that a padded surface was used to avoid scratches on the case.

Step 25. For the final steps, squeeze the upper portion of the case down around the back with the connectors. For some reason, this section required more pressure.

Step 26. You are done. Relax, plug in your Mac and watch a nice movie on it from iTunes.

The same steps can be used to replace the hard drive. It is located behind the memory in the electronic core. I hope this has been helpful.

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

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.

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.

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.)

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?

For the many who were probably caught unprepared for this, the FCC has established a hotline staffed by 4,000 operators to help you, You can call: 1-888-CALL-FCC. Alternatively, you can visit this government website: http://www.dtv.gov/

Does anyone remember analog cell phones, Betamax, VHS, LP record players, tape players, or heaven forbid, 8-Track players? If you do, you probably own a Sony Walkman tape player and need to upgrade to an iPod Touch. Get with it.

The answer to ever growing storage needs is an external hard drive. Western Digital makes a very good 1 Terabyte drive, with USB 2.0 connections that typically sells for under $200. This drive has enough space for over 200,000 photographs, or 1,000 compressed movies. My recommendation is that you buy two identical drives and keep two copies of everything. You might even want to keep one drive at a remote location and only bring it home to keep it up-to-date.

Think about it–those pictures of your loved ones are definitely worth $400. If you are a patient shopper, you can even find the drives for about $149. The good news is that they work with both PCs and Apple computers.

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

The author chides the reader into thinking counterintuitively and into moving forward with action. He believes that today’s business environment requires that you do things Fast, Good, Cheap and then Add Something Extra. He warns readers of the dangers of complacency in the new global economy and also explains the dangers that the Internet has created for businesses that do not perform well. For example, if you did not satisfy a customer in the past, you could suffer from bad word of mouth that could affect ten or more people. With the Internet, the same dissatisfied customer could post information about his experience on a blog and affect the opinion of hundreds or thousands of people. I believe what Mr. Sheahan writes completely because I have posted comments on this blog about unsatisfactory experiences with preferredphoto.com and with the Maestro 4250 GPS and know that dozens of Google searches bring dozens of readers to those experiences every week.

Like most business books, some of the advice is obvious. For example, the book has a chapter on the fact that business is personal. This is obvious to anyone who has owned or managed a business. People do business with people they know and trust. Mr. Sheahan makes the point that one way to compete with the threat of cheaper global labor is to stress the fact that you are local and trustworthy. He uses as an example a laser eye surgery that he underwent. He had the choice of having it done for a fraction of the cost overseas, but chose a local doctor after the doctor explained to him that Sheahan’s condition meant something to the doctor and would affect him if he did not do it right. He told him that in a foreign country, the doctor would not be worried about his reputation or about any malpractice.

I recommend “FL!P” because it is a good and entertaining read, because it inspired me to action and because it is well researched. Buy a copy and read it, you won’t regret it.

You can get FL!P here.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting, Inc.

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.

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

It turns out that it was a big mistake on my part. I received an e-mail from preferredphoto.com asking me to call them to clarify something in my order. I called repeatedly and got a voice mail box that was full for the extension that I was supposed to call. I also go a full mailbox for their main extension. Three days later, a representative called me and offered to sell me add on products. When I declined, I was offered an extended warranty since "the manufacturer hardly covers the product at all." I told the caller, I had certain expectations when placing an order and one of them was not to be called with additional offers. The rep told me not to get preachy with him and that the total would come to $129 and some change including the "handling fee." I promptly told him to cancel my order because I did not want to do business with a sleazy company. He, of course, said I would not find the product at that price anywhere. Even if that is true, this kind of behavior cannot be encouraged. I would rather go without the product.

Here is my recommendation: Steer clear of preferredphoto.com and give your money to a company that will deliver what they say they will at the agreed upon price.

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

Without getting into every detail of the device I will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly and let you decide whether you want one or not.

The Good

The Maestro does and excellent job of guiding you from one location to another. It synchronizes with GPS satellites almost instantly and works well even inside a building that has notoriously bad reception of all other radio signals. I love that it chimes at the exact spot that you have to make a turn and warns you in advance verbally when you need to make an upcoming turn. The voice it uses is pleasant. It also understands voice commands and has an excellent user interface for entering destinations. You can start with a Zip Code, enter the first few letters of the street name, select the right one from a list and then enter the numerical address and you are on your way.

It has so many excellent features that it is impossible to describe them all without turning this into a user’s manual.

The Bad

Unfortunately, like all good things, there is a bad side to this GPS device–it sucks as a speaker phone. Please note the strong use of the word, “sucks!” The speaker is tiny. The volume is inaudible and the device never reconnects with your phone when you leave and reenter your vehicle. You have to go through the menus and find your phone and reconnect manually. This renders it completely unusable and makes it a gimmick rather than a feature. It is perplexing that the sound is such a problem since the sound for the street directions is crystal clear and adjustable. I read in on-line postings that this would probably be fixed in the next firmware. The current one is 2.24.

The Ugly

After reading that a firmware update would fix the problem, I searched the Magellan web site to find an update and could not find one. I then searched for a customer service number and called it. Their customer service sucks more than the speaker phone issue. Apparently, the customer service department is outsourced to a foreign country and the people there are complete idiots. The woman who spoke with me was more interested in getting information about who I was and where I was calling from than solving my problem. This little fact is particularly annoying since she did not use this information to call me back as she said she would at the end of the call. The support agent’s idea of customer service was looking up what I was asking about on the web site. I told her that I had already searched the web site and needed to know when a new firmware release would be forthcoming. All she could say is that one was coming, but that she did not know anything about the timeframe. I then asked her what the current version of the firmware was to see if I had the most recent and she could not answer this question. When pressed, she agreed to call me back with the information. It has been a week and no call back yet. This is pathetic and should not be called “customer service.”

I have some advice for consumer goods companies; bring customer service departments back to the United States and give them real information so that they can help customers. This is not the first time that I have experienced horrible support from off-shore call centers.

If you are interested in finding out more about the device, reading other reviews or buying it, go here.

Robert Alonso
Alonso Consulting

Card Size

SD cards are the larger of the cards and are typically used in cameras and portable GPS devices. The miniSD cards are the mid sized cards. These were mostly used in PDAs and various Smart Phones. Recently the PDA and Smart Phone market has moved to using the microSD cards. Since the phones and PDAs have shrunk in size, so have the memory cards for these devices.

Most computer stores and camera stores now sell adapters that allow you to use the smaller cards in devices that take the larger cards. This is useful for transferring data from a micro or miniSD into a computer that only has an SD reader.

The image above on the right shows the comparative size of these memory cards. (The image comes from Wikipedia’s site via the GNU Free Documentation License.)

Memory Capacity

The “HC” that is appended at the end of a card name stands for High Capacity. The capacity limit of non-HC cards is 4 GB. HC cards start at 4 GB and have a specified limit of 32 GB although theoretically larger capacities are possible. However, most devices have limits that are far smaller than that. For example, a Smart Phone that I purchased recently has an upper limit of 8 GB for microSDHC cards.

Speed Ratings

The 12x, 150X, various multiples in between, and Class ratings refer to the transfer speed of the cards. The number preceding the X is multiplied times 150 KBs. This usually refers to the highest speed that you can read data from the card. Writing to the card is usually slower. Faster write speeds are required by cameras that record video or take pictures with more megapixels.

The Class ratings refer to the transfer speed for HC cards. The number following the Class refers to the MBs that the card transfers. The three numbers that are used at this time are 2, 4 and 6.

Conclusion

Hopefully this has made it a little easier for you to decide which card to buy. Just remember to read the user’s manual of the device that you purchased and buy a card with the right size, capacity and speed for that device.

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