This image is pretty rough around the edges, with little finishing work done to it, but I thought this one would be a good one to post to the community. I could have missed some aspects or versions, but I tried to squeeze in as much as I could. If you think that something should be added, leave a comment and I will try to add it.

From Command Line to Vista…..

I’ve been watching the live stream and keeping up to date with the world thanks to LockerGnome for the last couple months, and would like to thank you all in advance for all the tips and tricks that I have learned thanks to you (the community). I discovered the AutoIt v3 scripting tool awhile back, and after utilizing it for a mass install process, which was made unimaginably simple thanks to this program, I thought I’ll contribute my little part by bringing this to the communities attention.

After revisiting their main site of http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3 to gather some general information, I discovered a GIANT recommended by Lockergnome logo. I’m really not that surprised that this unimaginably helpful software has already been found by the community, but I still feel obligated to send out a refresher to the ones that already know, and a giant HELPFUL arrow to those new to the community that haven’t used it.

Instead of trying to explain a process or making a video for a person in need help of installing or changing an advanced setting – I simply create a script to automate the whole process. The scripting is very easy to learn, and the tutorials and help section is more than thorough. Anyway, I would recommend this tool to anyone who wants to be able to automate ANY process, from installing to changing screen resolution for your grandpa. All they have to do is open the executable! ~

Our connections with technology have created an almost unlimited ability to be connected to everybody, at any time and acquire information with a couple clicks of a mouse….

Can you imagine a world without this ability?

A couple days ago I was watching the news and to my amazement a news story flashed across my screen saying that some parents had put their infant up for bid on eBay. I was stunned a little at first that any parent would want to seriously pull this kind of stunt and I expected some kind of half-intelligent excuse from the parents. Then to my amazement their excuse was simply, “It was a joke.” What kind of warped sense of humor would a parent have to have to put up their child on eBay, even as a joke, for the reason that it was crying to much? Adding insult to injury, even though by point I couldn’t care what else they had done – they were beyond anything redeemable in my eyes, they had posted their son for $1.57.

The lack of ethics in some people just astonishes me. To lack the common sense to see that putting your own child on eBay as a joke, is a joke. Not a Ha-Ha funny kind of joke, but something more in tune to these parents are a joke. I may seem harsh to some, but I have little tolerance for people who aren’t serious with their children. What will the boy think when he gets older and is told his parents tried to sell him on eBay?

No matter if you agree or disagree with me, leave a post on what you think.

Do you see this as a simple joke, or a “Joke of a joke”?

Am I too harsh, or too lenient?

If you want to look further into the story, I found a news article on it:

News Article

I’ve always been interested in exploration of space, and especially in the recent mars mission that have been occurring. The most recent is the Phoenix Mars Mission, which successfully landed on mars in the evening of Sunday May 25th. The whole landing was presented on a Discovery Channel special, which was directly connected to the control room providing instant information and “as it happened” coverage. After the “7 Minutes of Terror”, as the craft bashed against the atmosphere of Mars, the conformation came of a successful landing.

Twenty-four hours later and now the first pictures from the Phoenix are arriving. Some people will look at these photos and simply see a rocky terrain, but it should represent so much more. This shows just how far, we as humanity have advanced. We are crossing imaginable distances through an unforgiving place, and deceleration a piece of technology from 14,000 mph / 22,500 km/h to landing in under 10 minutes, while keeping sensitive systems functioning. In these projects people are forced to come together in conjunction for the mission to be a success. These projects also form cooperation between countries such as the meteorological station contributed by Canada for the Phoenix mission.

I believe that these projects are worth every penny that is spent on them. They further research in all areas of technology in direct or indirect methods, and in the process bring people together. These missions allow us to explorer the world that is “outside our world”, and in the process teach us more about ourselves and what is, and could be out there.

The first pictures from the Phoenix Mars Mission:

I’m having issues posting the pictures BUT you can still see them on their site:

For many more pictures and information on the Phoenix Mars Mission visit:

Pictures & Info

According to Jakob Nielsen, web users are starting to simply want “to reach a site quickly, complete a task and leave.” Web users are starting to not care how perfect the site looks, they just want it to load fast. They want to be able to grab the information, and run. They prefer their sites to the point, and lightning fast.

In this continuous shift toward efficiency are we heading toward losing something important on the Internet? I have had the experience of creating my own website, and the work that goes into it is immense. While functionality can be an endless task, it’s always the finishing work that make you feel the best. The perfect graphics, theme, and design that makes a site go from looking “Cool” to looking “Stunning” is the part that most web designers strive for. So what if no one cares anymore? Do we really want just a white page with the direct information on it? It would obviously be faster to searching the web but the process would become a tedious and dull task. Personally I prefer the extra couple seconds of load time so I can enjoy the site as I search for my information.

The world doesn’t need to boil down to just pure efficiency; people need to just slow down and enjoy the view. You will eventually get the information you need, but why not enjoy taking the ride? It’ll be less frustrating and stressful in the end, and by not getting flustered you will be just as efficient.

So the next time your cursing the web for information, randomly stop and check out the site.
Take 10 seconds and look at all the work that someone put into that page.

Source

Being the new kid on the block with the whole blogging concept, I’ve had a few glitches and issues but nothing that was a real problem that I couldn’t recognize and work through. I was under this “illusion” that everything was running perfectly, until received a comment on one of my posts.

You might not use Microsoft software to blog next time - Internet Explorer pukes on it if you didn’t notice.
Chris Pirillo

I have to admit that at first the message really didn’t “click” in my mind. I had looked at every one of my posts after I had published them to make sure everything looked and sounded the way I desired it to. Then having one of those “Duh” moments, and quickly switched from my default browser of Firefox, to Internet Explorer 7. To my amazement a jumble of code had invaded all my posts, except the one I had not written in Microsoft Word. Then changing back to Firefox, once again my posts look perfect.

After a couple hours of house cleaning I’m hoping that all the “excess code” has finally been eradicated. Sorry if you were in the process of reading something and half the post disappeared or something of the nature, but everything should be fine now. As for people who are planning to, or using Microsoft Word (In my case was 2007), then copying the content directly over to publish, you may be experiencing the invasion of code I did, and not even know it. I found an easy solution to the issue, which is to simply copy your content over to notepad before recopying to do your final publish. This should help avoid the “puke” that Internet Explorer injected all over my work.

Thanks again to Chris Pirillo for pointing out this issue for me and now the community, and if anyone else has any other tips, tricks, or helpful information to “the new kids of the blog” please post it below.

For quite a long time now I’ve been dealing with the dreaded “Low Signal” or “Limited Conductivity” with my wireless internet whenever I moved from more than one room from where my wireless router was located. I’ve been putting off buying a new one for quite awhile now, because if I really needed to use the internet I could always move to another room, or use one of the desktops that where connected to my router directly. I’m not saying I hadn’t Gawked at the new and improved, Ultra, Mega 3 antenna wireless router, but I kept convincing it couldn’t be that much better. They could easily strap on another couple antennas and claim that the improvement was unimaginable. I was always told that more isn’t better as a child….and well I’m sticking to this excuse. In reality I had just got used to dealing with the “Lack of Range”, and was too cheap to consider the upgrade.

It was only when my ancient wireless router (Carved from stone, and came with a rock as a free gift), that my father had bought, starting to randomly drop the internet on both the wireless and wired computers that I decided that I needed to purchase a new one. After comparing features, prices, and deals on the internet, I finally went out and got myself a new router.

FREEDOM! It’s sounds really silly, but being able to have the internet in any room is truly amazing. To have 5 bars in one room, and still have 5 bars on the other side of the house feels great. Being unrestricted in where I can sit, relax and search the net is something that is hard to describe after having to sit in a certain room, and that perfect angle, while wearing tin foil on your head to get any kind of connection.

So my advice for everyone who is suffering from the “Low Conductivity” low range blues…

MORE Antennas IS BETTER… at lease in my case.

If you’ve had the low range,

And finally decided to change

Don’t be sorry,

Just tell your story.

The first concept that should be considered in any “Perfect Laptop for Me Plan” has got to be budget. This will set in motion the whole process of determining what features and extras you should be looking for in your laptop. If the budget is smaller, the ability to have the deluxe version with the build in coffeemaker may not be possible.
The second concept would be to determine what the primary use of the Laptop will be. If the laptop is destined to be a business laptop, travel would be a main concern. Mobility, smaller size and longer battery life will be key issues, while a person buying a laptop for gaming will be more concerned about bigger screen size, graphics power, and the size of the processor. The circumstances must be known to fully decide on every feature.
Look for the deals! If your budget is $700, look for a laptop that is on sale from $800.00. You still hold your budget, but you squeak in that extra feature, or hardware upgrade for no extra price.

A Quick Run Down On Planning:

1.    Budget: Everything is determined from this point.

2.    The Laptops Primary Planned Use
The Traveler: Think Mobility: Smaller Size, Longer Battery Life, Durability
The Gamer: Think Process Power: Better Graphic Card, Bigger Processor, Bigger Screen
(256+ MB separate video card memory)
The Student: Think Hybrid – Students need Mobility, but Students will play just hard as they work!

Thinks to keep in mind:
- Windows Vista should have at minimum of 2 gigs of Ram. It can run on less, but the performance will suffer. RAM: Minimum of 2 Gigs in my opinion.
-Even the most basic laptops now have at least 160 Gigs of Hard Drive Space.
-Processor speed isn’t the only component. Intel Core 2 Duo running at 2.0GHz is unimaginably superior to a Pentium D running at 2.0GHz.
-Something you consider as a small detail, such as a built in webcam, might be a critical aspect to the person you helping, so consult, consult, and consult.

3.    Once the fine details have been worked out of what the laptop needs to achieve and be able to handle, hit the Net running. Compare prices, features, hardware, and stores flyers in your area. Don’t stick to one brand, but try to look at every possibility to try to find the perfect blend that is just right for you. Look for DEALS! If you find a laptop that you think is right but you’re not 100%, give it time to sink in. Search a little more; it’s not going to hurt. Only once you’re crystal clear that you’ve found “THE ONE” go out and buy it, but right until that moment keep your options open and keep searching.

4.    Always remember the pesky costs that are always forgotten. Taxes play a big role in more expensive items, the extended warranty, recycling costs charge.

5.    Once you’ve, or they’ve decided that they have found the perfect laptop…Retrieve it and enjoy. There will always be a better laptop, so once you’ve went out and bought one don’t regret not getting that other one with the built in coffeemaker, just enjoy yours.

Have fun and enjoy your laptop.

A daily commodity in almost every modern household or workplace is printing. From my Grandfather printing off family photos and family trees, to printing off work related ventures; printing has become a fact of life in most places during this modern age. From printing documents to full-blown pictures, printers have become a necessity in our everyday computerized lives.

Lately my Grandfather has taken the leap into the magical land of digital photography, and with his ability to take more than 1000 pictures with his digital camera; he has been “well” documenting our family events in the last year. After every event we would receive a package of picture highlights of the event. Then awhile back I went to the store and picked up some store brand cartridges and realized a set of one black and one colour cartridge cost more than my printer. The next day I approached my Grandfather about his massive ink usage and he a simple reply: Refill Your own Ink. He then proceeded to open a cupboard, revealing a massive stash of ink bottles and refill kits.

I had looked into refill ink cartridges before and even bought a kit, but after some research I had done a couple years ago, I had read they actually caused long term damage to printers. While one little mistake made while refilling the ink could cause immediate revisable damage to the printer. Now with prices exceeding the cost of printers, at least in my case, maybe it would be logical to take that step and try to refill my ink cartridges. It definitely costs less to refill, and would be more environmentally friendly than buying a new printer every time I need ink. After talking to a couple buddies of the Tech community in my area, I found they had turned to similar solutions.

What are your views on refilling Ink, and its potential damage that may stem from it V.S. the cost of printers & Ink cartridges. With my latest dabble into graphic design, and a general increase in printing, I’m open to alternatives and money saving tips, and solutions. So I’m going take a few steps on the path that is refilling my ink, and see if the savings will add up in the long-run.