I have a love-hate relationship with COX Communications.
For the past two days connectivity has been intermittent. Sometimes you can get to your favorite site, other times you cannot. I called COX and they had one of those prerecorded messages stating that they know the region is having these connection issues and they are trying to figure out what is causing it.
Of course I NEED the connectivity NOW. These sorts of things only happen when I actually need to get something done. This is the reason I shifted from COX to QWEST two years ago. But eventually I drift back to COX.
The thing about COX is that they have THE fastest upload/download speeds bar none. When it is working I can get downloads up to, hold your breath here, over 2 MB/s! That's right. Last speed test I saw 24018 kb/s download and 1089 kb/s upload. That's pretty quick.
So, there it is. When it works, it is great, when it breaks, it is broken for days at a time.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Firefox 3.0
I have had trouble lately becoming attached to any one browser. I think Firefox 3.0 might be the cure.
My usual browser, one I bought and have used for 5 years now, is OmniWeb. Great browser, great functionality but lately there have been all sorts of minor issues that seem to plague the software.
Camino is another good browser, very simple, clean and the trunk builds use the latest mozilla rendering engine. There is also Safari. Safari is nice, it too is simple and it still has a few quirks that you need to get used to (for example, the latest Yahoo mail works with it, but sometimes complains about it, also deviantArt works best with a mozilla product).
Another browser I like a great deal is Flock. Flock is basically Firefox with predetermined add-ons. It is a "social browsing" focused application. It is very useful. But... the current version is still based on Firefox 2.0 with all the lovely memory leaks associated with it, and odd font rendering issues. There ARE trunk builds based on Firefox 3.0 but they are still a bit buggy. While I was browsing around with the alpha version of Flock the other day I thought, "HUH! Why not Firefox 3.0?" So, I downloaded Firefox 3.0 (Beta now) and began the process of customization.
Firefox 3.0 by itself is a good browser. The latest version of the ghecko rendering engine is fantastic. It is faster than ever, and very easy on memory. It also fixes all the weird font rendering issues suffered by the previous version.
I wanted something that would have SOME of the cool functionality of Flock as well as some other cool gadgets (I mean extensions) that I have found quite useful. These are the extensions that I use:
CustomizeGoogle
ScribeFire
DownloadHelper
Hyperwords
Interclue
ScrapBook
Shareaholic
Web Developer
These are GREAT plugins. They are fairly streamlined, quick and so very very useful. With these plugins I often can do all sorts of research and other "work" just in Firefox alone, without hopping about from application to application or having to have 8 tabs open in the browser. Good stuff.
If you are looking for a browser, I think you might want to download the latest Beta version of Firefox 3.0. I think Firefox has once again stepped up to the plate and is ready do battle with any other browser available.
My usual browser, one I bought and have used for 5 years now, is OmniWeb. Great browser, great functionality but lately there have been all sorts of minor issues that seem to plague the software.
Camino is another good browser, very simple, clean and the trunk builds use the latest mozilla rendering engine. There is also Safari. Safari is nice, it too is simple and it still has a few quirks that you need to get used to (for example, the latest Yahoo mail works with it, but sometimes complains about it, also deviantArt works best with a mozilla product).
Another browser I like a great deal is Flock. Flock is basically Firefox with predetermined add-ons. It is a "social browsing" focused application. It is very useful. But... the current version is still based on Firefox 2.0 with all the lovely memory leaks associated with it, and odd font rendering issues. There ARE trunk builds based on Firefox 3.0 but they are still a bit buggy. While I was browsing around with the alpha version of Flock the other day I thought, "HUH! Why not Firefox 3.0?" So, I downloaded Firefox 3.0 (Beta now) and began the process of customization.
Firefox 3.0 by itself is a good browser. The latest version of the ghecko rendering engine is fantastic. It is faster than ever, and very easy on memory. It also fixes all the weird font rendering issues suffered by the previous version.
I wanted something that would have SOME of the cool functionality of Flock as well as some other cool gadgets (I mean extensions) that I have found quite useful. These are the extensions that I use:
CustomizeGoogle
ScribeFire
DownloadHelper
Hyperwords
Interclue
ScrapBook
Shareaholic
Web Developer
These are GREAT plugins. They are fairly streamlined, quick and so very very useful. With these plugins I often can do all sorts of research and other "work" just in Firefox alone, without hopping about from application to application or having to have 8 tabs open in the browser. Good stuff.
If you are looking for a browser, I think you might want to download the latest Beta version of Firefox 3.0. I think Firefox has once again stepped up to the plate and is ready do battle with any other browser available.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A mouse, a port and underpants...
Sheepishly I admit that I was imbibing whilst working on my computer. The inevitable happened, I spilt my beverage all over the desktop. The keyboard was spared but the flow drenched my mouse in a sugary, tasteful carbonated beverage. At first all seemed alright. I shook the mouse out, it worked fine. The next day the wheel stopped clicking; it turned smoothly but as if it was immersed in tar. Thus began the end of my faithful and most cherished Si670m.
I was saddened of course, because this is, was, the best mouse I had ever used. I reverted back to the mighty mouse I had bought with my mini, but it just wasn't the same. After a day or two of soul searching, I pulled the trigger, browsed to Amazon.com and purchased another Kensington Bluetooth Wireless mouse: the Si670m. I am now happy again with my shiny new mouse by my side working as flawlessly as ever. This mouse is a great buy if you are looking for a bluetooth mouse that isn't the size of a walnut like some of the "portable" mice out there. This one is hand-sized and made of very nice materials. The optical port has excellent tracking and movement is quick and precise. The wheel is also left/right clickable to scroll horizontally. The wheel spin clicks lightly, almost luxuriously. It's just a great mouse.
While I was at it, I picked up a 7 port USB hub. Now I have several free USB ports for plugging in cameras and other temporary peripherals as needed. The USB hub is a "Cables To Go" brand, powered USB 2.0 unit. So far it works well and its bright blue light matches the lights on my USB MyBooks (tho the Firewire MyBook has a white light). So far it is performing well and the ports themselves are snug, which I like.
You are wondering about the underpants? First, have you ever worn bamboo clothing? It sounds awful, I know, but bamboo fiber is the silkiest, softest material you can wear. The only bad part about it is that it is somewhat expensive because most of it is imported and the demand has not yet gone crazy enough to generate large quantities of items to be shipped to the states. Anyway, Google "ShirtsOfBamboo" and check out some of their clothing, pick yourself up a shirt or something. You won't regret it, I am serious. It is wonderful material and feels very nice to wear, it also wicks AND has natural anti-bacterial properties so you won't stink as much on a hot day. :) That's all for now. Bye!
I was saddened of course, because this is, was, the best mouse I had ever used. I reverted back to the mighty mouse I had bought with my mini, but it just wasn't the same. After a day or two of soul searching, I pulled the trigger, browsed to Amazon.com and purchased another Kensington Bluetooth Wireless mouse: the Si670m. I am now happy again with my shiny new mouse by my side working as flawlessly as ever. This mouse is a great buy if you are looking for a bluetooth mouse that isn't the size of a walnut like some of the "portable" mice out there. This one is hand-sized and made of very nice materials. The optical port has excellent tracking and movement is quick and precise. The wheel is also left/right clickable to scroll horizontally. The wheel spin clicks lightly, almost luxuriously. It's just a great mouse.
While I was at it, I picked up a 7 port USB hub. Now I have several free USB ports for plugging in cameras and other temporary peripherals as needed. The USB hub is a "Cables To Go" brand, powered USB 2.0 unit. So far it works well and its bright blue light matches the lights on my USB MyBooks (tho the Firewire MyBook has a white light). So far it is performing well and the ports themselves are snug, which I like.
You are wondering about the underpants? First, have you ever worn bamboo clothing? It sounds awful, I know, but bamboo fiber is the silkiest, softest material you can wear. The only bad part about it is that it is somewhat expensive because most of it is imported and the demand has not yet gone crazy enough to generate large quantities of items to be shipped to the states. Anyway, Google "ShirtsOfBamboo" and check out some of their clothing, pick yourself up a shirt or something. You won't regret it, I am serious. It is wonderful material and feels very nice to wear, it also wicks AND has natural anti-bacterial properties so you won't stink as much on a hot day. :) That's all for now. Bye!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Obama vs. Hillary
It is beginning to look like the mainstream Democrats are leaning toward Obama and their support for Hillary is declining. At least that is the impression I am getting from the "press."
People seem concerned that Hillary is fracturing the party because this is dragging on so long. Hardly. It isn't even the summer yet, and how much stumping do they expect Obama will need to run against McCain? I guess a lot of the concern arises from the fact that McCain can go about at will hobnobbing and such, garnering the trust and support for the presidential elections while Obama is hogtied in his battle with Clinton. Again, all this does is provide more time for the real McCain to be revealed, his mistakes, his bad associations, his limitations.
People need to chill out a little. Let the process go as is. There is plenty of time, the shorter the campaign I think the better. It will let Obama address the issues with renewed vigor, and allow him to break away from some of the debates he has had to face with Hillary, and outshine McCain in many regards.
People seem concerned that Hillary is fracturing the party because this is dragging on so long. Hardly. It isn't even the summer yet, and how much stumping do they expect Obama will need to run against McCain? I guess a lot of the concern arises from the fact that McCain can go about at will hobnobbing and such, garnering the trust and support for the presidential elections while Obama is hogtied in his battle with Clinton. Again, all this does is provide more time for the real McCain to be revealed, his mistakes, his bad associations, his limitations.
People need to chill out a little. Let the process go as is. There is plenty of time, the shorter the campaign I think the better. It will let Obama address the issues with renewed vigor, and allow him to break away from some of the debates he has had to face with Hillary, and outshine McCain in many regards.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Does anyone remember SweetMail?
GyazMail is my primary email application on OS X. But from time to time I find myself mysteriously drawn back to an old email application: SweetMail.
SweetMail was a very good email application from the OS 8 and 9 days. When Apple went to OS X, the developer of SweetMail did his best to provide us a Carbon/Mach-O version before he dropped off the face of the Earth. This was several years ago. Guess what? SweetMail STILL WORKS. I am running it right now on Leopard. It has not been updated in years, lacks features that it sorely needs (IMAP for one) and of course uses the old Carbonized widgets. But it still sends/receives email and does a good job in organizing your messages for you.
The thing I liked most about it, and what I miss in email applications today, is that the interface is broken into objects. Each mailbox is its own window, each message its own, etc. Many people would complain that it causes clutter, but I enjoy it and I work in that manner anyway, always having many many applications and windows open at the same time.
SweetMail is quick. It's connections and processing of messages are no-nonsense, fast. It does not really do HTML mail (it recognizes HTML, but makes you open it in another application), but I like that too, I prefer to send and receive email in plain text format. It also recognizes links and other bits of information in mail messages and highlights or acts upon them according to their meaning. For example, URLs are clickable.
I am running version 2.2r6, if you can find it anywhere, it is worth downloading and taking for a spin. To minimize the font shock on your eyes, I recommend installing Silk, a haxie from Unsanity. That's all for now! Have a wonderful evening!
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