Thursday, July 29, 2010

PCLINUXOS shutdown problems???? Here's the answer....

Before reinstalling PCLINUXOS check your bios, and check and see if  APCI is enabled in the bios......if it is then leave it alone and boot into PCLINUXOS like normal.....

Go to the PCLINUXOS Control Center : > BOOT > setup boot system > under MAIN options :  All should be ok there.

Then click : ADVANCED...and UN-check =Enable ACPI... UN-check =Clean /temp at each boot...and....ENABLE Local APIC ...and CHECKED : ENABLE SMP...

Then shutdown -by- "SYSTEM"...and reboot , that should fix the problem for you!

Now to explain what ACPI is and why it is causing this issue.....here's the answer too!
ACPI allows the operating system to communicate with the computer's BIOS and instruct the BIOS to power down peripherals. For example, when your computer goes into hibernation mode, the operating system is using the ACPI specification to control the power to the internal components.There is some conflicts with PCLINUXOS and the ACPI being enabled in your computer's bios also that causes it to "hang"....

Therefore, we shut it off in the operating system and let the computer hardware dictate what it wants to to the peripherals in the system......

Now that the cat's outta the bag we can get on with life!
IF THIS TECH TIP FAILS>>>>>>Keep your initial Live CD in the drive when powering down as it has the shutdown files built into it and may help the system to force itself to
completely shut off......

Another option is to turn off Plymouth login and logoff screen and download another one....there has been issues with these files....go to Synaptic Package Manager and download more themes and swap it out for another one.....should also help clear up this shutdown problem.....

For sure, PCLINUXOS is a great distro and the features make it worth the effort!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Live CD's- Don't waste time on burning them to disc...try this!

Run your LiveCD directly on Windows

MobaLiveCD is a freeware that allows you to run your LiveCD on Windows into an emulation window.

MobaLiveCD is a freeware that will run your Linux LiveCD on Windows thanks to the excellent emulator called "Qemu".
MobaLiveCD allows you to test your LiveCD with a single click : after downloading the ISO image file of your favorite LiveCD, you just have to start it in MobaLiveCD and here you are, without the need to burn a CD-Rom or to reboot your computer.

MobaLiveCD key features:
  • No need to burn the CD-Rom anymore
  • You can use the right-click menu for an easy and fast start
  • Program without installation that you can start from an USB stick
  • A clear and easy to use interface
  • Light and portable application, packaged in a single executable of 1.6MB only
With only 2 clicks, run your LiveCD on Windows thanks to emulation
MobaLiveCD interface
  Download MobiLiveCD HERE

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Google Apps in Chrome Browser...try this too!

For those of you who are App Happy these days this post and the prior one are ones you
need to try.....

'course, with all the App-le news lately you know I would post somethin' on apps...


Google Apps Shortcuts is a new Chrome extension which helps you to add Google Apps Shortcuts in your Chrome Browser. With this now you can quickly access your favorite Google apps, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, and Docs, or quickly create a new email, event, document, spreadsheet or presentation. Its really helpful to users to access all these apps with single click.
Google Apps, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Google Apps Shortcut, 
Google Chrome
Users of certain themes that have white text, will not be able to read the text on the options menu due to the white background.
Download Google Apps Shortcuts chrome extension here
Then you will notice the little "Lightening" symbol in the upper right hand corner of your Chrome Browser...that is the quick way to get to your Google Apps.....try it...works great!

Prism.....getting your web apps conveniently!

Bringing web applications to your Desktop

Prism is an application that lets users split web applications
out of their browser and run them directly on their desktop ....it works great and
you will see your apps now running like you want!
 Download Now
Get Started

Monday, July 19, 2010

Chillin' with Peppermint ICE

Peppermint combines a base Linux operating system
with cloud-based applications. The advantage of such a setup is a very lightweight distro (407MB) using some of the most popular online applications. Peppermint hides the fact they are cloud-based though, by taking advantage of Mozilla Prism to make them look and act like desktop apps.
Such a lightweight OS was fast, and in the 2 months it has been available more than 250,000 downloads have been logged. But the team behind Peppermint haven’t stood still, and now a new even lighter, even faster version has been created.
It’s called Peppermint Ice, and puts even more of an emphasis on using cloud-based applications. Ice also uses Chromium as a default web browser instead of Firefox, and a new Site Specific Browser (SSB) for running cloud apps. What that means is every cloud app launched gets its own browser instance and therefore is immune to other browser-based apps crashing.
Peppermint Ice includes automatic updates, a new interface, a step-by-step installation guide
, and is completely free to use. You can download it now.
ICE

If you are currently using Peppermint One then you have already been exposed and are using Prism. If you haven’t, then let us take a second and explain what Ice is.
Ice is, by definition, a Site Specific Browser [SSB] that Peppermint creator Kendall Weaver wrote himself as a means to launch Web Applications and/or  Cloud Applications [SaaS - Software As A Service] from the new Peppermint Ice OS. When you launch a web based application using Ice it will call up a custom SSB using the default Chromium Browser. So, essentially, the Ice SSB acts as software that is installed locally but is actually delivered via the Web.
The difference in using an SSB as opposed to using a tabbed browser is that only one function is assigned to the Ice SSB.  In a tabbed browsing system, with several open for example, if one service or site in any given tab crashes you run the risk of losing data by crashing the other tabs and potentially the browser itself. since an SSB is isolated and dedicated to only operating the web application of your choice, if it crashes or hangs, it does not effect the rest of the system. And, because the Ice SSB’s are so sleek, they are perfect for running apps that display better using the most screen area as possible.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Rom....heard of it? if you have a smartphone you have it

ROM is "built-in" computer memory containing data that normally can only be read, not written to. ROM contains the programming that allows your computer to be "booted up" or regenerated each time you turn it on. Unlike a computer's random access memory (RAM), the data in ROM is not lost when the computer power is turned off.

Thus your smartphone has ROM.......

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Access your MP3's anywhere you are! Here's how.....

Music services geared toward untethered listening are enjoying increasing popularity thanks to the fact that cell phones are swiftly replacing standalone MP3 players for many people. MP3tunes is one of many solutions that has cropped up as a solution for on-the-go listening. The company offers a music cloud service that lets you upload up to 2GB of music for free and access it from any Internet-connected computer as well as a variety of handheld devices.
The first step to using MP3tunes is to download the teeny, tiny LockerSync uploader tool, which lets the service analyze your library and add it to the cloud. MP3tunes accepts both audio and video files in a variety of formats including MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, FLV, MP4, and M4A. It also recognizes iTunes playlists, which is a nice feature. Unsurprisingly, DRM-protected tracks are not supported.
MP3tunes screenshot
A view of the MP3tunes online library and playback interface.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jasmine France/CNET)
Once your music is in the cloud, there are a variety of ways to access it. The first is via the Web player at MP3tunes.com. Here, you'll find a well-organized interface with a visually pleasing playback box that displays album art. It's easy to browse tracks by album, artist, or playlist. Several in-home and portable hardware devices are also compatible with the service, including the iPhone, Android phones, Roku boxes, and even through your TV if you have TiVo.
MP3tunes performed admirably during our testing. There were no notable hiccups with playback, and audio quality is about on par with any other streaming-audio service. That is, it won't be audiophile-approved (especially since lossless formats aren't supported), but music sounds pleasant enough for the mainstream listener.
As noted, you can store up to 2GB of media in your locker at no charge. If you need more space, MP3tunes offers 50GB of storage for a monthly fee of $4.99.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Mouse Vanishes......hmmmm

From Wired:
"...researchers at MIT have found a method to let users click and scroll exactly the same way they would with a computer mouse, without the device actually being there. Cup your palm, move it around on a table and a cursor on the screen hovers. Tap on the table like you would click a real mouse, and the computer responds. It's one step beyond cordless. It's an invisible mouse. The project, called 'Mouseless,' uses an infrared laser beam and camera to track the movements of the palm and fingers and translate them into computer commands... A working prototype of the Mouseless system costs approximately $20 to build, says Pranav Mistry, who is leading the project."

BUT I LOVE MY MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Things......are you a fan? A rundown of solutions for you!

Here's some more info on the IPhone 4....just something else to add to the dilemma....The news out yesterday was to fix the connection problem with duct tape....on a $700.00 phone..??????
Now there is Bluetooth problems also!


MAKER OF ITHINGS Apple has another Iphone 4 fault to add the long list, as users have started to complain of Bluetooth woes.
Users are flooding the smug cappuccino firm's forums with complaints that their existing Bluetooth headsets are giving terrible sound quality and in many cases experiencing loss of connectivity between the headset and the brand new Iphone 4. Not surprisingly, they are reporting that the headsets worked perfectly on previous generation Iphones.
One user posted that their headset "worked fine on 3GS now dropping connection every 5 mins and people say I sound like I'm talking through seran (sic) wrap!" Another said Apple's technical support directed them to do a software restore, something that the user had already done. Afterwards, the user was told that a replacement Iphone had to be issued.
The diminishing Bluetooth connectivity could well be another case of the Iphone 4 having a duff antenna. However given that Bluetooth headsets should mean that users are not holding their Iphones while making a call, it could lay waste to Apple CEO Steve Jobs' claim that the phone is simply being mishandled by its users.
Iphone 4 users have been hit by an array of failings in Jobs' latest toy. One might even wonder if the device one of its employees misplaced in a San Francisco Bay area bar was the only unit Apple had for testing.
Apple will more than likely claim that this, like everything else it produces, can be fixed by some software update, or perhaps by purchasing another accessory. The firm has come under pressure to conduct a product recall, however given its attitude towards those who gladly pay handsomely for its wares, a slap in the face is more likely.
By Lawrence Latif

So let's recap and give you a run down of the solutions that you can pick to compensate for Apple's cumulative technical genius to produce a phone that really doesn't work all that well.
1. Gaffer tape
2. Nail polish
3. Rubber bands
3. Hacksawing the sim card
4. Attaching a plastic dustbin as a shield
5. Not touching a touchscreen phone
6. Holding it "differently"
7. Attach a 1970s bakelite phone to the back
8. Join the ambulance chasers
9. Apply for the job of Iphone antenna engineer
10. Not buy an Iphone 4.

Friday, July 9, 2010

USB not recognized issues with Windows 7

How many of you are having this problem?  Lots I am sure...it is quite frustrating.....well, here's a fix without having to do system restore (which does not work), or editing the registry (which can be disastrous-if you don't know what you are doing!)...

Simply UNPLUG YOUR COMPUTER FROM THE POWER SUPPLY. Yes that’s it! Note that this does not mean just turning off your computer because modern computers don’t really turn off when you press the power button as the motherboard still gets power.
First to explain, the motherboard is where all of hardware of the computer is connected to, including the USB ports. Sometimes the motherboard needs to be “rebooted” also because something can go wrong, i.e. all your USB ports suddenly stop working. The small microprocessor on the motherboard will reload the drivers and your USB ports should be back to recognizing all devices!
So first turn off your computer using Shut Down or pressing the power button and then UNPLUG it from the wall outlet. Let it sit for about a minute and then plug it back in.
Hope this helps someone fix that pesky “USB device not recognized” Windows error!

In other words, this process "refreshes" the system board and gives it a new boost....
If it does not work there may be other issues with your computer....    :(  

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Google Data-Where is mine stored??????

That has been the question on many folks minds lately with Cloud Computing taking over the Web World.....where in the world is my data?????
Here is what Google says....

"Your data will be stored in Google's network of data centers. Google maintains a number of geographically distributed data centers, the locations of which are kept discreet for security purposes. Google's computing clusters are designed with resiliency and redundancy in mind, eliminating any single point of failure and minimizing the impact of common equipment failures and environmental risks.
Access to data centers is very limited to only authorized select Google employees personnel."

The European Union is questioning that......hmmmm.....large corporations are bantering about storing sensitive information on these servers.....we the little people have our few contacts and emails and documents stored somewhere "out there" also.........it is the
future of the Web World....guess we just have to trust it is gonna be ok........hmmmm.....

Sunday, July 4, 2010

New update for SSL Google Homepage.....

Here's the scoop from Google!
Search more securely with encrypted Google web search

Update June 25, 2010: Since we introduced our encrypted search option last month, we’ve been listening closely to user feedback. Many users appreciate the capability to perform searches with better protection against snooping from third parties. We’ve also heard about some challenges faced by various school districts, and today, we want to inform you that we’ve moved encrypted search from https://www.google.com to https://encrypted.google.com. The site functions in the same way. For more information on this change, please read on here.