Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;1067962]My boss (CIO) has been an Apple guy for years, and Apple has slowly infiltrated our hardware inventory. Before that, it was Dell and only Dell. We have 2 Mac Minis (2010), 4 MacBook Airs (Mid 2011, Mid 2012), and 2 MacBook Pros (Retina, Late 2013) in use right now, and the only hardware issue we encountered were the 128GB flash drives that were recalled. Before I got mine, I just saw Mac as completely overpriced for what it is. Now that I've used it everyday for a while now, I dig it, but glad I'm not paying for it LOL. I've thought about getting a Mac Mini for home. Fairly affordable, small form factor, solid software, and since my wife and I have iPhones, iTunes runs so much better on Mac than Windows.

I'm using Mac at work because of mobile app development. I'm able to keep tabs on the iOS Developer in XCode while I develop for Android in Eclipse.

With our company moving more and more resources to the cloud it'll be a matter of time before we move to Chromebooks and Cloud Desktops for a majority of our users.[/quote]

That makes good sense. I only ask because I've seen more people switch from Apple BACK to PC this year than I ever had.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;1067992]Very, very interesting. It's tough to be a dick because the climate here is almost a "even though this is a W&L computer, it's MY computer." For me, the biggest benefit of users calling for installs is that we get to vet them. I imagine our calls will go down significantly once people realize how embarrassing it'll be to call and say, "SooooOoo, I was hoping to get this Hello Kitty! screensaver installed."

Since I'm in one building, I don't mind walking to someone's office to check out an app for them. What did you do for laptop users? That's my biggest concern right now since I have professors traveling all over the world and the last thing I want is for them to absolutely need an install and we can't help them.

My thought was to create a local backdoor account with like a 25 character password so they can install in case of emergencies, but the password would be prohibitive to them logging in as that account all the time. Sure, we have a couple savvy users who would change it, and I would just deal with that as I went forward.

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm in charge of this initiative for both sides of campus and we're wanting to work through all scenarios.[/quote]

People just eventually accepted that the machine wasn't "theirs". I think most people sort of inherently knew that the free ride was going to end at some point. There really wasn't much blow back. Only a few times did we have have to go with the "if it is something you really want to debate then you can go to your director, convince them to fight for it, and then we can meet with management and debate it." Never once did they take us up. They knew that what they were asking for wasn't a business need.

In terms of laptop users we treat them the same although we don't have much of a permanent deployment off campus. Generally we have them use a VPN client to terminal back into their local desktop. Just curious but why do your users seem to have the need to install stuff? We keep our stable of supported tech narrow and business-need focused. I can't imagine what would much different in an academic setting.

As for the VDI. We run a large implementation of VMware for our server needs so it was natural to integrate their VMview product. Citrix was our focus when we began but the costs associated with it getting up and going versus just leveraging our existing resources were too much.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

We do use GPOs to manage everything and have laptops specially configured to allow all users to manage network connections so they can get on wifi and such as needed.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=FRPLG;1068075]In terms of laptop users we treat them the same although we don't have much of a permanent deployment off campus. Generally we have them use a VPN client to terminal back into their local desktop. Just curious but why do your users seem to have the need to install stuff? We keep our stable of supported tech narrow and business-need focused. I can't imagine what would much different in an academic setting.[/quote]

Maybe it might just be me being worried that we WILL run into something down the road? All laptops users just have a docking station, so VPN isn't an option if they need help. We DO pre-load Teamviewer (remote control software) on their machines, so if they have an internet connection, we can always remote in.

I guess I'm just being a Nervous Nelly with the fear that the ONE professor who goes to Indonesia and needs something will be like, "I REALLY needed that and I couldn't install it."

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;1068116]"I REALLY needed that and I couldn't install it."[/quote]

Our answer to this would be, in a nice way, "And did the world end when you couldn't install this?"

In reality we just don't see people needing to install things very often. Patches and so forth(Java, Adobe, etc...) are another deal but we manage that stuff with actual patch management technology.

We use Big Fix for patching and updating. That covers a lot of systems connecting to our domain. GPOL refuses connection if they're too far out of compliance.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

Ok,

So a question for everyone.

background - My mom is nearing 80 years old, uses XP, and Money 2003 for all her needs - she does do online banking with the couple of credit unions she uses, and outlook express (yes it's still out there). I keep her antivirus up, run malwarebytes often and don't think that she needs to worry about microsoft's end of support for XP. She uses a kindle, but gets very flustered with any small glitches. Personally, I dread the day she would have to go to windows 8, or even a Chromebook.

Question: In each individual's opinion, is the end of Microsoft support going to cascade quick enough to cause her enough grief that she ought to get a new system sooner rather than later? A sidebar is that her sister in Germany has no tech saavy family/friends, and if my mom ought to change should my aunt, who has a similar system there.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

No, she should be fine for a year or so. Expect things to stop working sooner rather than later. For example, IE won't update past 8 so there's a lot of functionality that sites will support that IE8 won't.

You can use other browsers, of course, but it will become more of an issue with time.

Maybe Win 8.1 will bring you even closer?

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;1068161]Ok,

So a question for everyone.

background - My mom is nearing 80 years old, uses XP, and Money 2003 for all her needs - she does do online banking with the couple of credit unions she uses, and outlook express (yes it's still out there). I keep her antivirus up, run malwarebytes often and don't think that she needs to worry about microsoft's end of support for XP. She uses a kindle, but gets very flustered with any small glitches. Personally, I dread the day she would have to go to windows 8, or even a Chromebook.

Question: In each individual's opinion, is the end of Microsoft support going to cascade quick enough to cause her enough grief that she ought to get a new system sooner rather than later? A sidebar is that her sister in Germany has no tech saavy family/friends, and if my mom ought to change should my aunt, who has a similar system there.[/quote]

Hmmm, how about just taking away the admin rights like we were talking about above? Install Teamviewer ([url=http://www.teamviewer.com]TeamViewer - Free Remote Control, Remote Access & Online Meetings[/url]) and set up an unattended install, so you can remote in anytime you need just in case. That would at least prevent some...

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

For all you kids not keeping up with the SSL/TSL exploit called Heartbleed. It's huge so I suggest you read and follow the instructions.



[url=http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/heartbleed-bug-websites-affected/]The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now[/url]



In dummy terms a illustration of what's going on with Heartbleed.

[IMG]http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/heartbleed_explanation.png[/IMG]

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

0100011101000001010010010101101000100000010010000100111101010111001000000100010001001111010010010010000001000111001100000011000001000111010011000100010100111111

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;1068161]Ok,

So a question for everyone.

background - My mom is nearing 80 years old, uses XP, and Money 2003 for all her needs - she does do online banking with the couple of credit unions she uses, and outlook express (yes it's still out there). I keep her antivirus up, run malwarebytes often and don't think that she needs to worry about microsoft's end of support for XP. She uses a kindle, but gets very flustered with any small glitches. Personally, I dread the day she would have to go to windows 8, or even a Chromebook.

Question: In each individual's opinion, is the end of Microsoft support going to cascade quick enough to cause her enough grief that she ought to get a new system sooner rather than later? A sidebar is that her sister in Germany has no tech saavy family/friends, and if my mom ought to change should my aunt, who has a similar system there.[/quote]

[U][B]Windows Options
[/B][/U]
Possibly the easiest option is buying a copy of Windows 7 (likely the 32 bit version given the age of the laptop) pop in the disc and install. Can't say for certain but seeing as how the disc would probably view the install as a simple upgrade most of her files would stay in tact. Though if that wasn't the case you likely would receive an explicit warning from the installer.

You could get her a bargain laptop with Windows 8 and then install a Windows 7 System Builder. Keep in mind the Windows 7 system builder is bare bones and won't even include Office. The nice thing though about system builder versions of Windows is they don't come with bloatware. So no Norton prompts, Skype, Mcafee, etc.

Another option with a Windows 8 laptop would be downloading any one of the [URL="http://blog.laptopmag.com/5-windows-8-1-start-menu-apps"]numerous classic start button apps[/URL] that for the most part allow you to avoid using the Metro/start menu as little as possible if not completely.

Though a word of warning in buying any laptop make sure the touchpad doesn't have have any crazy features. My Dad bought a Leveno laptop a year ago that had all these smart touch features and it made even basic things such as double clicking a royal pain so moral of the story try before you buy. Or at least look very closely at reviews
[U][B]
Linux Options[/B][/U]

Another way to salvage the current laptop is you could install a windows like version of Linux in [URL="http://www.linuxmint.com/"]Linux Mint [/URL]for free. As long as shes not to attached to Outlook and Money 2003 you should be able to find plenty of alternatives for [URL="http://zenhabits.net/6-great-free-alternatives-to-quicken-ms-money"]alternatives for Linux[/URL].

She also wouldn't even need to commit to Linux Mint right away. All you would have to do, assuming its like most computers is burn the Iso/download to a disc, put it in the disc drive, select the live system option from the prompt menu which should start up automatically when you turn on the computer, and she could try it out without risking making any changes to her computer. ([URL="http://youtu.be/erQGso9lqF4"]Live CD Simple Tutorial[/URL], [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU3zCL5g_7E"]Live CD In Depth Tutorial[/URL])

I use live discs all the time with Virtual Machines and my own systems and they really are great for playing around without risking any permanent changes unless of course you click the install button on the desktop. BTW don't click the install button on the desktop until you're sure thats what you want to do, lol.

[quote]A [B]live [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD"]CD[/URL][/B], [B]live [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD"]DVD[/URL][/B], or [B]live disc[/B] is a complete [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting"]bootable[/URL] computer installation including [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system"]operating system[/URL] which runs in a computer's memory, rather than loading from a hard disk drive; the CD itself is [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only_memory"]read-only[/URL]. It allows users to run an [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_operating_system"]operating system[/URL] for any purpose without installing it or making any changes to the computer's configuration. Live CDs can run on a computer without [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_storage"]secondary storage[/URL], such as a hard disk drive, or with a corrupted hard disk drive or file system, allowing [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_recovery"]data recovery[/URL]. A live ISO is an [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_image"]ISO image[/URL] of a Live CD which can be used in virtual machine environments, mounted as if it were a CD/DVD and used as the virtual machine's boot CD. Live CDs, ISOs, and images usually include an operating system available without charge or restrictive licence such as Linux, rather than a commercial one such as Microsoft Windows, for legal rather than technical reasons.[/quote][U][B]Potential Problems with Linux[/B][/U]

Keep in mind though that while the Linux option might be viable it could easily become troublesome. For example if the Live CD doesn't start up when turning the computer on you would have to reconfigure the boot order from the 80's like UEFI menu on your computer (aka mashing F12 when your computer starts up).

Theres other potential hickups like say you were to install Linux along side Windows XP, well for me the boot loader didn't install properly so when I booted up my computer I didn't even have access to the Linux OS I installed even though I could see from my disc manager that it was there. Easy enough to fix with a program called boot repair but I was still driven nuts for a day or two.

Of course theres also the chance that everything could go off without a hitch. The first time I installed Linux on an old 2008 HP laptop everything went smoothly. I selected install Ubuntu Linux along side Windows 7 and soon enough everytime I booted up my computer I was given the option to boot up Ubuntu Linux or Windows 7 with Windows 7 being the default if I didn't select anything within 30 seconds.

The second time I tried to install Scientific Linux on my own rig I ran into the same problems I described above that provided me with some decent experience on troubleshooting but it was still a pain. Granted I'm sort of a hobbyist so I find even the frustrating parts enjoyable....at times.

Personally I'd suggest trying the LiveCD and if it doesn't boot up the first time you start your computer with the disc in the disc tray then just forget about it. Unless you're willing to go through with learning how to trouble shoot a LinuxOS install, the $100 for a copy of Windows 7 might be worth the price. After all can you really put a price on sanity?

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

I believe you can still get 7 upgrade. I'd do that. XP won't be getting patched anymore. Not sure whether that's really much of a deal in the micro but who knows. I do know that, as RR said, things are going to start "no worky" in the not too distant future. May be more difficult to deal with then than now.

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the input. I think I will look at win7 first

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=FRPLG;1068220]I believe you can still get 7 upgrade. I'd do that. XP won't be getting patched anymore. Not sure whether that's really much of a deal in the micro but who knows. I do know that, as RR said, things are going to start "no worky" in the not too distant future. May be more difficult to deal with then than now.[/quote]

I second this as well. Ironically what I didn't address in my long winded response (that probably functioned as a sure fire cure for insomnia) was that it's probably important that your mother switch from XP in any way, shape or form. I'd highly recommend this if for no other reason then the fact that one of her primary online activities appears to be online banking according to your initial post. Not worth the risk at that point.

If she was just trolling forums and pwning n00bs with fake accounts and unique passwords she wasn't using anywhere else, then I would say she'd probably be fine sticking with XP :D

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=NC_Skins;1068208]For all you kids not keeping up with the SSL/TSL exploit called Heartbleed. It's huge so I suggest you read and follow the instructions.



[url=http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/heartbleed-bug-websites-affected/]The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now[/url]



In dummy terms a illustration of what's going on with Heartbleed.

[IMG]http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/heartbleed_explanation.png[/IMG][/quote]
not arguing that it was a big vulnerability. But just to be clear, they didn't announce it until it was fixed, and those who created it (whoever and wherever they may be) are already working on the next one (probably a year ago). If you are regularly changing your password or even just using basic precautions, this is just media marketed fear. It was discovered 2 years ago, but they aren't going to announce it, lest people who might want to exploit it figure it out

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

Another note, Google has put out a remote desktop app for personal use (along the lines of Teamviewer), with an Android app for it. Is it bad to use my phone screen as my mouse LOL.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

SarcasticRover ‏@SarcasticRover 3m
Best wishes to @NASALADEE. It died doing what it loved; crashing into the dark side of the moon while singing 'Let It Go' from Frozen.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[URL="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133445-Rumor-Nvidias-20nm-Maxwell-GPUs-Delayed-to-2015"]Rumor: Nvidia's 20nm Maxwell GPUs Delayed to 2015 | The Escapist[/URL]

On one hand happy that I'll have one less temptation to needlessly upgrade (2 GTX 770's in SLI at the moment) on the other hand slightly saddened that the GPU industry might be stuck in limbo, at least on the high end. Apparently the [URL="http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/176785-nvidias-new-maxwell-powered-gtx-750-ti-is-hyper-efficient-quiet-a-serious-threat-to-amd"]GTX 750 ti is a steal at $150[/URL] while featuring the new Maxwell architecture.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

To ThatGuy or anyone versed in Linux. I'm curious is there a more "Windows like" way to install stuff in Linux. Its starting to feel weird being more comfortable installing programs and applications from the terminal.

I'm currently studying for RHCSA certification so I'm working with CentOS and ScientficLinux using VirtualBox but in an attempt to get more comfortable with the system I've decided to kind of veer off from the textbook stuff from time to time and play around with more practical and everyday stuff like browsers, music players, etc. And even though the terminal instructions are almost always there and simply a matter or copy and paste it just feels weird getting error messages when I try and do it the GUI way.

The best way to describe it is I somehow learned how to speak Chinese while forgetting how to speak English.

Heck even when I was using Linux-Mint as a dual boot on my desktop it seemed I was basically installing everything from the terminal. Most notably Steam, VLC, Nvidia drivers, Chrome, etc. I seem to remember installing every base program from the terminal. Sure its kind of cool to type
'[I]yum install nano[/I]' [[I]sudo apt-get nano[/I] if you use Ubuntu]
and have it go to work but usually its more along the lines of:

wget 'www.thisisa-reallyweird-and-random-linktopOfYourHead-4848.au.org.3838.com

yum update
yum install calculator

So just to clarify its not that I'm having trouble installing things from a terminal. Quite the opposite. Its just that I seem to be failing a LOT when trying to install things from the traditional desktop.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

well some distros like redhat or ubuntu have package libraries, but any UI installer is just a UI wrapper on top of terminal commands, like pretty dos batch files more or less.

but i mean, it sounds like you're just looking for a package manager, which is basically a pretty face on top of apt-get:
[url=http://www.howtogeek.com/117579/htg-explains-how-software-installation-package-managers-work-on-linux/]HTG Explains: How Software Installation & Package Managers Work On Linux[/url]

so you just need to find the repo for your version of linux and use it like the apple or google app store.

[img]http://www.diveintopython3.net/i/ubu-install-0-add-remove-programs.png[/img]

does that answer it or am i missing the point?

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

Speaking of Linux, I have an issue on my computer. It is duo booted with Windows 7. when I let the boot loader boot into Mint, it will get to the login screen, but will no longer open my password box to log into the desktop. Actually, I can't even reboot from that screen. Any thoughts on what happened? I'm thinking I might have to just format that partition and start over again. It's not like I had a lot of important things saved on my linux partition, but was just wondering why I, all of a sudden, can't log into my Liniux Mint desktop.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

never used mint, so don't know. i'd google it, and if you don't have anything important, a reinstall will definitely fix it, even though that's kind of a nuclear option.

you could also try upgrading it or disabling the ui and loading it from the terminal afterwards, but that requires a bit of work and going into config files from another OS, so not necessarily a trivial thing to do.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=That Guy;1069796]well some distros like redhat or ubuntu have package libraries, but any UI installer is just a UI wrapper on top of terminal commands, like pretty dos batch files more or less.

but i mean, it sounds like you're just looking for a package manager, which is basically a pretty face on top of apt-get:
[url=http://www.howtogeek.com/117579/htg-explains-how-software-installation-package-managers-work-on-linux/]HTG Explains: How Software Installation & Package Managers Work On Linux[/url]

so you just need to find the repo for your version of linux and use it like the apple or google app store.

[img]http://www.diveintopython3.net/i/ubu-install-0-add-remove-programs.png[/img]

does that answer it or am i missing the point?[/quote]


Thats exactly it. Ironically enough shortly after that initial post I downloaded PackageKit which was a tar file for my ScientificLinux virtual machine. However that hit a bit of a snag. The ReadMe file said to cd to the folder with the program and enter ./configure which went smooth enough. However the steps telling me to type [I]make [/I]and [I]make install[/I] in the terminal didn't go as smoothly. Then I saw there was an Add/Remove Software program, the exact same one you have pictured in the post above, in the administrative tools so I started messing around with that. Then I got a headache and had to sit down.

Long story short my ADD is going into overdrive with this stuff, lol.

I also decided to mess around with Puppy Linux for my oldest laptop (2008 dual core HP) which has gone relatively smooth but it also has its own learning curve. For example I learned that Puppy Linux doesn't have a Desktop directory so messing around with the links on the desktop is slightly different.

However I think now I'm catching on a lot quicker to the little stuff. For example when I saw the links on my desktop of Puppy Linux reading sda1, sda2, sdb1, sdc1 I knew almost right away which drive they corresponded too so hooray progress.

Anyway todays lesson for my online course is messing around with tar packages but last I checked the focus of the lesson seemed to be more on compressing directories to send out rather than unpacking them but we'll see lol.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=skinsguy;1069803]Speaking of Linux, I have an issue on my computer. It is duo booted with Windows 7. when I let the boot loader boot into Mint, it will get to the login screen, but will no longer open my password box to log into the desktop. Actually, I can't even reboot from that screen. Any thoughts on what happened? I'm thinking I might have to just format that partition and start over again. It's not like I had a lot of important things saved on my linux partition, but was just wondering why I, all of a sudden, can't log into my Liniux Mint desktop.[/quote]

In regards to your problem I guess one thing you could try is when you get to the log in screen hold ctrl+alt+f1 (I think F2 through F5 should work as well). That should bring up an old school terminal similar to this
[IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/2yovn0i.png[/IMG]
Afterwards type your user name for the local host login, which usually is your first name all lower case, and your password, which will receive input but keep in mind it won't give you a ***** output like you're use to. For example say you type the ultra secure [URL="http://youtu.be/a6iW-8xPw3k"]12345 password[/URL], well you won't get any output on the screen even though the computer is accepting your input.

Afterwards press ctrl+alt+F7 and that should take you back to the desktop enviornment where hopefully you would be logged in but honestly I'm not sure how viable a method this is for what you're going through.

[quote]Switch to the console using CTRL+ALT+F1 (to switch back to the DISPLAY use CTRL+ALT+F7).[/quote]

Heck at this point this is how I feel giving you advice for this particular problem:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/xVyoSl.jpg[/IMG]
Unfortunately Google was a bust when I tried to search for your problem. So yeahhhhhh 99% chance you're going to have to re-install 1% my method works.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

yeah, in linux the UI is separate and modular from the actual OS (unlike, say windows), so things like desktop directories aren't standard and are distro specific (and mainly included to help windows users).

they'll all have home and user directories, etc which is more of a standard place to store that kind of stuff. if you want you can use openLDAP to do single sign on to either windows or linux (in a networked environment) and share settings etc between them. it used to be a really hard thing to do, but now, not so much.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=Dirtbag59;1069851]In regards to your problem I guess one thing you could try is when you get to the log in screen hold ctrl+alt+f1 (I think F2 through F5 should work as well). That should bring up an old school terminal similar to this
[IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/2yovn0i.png[/IMG]
Afterwards type your user name for the local host login, which usually is your first name all lower case, and your password, which will receive input but keep in mind it won't give you a ***** output like you're use to. For example say you type the ultra secure [URL="http://youtu.be/a6iW-8xPw3k"]12345 password[/URL], well you won't get any output on the screen even though the computer is accepting your input.

Afterwards press ctrl+alt+F7 and that should take you back to the desktop enviornment where hopefully you would be logged in but honestly I'm not sure how viable a method this is for what you're going through.



Heck at this point this is how I feel giving you advice for this particular problem:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/xVyoSl.jpg[/IMG]
Unfortunately Google was a bust when I tried to search for your problem. So yeahhhhhh 99% chance you're going to have to re-install 1% my method works.[/quote]

Hey thanks Dirt! I'll try that this evening and report back. It had been while since I had even booted the desktop, so maybe something had gotten corrupted on a reboot.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

I'm not quite as advanced on Linux distros as I should be. I don't work in one on a daily basis. I mostly install them on my computers and just kind of play around with them. I think it's fun messing around with Linux though, but I haven't gotten good enough to know how to fix something when it goes wrong.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=That Guy;1069882]yeah, in linux the UI is separate and modular from the actual OS (unlike, say windows), so things like desktop directories aren't standard and are distro specific (and mainly included to help windows users).

they'll all have home and user directories, etc which is more of a standard place to store that kind of stuff. [B] if you want you can use openLDAP to do single sign on to either windows or linux (in a networked environment) and share settings etc between them. it used to be a really hard thing to do, but now, not so much.[/B][/quote]

Definitely going to look into it.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

So,

I just got this for my Nexus 5:

[IMG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/612PXuFooaL._SL1500_.jpg[/IMG]

PowerBot® PB1020 Qi Enabled Wireless Charger Inductive Charging Pad Station for All Qi Standard Compatible Devices Including Samsung, iPhone, Nokia, Google, Nexus, LG, HTC and Other Smartphones with Receivers (AC Adapter Excluded. 2 x Micro USB Cable Included), Black

Price: $19.99

And I love it already. I am constantly getting up and down from the desk, and some days can be so hectic, I forget or don't get a real chance to plug the phone in. Or I might plug it in, then get a call and end up yanking the USB cable around - am really gunshy about messing up the charge plug after having so many get finicky for no reason.

This disc sits on my desk, and set the phone on top, it beeps to let me know it's charging, no cables or tangles when I have to get up to check inventory or how production is going.

And it was only $20 at Amazon! The official one was $50, but this one had solid write ups in CNet and android forums.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

how well does it work compared to plugging in?

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

my phone went from about 45% to 80% in one hour. I didn't do comparisons, but there is an excel comparison done on either xdadeveloper or phandroid sites that I found when I googled it. They ran comparison's of amp draw and charge time, and found it comparable to plugged in. I can say that it is a simple to use, and for today had no issues getting it to charge.

My only issue is I have a case that has a folding front cover and the charge won't go through 2 layers of the cover, but it definitely goes through one, and since the front flap has my credit cards, I think they might get messed up if i tried to go through both.

It came with a long (3-4') cord, and a real short cord (maybe 1') and I wondered why, but I connected it to the left side of my laptop usb's and now the pad sits right where I would normally set it, and the short cable doesn't snake all over the place.

Needless to say, first day - new toy - I like it.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

Well, the weirdest thing. I go to attempt to sign into my Linux partition and everything signed on just as fine as if nothing had ever happened. Yet, just the other day, after multiple tries, I couldn't sign in. Now, it all seems to be magically working again, lol!

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

This starts to worry me. I knew Comcast was awful but ever since they started [URL="http://consumerist.com/2013/11/08/dear-atlanta-comcast-now-hates-you-too/"]"testing overage fees" in Atlanta back in November[/URL] and reinstating data caps for the first time in about a year and a half I've found myself coming across a lot more of these:
[IMG]http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/this-webpage-is-not-available.jpg[/IMG]

Then I saw the article where a Level 3 exec basically called out the major isp's, and was particularly drawn to a part where he was quoted as saying:
[url=http://time.com/90703/your-broadband-company-may-be-holding-your-internet-access-hostage/]Level 3: Your Broadband Company May Be Holding Your Internet Access Hostage - TIME[/url]
[QUOTE]The company said that most network interconnections operate at around 36 percent capacity, which allows for an easy flow of traffic between the networks. But on the six networks it claims are problematic, it said congestion has been around 90 percent for more than a year. At this level of congestion, the connection is saturated and [B]packets are dropped[/B] often for several hours a day.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]But that argument is “unreasonable on its face,” writes another Level 3 executive, Michael Mooney, in a blog post in March, and “entirely inconsistent” with the fact those broadband providers already make a lot of money from consumers who pay them to deliver content at certain speeds. The ISPs’ refusal to help maintain the peering connections that they rely on is simply creating a global game of chicken, he writes. Who blinks first is less the point than who is suffering is mean time: everyday internet users, whose YouTube video won’t stop “buffering,” whose NBA playoff games won’t stream, and whose web pages, at a peak hours, [B]sometimes simply won’t load[/B].
[/QUOTE]

Am I reading this right or just wearing extra tin foil on my hat? I mean I realize Level 3 has their own vested self-interest in this tragedy but the major ISP's haven't exactly done much to endear themselves to the general public.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=skinsguy;1069891]Hey thanks Dirt! I'll try that this evening and report back. It had been while since I had even booted the desktop, so maybe something had gotten corrupted on a reboot.[/quote]

So um....yeah I think I figured out the solution to your problem. I actually ended up having the same problem after recently installing Fedora 20 on my desktop. Boot into Linux only to be greeted with a black screen, terminals worked for me but regardless the GUI wasn't having it.

The cause seems to have been, at least in my case updating yum which is the Fedora equivalent of [I]apt-get[/I] for Mint and other Ubuntu derivatives. Anyway after going through numerous forums and threads posted by people with similar problems I found that the solution was ridiculously and painfully simple.

When logged in as the root user I typed the following. Now get your pens out this is going to be a long command

[B]startx[/B]

Thats it. F****G typing [B]startx[/B] in a terminal fixed it for me. BASICALLY ONE F****G SIMPLE COM MAND.

So basically if I could go back in time heres what my response would have been.

[quote]Hey Skinsguy. Douch....I mean Dirtbag59 here. In regards to your problem please try the following.

1. Open a virtual terminal by pressing ctrl+alt+F1 (or F1-F6)

2. Use your basic login name in the local host field (usually either your first name in lower case or first initial last name. (For example John Smith is usually either [I]john [/I]or [I]jsmith[/I]). If you know your root password you can also try logging in as [I]root[/I] then entering the root password.

3. If logged in as regular user type [B]sudo startx[/B] if logged in as root simply type [B]startx[/B].

4. Press ctrl+alt+F7 and you should have your desktop back.[/quote]

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go warn the Navy that the Japanese are planning to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. BTW can anyone tell me todays date?

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

yeah, the UI isn't integrated in *nix ;) yay x-windows!

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

This video is the perfect recreation of recent a conversation between myself and my computer in trying to set up an FTP server in a virtual machine. In layman terms I asked the computer to do one thing and the computer decided to do something slightly/completely different.

So in this clip I'm Phil La Marr and my computer is Nicole Sullivan.
[YT]WE3vc47irys[/YT]

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

Read this article last night while perusing Flipboard (great reading app):
[url=http://gigaom.com/2014/05/27/encore-2-windows-tablet-surface-mini/]New $199 Toshiba Windows tablet shows why Surface Mini isn’t needed — Tech News and Analysis[/url]

I'd be hard pressed not to recommend this for any casual computer user looking to upgrade from their XP machine to make the leap to a newer machine. The ability to hook this up to a monitor/keyboard/mouse for use at a desk, then pick it up and wander with it to surf the web all in one machine.

Power users wouldn't touch this with a 10 foot pole, but for the normal user who write a Word document from time to time, check email and surf the web, the 8 inch or 10 inch model would be more than ample power to do these things.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

I can't wait for the day [URL="https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/google-jumps-into-the-car-business-with-its-own-self-driving-vehicles-031444947.html"]these[/URL] are available to Everyman, although it's probably about 20 years off, assuming liability issues are able to be taken care of.

Re: All Things Technology Related Thread
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;1073089]I can't wait for the day [URL="https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/google-jumps-into-the-car-business-with-its-own-self-driving-vehicles-031444947.html"]these[/URL] are available to Everyman, although it's probably about 20 years off, assuming liability issues are able to be taken care of.[/quote]

NFL players need it more then anyone.

[url=http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/america-tonight-blog/2013/9/5/history-of-nfl-sdrunkdrivingissueslingersasseasonbegins.html]History of NFL players' drunk-driving issues lingers as season begins | Al Jazeera America[/url]
[IMG]http://america.aljazeera.com/content/ajam/watch/shows/america-tonight/america-tonight-blog/2013/9/5/history-of-nfl-sdrunkdrivingissueslingersasseasonbegins/_jcr_content/blog/mainpar/textimage_2/image.img.png[/IMG]

[url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-players-arrested-2013-super-bowl-2013-6]27 NFL Players Arrested Since 2013 Super Bowl - Business Insider[/url]

[url=http://www.utsandiego.com/nfl/arrests-database/]NFL Arrests Database | UTSanDiego.com[/url]