Radio Day: where kids learn how to communicate without texting or computers.

This fellow, a security expert, has an interesting slant on privacy and police radio.  Where is the line between privacy and the public’s right to know?

It is reported that this year, iPhoto will group photos by who is in them.  I don’t know about you but I’ve already had it with facial recognition. Oh, and everything that starts with a small i.

MY COMPUTER BIT THE BIG ONE (again) department

What do you do when the computer won’t start?  It just won’t boot.  There is no POST (Power On Self Test).  No beeping.  No matter what you remove or rewire, there’s no action.

If you’re like me, you might have a spare power supply you can try the system out with.  Or you might be able to `borrow’ one from another computer.

What do you do when you hook up the other power supply and nothing doggedly continues to happen?

You TEST THE %*&$ing POWER SUPPLY.

How?

If you have passing familiarity with reading, go to this page, which will show you how to do it.  You pull some wires, make a jumper, and see if it works.

So what did you find out?

I have a bad power supply, a good power supply, and probably a dead motherboard.

How do you know it’s the motherboard?

Because it’s almost a month past its warranty.  With stats like that, there’s nothing else it can be.

HP will give you money for working computer gear.  Visit the site and check out the chart of what they’re buying and what they’re paying.  I wonder if they take cats….

 

Free Microsoft Downloads!  Exhaustive list of software – some actually useful.

Oh, the Irony department

There is a new trojan making the rounds.  If you become infected, it will not let you download from Piratebay or other bittorrent sites.  It’s called Downloading is Wrong.

Wanna see what Homeland (in)Security has on your travels?  Check it out here.  Hint: they have the IP address of the computer used to make travel reservations.

The DTV coupon program is running out of (your) money!

Double ended male adapters immoral?

Over at the wonderful DogReader blog, read about the passing of a man who is a personal hero (although I didn’t know it until today): Alfred Shaheen, the inventor of the Hawaiian shirt.  RIP, Alfred.

Too Good Not to Visit: Blahblahfish (mis)translates your word or phrase into another language.  Very entertaining.

Norwegian podcast puts entire Beatles catalog online—legally.  Not to worry, Yoko will find a way.

Google picks up third spot in spam-friendly shame list.  Aren’t they just the best?

Check out this very informative article about the dangers of USB sticks.

Gates projects Pentagon needs $70 billion more for wars – on top of the $65.9 billion already approved by the fools in Congress.  Fire.  Them.  All.

New Congress convenes, focused on recession – apparently they’re focused on making it worse.

More than half of America’s air traffic control centers have exceeded their useful lifespan and many have “obvious structural deficiencies and maintenance-related issues,” the government says.  How does that make you feel?

Obama Picks RIAA’s Favorite Lawyer For Top DoJ Post – Change.