Taxes and rebates again...

Before the end of 2007, I had my tax software and all of the usual free stuff (after rebate). Noticed that the "deals are fewer" and the tax software offered less add-ons. Many of the items that H&R Block Tax Cut gave rebates on (Will Power, it's Deductible) are in the box are not offered.

The new offer is to have them give you a "second look" by a tax professional. I usually buy the one that has the e-file fees already in the bargain, so the free after rebate e-file is also not required. This year was just rebates for Norton AntiVirus and Microsoft Money. Staples had a nice "easy rebate" worth $10 off, that was nice and paperless.

Hopefully no one is waiting for a deal to do their taxes for last year!

Is U3 4U?

The computer in your hand may be smaller than it appears! Just a quick note that your next computing platform could be smaller than you expected. Software is readily available to use on the little "flash memory" drives that rivals the functionality of the bloated applications on your computer. You may be surprised to find out that many of these are free or at a much lower cost than the desktop products they could replace.

U3 is a mobile computing platform that allows you to carry your applications on a USB drive and launch them on any PC. So wherever you go –your office or home, an internet café or business center – you can take your favorite software as well as your data files. With U3 technology, a USB drive is more than a storage device – its’ a smart drive.

SanDisk has a new Cruzer Titanium Plus USB flash drive offers an automatic and seamless online back up option with device password protection and hardware AES encryption so you can easily access your files on the device or online.

You'll still need some desktop computing platform, and not every Operating System is supported, but for a decent Office Suite, Antivirus, Password Manager, or Utility application, it's hard to beat the price!

Still not using Vista!

I have my express upgrade DVD from HP and can load it onto that new computer at anytime. So what am I waiting for?

• I still have too many programs that can't use the Vista programs as intended. Losing these or forcing me to upgrade is not an enhancement.
• Upgrading does involve risk, and I don't have a way to manage a back-up plan afterwards, with my existing back-up software. I have heard that Symantec will support Ghost 10 and later to save back up images of Vista.
• Scanners, printers, flashdrives, mice...I don't have a plan yet of what to do with the stuff that won't run Vista

So what do you do? I just bought my graduating senior a business laptop for college. He made a choice that he would rather have Windows XP Pro than Vista Business for his school work chores. I read on the Microsoft Site that Vista Business and Ultimate can "downgrade" to Windows XP pro, so I could have bought the Vista Business OS and downgraded it myself. Something is upside down with that plan, since getting the warranty service on a different OS may be an issue.

So for now, I am dealing with Infomation Technology in the simplest of all strategies-if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Did you get a new Computer for Christmas?

We can all enjoy the holidays. It can be frustrating to try and configure that new PC on Christmas Day, but here are some tips that can make the whole experience more efficient and less time consuming.

Start by planning to upgrade/replace. As odd as this sounds, everything will wear-out sooner or later, and a few minutes you spend to catalog what you need to configure that new PC along with deliberately saving packing materials may make it easier for you to re-cycle that system or dispose of it in a manner that allows easy reuse.

Hard drives will need to be formatted to remove your personal information and the re-installed with the old OEM data and software. Make sure you look into a “full system restore in the back of the manual and be prepared from day one to do this.

Some applications that can perform recovery can also be used to save an image of that system when it was new.

Locate the registration information and the original product manuals. Keep them in a safe place.

Use the files and settings Transfer Wizard if you have a Windows PC.

The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard helps you move your data files and personal settings from your old computer to your new one, without having to go through much of the same configuration you did with your old computer. For example, you can take your personal display properties, folder and taskbar options, and Internet browser and e-mail settings from your old computer and place them on the new one. The wizard will also move specific files or entire folders, such as My Documents, My Pictures, and Favorites. Passwords are not moved with program settings when you use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. This is a feature of the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard that helps to keep your passwords confidential.

Keep a setup script or list of programs that were installed.

• If you need to perform a recovery, it provides an abbreviated step by step process to complete the recovery. You can include notes about patches or help files used to fix problems you found when installing the computer.
• An inventory of links inside of a word document can make finding the same files used a breeze.
  I use Google to search for reported error messages during setup. From the results, only use the solutions stated as being effective at solving the problem in the reply.

Some Thoughts on Networking with Other devices

As a natural extension of my desire to share information, like this blog site with others, there is also a desire to share information with my other devices. You have some options that can be easily implemented, and others may require a more deliberate and coordinated method. CNET has some good weekend projects, and setting up a wireless network is by far one of my all time Favorites on their site.

So you have a network, now what?

Sharing photos and other digital media like documents and music is easy. Microsoft provides some excellent articles, a key one for any beginner is Windows XP Networking: Sharing in the Home Office. Just a word of caution, that sharing on unprotected home networks is not a good idea. Protect those files using the firewall or router security features in addition to the protection offered by the Windows file sharing features.

If you have any media files that contain music, video or recorded TV, software like iTunes and Windows Media Player also allow these to be shared once they are added to the library and the sharing features have been enabled. Digital Books in the Microsoft Reader or Palm Digital Media format can also be shared.

What about sharing with devices that are not PC’s?

The Pocket PC handheld using the Windows Mobile software makes an excellent portable player for your digital media library.

Pocket PCs use the Microsoft Activesync software usually provided on the support CD with the handheld to transfer those files to your handheld, and then playback if they are formatted in the correct media format. Other great software products can be purchased for reasonable prices on sites like PocketGear.com and PalmGear.com.

Music files in WMA or MP3 format can be played without conversion.

JPEG photos can be viewed using either the Pocket Internet Explorer feature of the Image Zone software that can be downloaded from HP.

Movies and recorded TV, once converted and formatted to fit on the smaller device displays, can be quite enjoyable during a cross-country flight.


Wired and Bluetooth networking is similarly completed for these devices, but features vary widely between devices.

Make sure that you use the help and tutorial materials packaged with the device and update the software or firmware if you have problems establishing a connection.
Usually forums that support these devices like Dave’s iPaq Forum on Mobility Today (also a podcast!) and the HP Business Support Forum for iPaq and Aero devices are also good sources for any specific questions.

Bluetooth networking using a cell phone for dial-up networking in a manner similar to a PC modem is an excellent way to stay connected on the go. The fees are generally higher than wireless access charges. I have successfully networked three computers at home and regularly connect all of my handheld devices with complete success. I’m use Bluetooth networking for Printing and a wireless headphone connection.

Personal Digital Assistants.

From Webopedia, PDA is short for personal digital assistant, a handheld device that combines computing, telephone/fax, Internet and networking features. A typical PDA can function as a cellular phone, fax sender, Web browser and personal organizer. Unlike portable computers, most PDAs began as pen-based, using a stylus rather than a keyboard for input. This means that they also incorporated handwriting recognition features. Some PDAs can also react to voice input by using voice recognition technologies. PDAs of today are available in either a stylus or keyboard version.

Apple Computer, which introduced the Newton MessagePad in 1993, was one of the first companies to offer PDAs. Shortly thereafter, several other manufacturers offered similar products. Today, one of the most popular brands of PDAs is the series of Palm Pilots from Palm, Inc.

PDAs are also called palmtops, hand-held computers and pocket computers.

I have owned numerous PDAs. I started with a Palm Vx (Palm Modem and Folding KB), then bought a Sony S320 for my son since he liked to play some of the games I had for my Palm. I later used a Palm m500 for work (with a Seiko ThumbBoard). I traded up to a Palm m505 (Logitech Keycase Keyboard) and sold my Palm Vx. My first Pocket PC was an HP iPAQ h1910 that I won at a Microsoft event. I upgraded to a Sony SJ-33 (using a Belkin Keyboard). I still use a refurbished HP iPAQ h4155 (HP micro Thumb board, and Stowaway IR Keyboard) at home. I used the HP trade-in program to trade-in the HP iPAQ h1910 for an iPAQ hx2755 (with Pharos i360 GPS and Epson Stylus R320 Blue Tooth-capable printer) that is great for work and travel.

Is the PDA Dead?

Searching the Internet on the subject, when Sony got out of the market for manufacturing PDAs in June 2004, it was a real concern that the PDA market would be replaced by Smart Phones. Similarly, Pocket PC manufacturers have been reducing both new product development and product lines for traditional PDAs. Smart handhelds like the RIM Blackberry and Palm Treo models that include cellular phone features with online wireless connection to internet and e-mail services have risen in popularity. But is the Treo a phone or a PDA? The Palm-branded Smart handhelds sales have soared, but is that because the PDA market is gone? No, it is because the Smart Handhelds can deliver services to mobile customers that are in addition to those normally provided to PDA users. Notable developments in PDA hardware and software has improved security and connectivity. They can encrypt files on the device so loss results in data destruction in lieu of unauthorized disclosure. They can provide quick access to wireless and blue tooth networks, just like a full-feature computer.

So what are you waiting for? My real concern is over new the Windows Mobile (WM) 5 “issues” that forced me to settle for an older product (iPAQ 2755) in order to delay upgrading my Pocket PC from Windows Mobile 2003. You can read about this in the HP iPAQ Forum from users who have upgraded their PDAs to WM 5. It seems this new Pocket PC operating system does not run well on the older PDAs without a bunch of tweaking. Even then, there appears to be some degradation in performance. WM 5 seems to run much better on newer devices that come from the factory with it already installed (even though these newer devices have also had their share of problems with WM 5).

I use the term upgrading loosely here because upgrading to WM 5 means the loss of some key features:

• With WM 5, you are no longer able to synch via wireless connection.
• You must upgrade to ActiveSync 4.x which does not support the Backup and Restore option for WM 5 devices (it does, however support this option for Window Mobile 2003 devices).
• There is no backup software included on new iPAQs with WM 5, so upgrading would remove this function from my current situation with IPAQ Backup. I am one of those that expect to retain the software to backup their PDA after upgrade.

The added feature gained in WM 5 is persistent memory, which is the most compelling reason to upgrade, but may be unnecessary if there is little chance of losing data in the first place. Most of the volatile information in the PDA is synchronized on my host PC using the Microsoft Outlook application that comes bundled with the iPAQ. If the PDA battery loses power, then the data in the flash memory is lost. So the work around is to keep the battery charged and have never have a dead battery. I keep a spare battery charged and in my briefcase. I backup my PDA regularly to an SD card, so even if I encounter a dead battery, the PDA data is easily recovered once charged.

I have never had a problem with either of my PDAs running Windows Mobile 2003. By the way, you may not be able to upgrade your iPAQ Pocket PC to WM 5. The only PDAs that are eligible for upgrade are the hx2000 series and the hx4700 series PDAs. If they ever deliver a suitable product version for WM 5, I may upgrade the hx2755 later. Or maybe, just go with a Treo or Blackberry device.

Microsoft Critical Update may affect Dial-up Connection

We complain about how long it takes Microsoft to patch known issues. On 13 June 2006, about 12 security patches were released that fix some of these critical issues. I usually load these without question. However, this may resulted in a loss of functionality.

Recently, I lost the use of my office PC due to a hard drive crash and needed to access the web on a second PC using my dial-up service during the repair. I was unable to connect to my Broadband ISP dial-up service “Invalid Password or user name” was the error message. I called the ISP tech support to get my password reset and it was not the source of the problem. It turns out, based on further trouble-shooting, that that Microsoft patches had removed the ability to use my modem. I was told to remove the update 911280, and then reinstall the 916281 and 914389 patches and contact Microsoft. My fax/modem is also crippled. Noted when I send a fax using the fax console software, I get no response from the modem and no error message. After I shut down the PC and as the computer restarts, it sends the fax during the process of loading services.
I found some IT advice on the web that seemed to agree with my tech support.

http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/its/website/helpdesk2.nsf/(Channel)/6216A37485210D0D8525718F006AC027

Unfortunately, my attempts to restore functionality on both my home and work Laptop PCs have not been successful. Since I use my dial-up infrequently, most users won’t even know the problem exists until they are in a jam. I consider the dial-up service the emergency backup.

I sent this off to PC World Bugs and Fixes. Contacted my Computer Manufacturer, and determined that the best option may be to wait for Microsoft to "patch" this patch. I left a comment on the KB 911280 patch page for the Microsoft Developers to read.