Hillpond Consulting

Yahoo to Start Socializing

2008-04-26T22:01:00.003-04:00

Yahoo Inc. plans to make its Web site a social hub by hosting applications from other online services, part of the Internet pioneer's effort to spawn more advertising opportunities.

"We are going to rewire the entire experience at Yahoo to make it social in every dimension," Ari Balogh, Yahoo's chief technology officer, said Thursday at a "Web 2.0" conference that drew a crowd of more than 1,000.

The more open platform copies a concept that already has been embraced by Internet search leader Google Inc. and a variety of online social hangouts, including Facebook Inc. and News Corp's MySpace.com.

Yahoo's new look will give its roughly 500 million users greater flexibility to customize Web pages. They will be able to pick from a variety of mini-applications, known as "widgets," and plant them just about anywhere on the site, including their personal version of the front page.

It will be interesting to see if they can pull this off, hold off Microsoft's bid, and compete without copying Google... more at apnews.myway.com

How Milspecs Live Forever

2008-04-21T06:10:00.000-04:00

I mentioned the other day the need to be careful in establishing standards as they tend to live forever. Here is another example of a milspec (military specification, aka "standard") that has stood the test of time. I saw this years ago passed around on a sheet of paper. For those of you too young to remember, before the advent of e-mail, we all kept a "Humor" folder in our desk with faded copies of the various jokes and witicisms that got passed around the office. This one goes way back.

The Grid - Faster than a Speeding Internet

2008-04-19T17:54:00.005-04:00

Found this article about "the Grid," the next generation of the Internet.

The Internet could soon be made obsolete. The scientists who pioneered it have now built a lightning-fast replacement capable of downloading entire feature films within seconds.

At speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection, “the grid” will be able to send the entire Rolling Stones back catalogue from Britain to Japan in less than two seconds.

The latest spin-off from Cern, the particle physics centre that created the web, the grid could also provide the kind of power needed to transmit holographic images; allow instant online gaming with hundreds of thousands of players; and offer high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call.

It's great that technology marches on but I find it amazing that the article gives three examples of the speed of The Grid in the first three paragraphs and they are all about entertainment. Not that research will be enhanced. Not that business will improve or that support will be more readily available. They do slip in a sliver of a plug for enhanced communications in the last sentence but that's it. The only thing that matters is that we can get our music quicker, our videos of people doing ridiculous things quicker, and our online gaming more powerful.

Perhaps they should have called it "The Matrix."

Techie or Mass Murderer?

2008-04-16T06:06:00.001-04:00

Can you judge someone by looking at them? Try the test at the link below. Look at each picture and decide if he is a computer geek or a serial killer. Go with your gut feeling and click on you choice.

There are ten photos. You'll get a score at the end so come back here and let us know how you did. I scored 6 out of 10.

malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz

Ode to the Dvorak Keyboard

2008-04-15T06:27:00.000-04:00

Okay - take a look at the keyboard to the right. Notice the placement of the keys. This is not a QWERTY keyboard. The layout you see is the Dvorak Keyboard.

Did you know that the QWERTY keyboard (the one 99% of the English-typing world uses) was designed to be slow and more difficult to use? Why would someone design and market a keyboard that makes typing harder? Simple - way back in the day, they were using manual typewriters. If you are under 40 you may be able to find one in a museum somewhere. If you are 40 or older you may just have had to type on one when you were first learning to type. Anyway, the big problem with manual typewriters is that the keys were all flying up to strike the ribbon and they would jam if you typed too fast. So typewriter manufacturers actually looked for ways to slow down typists to minimize the number of jams. Slow and steady saves the typing pool.

But then came IBM Selectric's with the bouncing font ball. After that came the personal computer. Now you have to search to find a typewriter at all. So why are we still using a keyboard designed to slow us down?

Here is an example of how the QWERTY keyboard slows you down. The most inefficient way to type a two-character combination is by using the same finger. "ED" is the most common two-character combination in English. Think about it - QWERTY says middle finger left hand for both keys. The QWERTY keyboard has been giving us the finger all these years and we've been taking it.

The lesson is - be careful establishing standards - they live forever. Nobody knows that QWERTY is slower than Dvorak any more. Very few people even know the Dvorak keyboard layout exists. This is an example of how much our lives and our businesses are limited by our Same-Old-Same-Old thinking. There are lots of opportunities to improve no matter what your business. We just have to open our eyes and maybe be willing to learn something new. What other options lie just beyond our fingertips?

Read more on the Dvorak Keyboard.

The 'Save Windows XP' Petition

2008-04-14T10:44:00.000-04:00

The link below is a petition to save Windows XP. It appears that Microsoft seems dead-set on killing XP this June. Strange that a company would want to alienate such a large number of customers. Some people might argue that is status quo for Microsoft but I won't go there. I will say that for years we have been so technologically hungry that the vast majority of people have swallowed whatever computer vendors have offered. We haven't always been discerning in our tastes. Buggy, slow, cumbersome software should not be the norm.

I personally recommend that people stay with XP until Vista becomes a better product. I have a new laptop on the way and I'm sticking with XP for the foreseeable future. Of course, as a company, Microsoft can do as it wishes. But I'm hoping they err on the side of reason...

Save Windows XP Petition

The 80kb Solution

2008-04-13T05:58:00.000-04:00

I get a lot of questions from everyday people wanting to know why their computers run so slow. Most of these people are using Windows XP and are just general users. More often than not they are just using email and browsing the Internet. I've even noticed my computers from time to time seeming to bog down.

One of the challenges we face is power. What's that old saying? Power corrupts and Absolute Power corrupts absolutely. We run into the same situation with our technology. In the old days (I started in the computer field in 1980), core memory was expensive and not very available. When we wrote mainframe applications we had to justify any memory use over 80kb. Eighty kilobytes - you can't even find text files that are under 80kb any more. And when I say 'justify' I mean that we basically had to admit why our programming skills were insufficient enough that we couldn't figure out an 80kb solution. Granted, those were green screens and print-outs rather than GUI's. But that is part of the challenge we face today. Every time we gain processing speed, disk space, or memory through some advance in technology we immediately slow it back down by expanding the graphical imagery of a thousand additional features. Most of what we look at on the computer screen today is entertainment more than information.

There is probably a law out there that explains this - something like: Features expand to tax all available processing power. Until we figure out who might have said it, we'll simply refer to it as the Hillpond Rule. In a way, it is just a technological reiteration of "An idle mind is the playground for the Devil."

Anyway, I'll jump down off my soapbox for the moment. For now I'll just say that there is an obvious need out there to be able to clean up all of this 'stuff' that is clogging up our computers. I'm going to see if we can identify some ways to help you do that.

I've seen a few applications advertised lately geared towards "cleaning up Windows" or "Optimizing Windows." There seems to be quite a need out there. So, over the next few weeks, I am going to publish some ideas on what the average user can do to help their personal computer run a little (or maybe a lot) more smoothly. Stay tuned.

OpenOffice.Org Tools

2008-04-12T20:48:00.006-04:00

I've heard for a while about OpenOffice.org's suite of tools. Their tools include word processing (Writer), presentation software (Impress), spreadsheet (Calc), a database program, and a math-based application. Now I'll admit that, in the past, when I've thought about OpenOffice.org my mental picture has been something along the lines of Microsoft Works which, in my opinion, is a terrible suite of applications. But I'll also admit I've never tried OpenOffice.org.

So now I am going to install it and try it out. The reviews on the latest versions seem to be better. I am hoping that the applications work well. I like the open source concept - especially for basic applications like this. Let's face it, word processing has been around since the days of the Wang OIS and it ought to be fairly straightforward by now.

Obviously there are a lot of people out there who think that word processing and spreadsheet applications should be free or else Microsoft wouldn't spend so much on anti-piracy initiatives. So, if that's the case, a good, solid product should be able to make it. Especially if it is intuitive and works with standard file formats (Word, Excel, etc.). I'm installing OpenOffice.org tonight and I'm going to use it for my business, community, and personal work to see how it goes. I'll report back here on any significant findings as well as my overall impression in a month or so.

One last thought about OpenOffice.org's chances of getting market share. Even if OpenOffice.org's tools are better and free, they may never take the place of Microsoft's (or anyone else's) paid-for tools. People are simply resistant to change. Later in the week I'll explain be telling you about the QWERTY keyboard vs. the Dvorak keyboard.

Capturing Your Browsing History with Hooeey.com

2008-04-10T22:37:00.000-04:00

This is an interesting way of using the web. We all stumble upon pages that may or may not be useful on the web. I know there have been a number of times I've thought back to a site I visited weeks before and wondered what it was and how to get back to it. It can be frustrating trying to re-create your steps to get back to that spot. Hooeey is a tool that logs all of your visits independent of browser software or even computer. It puts all of your brower history in one place. This could be a valuable tool for someone who spends a lot of time researching on the web. I'm going to check it out a little more.

I am a little concerned about how this data might be used by others at some point - privacy is always a concern for people on the web. But the idea is intriguing.

hooeey -- Record, retrieve and analyze your web hops

Virtual, Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial

2008-04-07T06:01:00.000-04:00

Now this is a creative and helpful use of technology.

Family and friends of servicemen and women who died or vanished in the Vietnam War no longer have to travel to Washington to pay their respects at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

An interactive version debuted online this week, a project of historical document archive site Footnote.com in conjunction with the National Archives and Records Administration.

The virtual version of the famous memorial -- which is a pair of 246-foot black granite walls inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 American military casualties -- is searchable.

Every name etched onto the real-world wall is viewable online and linked to the veteran's service record. Online visitors can add photos and describe their memories of the servicemen and women who died in the war.

For more of this article: News.Yahoo.com.

To see the virtual Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Go.Footnote.com/thewall.

Pico Projectors - Putting Projection in the Hands of Everyone

2008-04-03T23:54:00.004-04:00

For any of you who have tried watching a movie on a portable device (cell phone, ipod, etc.) you know that it's not the most ideal situation. But the entertainment driven culture has dived headlong into mini players full force. Now you can play video on just about any small electronic device that Sonyrola can fit a screen on. You can watch, you just can't see.

Well now that so many people have bitten into the mini-video apple (small 'a'), the gadget industry has created another market for themselves: Pico projectors. "Pico projectors" are "small enough to carry around in a shirt pocket" and will hit the markets later this year. They are working standalone projectors first and then looking to build them directly into cellphones and other small devices.

This, I think, is going to make for some interesting dilemmas. Personal video players have already caused challenges because people are taking their personal viewing habits out into public. But with Pico projectors, these same people will have the opportunity to essentially broadcast their personal video habits into more public realms. Porn is the obvious problem, we'll soon be hearing about projected porn showing up in classrooms or in other public places. How do you protect your kids from that? But that's not even getting creative. What about immature students projecting things onto their teachers backsides in the classroom? If the projector will show video, surely it will show text. Imagine the possibilities. Now multiply it by ten. Suddenly I have the ability to make your t-shirt say anything I want. Scary.

I'm all for moving ahead with technology. I'm sure a lot of very good and very creative uses will come from mini projectors and other new technologies. But I'm also concerned about the lack of a moral compass guiding technology. I'm not sure "entertainment" is the best guide.

Projectors to Magnify Cell Phone Cinema

Twenty Creative Internet Scams

2008-03-31T09:25:00.000-04:00

VirtualHosting.com has a list of 20 ways people have used the Internet to scam others. It's good to be aware of these as you have probably seen some of them in your email in-box. Some are relatively harmless while others were specific attempts to steal personal information. Give them a look.

Top 20 Hilarious and Creative Internet Scams

A Collection Of Funny Source Code

2008-03-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

At first I thought this might be a site that only a geek could love. But it is really an exploration of logic, logical thinking, and implementation. I found it humorous... or maybe I'm just a geek.

A Collection Of Funny Source Code

Scamming the E-Mail Scammers

2008-03-18T18:52:00.000-04:00

Scammers "pilfer nearly $200 million from Americans annually and drive some of their victims to suicide, but Nigeria's notorious e-mail scam artists may finally have met their match - and the results can be hilarious." Baiters Teach Scammers a Lesson is an article from Wired Magazine about how a group of people are fighting back against e-mail scammers. It's just too good not to post.

Hopefully you know that if you get an email (or phone call or fax or whatever) that sounds too good to be true - it probably is. The prototypical Nigerian scam is called a 419 scam. Check out the website of those who are fighting back and teaching others to do the same.

Spam King Behind Bars?

2008-03-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

"A man once described as one of the world's top e-mail spammers pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and failure to file a tax return.

"Robert Alan Soloway, 29, was dubbed 'the spam king' by prosecuters who said he used networks of comprised computers to send out millions upon millions of junk e-mails since 2003."

Since he's in jail I'm trying to figure out who is still sending all those spam messages. But they need to throw the book at each one they catch (personal opinion - no extra charge).

Man Pleads Guilty in E-Mail Spam Case

Do Some Viruses Come Pre-Installed?

2008-03-14T05:35:00.000-04:00

"From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras from the factory - pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers, and make computers spew spam."

So far it doesn't look intentional but the bottom line is - keep your virus software up-to-date.

Some Viruses Come Pre-Installed

AOL Launches Paperless Coupons Service

2008-03-13T10:49:00.002-04:00

This looks like another concept where online coupons will be tied to your grocery store loyalty card. As you scan the Shortcuts-related card, your coupons will automatically be captured.

AOL Launches Paperless Coupons Service

Hulu.com Brings TV Shows to Web

2008-03-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hulu.com, a joint venture between News Corp. and NBC Universal, plans to open its online library of ad-supported TV shows and movies to the public on Wednesday (March 12).

Users of the service will be able to view more than 250 full-length episodes of shows such as "The Simpsons" and "The Office," as well as some 100 movies, including "The Big Lebowski" and "Ice Age."

My Way News - Online Video Site Brings TV Shows to Web

It won't be too long and we won't need TVs anymore, everything will be run through the Internet to your computer. Entertainment is where it's at.

Wal-Mart Drops Linux Machines from Stores

2008-03-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

Wal-Mart isn't only slashing prices, it's slashing its test of Linux machines. The $199 gPC didn't make it in stores and now Wal-Mart is pulling the plug. They will, however, continue to offer some Linux based computers through WalMart.com.

Wal-Mart Ends Test of Linux in Stores

Abbott & Costello: Buying a Computer

2008-03-08T16:24:00.004-05:00

If young enough that you've never heard Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" routine, you should find it. It is absolutely a classic. In fact, once you've heard it I bet you can think of at least a half a dozen spin-offs of it. If you're too young to know who Abbot & Costello are, Google them.

Computer people sometimes don't understand that this is how we sound to people who aren't as wrapped up in technology as we are.

Costello Calls to Buy a Computer from Abbott

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT : Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Window's.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on 'START'

Locate Georgia-Grown Food on the Web

2008-02-18T09:39:00.001-05:00

Georgia MarketMaker is a new website from the University of Georgia to help you locate Georgia-grown food. The UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development has an interactive website that offers one of the most extensive searchable collections of food-industry data in the country.

The goal, according to Kent Wolfe, a UGA Cooperative Extension marketing and finance specialist, is to allow producers to sell directly to consumers and make more money.

Docs Use Wii Game for Rehab

2008-02-16T05:59:00.001-05:00

Some call it "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system, whose popularity already extends beyond the teen gaming set, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries.

apnews.myway.com//article/20080209/D8UMOS4G0.html

Save on Airline Tickets You Already Bought

2008-02-15T05:54:00.002-05:00

This site lets you monitor the prices on an airline ticket you already purchased. According to TodayShow.com, "The average airline ticket fluctuates by 400%. Who can keep up? If you book your airline ticket and the prices drops, it's not game over. You've got a move to make after the purchase. Plug your itinerary into Yapta.com and it will alert you if and when prices drop. Because of something called "guaranteed airfare policy" you're eligible for a refund if the fare price decreases on any major airline.

"When you get your itinerary, just email it to Yapta at flights@yapta.com. It's just a matter of forwarding what the airlines send you. Couldn't be easier. Even after deducting any change fee levied by the airline, if your $400 round trip ticket is suddenly $275, you might have $50+ bucks headed your way. Yapta does all the math & alerts you accordingly. No more feeling like you paid more than the person sitting next to you."

YAPTA = Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant

Pick the Cheapest Route When You Plan Your Next Trip

2008-02-13T05:52:00.001-05:00

Found on www.TodayShow.com: Are you picking the cheapest path? In many cities across the country, going one block or one mile could save you precious pennies at the pump â" as much as .30-.50 cents per gallon. If you're filling up on a 20 gallon SUV once or twice a week, it adds up fast.

To use Mapquest's Gas Prices feature, type in an address or zip code and it will give you gas stations with the lowest prices within a 50 mile radius. The stations appear plotted on a map. In a given area prices (updated up to 7 times a day) range by as much as 50 cents per gallon.

Exchange Gift Cards

2008-02-12T05:48:00.001-05:00

$26 billion worth of gift cards were sold this past holiday season alone. Thousands will go unused by consumers. You can't redeem them for cash in-store, but you can online. You'll probably get about 65% of face-value.

They also sell gift cards at a reduced rate (that's how they make their money). So if you're looking to save 10% on a purchase, you might be able find the gift card you need at www.SwapAGift.com.