There are several technologies working out there that call them selves wireless. The one we are most familiar with is the IEEE802.11g protocol that we use in our houses. This technology uses the 2.4GHz frequency to send Internet throughout your home or business at up to 54Mbps(mega bits per second). In comparison, if you are wired you connect at 100Mbps. Another technology is the cellular Internet sold by Verizon and Cingular (AT&T). In this technology you plug in a PC card in your laptop and get up to 144Mbps if there is cellular Internet service available. But just like Cell phone service "Can you here me know" is the cry when you go out of cellular Internet range.
A new protocol IEEE802.11n will increase the wireless speed in your home or business to 108Mbps. It will also add MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) for increased bandwidth and strength of signal. The new protocol will not be approved until 2008 at the earliest. Many manufacturers are building wireless routers and access points that are called PRE-N standard. Unfortunately not many of the PRE-N devices are standard. That means if you have a Belkin PRE-N device it may not work with a Linksys or Apple PRE-N device. That's why they call it a standard and its not done yet!
So how fast can we stream the Internet wirelessly? Some say the new 802.11n protocol will be the limit in the 2.4.Ghz frequency. If we change to microwave or TV frequencies there are new technologies that theoretically get us to 3000Mbps wireless. Wow now that would be fast. As we try to stream more videos and movies that would be helpful. There are several Internet services selling movies on the web that you download or view in real time.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
#78 - Why can't I have the latest toys?
A good customer just purchased a new digital camera from PCSS. Its the latest model of the camera the wife and I dearly enjoy. To say the least, I'm highly jealous of the new camera. It has twice the megapixels (not a biggie), a longer zoom (that is nice), quicker response (also nice) and image stabilization (huge feature!). The camera is the Canon SD800IS. It costs about the same as my camera did and is the same size.
As I have said before on this site, megapixels aren't a big deal. The best my printer can do is a bit over 3 megapixels. Anything more then that can only be used for blowing up pictures and my printer is limited to 8.5"x11" size. Longer zoom is always good as long as you don't lose any focus or speed. Quicker response is great. It means you can take your next picture more quickly. Image stabilization allows you or your subject to move and you won't get a blurry pictures. Great for sports, kids, pets and windy days. This is a big item when you are indoors and trying to take a picture without flash. This is the key important feature and worth the slight premium Canon charges in their digital cameras with this feature.
My XP laptop is great but I'm selling better models to most customers today. Bigger screen, faster processor, more USB ports. Oh well, since I just purchased the Vista laptop, I'm probably out of the laptop market for a while. My Ultra desktop PC just keeps on trucking. Its old, noisy and big. It's had the motherboard, hard drive and power supply replaced so its probably good for another year. Now my monitor is a beautiful 19" LCD. They make them bigger, but not better. Besides my desktop is full and there is absolutely no more room there.
My latest two toys are a 1 tetrabyte (1000 gigabyte) network external hard drive. I can access this drive from any PC in the house and store pictures, music, video and other backups. My Mini Mac even talks fluently with this wonderful backup system. My other new toy is a 4GB USB flash drive. I backup MY Documents to that drive and keep it with me all the time.
So don't feel sorry for me. I may envy your new purchase, but I have too many toys to try and keep up!
As I have said before on this site, megapixels aren't a big deal. The best my printer can do is a bit over 3 megapixels. Anything more then that can only be used for blowing up pictures and my printer is limited to 8.5"x11" size. Longer zoom is always good as long as you don't lose any focus or speed. Quicker response is great. It means you can take your next picture more quickly. Image stabilization allows you or your subject to move and you won't get a blurry pictures. Great for sports, kids, pets and windy days. This is a big item when you are indoors and trying to take a picture without flash. This is the key important feature and worth the slight premium Canon charges in their digital cameras with this feature.
My XP laptop is great but I'm selling better models to most customers today. Bigger screen, faster processor, more USB ports. Oh well, since I just purchased the Vista laptop, I'm probably out of the laptop market for a while. My Ultra desktop PC just keeps on trucking. Its old, noisy and big. It's had the motherboard, hard drive and power supply replaced so its probably good for another year. Now my monitor is a beautiful 19" LCD. They make them bigger, but not better. Besides my desktop is full and there is absolutely no more room there.
My latest two toys are a 1 tetrabyte (1000 gigabyte) network external hard drive. I can access this drive from any PC in the house and store pictures, music, video and other backups. My Mini Mac even talks fluently with this wonderful backup system. My other new toy is a 4GB USB flash drive. I backup MY Documents to that drive and keep it with me all the time.
So don't feel sorry for me. I may envy your new purchase, but I have too many toys to try and keep up!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
#77 - Microsoft's Table top PC
Microsoft unveiled a coffee table shaped "surface computer" Wednesday. The "Surface PC" promotes Bill Gates's view of a future where the mouse and Keyboard are replaced by more natural interaction using voice, pen and touch.
The Surface, which has a 30-inch interactive display under a hard plastic tabletop, allows people to touch and move objects on screen for everything from digital finger painting and jigsaw puzzles to ordering off a virtual menu in a restaurant (with pictures like in oriental restaurants!).
It also recognizes and interacts with devices placed on its surface, so cell phone users can easily buy ringtones or change payment plans by placing their handsets on in-store displays, or a group of people gathered round the table can check out the photos on a digital camera placed on top.
Microsoft said it will manufacture the machine itself and sell it initially to corporate customers, deploying the first units in November in Sheraton hotels, Harrah's casinos, T-Mobile stores, and restaurants. The company is selling the Surface for between $5,000 and $10,000 each, but aims to bring prices down to consumer levels in three to five years and introduce various shapes and forms.
The possibilities with this new PC are almost endless. If we can finally get rid of the mouse and keyboard interface, it brings the PC to almost everyone. Also moving the PC to the coffee table gets us out of these uncomfortable office chairs and back into couches and comfortable side chairs! It will put a strain on your neck to look down. I look for Holographic PC projections next so we can really lounge in our massaging lounge chairs!
The Surface, which has a 30-inch interactive display under a hard plastic tabletop, allows people to touch and move objects on screen for everything from digital finger painting and jigsaw puzzles to ordering off a virtual menu in a restaurant (with pictures like in oriental restaurants!).
It also recognizes and interacts with devices placed on its surface, so cell phone users can easily buy ringtones or change payment plans by placing their handsets on in-store displays, or a group of people gathered round the table can check out the photos on a digital camera placed on top.
Microsoft said it will manufacture the machine itself and sell it initially to corporate customers, deploying the first units in November in Sheraton hotels, Harrah's casinos, T-Mobile stores, and restaurants. The company is selling the Surface for between $5,000 and $10,000 each, but aims to bring prices down to consumer levels in three to five years and introduce various shapes and forms.
The possibilities with this new PC are almost endless. If we can finally get rid of the mouse and keyboard interface, it brings the PC to almost everyone. Also moving the PC to the coffee table gets us out of these uncomfortable office chairs and back into couches and comfortable side chairs! It will put a strain on your neck to look down. I look for Holographic PC projections next so we can really lounge in our massaging lounge chairs!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
#76 - How old is that in dog years?
My parents used to buy a new car every 4 years. It was like clockwork. I have a friend that gets a new car every 10 years(note its always a VERY nice new car!). Another friend never buys a car new and claims to not know what depreciation is! Frequent questions I get, "My computer is X years old, is that too old? Do I need to replace it?"
My answer depends on lots of factors. I have customers, that due to the programs they run, are doing fine with Windows 98 (now 9 year old). The computers are older, but they don't go on the Internet much and keep then on a good maintenance system. The software they have is customized and probably won't run under Windows XP, let alone Windows Vista. Another customer's business is totally based on computers. They require a high degree of uptime and can't stand to be bogged down on their PCs. They may need to have the latest and greatest PCs.
For the typical user a PC should last 4 to 5 years or through 1 operating system change. I don't recommend upgrading operating systems. Nothing good comes in that process and you end up spending more time then the value you receive. Monitors sometimes last longer and my wife is still using a HP LaserJet 4 (circa 1989). I will tell you that if you are using one of the old CRT type monitors, run don't walk it out to recycle and get a flat screen LCD monitor. There are so many bad things about CRT monitors that we'll just assume everyone has done so! If you are in the corporate world, you need to depreciate your PCs over no more then 3 years. Bad things happen when you try to stretch a PC through the depreciation period.
I got thinking about this after reading an editorial in PC Magazine on reviving dead gadgets. The point was why do we throw away perfectly good cell phones after 2 years? Shouldn't they last longer? Yes they should. But we want the latest gadget and the cellular phone companies don't seem to be able to say NO to consumers on new cellular phones. They consistently sell them for great discounts when you subscribe to their service. Just don't lose one or break it before the subscription period ends. Also if you think its broken, why not take the time to experiment with the supposedly "dead" phone and see if you can revive it.
Many of my customers are asking should I upgrade to Vista? My clear answer is NO, not on the PCs you have now. If you would like to move to Vista and are sure all your software and hardware will work with it, then buy a NEW PC that is designed to run Vista (2 GB memory, 120GB hard Drive, High end Graphics).
My answer depends on lots of factors. I have customers, that due to the programs they run, are doing fine with Windows 98 (now 9 year old). The computers are older, but they don't go on the Internet much and keep then on a good maintenance system. The software they have is customized and probably won't run under Windows XP, let alone Windows Vista. Another customer's business is totally based on computers. They require a high degree of uptime and can't stand to be bogged down on their PCs. They may need to have the latest and greatest PCs.
For the typical user a PC should last 4 to 5 years or through 1 operating system change. I don't recommend upgrading operating systems. Nothing good comes in that process and you end up spending more time then the value you receive. Monitors sometimes last longer and my wife is still using a HP LaserJet 4 (circa 1989). I will tell you that if you are using one of the old CRT type monitors, run don't walk it out to recycle and get a flat screen LCD monitor. There are so many bad things about CRT monitors that we'll just assume everyone has done so! If you are in the corporate world, you need to depreciate your PCs over no more then 3 years. Bad things happen when you try to stretch a PC through the depreciation period.
I got thinking about this after reading an editorial in PC Magazine on reviving dead gadgets. The point was why do we throw away perfectly good cell phones after 2 years? Shouldn't they last longer? Yes they should. But we want the latest gadget and the cellular phone companies don't seem to be able to say NO to consumers on new cellular phones. They consistently sell them for great discounts when you subscribe to their service. Just don't lose one or break it before the subscription period ends. Also if you think its broken, why not take the time to experiment with the supposedly "dead" phone and see if you can revive it.
Many of my customers are asking should I upgrade to Vista? My clear answer is NO, not on the PCs you have now. If you would like to move to Vista and are sure all your software and hardware will work with it, then buy a NEW PC that is designed to run Vista (2 GB memory, 120GB hard Drive, High end Graphics).
Monday, June 4, 2007
#75 - What ever happened to Voice Recognition?
I really thought we would have thrown away our keyboards by now and would be talking to our computers. But alas, that hasn't happened. Voice Recognition (VR)Technology has been one of lots of talk, but not much action. I first saw a VR system in the late 80s. It came free with WordPerfect 8 and was worth what I paid for it. I tried to set it up for my mother, who dislikes typing. After 5 hours of installing, testing, trying and having my mother record her voice over and over, we were no where. The VR software recognized about 50% of her words. Now my mom has a very Midwestern clear voice. We were both chagrined.
Fast forward 12 years and I tried it again with a Covington customer. Said customer had a deep southern accent, so I knew this would be a true test. Many days later after installation, testing, and him recording test tracts 5 times, it was a no go. Way too many errors. Sigh.
Today some companies are using VR in their phone support. I'm sure you've run into the 'Say Yes if this is the option you want' over the phone. Most computer companies use a modified VR system that lets you talk in one word answers. No complicated sentences with words like Reed, Read or Write, Rite.
I still think VR will happen, just not in my lifetime. If you ask the pros, what is holding up VR is processing speed. We have plenty of memory to store all the words and phrases in the English language. We just don't have computers that are fast enough to search through those words and phrases to recognize your voice and put it in context of a sentence. On the other hand. My Garmin GPS does a remarkable job in saying street names (even though it keeps thinking DR. is Doctor instead of Drive). So once we get the VR working the response will come quickly and sound good. I guess we'll give it some more time.
Fast forward 12 years and I tried it again with a Covington customer. Said customer had a deep southern accent, so I knew this would be a true test. Many days later after installation, testing, and him recording test tracts 5 times, it was a no go. Way too many errors. Sigh.
Today some companies are using VR in their phone support. I'm sure you've run into the 'Say Yes if this is the option you want' over the phone. Most computer companies use a modified VR system that lets you talk in one word answers. No complicated sentences with words like Reed, Read or Write, Rite.
I still think VR will happen, just not in my lifetime. If you ask the pros, what is holding up VR is processing speed. We have plenty of memory to store all the words and phrases in the English language. We just don't have computers that are fast enough to search through those words and phrases to recognize your voice and put it in context of a sentence. On the other hand. My Garmin GPS does a remarkable job in saying street names (even though it keeps thinking DR. is Doctor instead of Drive). So once we get the VR working the response will come quickly and sound good. I guess we'll give it some more time.
Friday, June 1, 2007
#73 - The long slow end of tape
Backing up your data has always been a problematic issue. I'd estimate that every two weeks I deal with a customer that has lost data that hasn't been backed up. I had another one today to ask me to try and find a data file that disappeared. The bad issue is that they were backing up their My Documents folder to a CD. They weren't backing up the data of a particular program that does not save its info into My Documents. After 20 minutes of search I couldn't find the file and the bad news was in. Fortunately there were paper backups so the data could be restored but at a terrible cost in time.
What does backup have to do with tape? The first storage units for PC's were cassette tapes. The first dedicated backup up devices for hard drives were tape units. Its the early 80s and the Robert Palmer is Simply Irresistible! Its 20 years later and people are still using tape backup. Tape is my least favorite method of backup for several reasons. First tape is sequential. You have to start someplace and then move the tape. If you want to restore files that are on the other end of the tape you have to rewind or wind the tape to get to it. A slow and tedious process. Secondly, tape wears out fairly soon. The process of wind and rewind take a toll on the tape. It stretches after so many uses and then the data is poof, gone. So much for backup.
There are many alternatives to tape so I'm confused why people still use it. There are optical drives (CD/DVD), Flash Drives, External hard Drives and even hard drive cartridges (my favorite!). Costs are actually less for most of these technologies. Lets all say a fond farewell to tape backup and good riddance.
What does backup have to do with tape? The first storage units for PC's were cassette tapes. The first dedicated backup up devices for hard drives were tape units. Its the early 80s and the Robert Palmer is Simply Irresistible! Its 20 years later and people are still using tape backup. Tape is my least favorite method of backup for several reasons. First tape is sequential. You have to start someplace and then move the tape. If you want to restore files that are on the other end of the tape you have to rewind or wind the tape to get to it. A slow and tedious process. Secondly, tape wears out fairly soon. The process of wind and rewind take a toll on the tape. It stretches after so many uses and then the data is poof, gone. So much for backup.
There are many alternatives to tape so I'm confused why people still use it. There are optical drives (CD/DVD), Flash Drives, External hard Drives and even hard drive cartridges (my favorite!). Costs are actually less for most of these technologies. Lets all say a fond farewell to tape backup and good riddance.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
#72 - Open Source
Why pay for something when you can get it for "free". This is the American bargain hunters mantra. Find "free" stuff and abuse it! I think we all were taught as children the following quaint cliches: 'You pay for what you get', 'There is no free lunch', 'Pay me now or pay me later'
Each gets the point across of Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware. So having said that lets talk about free software. Two items: Operating systems and Office software are what using a computer is all about. Both are dominated by Microsoft with their Windows and MS Office products.(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook) Both are expensive in the sense that they generally cost more then what we think is fair. PCSS makes a bit of money selling Microsoft products, but to be honest, not enough to make us completely loyal to the Bill Gate Money Machine.
There are alternatives to Microsoft products and, gasp!, they don't cost a penny. In the case of Operating Systems, the Linux open source product has been around almost as long as Windows. Many companies have tried to make some money off of Linux, but Microsoft has just plowed them under. If you are an experimenter in nature you might want to take that old Pentium III PC you have thought about throwing away and install Linux on for a try. Our favorite flavor of Linux is Ubunto http://www.ubuntu.com/. Ubunto contains a windows like version of Linux, a web browser, games and Open Office (we'll talk about it below). The only cost you have is your time and plan on a fair bit of that (couple of hours) to get your old PC up and running.
In the case of productivity suites (defined here as MS Office), there is the Sun Microsystems product called Open Office. Open Office has many of the MS Office products and is mostly compatible with them. Their equivalents are Writer=Word, Calc=Excel, Impress=PowerPoint, Data=Access. Open Office also contains Math and Draw components. The programs can open and write MS Office compatible files. They are different programs and don't have all the features and the features they do have in common aren't arranged in the same menu structure. Still the price is right ($0). Open Office is available for Windows, Linux and Mac! Here is there site: http://www.openoffice.org/.
So check out this "free" software and let us know what you think.
Each gets the point across of Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware. So having said that lets talk about free software. Two items: Operating systems and Office software are what using a computer is all about. Both are dominated by Microsoft with their Windows and MS Office products.(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook) Both are expensive in the sense that they generally cost more then what we think is fair. PCSS makes a bit of money selling Microsoft products, but to be honest, not enough to make us completely loyal to the Bill Gate Money Machine.
There are alternatives to Microsoft products and, gasp!, they don't cost a penny. In the case of Operating Systems, the Linux open source product has been around almost as long as Windows. Many companies have tried to make some money off of Linux, but Microsoft has just plowed them under. If you are an experimenter in nature you might want to take that old Pentium III PC you have thought about throwing away and install Linux on for a try. Our favorite flavor of Linux is Ubunto http://www.ubuntu.com/. Ubunto contains a windows like version of Linux, a web browser, games and Open Office (we'll talk about it below). The only cost you have is your time and plan on a fair bit of that (couple of hours) to get your old PC up and running.
In the case of productivity suites (defined here as MS Office), there is the Sun Microsystems product called Open Office. Open Office has many of the MS Office products and is mostly compatible with them. Their equivalents are Writer=Word, Calc=Excel, Impress=PowerPoint, Data=Access. Open Office also contains Math and Draw components. The programs can open and write MS Office compatible files. They are different programs and don't have all the features and the features they do have in common aren't arranged in the same menu structure. Still the price is right ($0). Open Office is available for Windows, Linux and Mac! Here is there site: http://www.openoffice.org/.
So check out this "free" software and let us know what you think.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
#71 - New Monitor Shapes
I've been seeing a trend in LCD monitors for the past 6 months. Monitor makers have been pushing the wide screen look. These screens are supposed to show DVDs (ie. films) better since the aspect ratio (width to height) is closer to the 2.39:1 of the movies (less black at the top and bottom). If you do alot of movie watching then the wider screens are better. If however you are more document or Internet centric then the wider screens don't buy you much.
The big problem, of course, is the advertising. Screens are measured by the diagonal so wide screen displays sound bigger. Ah but are they bigger? I did some research here at the PCSS Learning Center.
In laptops the hot size for displays is 15.4". These screens measure 13.1" x 8.2". That gives an area of 107.42 square inches. My old laptop has a 15" display that measures 12" x 9" for 108 square inches. So my old screen has more pixels (just slightly) despite having the supposed "smaller screen".
I use a 19" monitor here at PCSS central. It measures 15" x 12" for 180 square inches. The new wide screen monitors are 16" x 10.8" for 172.8. So once again they say they are bigger but aren't
The kicker in all of this mad Nick math is that the wide screen monitors get a slight premium in price. Laptops with 15.4" screens are generally more expensive then the same PC with 15" screens. I love when an industry can figure out how to get more money for less product. Its capitalism at its finest.
How I got to this stop in monitor sizing is that I brought home what I thought was a 1/2 gallon of ice cream. Nope it's only 1.75 quarts (where is my other 0.25 quart of ice cream?) for the same price of 1/2 gallon. Nice work if you can get it!
The big problem, of course, is the advertising. Screens are measured by the diagonal so wide screen displays sound bigger. Ah but are they bigger? I did some research here at the PCSS Learning Center.
In laptops the hot size for displays is 15.4". These screens measure 13.1" x 8.2". That gives an area of 107.42 square inches. My old laptop has a 15" display that measures 12" x 9" for 108 square inches. So my old screen has more pixels (just slightly) despite having the supposed "smaller screen".
I use a 19" monitor here at PCSS central. It measures 15" x 12" for 180 square inches. The new wide screen monitors are 16" x 10.8" for 172.8. So once again they say they are bigger but aren't
The kicker in all of this mad Nick math is that the wide screen monitors get a slight premium in price. Laptops with 15.4" screens are generally more expensive then the same PC with 15" screens. I love when an industry can figure out how to get more money for less product. Its capitalism at its finest.
How I got to this stop in monitor sizing is that I brought home what I thought was a 1/2 gallon of ice cream. Nope it's only 1.75 quarts (where is my other 0.25 quart of ice cream?) for the same price of 1/2 gallon. Nice work if you can get it!
Monday, May 28, 2007
#70 - What should I buy?
I had a good friend ask me what CPU (Central Processing Unit or the BOX!) should I buy today? My old PC is slow and is on its last legs. I replied that he has chosen an interesting time for picking a PC. There are 3 valid choices out there. Lets go through each and see what makes sense.
The latest and greatest would be a new PC with the new MS Vista operating systems. If you go this route there are several things to consider. 1. Will my software work with Vista? This is the primary concern. Many older versions of Quicken and Quickbooks won't work with Vista. Lots of hardware (printers, scanners, etc) won't work with Vista. You have to search the manufacturers site and make sure it will work with Vista. 2. What specs on the CPU should I get? I'm recommending 2 GB of memory, 120GB of Hard drive and the fastest processor you can afford. This is so not Nick here, but my experience with Vista is you that you can't have too much memory, hard drive or speed for this operating system. Get less then I recommend and you'll be sorry. 3. Which version of Vista should I get? Home Basic, Home Premium, Business or Ultimate. You can eliminate the first and the last of the choices. Home Basic has such a limited set of features that you might as well not get Vista. I haven't seen a PC with Ultimate Vista on it. I believe its only being sold as an upgrade from Microsoft. That leaves Home Premium or Business. Tough decision there. Home Premium has DVD burning software, Business has more security and file encryption. Take your pick.
If you decide not to buy Vista then I would recommend a decent PC with Windows XP Pro. Get one with 1 GB of memory (upgradeable to at least 2GB), 80-160GB hard drive, depending on your storage needs and a decent dual core processor. This is the least expensive route and probably the safest. It will run everything you have today, seem familiar and actually seem faster then what you have. Downside is that you probably will have to upgrade it to Windows Vista sometime in the future.
The last alternative is to buy a MAC. Problem here is price and what will you run on it? If you only need Internet, Office software and Quicken then the MAC is fine. Any other programs and you'll have to consider if the MAC has a solution for your software problem. Also bring buckets of money, cuz the MAC is right up there on cost. See what no competition does to price?
I wished my friend good luck. I'll let you know what he chooses.
The latest and greatest would be a new PC with the new MS Vista operating systems. If you go this route there are several things to consider. 1. Will my software work with Vista? This is the primary concern. Many older versions of Quicken and Quickbooks won't work with Vista. Lots of hardware (printers, scanners, etc) won't work with Vista. You have to search the manufacturers site and make sure it will work with Vista. 2. What specs on the CPU should I get? I'm recommending 2 GB of memory, 120GB of Hard drive and the fastest processor you can afford. This is so not Nick here, but my experience with Vista is you that you can't have too much memory, hard drive or speed for this operating system. Get less then I recommend and you'll be sorry. 3. Which version of Vista should I get? Home Basic, Home Premium, Business or Ultimate. You can eliminate the first and the last of the choices. Home Basic has such a limited set of features that you might as well not get Vista. I haven't seen a PC with Ultimate Vista on it. I believe its only being sold as an upgrade from Microsoft. That leaves Home Premium or Business. Tough decision there. Home Premium has DVD burning software, Business has more security and file encryption. Take your pick.
If you decide not to buy Vista then I would recommend a decent PC with Windows XP Pro. Get one with 1 GB of memory (upgradeable to at least 2GB), 80-160GB hard drive, depending on your storage needs and a decent dual core processor. This is the least expensive route and probably the safest. It will run everything you have today, seem familiar and actually seem faster then what you have. Downside is that you probably will have to upgrade it to Windows Vista sometime in the future.
The last alternative is to buy a MAC. Problem here is price and what will you run on it? If you only need Internet, Office software and Quicken then the MAC is fine. Any other programs and you'll have to consider if the MAC has a solution for your software problem. Also bring buckets of money, cuz the MAC is right up there on cost. See what no competition does to price?
I wished my friend good luck. I'll let you know what he chooses.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
#69 - Stealing is Stealing is?????
A Michigan man was arrested in Michigan for "stealing" free wireless Internet. The man would park every day outside of the Re-Union Street Cafe in Sparta, Michigan and use the wireless Internet to get his email. He admitted to the activity and was fined $400 and given 40 hours of community service. The maximum sentence could have been 5 years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines. Now that's scary!
I saw an interview with the police chief and he said he had to look up the law and found a 1979 Ethernet network protection act that was recently updated. He said the fined man had no idea it was illegal and had a clean record. The cafe has an unsecured wireless set up that they would like for customers (coffee buyers) to use. There are literally thousands of similar set ups in the country. I was telling a customer recently that you can find over 50 similar set ups in Covington alone. You could park literally anywhere in the city and find unsecured Internet.
One of my neighbors asked to used my home wireless set up. He purchased a couple of big antennas and I set up my system to put out a stronger signal for him. The local library has 3 power full wireless access points that lets everyone withing 100 feet of the library to use their signal. And I have been known to surf for unsecured access on occasion, especially when traveling.
So is this a bad thing to do? What are the risks? There are some risks. If you don't have your files secured, someone borrowing your wireless can access those files. It is an easy process to secure your wireless network. By securing the network, anyone wanting to use it would have to know your hexadecimal password. Different security schemes (WEP, WPA) are available to protect your wireless information. The way I look at it, is that if you don't have your wireless secured, then you are inviting the world in. If you have any question about that, just drop me a line and I can tell you how to secure your wireless network!
I saw an interview with the police chief and he said he had to look up the law and found a 1979 Ethernet network protection act that was recently updated. He said the fined man had no idea it was illegal and had a clean record. The cafe has an unsecured wireless set up that they would like for customers (coffee buyers) to use. There are literally thousands of similar set ups in the country. I was telling a customer recently that you can find over 50 similar set ups in Covington alone. You could park literally anywhere in the city and find unsecured Internet.
One of my neighbors asked to used my home wireless set up. He purchased a couple of big antennas and I set up my system to put out a stronger signal for him. The local library has 3 power full wireless access points that lets everyone withing 100 feet of the library to use their signal. And I have been known to surf for unsecured access on occasion, especially when traveling.
So is this a bad thing to do? What are the risks? There are some risks. If you don't have your files secured, someone borrowing your wireless can access those files. It is an easy process to secure your wireless network. By securing the network, anyone wanting to use it would have to know your hexadecimal password. Different security schemes (WEP, WPA) are available to protect your wireless information. The way I look at it, is that if you don't have your wireless secured, then you are inviting the world in. If you have any question about that, just drop me a line and I can tell you how to secure your wireless network!
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