I just upgraded my Macbook Core2Duo 2GHz from 1Gb of RAM to 2Gb. Took me about 3 minutes and cost less than $200. Will make a real difference in performance, especially running parallels.
Occasionally get asked what apps I run on the Mac, so here goes:
Firefox, Thunderbird, Neooffice, Twitterific, MSN, Skype, iChat, iCal, CyberDuck (FTP), Disco (Disc Burning)
That\’s pretty much what\’s in my dock. I bought a fantastic bundle from macheist.com but I don\’t necessarily use those apps every day.
As Bernie was driving Beccy to kinder today she told her that we needed to go to the Bank. She said we could go before or after we picked her up and she said to us "::Please go before you pick me up, then we can just go straight home from kinder.":: She said ok but then she added "::Unless it\’s Westpac":: Bern smiled and told her it was Westpac so she said "::Go after Kinder, I want to come!"::. Our girls love Westpac because it\’s so child-friendly. They have a great play tent and toys, and when Bec writes out her "::deposit":: slip, they also stamp it with children\’s stamps. Thanks Westpac, for making our banking easier!
I think the key for me is to try and blog short and often. Just post the various little things I find, and move on. Lets be honest, I\’m so busy at the moment I barely get the time to think through anything in real detail anyway…
I know, I haven’t blogged for nearly 2 months, but I’ve had a few things on, between growing The Tech Doctor Network, GeekZone, working on the Movie Elindil’s Secret and trying to look after Bern and the kids.. I also managed to food poison myself a couple of weeks ago by eating some ham from the fridge that had obviously been there a bit too long… Of course, I was just eating and running so I never took any notice, but i paid for it for 4 days afterwards.
I’m also looking to start a blog on the Tech Doctor site, so I can put my tech musings and ranting over there, but I’ll have to be more dedicated, and I\’m not sure if this will speed things up of slow them down over here.. I guess time will tell.
We’ve had some problems recently with intruders coming up our driveway and pinching stuff. I have to admit my car makes me a bit of an obvious target, but I really thought the length and steepness of the driveway would keep them out.
The first time they got into both (unlocked) cars and stole a few largely inexpensive bits and pieces and the second time they took a plain brown box which they found out 50m down the road only contained the mains conversion kit for a BBQ, so they dumped it.
So we decided it was time to do something. In discussion with Dean from Recips, our Electrical Contractor of choice we are installing a front facing sensor with a lot more light connected to it, so people wont be snooping in the dark.
Of course I cant have this sort of equipment without plugging it into a computer, so it is time, with a bit of help from some friends and a few websites to make a complete Linux Home Security System.
I think the Tech Doctor needs to get into the Remote Control business. There are basic one which may or may not automatically know how to turn on everything in your AV Rack, right through to fully programmable, touchscreen ones that do everything you need, like switching to the correct TV input etc.
I mentioned it to Jase, and within minutes he came back with this…
Of course, I would need at least two of them – at the moment we have like 6 or 7 remotes, but at least if we lose one we can still control all the other things. If we lost the one true remote we’d be screwed 🙂
Three Remotes for sport-kings watching Foxtel and Sky
Seven for the DVD, video and stereo surround,
Nine for batteries doomed to die,
One for the House Lord on his comfy throne
In the Lounge Recliner where couch potatoes lie.
One Remote to rule them all, One Remote to find them,
One Remote to bring them all and in the loungeroom bind them
In the Lounge Recliner where couch potatoes lie.
I started playing with Apache’s .htaccess redirects tonight. Life becomes so simple.
Redirect /Software http://www.techdoctor.com.au/index.php?dept=software redirects anyone that types www.techdoctor.com.au/Software to the correct page.
there is a great tutorial with other info at www.javascriptkit.com
I decided it was finally time to go to the dentist and get the annoying hole in one of my wisdom teeth looked at. Strangely enough that same tooth is also the only tooth I’ve ever had a filling in. I don’t claim to be fantastic at brushing my teeth 3 times a day, but that tooth obviously has issues…
Bern rang up and made the booking, and the earliest appointment was today at 2:30. 2:30 the ultimate time to go to the dentist (tooth hurty). Strangely enough the receptionist for the dentist didn’t seem to get the joke.
I went in today and was informed that the tooth was officially stuffed and would have to come out. Hmmm, Jase has just had (admittedly all 4) of his wisdom teeth out, and it hasn’t exactly been a week of fun for him, but I figured if she was willing to do it then and there it couldn’t be too bad.
They numbed it all up with some really cool gel and I shut my eyes so I never saw the needle, though I did feel it a bit. I can’t say it really hurt. There was a bit of wrenching about, and they finally go t the tooth out, and because I have thin blood, she decided to put a stitch in it, possibly the weirdest part of the whole thing as you can feel the thread on your lips but cant feel anything in your mouth at all.
You didn’t really want all that detail, but suffice to say that the dentist is not something I’m really scared of anymore, after 2 great experiences, and also Bec &:: Liz’s story from last week going to see the same dentist, and having what is called "::a ride in the chair":: where they get to see the dentist as a bit of fun and the dentist introduces them to the tickle stick and a few other things, and also has a bit of a look at their teeth.
Anyway, I paid the bill and left, got home and was talking to Bern, and we talked about how much it cost. $230 which is neither here nor there, dollars wise as it needed to be spent, but a weird coincidence.. $tooth hurty.
I just found a section on the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB) called Ask a Filmmaker with the columnists: screenwriter John August (Go, Charlie’s Angels), director Penelope Spheeris (The Decline of Western Civilization, Wayne’s World) and cinematographer Oliver Stapleton (My Beautiful Laundrette, The Cider House Rules, The Shipping News).