I recently replaced my last remaining desktop PC with a $50 Raspberry Pi 2, a $25 USB DVD drive, and a $90 USB hard drive. So far, I’m very pleased with the results. The Raspberry Pi (RPi) is a series of small, single-board computers developed in the UK by a charitable organization supported by the…
If my informal polling of friends and coworkers is any indication, the odds are good that you either have no backup system for your computer or your backup system is woefully inadequate. Remember that “data” doesn’t just mean spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint presentations, and word processor documents; I’m also talking about your vacation pictures, your music…
I struggle with distraction when I try to do pretty much anything that takes more than five minutes. In the case of writing, it’s wonderful that modern computers are capable of accessing so much useful and interesting information relative to my projects on the Internet; however, those same resources can turn into a neverending parade…
I like to keep up with developments in culture, technology and various hobbies while avoiding news per se. For several years, I used Google Reader to organize my collection of RSS feeds. When Google killed off Google Reader, like a lot of RSS fans I switched to using Feedly. I’ve been happy with Feedly. It…
For years, my Lovely Spouse and I have had a running joke about the Little Man inside the iPod. When we’re having a meal together at home or just hanging out on the sofa, we like to play music in the background. I’ve spent an inordinate and obsessive amount of time assembling and tweaking the…
It’s interesting to me how badly large companies screw up the use of their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. The whole point of acquiring such expensive software is so you can — as unobtrusively as possible — manage your organization’s relationships with its customers, from advertising and initial contact through maintenance and warranty repair, then…
It’s very odd to realize that I don’t seem to be able to just buy something and then use it, full stop. I’m compelled to accessorize pretty much any electronics purchase with add-ons. When I got a new phone a while ago, I of course had to get a case for it, a docking cradle,…
Boston Dynamics has been working on multi-legged military mechanisms for a few years, now, and their latest is even more creepy than their previous efforts. Is this what urban warfare especially will look like in the near future? Here’s a link to video of their LS3 in testing.