iFixit.com

iFixit.com is a great site for the person who is not too afraid to open their computer, ipod, or other gadget and fix it. This is an Apple centric site primarily to fix your ailing Apple computer, iPhone, and iPod. You can also witness first time tear downs of the latest products. In fact, only a couple days after they released the new generation Nano, they had a tear-down for it.

Having said that, you should always have a healthy respect opening a complex gadget. Also, you should never be pressured by time. So, if you have a fair degree of mechanical aptitude you could save yourself a ton of money and have some fun to boot!

iFixit.com sells the tools and parts and provides free instructions. Considering tools, what’s the difference between a $2 and a $20 dollar 00 Phillips head? Plenty! Buy high quality tools. Cheap ones fail (especially Phillips head drivers). A cheap Phillips head won’t survive the first tough screw it encounters.

I have repaired two PowerBook G4’s. I replaced the hard drive on mine with a larger one. On a friend’s Apple PowerBook 15″, I replaced the DC sound card. This card is in the bottom of the computer so I had to take most everything out of the case to get to the card. i also had to disconnect every wire attached to the logic board.

Tip: use an eggcrate or iFixit’s useful screw map to keep straight which screws belong with which step.

Challenges:
With both laptops, I managed to strip a screw. In both cases, the screw was not critical to fastening a part and there were other redundant screws to carry the burden. A small screw extractor can extract the screw.

To recap:
1.) Have plenty of time and be patient. I could fix my problems because I could approach them fresh and with different tools (like the screw extractor) the next day.

2.) Buy good tools. What’s an extra $20 when your saving $50/hour for labor?

3.) Have fun. It’s amazing what you’ll find in there. How many can say they fixed their laptop, iPhone, iPod themselves?

I wish I had a site like this when I was a child taking apart retractable ball-point pens…

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka Founding Geek)

Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics

A few years ago at work, I started to feel a tingle in my wrists when I would work for a prolonged time at a computer keyboard. I knew what it was – carpel-tunnel syndrome.

The only thing that was giving me the discomfort was the keyboard and mouse. Just like most of you my wrists were bent in some awkward position to use the computer and that was causing the tingling and numbing sensation. (I might have to make a short video to demonstrate this wrist bending thing). So how could I use a computer and minimize bending my wrists? Several ways.

Posture:
Make sure you have correct posture and seating position (tips here, diagram here) when using a computer. Here’s a diagram showing correct position of your mouse hand. Here’s a diagram showing correct position for your hands on a keyboard.

Equipment:
I made a couple changes to my keyboard and mouse as well. I purchased an ergonomic keyboard and a pen tablet to help me keep the proper hand position. Future posts will feature the keyboard and pen tablet I purchased.

With these changes, I have not again experienced the pain/numbness associated with carpel-tunnel.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Would you like to share your experiences with carpel-tunnel syndrome and workplace ergonomics? Please share with your comments.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen

Have you ever used a fountain pen? If you haven’t you might give it a try. I find that fountain pens are very easy to write with. You don’t put pressure on the page, the ink just flows. It’s easier for me to write for longer periods of time. I own some nice fountain pens and my biggest fear is that I will be using one, set it down, and loose it.

With the Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen, you have a $2-$4 disposable writer. It lays down an even line of ink. For a cheap pen, it has a good nib (tip)! Basically the entire barrell of the pen is the ink reservoir, so there’s plenty of ink. There’s even a window so you see how much ink is left.

The pen comes in a variety of colors and is available at Amazon, Daly’s Pen Shop, the Pilot Pen Store, and Jet Pens, just to give you a few.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Palm Pre

The Palm Pre went on sale in the U.S. on June 6, 2009. I was a first-day purchaser.
Did you know that Smart-phones have been around for awhile now? Since 1993, according to WikiPedia. My first smart-phone was a Palm Treo 650, then at Palm 755p, and now the Palm Pre. OK, maybe there’s a bit of brand loyalty bias, but not as much as you think.

No, the first smart-phone was not the iPhone. It was just the first smart-phone that was marketed properly. Here’s one of the first commercials for the iPhone.

Truth be told, my Palm 650 (and most smart-phones) could do most of what was in the commercial, except maybe the GPS trick. The first commercial demonstrated what most of us with a smart-phone already knew – a smart-phone becomes a 2nd brain! The iPhone is a great phone. In fact, there are several good choices in the marketplace today.

So why did I choose the Palm Pre? Several reasons.
1.) Palm webOS: I think this is a promising OS because anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for this new OS without having to learn any new programming languages.

2.) Synergy: This technology combines e-mail, contact, calendar, and messaging. I have e-mail accounts with google, mac.com, aol, comcast, yahoo, hotmail…, well you get the idea. All the inboxes can be accessed in one folder. Contacts: if you have different information in your various accounts, it all show up in one contact on the Pre — assuming the name is the same.

3.) Multi-tasking: My co-workers know I always have many windows (applications) open on my work desktop. It’s called “Windows” you know… On the Pre, you can have multiple applications open and easily change between them with a flick of your finger. Here’s a demo.

4.) Full QWERTY keyboard: I like having a tactile touch to the keyboard. Some people complain that the keyboard is too small. Well, it’s smaller than the Treo 755p, but you get comfortable with it in time. Do you want a bigger phone? Sure you could have it slide sideways, but that has other limitations. Get over it. Life is a series of compromises.

5.) Size: Not a big part of my buying decision, but I benefit I enjoy now. Because the Pre is a slider, you can have a small phone in your pocket or purse.

6.) WiFi: Great around the home and other places – even the local grocery store.

7.) Sync with iTunes: The Palm folks piggybacked on the popularity of iTunes. You mean I can sync with my iTunes library?

What have I learned since my purchase?
webOS: The operating system is rock solid. Just like the early iPhone users, Palm Pre owners are waiting for more applications. At this publication, they are starting to be released. There are applications through the Palm app store, and homebrew apps available here.

sync: Sure, there is software to do a hardwire sync, but with a phone so connected to the Internet, you’ll need to see what’s best for you. Here’s an application for a hardwire (or WiFi) sync.
My thought was to use the easiest, least software intensive way to merge data. I have a .mac account, and a google account. I personally think that using Google contact and calendar and allowing the Pre to wirelessly sync works better. My advice is to cut the cord and use a Google account. I use Spanning Sync to keep my Google account in sync with Apple AddressBook and iCal.

Keyboard: It is small, but you’ll get comfortable with it.

Battery life: Depends on how you use the phone. Basically, you have a computer in the palm of your hand. What do you expect? If you listen to a podcast to/from work, have it check e-mail every 30- 60 minutes, search the web a handful of times and receive a few calls, you’ll get a days use before you have to charge. If you’re coming from a smart phone you’ll understand. If you’re coming from a phone, you should have a charger at work. In my opinion, you should always have on in the car. What if there’s an emergency and your battery is dead? Have a car charger regardless of the phone you have.

e-mail: I find it easier to check e-mail on the phone than on my compter!

build quality: Could be better, but it’s not poor. There is a little flex in the slider.

Touchstone charger: Seemed like an extravagance when I bought it. But it makes perfect sense. Why should I have to plug in my phone. Why can it work like by toothbrush?

Apps: Just like when the iPhone launched with a new OS, it took time for the apps to roll out. I consider myself a power-user when it comes to the smart-phone, so miss some of the applications I used with my Treo. However, if you just use the phone for contact information and normal personal information management, you’ll be fine.

overall: The Palm Pre is my 2nd brain. The OS is very stable. I really like Synergy it makes checking my schedule, contacts, events, and e-mail surprisingly easy. WiFi and Bluetooth work well. Battery life is about the same as my Treo 650 and 755p.

In subsequent posts, all address applications and accessories that I have found and use.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

FOODSAVER V3800 SERIES

It’s difficult to store food in the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry for any length of time. In the freezer things stored get frosty and mostly unrecognizable over time. In the pantry, It hard to keep some pantry items fresh – mostly because we don’t use them quickly.

The FoodSaver V3800 was a Christmas purchase this year. I’ve only used it a couple weeks but here are my thoughts.

* I like the standup design – it takes less space on the counter.

*It’s simple to use. You can use it without reading the directions – but read them.

*You do have to get use to the bag sensor; sometimes it doesn’t responsd. The directions ask that you slide one side of the bag and then position. This works.

*The marinating canister does a great job making faster work out of the process.

*I have ordered some larger canisters to store flour and fresh fruits. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Some reviews complain that the auto bag sensor uses too much plastic (about 1”).
Do you have a FoodSaver V3800 series? If so, please comment.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Netflix Player by Roku

We have had a Netflix account since August 2003. And we have always had great service even when we received a bad DVD or some shipping problem. This box is an welcome addition to our Netflix experience. This was a Christmas purchase (“Merry Chrismas, me!”) so here are my thoughts with my new gadget:

*Easy to open from shipping. Easy setup! I have talked to one other user who had the same reaction.

*I use a wireless internet (cable) and had trouble setting up WEP security on the Player. It might be me but the Roku support forum has others with WEP problems. I switched to WPA security and everything worked fine.

*I connected it to my HDTV via a HDMI cable. There are also component (RCA connectors), composite, and S-Video connections. There is also a digital optical audio output.

*The Player uses streaming technology to deliver content. Skipping around a program means that the player has to reload content. Apple TV isn’t plagued with this problem.

*Good picture quality.

*Sometimes there seems to be a problem with audio/video sync – at times there is a 2-3 second difference.

*I had one video that was scrambled. It looked like interference from copy protection. I called NetFlix, and reported the problem.

*Great price $100-ish. Only $10 bucks/month for the service.

*Not all movies or TV shows on Netflix are available for streaming.

–Please comment and tell me about your experiences.
Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

WELCOME – Why I’m Blogging…

As a 4 year-old, I would take apart retractable pens. Watching that point come out of the barrel fascinated me. Click click, click click – how did it work? The only way to find out was to take it apart. So, for a couple years, until I could put them back together, my parents were plagued with a series of disemboweled pens…

Almost 50 years later, I still love gadgets, tech gadgets, kitchen gadgets, computer gadgets, etc. I don’t find myself taking them apart so much, but I love using them to see if they better my life.

Every gadget featured I have purchased and used for a period of time. I’ll tell you what I think and invite your comments.

-John (aka Founding Geek)