Newt3

Windows 7 Laptop...

With the release of Windows 7, I purchased a new HP Pavilion Entertainment PC, model dv7. Its defiantly not a unibody MacBook Pro. This is a 7.7 pound black plastic monster and is intended to replace an Asus Netbook running the very tired Windows XP OS. This system was purchase form Sam's and could be returned within 90 days. At this point I think it a keeper. Noted that HP did not load all the typical bloat ware and everything worked right out of the box. Interestingly it has a combo drive that reads and rights CD's, DVD's, and plays Blue-Ray's. The screen is LED backlit, but not as brilliant at the Apple display. The system has been configured to do all my usual stuff and will be my exclusive laptop for the next few weeks. So far I really like Windows 7 OS and this system. The 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7550 processor seems snappy. Over time will see if the system slows...

 

Microsoft's First Store...

Fashion Square Mall, Scottsdale,Arizona

I visited the new Microsoft store at the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale , Arizona this weekend. Fashion Square is very large, three level, upscale mall, thats polite for very pricy. It took some time to find the place as the directory had not been updated to reflect its location and there were no long crowds leading the way. There was one big banner hanging over the food court announcing the store opening. However, it provided no directions. Asking around at the various stores did ultimately get me to my destination. My very first impression upon entering was... Its Apple! A little shocking. In my flippant way, I asked the greater if this was an Apple store. Her reply was no, its Microsoft and we have more technology. I snapped a couple of pictures with my Blackberry and did a walk around. This is really a nice store. Lots of PC's on display. Seemed like there was a table for most major brands of laptops, e.g. Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. There was not much in the way of desktop systems. Noted a couple of Microsoft touch tables and a small gaming section. Only saw Microsoft software on display. There were no third party application or peripherals in view. Needed an external hard drive, but none for sale here.

Overall I found the experience pleasant. Did note, as expected, there were no bargains. My suspicion is this is really just a big advertisement opportunity for Microsoft. From my pictures you can see there were not many customers and saw no one leave with a new computer. Contrasting with Apple's store where they always seem crowded and you see a stream of customer leaving with new systems.

Contigo Warning Danger...

I purchased a Contigo Mug June 2, 2009. Its a great looking mug and well made. Only one problem. When filled with hot coffee if tilted it not only leaks it sprays. This thing is a lethal weapon. I contacted Contigo who advised that my mug was defective and provided an address where I could return it for a replacement. I returned the mug. However they never sent its replacement. I have sent them several emails with no response. I have since contacted American Express and contested the charge. 

So don't purchase from Contigo. They are not to be trusted. Once Contigo has your money you no longer exist.

AT&T the Blood Sucking Leach

Cell phone service providers,on the reputation scale, rank somewhere with politicians, lawyers and used car salesman. Actually on reflection, they rank somewhat lower right down there with blood sucking leaches. Like the leach they never pass up an opportunity to bleed the customer with concocted new charges and limitations of advertised unlimited services. The AT&T leach is gifted when it comes to creating BS charges. In my case they offer me the opportunity, as a valued customer, to upgrade my iPhone for only $499.... while new victims, sorry, new customers can purchase the same iPhone for $299. Wonder what the cost would be if I was not a valued customer?

Apple... dump AT&T. They are and anchor not a partner. 

Remove Document Protection in Word 2007

What a pain... need to edit a Microsoft Word 2007 form that was originally created by an individual who is no longer employed at my company. I can use Word but am a long way from being any kind of expert. So googled by questions and found I should save the dot document as a docx. Did that but could not edit because it was protected. Googled how to remove protection and came accross http://community.sgdotnet.org/blogs/kitkai/archive/2007/08/20/Remove-Document-Protection-against-Edit-in-Word-2007.aspx with the following that worked great:

1. Rename the document to zip format
2. Open it up in my favorite zip program
3. Edit settings.xml in Notepad
4. Look for "protection" in the xml file, and you will locate <w:documentProtection> element.
5. Remove all the attributes in it.
6. Update the zip file
7. Rename the document back to docx
8. Open it up in Word 2007, and you are able to edit the document...

Now I can edit .

Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket...

The MySQL error “Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/mysql/mysql.sock' “ fix is:

Create this directory if it does not exist...

sudo mkdir /var/mysql

Next make the following symbolic link...

sudo ln -s /private/tmp/mysql.sock /var/mysql/mysql.sock

Top 10 Steve Jobs Quotes...

#10. On Management

My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better. My job is to pull things together from different parts of the company and clear the ways and get the resources for the key projects.

And to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better, coming up with more aggressive visions of how it could be.

#9. On Hiring

Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview.

So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when they’re challenged? I ask everybody that: ‘Why are you here?’ The answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data.

#8. On Firing

We’ve had one of these before, when the dot-com bubble burst. What I told our company was that we were just going to invest our way through the downturn, that we weren’t going to lay off people, that we’d taken a tremendous amount of effort to get them into Apple in the first place — the last thing we were going to do is lay them off.

#7. On a CEO succession Plan

I mean, some people say, ‘Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.’ And, you know, I think it wouldn’t be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple.

My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that’s what I try to do.

#6. On Product Strategy

It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do.

We just want to make great products. (I think he means “insanely great products!“)

#5. On Leadership

So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know - just explore things.

#4. On Evangelism

When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante. They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, Are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because if they fall in love with Apple, everything else will take care of itself.

They’ll want to do what’s best for Apple, not what’s best for them, what’s best for Steve, or anybody else. (this actually reiterates my oft-repeated mantra of “ubiquitous evangelism” in companies)

#3. On Focus

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.

#2. On the User Experience

Our DNA is as a consumer company — for that individual customer who’s voting thumbs up or thumbs down. That’s who we think about. And we think that our job is to take responsibility for the complete user experience. And if it’s not up to par, it’s our fault, plain and simply.

#1. On Creativity

That happens more than you think, because this is not just engineering and science. There is art, too. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of one of these crises, you’re not sure you’re going to make it to the other end. But we’ve always made it, and so we have a certain degree of confidence, although sometimes you wonder.

I think the key thing is that we’re not all terrified at the same time. I mean, we do put our heart and soul into these things.

One More Thing...

We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.

Life is brief, and then you die, you know?

And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.

Apache problem...

Here is something to remember. Use the command “sudo apachectl -t” to detect problems in httpd.conf. I had a problem where http://localhost would return an error “Safari can’t connect to the server...” and running this command reported “httpd: Syntax error on line 488 of /private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf: Could not open configuration file /Users/.../phpweb20/httpd.conf: No such file or directory”. Commenting out the offending line in httpd.conf solved the problem. Apparently in some previous coding work I modified httpd.conf and later erased a referenced file. Another lesson relearned.

Years End...

Another year is about to end and once again I ask where did the time go? Last January seems so close, not a distant 12 months in the past. I suspect the same will happen with 2009. It will start with big plans for change and end before we are ready. Something is happening to our world. I think time is speeding up. I can remember the good old days when a year was really a year. It was chock full of 12 full months. Not like today. Today the months are all smeared and run together in a streaking way. They zoom by to end in December with the same unanswered question. Where did the year go? 

MacBook Pro...

This past Saturday I purchased a new MacBook Pro. It was Jony Ive's movie on the new MacBook that sold me. After watching him I just had to have the unibody he so elegantly described. So far I'm not disappointed. The screen is beautiful, the performance with the NVIDIA 9400M is excellent, and the size and weight is great for me. The packaging is so minimal compared to my last system. Initially I planned to get the MacBook, but after looking over the specs, the extra cost for the Pro better fit my need. One thing I especially love is the keyboard. It's so easy to use. I find myself typing faster and with fewer mistakes. I still have the MacBook Air. When I purchase the Pro I thought I would sell the Air on eBay. That's my typical routine. But today I am not sure. When traveling for more then a couple of day's I will take the Pro. It will give me all the power I need in a relatively small package. For those short trips or stops at the local coffee shop or bookstore the Air is more better. There I justified having two laptops.

On a different subject. MacJournal sync across systems does not work. It used to work. Then I upgraded to version 5 and it broke. Just recently I upgraded to version 5.1.1 hoping the problem was fixed. To my disappointment it is still broke. Its really to bad they broke sync. With multiple systems it came in handy. I need to find a better journal tool.