tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88238975293117803442024-02-07T03:04:15.084+00:00Computers for the over 40'sA funny, truthful look at computers today, aimed at those of us who are "looking good for your age..."Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-48861900248012831142016-11-02T15:12:00.003+00:002016-11-02T15:13:52.319+00:00Apple iPhone 6 and above, WIFI and the mysterious connection problemAs you know, I use this page as a dumping ground for anything tech related which might come back to haunt me at some point. Today's post concerns the wonderful iPhone, and a mysterious WIFI problem....<br />
<br />
I have a WIFI network, with multiple Access Points, and two iPhones - a 5c and a 6s. The 5c will connect to my wireless network, the 6s will not - it tries, but keeps prompting for a password, even when the correct one is used.. Both are running the same version of IOS (10.1.1), so why can't the 6s connect?<br />
<br />
The answer appears to be one of two things. Firstly, the WIFI network I created was using WPA2 ONLY (no fall back to standard WPA) - looks like the iPhone 6s didn't like that - once I configured WPA as the fallback protocol, I could connect - once. After that initial connection, the WIFI would not connect again without doing a network reset in IOS - unacceptable of course, so a bit more digging was required. It turns out that iPhones are a bit sensitive when roaming between access points, and if like me, you have multiple access points that overlap, this can cause a problem if mis-configured on the WIFI network. On my network, I had to switch on the "layer 2 handover" parameter, which essentially allows roaming devices to use network layer 2 when negotiating roaming. Once that was done, everything was fine.<br />
<br />
For future reference....<br />
<br />
<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202068" target="_blank">Apple's recommended settings for access points...</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/8-2/b_Enterprise_Best_Practices_for_Apple_Devices_on_Cisco_Wireless_LAN.pdf" target="_blank">Cisco's WIFI recommendations for Apple devices (PDF)...</a><br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-84741347848029325222015-06-23T14:20:00.000+01:002015-06-23T14:44:13.245+01:00ISESteroids – An essential tool for PowerShell<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless you’ve been hiding under a large log for the last few
years, most of you who are responsible for administering windows have heard of PowerShell
– Microsoft’s extensible scripting language designed to eventually replace all
of its previous scripting environments for administrative tasks (such as
vbscript, batch files etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I came
into support from software development, I tended to use VB/VBScript or Perl to
do any server scripting that I had to do, but as times have changed, so has PowerShell,
to the point where not only has it become incredibly feature rich, but it’s now
almost mandatory to use for certain deployments (hello Exchange 2013).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the last year, I’ve had to start using PowerShell
almost daily, and so I started looking for a development environment to help me
become more productive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
PowerShell comes with a quite good environment out of the box,
called the Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This little beauty allows you to write and
debug PowerShell scripts, but I’ve always thought it was a bit clunky –
especially if you’re used to Visual Studio / VB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was while I was looking for some PowerShell
examples that I came across a fantastic add-on for PowerShell ISE that’s I’d like
to share with you called ISESteroids…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ISESteroids is written by PowerShell guru Dr. Tobias Weltner,
and it transforms the default PowerShell ISE environment into a PowerShell
editing powerhouse!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It empowers and
educates the PowerShell developer in the same way that Visual Studio did for
Basic/C++ developers back in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Allow me to elucidate further…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the things that I love about Visual Studio / VB6 are
here – context sensitive highlighting, auto-completion, context-sensitive help,
combined with a rich debugging environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that’s just for starters – there’s so much more, so here are a few
of my favourite bits…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Better
context sensitive help</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ISE comes with its own context sensitive help – highlight a
keyword, press F1 and you’ll get something like this…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMb6bXtgD4KkOUcUV7ppUKbcoT1LlUtCeVli37bxMBzOaJ1GSAV-vHfFI0sUIMr7c5v8Yv1bC2MoJSM40Fa2ERllHKtgeyog2P-eO374W9uR_xaDltq7gf4BGC6gglsL270OsNF7YeFXx/s1600/isesteoids1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMb6bXtgD4KkOUcUV7ppUKbcoT1LlUtCeVli37bxMBzOaJ1GSAV-vHfFI0sUIMr7c5v8Yv1bC2MoJSM40Fa2ERllHKtgeyog2P-eO374W9uR_xaDltq7gf4BGC6gglsL270OsNF7YeFXx/s320/isesteoids1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s all well and good, but if you’re a PowerShell novice,
some examples would be nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
press ALT & F1 together though…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iKInvVDXMqEYzSFKxMSYPWxOeAIsRwfB7fyNSm_5Q9M38qCISliaBHj8J3508ZlHYOl10U-WlMIVyMdnFzQSn0VW69_wz_LoSWiVqns16h-fehsaAIpkN3RbCj2rxTQLY1lykDrOUn4z/s1600/isesteoids2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iKInvVDXMqEYzSFKxMSYPWxOeAIsRwfB7fyNSm_5Q9M38qCISliaBHj8J3508ZlHYOl10U-WlMIVyMdnFzQSn0VW69_wz_LoSWiVqns16h-fehsaAIpkN3RbCj2rxTQLY1lykDrOUn4z/s320/isesteoids2.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isn’t that SO much better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not only that, but this help is also available as an additional tab in
the add-ons window…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNm_rXdqcxbt7b87k8jUZL0uXKxy9yLWwgDNmjkbs8alNNlPUzUWTc4qjqDG-a3htIadX-J5UuriY5ANSk89nwF8vSyOvX4dHhUcGbTKLuj2-jtaaJ8Prff_ecmdWnV_VIqMr3Io4eAsP/s1600/isesteoids3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNm_rXdqcxbt7b87k8jUZL0uXKxy9yLWwgDNmjkbs8alNNlPUzUWTc4qjqDG-a3htIadX-J5UuriY5ANSk89nwF8vSyOvX4dHhUcGbTKLuj2-jtaaJ8Prff_ecmdWnV_VIqMr3Io4eAsP/s320/isesteoids3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peachy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Real time
search</span></span></b><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Searching through code is always tedious, but ISESteroids
real time search / function navigator option makes it less painful. The real
time search bar is located at the top right of the editor window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter your text, and the frame turns either
red (if no matches) or green (matches found).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every time you press RETURN, your cursor moves to the next match, SHIFT
& ENTER moves you to the previous match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you’ve found a match, if you press F2, all the matches are
highlighted & selected – you can then simply replace ALL of the matches just
by entering your replacement text!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Bookmarks</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps my favourite feature of ISESteroids is
bookmarking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you’re working with
long sections of code, it’s handy to be able to find a particular piece quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pressing CTRL & F7 in your code inserts a
temporary bookmark on that code line – pressing it again removes the bookmark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can then move between book marks by pressing
F7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These bookmarks are remembered, so
when you next open the file, they are still there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is however, a more permanent bookmarking feature which
uses a custom comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you insert
<#bookmark <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">text</i>#> this is
treated by ISESteroids as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">permanent</i>
bookmark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you then press the
Bookmarking menu button, you’ll get a bookmarking window with the current
permanent bookmarks listed – you can then just click on them to move to that
point in the code.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bookmarking
window can be pinned so it’s always available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS8W6N2FUlfaOQV37hobVrOK7zNXxa3JnHsZmK-ALWZMpc2sJ0FLJHZtqdRjwiYPrjHa-JW_wZIZtfeWXKLKTDNYSIv08pnhlciXQR_2NELdqMGKc_XZdWnHRcaMgTNCKngAiE_eGiyzS/s1600/isesteoids4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS8W6N2FUlfaOQV37hobVrOK7zNXxa3JnHsZmK-ALWZMpc2sJ0FLJHZtqdRjwiYPrjHa-JW_wZIZtfeWXKLKTDNYSIv08pnhlciXQR_2NELdqMGKc_XZdWnHRcaMgTNCKngAiE_eGiyzS/s320/isesteoids4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Code Snippets</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could enter in commonly used code
at the touch of a button – well you can with code snippets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sort of feature is well known in other
coding environments, and now you can have it in PowerShell. You can enter a code
snippet in one of three ways: you can enter its shortcut (F4 gives you the
entire list of shortcuts…)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNQbdWkKMaN2v5Um9L9Xhsx2IzqfzmC0y48LAIzdgOqF5hi1yukBX_uFe7W92Dv9KHkXYIAB6FoWR7yhALnYFZ-mhx0ukHqmGyn9XACJJJof67LGWzvMDuov049vXenyOwpNUJF1jJlGM/s1600/isesteoids5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNQbdWkKMaN2v5Um9L9Xhsx2IzqfzmC0y48LAIzdgOqF5hi1yukBX_uFe7W92Dv9KHkXYIAB6FoWR7yhALnYFZ-mhx0ukHqmGyn9XACJJJof67LGWzvMDuov049vXenyOwpNUJF1jJlGM/s320/isesteoids5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or you can press CTRL & J, which gives you an
intellisense like dropdown of snippets you can navigate…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dYnl8t76gWgdMXayRu3o8a7K9VB3fBnVm6mzg4XDP17YVPvtPE9J2phpkiAg353YvSVTFK-B2gdyhQD5yFZOZ8xGX_Em3_Yg19KsqGNgjg_zbPlIxa2nt_HDG31uFxO7az_nEF0Y9KZQ/s1600/isesteoids6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dYnl8t76gWgdMXayRu3o8a7K9VB3fBnVm6mzg4XDP17YVPvtPE9J2phpkiAg353YvSVTFK-B2gdyhQD5yFZOZ8xGX_Em3_Yg19KsqGNgjg_zbPlIxa2nt_HDG31uFxO7az_nEF0Y9KZQ/s320/isesteoids6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;">Or
you can right click the editor, and select the “start snippets menu option, which
gives you yet another way of inserting a snippet…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdh5WZRR7MYMFN2VfJpdc_48oDyZ49Uotd3AmpCm898nzzYnlRswujQUzw4HcenbxnKhuhdIBuvqknablvrCnkyaHrtXIZU829PJFPuX-uK9D_QBiZ1gr-uMOEi8tRbRHIB-nypTBouXr/s1600/isesteoids7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdh5WZRR7MYMFN2VfJpdc_48oDyZ49Uotd3AmpCm898nzzYnlRswujQUzw4HcenbxnKhuhdIBuvqknablvrCnkyaHrtXIZU829PJFPuX-uK9D_QBiZ1gr-uMOEi8tRbRHIB-nypTBouXr/s320/isesteoids7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But even better than that, ISESteroids lets you create your
own snippets with the snippet manager. Once Open , you go through some basic steps (like where to save your snippet, and what you want to call the snippet...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmUlFMgnK1hH_GVSNY9Eq46hSYLXswxuY-t6DaGEUTPyptxptAeg2Ovz76m78HtC29sAH_RMsklPpCTND9wz-miItht_YDza-gu4uxuu47xhWU2_EdoBMQ4RFyjRTrI5M3oSjc8QBkgGY/s1600/isesteoids8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmUlFMgnK1hH_GVSNY9Eq46hSYLXswxuY-t6DaGEUTPyptxptAeg2Ovz76m78HtC29sAH_RMsklPpCTND9wz-miItht_YDza-gu4uxuu47xhWU2_EdoBMQ4RFyjRTrI5M3oSjc8QBkgGY/s320/isesteoids8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS4tFCrN6Re7_JO6Pers7c9ycMuZe6edlI5BXACZIr8T0jrJd0sdk6BNmwBTOcNz1sJt_5xe4-cPTWOC8eJp5c0KdI4mqPvVahi4e_ao-ci2v6aRmhRWqxe-dse-zk3x3FtM5HGnceeux/s1600/isesteoids9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS4tFCrN6Re7_JO6Pers7c9ycMuZe6edlI5BXACZIr8T0jrJd0sdk6BNmwBTOcNz1sJt_5xe4-cPTWOC8eJp5c0KdI4mqPvVahi4e_ao-ci2v6aRmhRWqxe-dse-zk3x3FtM5HGnceeux/s320/isesteoids9.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At which point, you come to the actual snippet editor itself - which also includes it's own instructions on how to create your snippet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JnYye41equJmcc_Abbwbvo5_GChothTUMgQILEe1Djh3R4az4et9izlREEGfRywIUxRSKgbVUhRctLTJ7qcXRSwlH67Cy-MMGke6hfIsIIgV1znCgkENzdsI4p3yjvZdlZyuacEF8PYQ/s1600/isesteoids10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JnYye41equJmcc_Abbwbvo5_GChothTUMgQILEe1Djh3R4az4et9izlREEGfRywIUxRSKgbVUhRctLTJ7qcXRSwlH67Cy-MMGke6hfIsIIgV1znCgkENzdsI4p3yjvZdlZyuacEF8PYQ/s320/isesteoids10.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I followed these instructions and created a snippet that allowed me to create a permanent bookmark... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTXqf8lExz3dgIV30fw1_rWTOH6i2pDGkKzGk4VEUWh5tUt_n2tjGeaLq2ipNFrJGn3DhIUpzhhwO2OVKuD8iSvgyhdZXPZEE34oYn3fwlMCNlS-h3PKcAp56ioHSi9d2fwQAQ2I3Ltf3/s1600/isesteoids11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTXqf8lExz3dgIV30fw1_rWTOH6i2pDGkKzGk4VEUWh5tUt_n2tjGeaLq2ipNFrJGn3DhIUpzhhwO2OVKuD8iSvgyhdZXPZEE34oYn3fwlMCNlS-h3PKcAp56ioHSi9d2fwQAQ2I3Ltf3/s320/isesteoids11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Autorefactor</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you’re learning any new programming language, you’ll
hit problems with semantics or idiosyncrasies that language has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ISESteroids includes a lovely tool called the
Autorefractor – it’s essentially a PowerShell clean-up / code correcting
tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a piece of bad code… :)<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfWc6qXMHWzYavHMGZ8smlXqJzDvekFHDtKDSWrM1X7AV1X84WKJLnbugyByR8l3d32fAcQgehx9fijHjEruLaWXxPDnQq9hu6FC_mYCUo4e_g00IO5e6nmM8o9Qg9noL458-2m39nudl/s1600/isesteoids12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfWc6qXMHWzYavHMGZ8smlXqJzDvekFHDtKDSWrM1X7AV1X84WKJLnbugyByR8l3d32fAcQgehx9fijHjEruLaWXxPDnQq9hu6FC_mYCUo4e_g00IO5e6nmM8o9Qg9noL458-2m39nudl/s320/isesteoids12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can see that on the left hand bar, there are small
lightbulbs – each one of these is a problem that the Autorefractor has
identified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the ones in the code
above are double quotes I’ve used incorrectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I click on the lightbulbs, the Autorefractor will correct these
entries for me like so…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6wMww4pV9R6nBraQfSZYT-rVarYJdPqIH1bfwUGfVvhyphenhyphenV9WFh5BqQXEAZ3VreBVqfERwIibsqHdXOf48yMG0-URp53xCq0rGAJXPxqKGXZMpgzbwtgVAWqFg3KfBIKrODnkHMu-2Ftf/s1600/isesteoids13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6wMww4pV9R6nBraQfSZYT-rVarYJdPqIH1bfwUGfVvhyphenhyphenV9WFh5BqQXEAZ3VreBVqfERwIibsqHdXOf48yMG0-URp53xCq0rGAJXPxqKGXZMpgzbwtgVAWqFg3KfBIKrODnkHMu-2Ftf/s320/isesteoids13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See how it’s corrected the quotes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also corrected a couple of lines where I
was using a PowerShell alias (cd) to Set-Location!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Editor
console flip</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is so useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer
giving myself as much coding space as I can, but sometimes you need to use the
console window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, it’s a case of
split screening the window so that the console window is visible (see the
images above), but is there a better way – yup, the console flip…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJw2mWkDzlOwAInZvRDRkCVU5ziLAhbtuA1F7IGDvTDCGJHv-sDUQzs5Y8w2UMb3mCImkHM9EkEQbIcX2v6BVasLiFjgWvj_wIhEfxqLovKJVcyW5uuCoq7TlZTfvbuiaqdSq-mK04Jpj/s1600/isesteoids14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJw2mWkDzlOwAInZvRDRkCVU5ziLAhbtuA1F7IGDvTDCGJHv-sDUQzs5Y8w2UMb3mCImkHM9EkEQbIcX2v6BVasLiFjgWvj_wIhEfxqLovKJVcyW5uuCoq7TlZTfvbuiaqdSq-mK04Jpj/s320/isesteoids14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the same editor window as before, but this time, I’ve
maximized the editor pane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I
need the console?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, see the PowerShell
icon in the bottom right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look what
happens if I click it…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYva2goGTC3GbWBHoEc5uBfqL6pb2pswO8yfkg1X5390pnetnP8k2ggiJ_SlzhZ07owL8WxjiLPHbLm3jTQr6m9mi28NNHCYMPKzNdjpgiFTN8QYiGL0jIa2gINxlYdNR1WPTDFRZLI-Yn/s1600/isesteoids15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYva2goGTC3GbWBHoEc5uBfqL6pb2pswO8yfkg1X5390pnetnP8k2ggiJ_SlzhZ07owL8WxjiLPHbLm3jTQr6m9mi28NNHCYMPKzNdjpgiFTN8QYiGL0jIa2gINxlYdNR1WPTDFRZLI-Yn/s320/isesteoids15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The console pane has now taken the place of the editor
window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can get back by clicking on
the Window icon on the bottom left of the pane…<br />
<br />
What you can't really get a sense of from these screengrabs is how <i>easy</i> all this tools are to use, and how useful they actually are. The best way to test it is to try it out yourself , or take a look at some of the videos available on the <a href="http://www.powertheshell.com/" target="_blank">powertheshell </a>website. If I can get a few moments, I'll create a quick youtube video highlighting the areas I really like!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In summary, if you do ANY programming in PowerShell, ISESteroids
should be at the top of your shopping list – it’s too damn useful..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.powertheshell.com/">http://www.powertheshell.com/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-84113598591632552822015-04-14T10:24:00.002+01:002015-04-14T10:24:13.023+01:00IPhone - invalid sim or no service messagesJust thought I'd share a quick bit of info. I recently bought my daughter a second hand iPhone as her old android phone was playing up. Once I received it, I noticed that the seller had left a working PAYG sim in it. "No matter" I thought, and continued to set it up with a new Applie ID. When ready, I placed my daughters old sim in the phone - and then got the dreaded "invalid sim / no service" messages.<br />
<br />
I tried everything - reseating, the "tape" method, blowing the dust out - nothing worked. Then my daughter-in-law saw a post online about connecting the iPhone to iTunes so it could reset the ID - at that point I realised the problem. The new Apple ID had "cloud locked" the phone, which ties the phone into the SIM, so it only work with that SIM. Once I knew this, I connected the iPhone to iTunes, which then reset the Apple ID on the phone - I could then re-enter the ID which re-associated the new SIM with the iPhone allowing it to work<br />
<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-13785326708942825482013-10-01T16:45:00.001+01:002013-10-01T16:47:38.109+01:00Windows Live Mail - inline images: what if you DONT want to embed them?Outlook Express was a much maligned piece of software, but it had a great feature - it could edit emails in a WYSIWYG fashion, and save them as a plain text >EML file. This was good news for us techies, because it meant that people that had to create emails for bulk mailing had an editor that was freely available on any XP machine.<br />
<br />
In these days of Windows 7 and above, Outlook Express has long gine, and has been replaced with Windows Mail. It has the same sort of features, but it lacks a major feature of Outlook Express - the ability to send <i>inline references</i> to images, rather than embedding the image in the email. This ment that the email created was a lovely small size, yet could still look fabulous by referencing images on your external website.<br />
<br />
BUT - you <i>can</i> still do it, and here's how...<br />
<br />
Firstly, create your email in Windows Mail, and save it as an .EML file. Then edit this file using a text editor (such as notepad)... Somewhere in the file, will be the HTML coding section...<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><br /><HTML><HEAD><br /><META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =<br />http-equiv=3DContent-Type><br /><META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19222"><br /><STYLE></STYLE><br /></HEAD><br /><BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><br /><DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>testl;aklfsdf</FONT></DIV><br /><DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV><br /><DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV><br /><DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now</span> all you have to do, is place an HTML image link to the image you want to display inline in your email e.g.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img src=3D"http://www.hypervox.co.uk/wpimages/wpc4053d80_06.png"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The key is the "3D" bit in front of the quotes - Windows Live Mail uses "quoted printable" encoding, which means that "=" is the same as a carriage return - "3D" is the same as "="!</span></span> </span></span>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-84524380235331671882013-06-20T13:51:00.000+01:002013-06-20T13:51:42.648+01:00The new WACOM Cintiq range – a review for the CCGB<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1029"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnW451PIIfMBSGt3IXqAySq9qX6iu3WH5NDPNsTnDo9mm8NjEvarGg8pBHBVhCyShMIu7nmU8z7csek_XhIKrKM-d_iXAjuuZ1RPdinAYFeXBx-9uZKvMECqL882LfsOD2Q6koYyfBrbw/s1600/2013-05-10+14.14.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnW451PIIfMBSGt3IXqAySq9qX6iu3WH5NDPNsTnDo9mm8NjEvarGg8pBHBVhCyShMIu7nmU8z7csek_XhIKrKM-d_iXAjuuZ1RPdinAYFeXBx-9uZKvMECqL882LfsOD2Q6koYyfBrbw/s320/2013-05-10+14.14.54.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br clear="ALL" style="mso-ignore: vglayout;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re a cartoonist with a computer, then you’ve probably
heard of WACOM, the Japanese based manufacturer of arguably, the most
successful range of graphics tablets in use today – in fact, many of you
reading this are using a WACOM tablet, or something similar in your day to day
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, WACOM announced
improvements to its “Cintiq” range of screen/tablet displays, and as a user of
a WACOM based Tablet PC, I wondered “Just how good are they?”…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trying to find someone with a Cintiq to try, is like looking
for a Brazilian waxer at a Furry convention, so after making a few calls to
WACOM, Digital Photo Solutions in Beckenham came to the rescue, and the club
arranged to demo the range at DPS for our interested members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On hand were Dave Harrison of DPS and David
Oduro of WACOM, who fully expected us to arrive <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">en mass</i>, unfortunately, we had a lot of late cancellations, and so
just Pete Ellis and my good self were there to represent the CCGB (my stomach
counts as a single entity, so that’s three – officially…<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let’s cut to the chase –just how good are they?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cintiq 24HD (with touch)</div>
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td height="0" width="55"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br clear="ALL" style="mso-ignore: vglayout;" />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16_YkJdk4z8wJX27JPSPMm-5RfPmeCPE6OnkpDzvXBqm5Avpb9YE8vnJOEZ0YL566S1Waing8VokaTfOnm4mwUIgcPnvU-u-VNN48ltLjRLTcUQOXitGL_DNysgis_3H1pYvjSfBy7C5Z/s1600/2013-05-10+14.14.46+-+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16_YkJdk4z8wJX27JPSPMm-5RfPmeCPE6OnkpDzvXBqm5Avpb9YE8vnJOEZ0YL566S1Waing8VokaTfOnm4mwUIgcPnvU-u-VNN48ltLjRLTcUQOXitGL_DNysgis_3H1pYvjSfBy7C5Z/s320/2013-05-10+14.14.46+-+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 24HD (with touch) is the flagship of the Cintiq
range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you that have never
seen a Cintiq, you’ll see from the pictures that it looks like a large drawing
board – which is basically what it is – but it’s also a computer screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that by using the pen supplied,
you can draw on the screen as if you were drawing on paper (with the right
software).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the Cintiqs are input
devices, they can be used with any computer that supports them (this includes
Macs & PCs) - DPS’s Mac had Photoshop installed, which we used to try out
the various features.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First impressions are always important, and you can tell by
first glance that this is a quality product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It feels solid and well made, but is still quite light for its
size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 24HD comes with its own stand,
which allows the screen to be positioned to suit the artist, as well as
containing the various port connectors for the required cables (very
neat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of ports, for the larger
Cintiqs, you’ll need a DVI monitor port, as well as a USB port – the only other
thing this beast needs is power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
screen resolution is 1,920 x 1,200 (HD), which is good enough for any art
application, as well as designed to reduce eye strain over long periods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, whilst we were using it, I couldn’t
detect much heat build-up – make no mistake, they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> you to use this as your weapon of choice…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 24HD comes with 10 configurable express keys, and two
configurable touch rings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The touch rings
on our demo were set to rotate the page in Photoshop - a lovely little idea,
which would also work well in Manga Studio, but as with almost everything with
the Cintiqs, you can set them up (as well as the express keys) to do what you
want in the Wacom Driver control panel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I’ve used something similar before, I suggested that Pete
have the first real play with the device.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pete uses an Intuos 2 tablet professionally, so I wanted to see long it
would take for him to become comfortable with the Cintiq – the answer was,
extremely quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the version of
Photoshop had been the same as Pete was used to, it would have been quicker
still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From my own experience, I can
report that the 24HD performs well – pen point mapping was good, and there is
very little pointer offset (the distance between the point of the pen and the
pointer on the screen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">under the glass</i>)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “Touch” option is an interesting feature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, WACOM has given the 24HD both a pen
enabled screen, and a virtual capacitive touch screen - which one you use
depends on where the pen is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the pen
is near the screen, the standard pen-enabled features work, if the pen falls
outside the screen’s range, the capacitive screen takes over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means you can do things like rotate the
screen with your fingers, pinch to zoom etc…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a nice idea, which nearly works – I found that it misfired a few
times when I was drawing – but you can turn it off if it becomes annoying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything else was as you’d expect from WACOM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good pressure sensitivity, responds well, and
is easy to work at for long periods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
summary, the Cintiq 24HD is a quality product, designed for (and intended for)
studio use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cintiq 22 is essentially
the same device, minus the touch facility and the touch rings, so I won’t
bother to elaborate much – it is however, much neater, and may suit your needs
better than the larger 24 HD, so compare before you buy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cintiq 13HD</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRIPWAbYO6k5qx65z1OJvBH3LZXRxj2OMUp1QsS0no9VXKjuIyCZiwPLBuA8k-2fyf6ETt17IWDv77dmP558O1DrsRJxOp5J_hMlHZPd2kgl54a9rEj0IOc7lK9va3JZRjVgaa3lKqaJa/s1600/2013-05-10+15.27.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRIPWAbYO6k5qx65z1OJvBH3LZXRxj2OMUp1QsS0no9VXKjuIyCZiwPLBuA8k-2fyf6ETt17IWDv77dmP558O1DrsRJxOp5J_hMlHZPd2kgl54a9rEj0IOc7lK9va3JZRjVgaa3lKqaJa/s320/2013-05-10+15.27.03.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although the baby of the range, the 13HD is the entry level
Cintiq, and replaces the 12W – comparison of the two devices is therefore inevitable<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 13HD has a 1920 x 1080 pixel screen,
which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> is razor sharp, as well
as having a wide screen aspect ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>WACOM have slightly changed the pen for this display (it’s slightly
thinner), but it still uses the same technology, so the pens are
interchangeable across the Cintiq range (as an aside, the modern cintiqs can
use pens from the Intuos 4 range of tablets, or above).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no “touch” option available, but there are the
usual programmable controls that are almost as good as its big 24”
brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The biggest improvement to the
baby Cintiq is in the area of cabling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The original 12W had a large converter box to which you plugged in your
cables – now, the cables are direct into the device – power, USB and HDMI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, that’s HDMI, not VGA or DVI – you’ll
need an adapter to use those (between £10-£20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To be fair, it’s better for it, as the 13HD feels slimmer and lighter –
it also comes with a pretty good stand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall then, the 13HD is a worthy replacement for the 12W,
but is it worth replacing your 12W with a 13HD?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To be honest, I think not, unless you REALLY need to get rid of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> converter box.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summary:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wacom have really put a lot of work into the new Cintiq
designs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shows – and I WANT one…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Technical aside:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people have asked my how the Cintiq range compares to
the DTH or PL product lines that they do, especially as they look similar, and
have comparable features, so I asked David Oduro of WACOM about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is that the DTH & PL lines are
interactive displays, and are designed to be used for short periods, not day in
/ day out for weeks on end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If used that
way, they can cause headaches etc., whereas the Cintiq range is designed for
continual safe usage for as long as the artist requires.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Firstly, thanks to fellow CCGB member Pete Ellis for his
contribution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly a big thank you
to David Oduro of WACOM for the technical knowhow (he really knows his stuff)
and Dave Harrison of DPS for the venue and demo equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DPS are one of WACOM’s main distributors in
the south, so if you want a good deal, please call him on 020 8460 3690, or by
email at <a href="mailto:dharrison@dpsb.co.uk">dharrison@dpsb.co.uk</a> – and
don’t forget to mention the CCGB – you might get a discount!</div>
Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-11935208457402976862013-06-13T16:54:00.001+01:002013-06-13T16:55:40.611+01:00Android? Oh dear...As regular readers of this tome know, I've been and android advocate for quite some time. I have access to an android tablet, as well as two android phones, and I've used them in anger for quite a while now - which is why I feel qualified to make the following statement...<br />
<br />
Android (as a phone operating system) is crap.<br />
<br />
There - I've said it. Yes, it really is a big pile of pants now, so what has made me change my mind? Let me regale the story....<br />
<br />
9 months ago I moved from a pay and go setup for my phone (at the time, a Sony Xperia Mini Pro android based setup) to a contract, and got a new phone as part of the deal, a Samsung Galaxy Ace. My wife, who moved onto a contract at the same time, chose to stick with Blackberry, and got a 9320.<br />
<br />
In the last 9 months, I have sworn about lack of android updates for my phone. I have fought with a system that can sometimes take<i> </i>over a minute <i>just to make a phone call.</i> I have tried (unsuccessfully) to get voice dialing working, and to get a decent signal in some areas. In short, I was at the end of my tether. <br />
<br />
<br />
To cap it all, I went to a medieval fair, and tried to take some pictures - now remember than my
Galaxy has a good camera, but it took <i>so </i>long to set the camera up that
I lost the shots - my wife on the other hand, had taken 5 shots using
her Blackberry, and pretty good they were too. <br />
<br />
Last week in desperation, I tried putting my Sim into a battered old Blackberry 8250 that we had lying about the house, and the difference was astounding. My calls were clearer, I had more signal, making a call was measured in seconds (not minutes), and I could also voice dial whilst connected to a hands free headset. In short, this knackered old blackberry smart phone wiped the floor with my Samsung.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, not everything in the garden is Rosy. At the moment, I'm still having to use the Samsung as I need email access, and I can't get the Blackberry set up on Virgin for some reason, but it goes to show that as phones have progressed, sometimes android has not followed. You could blame this on inferior hardware (and you might have a point), but I believe that android has come too far, too fast - and the cracks are showing. At the end of the day, if even the most basic android phone can't compete with a knackered, water soaked old Blackberry on equal terms, then something is fundamentally wrong.<br />
<br />
Yes, android has more apps, but apps can't save a platform. If a phone can't be used as a phone, then it's useless - phone manufacturers please note. I'm currently looking at getting a second hand virgin Blackberry to replace my android phone - because it works as a phone first, and a "smart phone" second - but does both jobs beautifully...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-26722913229014870982013-03-27T15:47:00.004+00:002013-03-27T15:50:24.445+00:00Graphics Tablets - Mightier than the Mouse?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUURe6mYhYOdvD9Yi6MEMBlZp76hDlTzv0FA8zmcxi-LOt9EG9U9dmAAh_rOq6ih3ECvhz-WlJspIyJsHOxpSvko0LQTm5tIhqLsdHybJPHG9TNE_77aKiS5l6-5SWQrUS43jHWuQPpUD/s1600/graphics+tablets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUURe6mYhYOdvD9Yi6MEMBlZp76hDlTzv0FA8zmcxi-LOt9EG9U9dmAAh_rOq6ih3ECvhz-WlJspIyJsHOxpSvko0LQTm5tIhqLsdHybJPHG9TNE_77aKiS5l6-5SWQrUS43jHWuQPpUD/s400/graphics+tablets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Graphics tablets - iPad vs Wacom vs Tablet computer<br />
<br />
"MIGHTY MOUSE IS ON HIS WAAAAAAAAY! HERE I COME TO AAARRRGGGHH!!!"<br />
<br />
Back in days of yore, ye olde scribes of merriment and hilarity would scritch away on their parchments with trusty metal pen nibs, bringing to life their array of humorous characters for the delectation of the common man. Ink would blot, spit and spill, and verily, they said unto themselves "Bugger this for a lark - I'm going down the pub..."<br />
<br />
But enough about the golden age of Fleet Street. Today's cartoonists are more modern, dynamic, and techno-savvy (yeah, <i>right</i>). They have embraced the Digital Age, and that's primarily because of one invention - the graphics tablet. Never before, in the field of humorous endeavour, have so many grumpy old gits work flow been transformed by one device.<br />
<br />
So what is a graphics tablet, what does it do, and how can it help the average cartoonist/artist?<br />
<br />
Let's start with the basics. We've all used a mouse with our computers - that's the little box like device with buttons that we move around with our hand to move the pointer on the computer screen. Move the mouse left, the pointer moves left, move it right, the pointer moves right - in short, the movement of the mouse in your hand is translated into movement of the pointer on the screen. Add buttons you can press to perform actions, and you have a computer input device (that's a fancy name for anything that allows you to control a computer)...<br />
<br />
Mice were fine for a fair number of years - then some bright spark said "what if we could do the same thing as a mouse, but use a...PEN! You could..WRITE...maybe...DRAW! MY GOD - it would be BEAUTIFUL..."<br />
<br />
Enter the graphics tablet. The tablet is a deceptively simple device - resembling a pad (with a wire connected to the computer) and a pen, the basic graphics tablet works by treating the active area on the pad as the "screen", using a "digitizer" (another fancy term - just means a device that translates one set of co-ordinates (the pad) to another (the screen) ). Moving the pen on the active area moves the pointer, and pressing with the pen performs the action. This sort of device was first seen in the 1950's but it wouldn't become popular until the late 1970's, with the arrival of the home computer. Once the Apple & Microsoft markets had established themselves, one producer of graphics tablets soon became the biggest name in the field, and the one we tend to associate with the technology - WACOM. Wacom's tablets, such as the Graphire, Intuos and Bamboo models, typify what we expect a graphics tablet to be - a pressure sensitive pen/stylus, combined with a screen ratio "pad" - with this technology, the cartoonist was finally in control...<br />
<br />
Well, sort of. For anyone used to drawing on paper, using a graphics tablet is a bit of a learning curve, because although the pad represents the screen, it does not occupy the same physical space (it's sitting on your desk, after all) - this can lead to a sense of "detachment" when using the pen to draw. The tablet manufacturers realised that what people wanted was a way they could use the pen by <i>drawing on the screen</i>. "What if" said an engineer "we put a digitizer <i>behind</i> a LCD screen..."<br />
<br />
Enter the Tablet/Screen hybrid, typified by the Wacom Cintiq range. The tablet\screen hybrid (as it's name suggests) comprises of a LCD screen of some kind, and a pen/stylus, and works by having the "digitizer" of a graphics tablet behind a LCD screen - when the pen is moved on the screen, the pointer follows. Most hybrids take the form of an extra display unit, that can be used along side your existing monitor, but as we'll see later, there are exceptions. The tablet/screen hybrid experience is as close as an cartoonist/artist can get to "drawing on paper", and is therefore, the easiest to learn, but the ease comes at a cost, as these devices aren't cheap - most hybrids cost over £700...<br />
<br />
Our engineer is a busy old bee, and comes up with another bright idea -" put the digitizer and pen in a laptop..." - and the Tablet PC was born. These devices are as portable as laptop (sometimes more so), and have all the advantages of a hybrid, but are truly portable, as well as being fully functional PCs. Unfortunately, only a few manufacturers ever made them, and their initial cost was too steep, but second hand, these devices are exceptionally good value for the cartoonist.<br />
<br />
The first generation of Tablet PCs in the Naughties did lead the way for another type of device - the ultra-portable "Pad" device, the best example of which is the Apple iPad. Unlike a Tablet PC, the Pad has a touch-sensitive screen which the user works with their fingers - they point, the pointer moves, they tap, they generate an action. Most touch screens use "capacitive" technology (that is, the screen is conductive to electricity). The screen in normal use, produces an electrical field, which is distorted when a conductive material (such as the skin on your finger, or a stylus) is brought into contact with it. These devices are <i>usually </i>not sensitive to pressure, or able to work in extreme detail, but these limitations will only be temporary, as the technology continues to develop at a staggering pace.<br />
<br />
So what does the future hold? As touchscreen / Pad technology comes down in price, it will also become more capable. In the not-to-distant future, the hybrid will become replaced by all-in-one Pad device (probably Android based) that will respond to pressure from both hand and stylus. You'll be able to take the device anywhere, and work on the move, and the device will be cheap enough to be a no-brainer for the modern artist. Already, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is with us, which comes really close. Wacom had better watch out, because if they don't keep up, they'll be overtaken...<br />
<br />
Right - time to go to the pub, and see who wants to trade nibs... :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-90662633649531234962012-12-19T11:53:00.003+00:002012-12-19T11:53:38.695+00:00Raspberry Pi's, Android, and the(mis)hape of things to come...In my <a href="http://computersfortheover40s.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/progress-why-you-have-to-buy-new.html" target="_blank">last article</a>, I explained my view on why we need to constantly upgrade our computers. One vital thing was missing from that view however, and that was the effect of "Backwards Compatibility" on the evolution of computing. To explain further, we have to go back in time, so let's fire up the old TARDIS and take a look-see (vworrrp, vworrrp, vworrrp...)<br />
<br />
In the Eighties, the world (in computing terms) was split into mainframes (think cupboard computers), minis (sideboard computers), and Micros (desktop computers). Micros were regarded mostly as toys, so the main development was in the larger platforms, but home users started to get in on the act, and in the early eighties, 8bit machines like the BBC Micro / Sinclair ZX81 were the norm. By the mid Eighties, things had changed significantly, with the arrival of two things - the first was the IBM PC, an 16Bit personal computer (limited by an 8bit bus), designed for business by the biggest mainframe designer in the business - IBM The IBM PC started off life as nothing more than a "dumb terminal" to connect to IBM mainframes, but soon, companies realised that this machine could be more productive, and not long after it's inception, software began to appear for it - business software, that would eventually lead to a revolution amongst computing, and eventually give us the most powerful Monopoly next to Disney - yup, you guessed it, it's <i><b>Microsoft</b></i>... As time progressed, the Intel 8086 processor used as the PCs "brain" had extra bits bolted on to give more power (and which changed its name, so 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium etc...), whilst still keeping the ability to run software designed for the older parts - this <i>backwards compatibility</i> became the Intel/Microsoft Windows biggest selling point...<br />
<br />
The second event of the Eighties was much more significant - the development of the 16bit processor with a 32bit bus. The PC ran a chip by a company called Intel, but other manufacturers were developing much more powerful chips, that were far easier to program than the stupid Intel 8086. Motorola gave us the 68000 range of chips, the power of which can be seen if you compare the IBM PC with the home computers of the time - the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga & Apple Macintosh, all of which were far superior, and could graphically out-perform a PC easily. A war ensued in the late Eighties / early Nineties, between machines based on the far superior Motorola chips, and the Intel based computers...<br />
<br />
As we move forward, the outcome of that war is evident - the Intel/Microsoft became dominant across the world, as did the 8086 and it's subsequent progeny, all the way up to the Intel Dual Core/Quad Core processors used today. The only survivor of the Motorola camp was Apple, which continued to use Motorola based processors until recently, when (for cost reasons), they switched to the same Intel processors.<br />
<br />
Why did Intel/Microsoft win the war? It certainly wasn't through technical superiority - the Motorola chips were much more powerful, and easier to program than the Intels. No, the outcome of the war was due to the fact that for the first time in history, the <i>SOFTWARE / USER </i>combination was the driving force. In the beginning, the two camps were split by usage - the Intel camp was purely business based, the Motorola camp was mostly home based, with some business use (mainly in areas that required advanced graphic capabilities). At first, business users didn't need the kind of graphical power - no, what they wanted was a number cruncher / word processor that could store it's information. The IBM PC had a neat trick up it's sleeve - some of it's parts were modular, which meant that you could upgrade it easily. Need some better expansion ports? Add a card! Need a better graphical display? Change the graphics card! Need more storage? Change the hard disk! This expansion capability led to something else - other manufacturers could use the same parts to create their own version of a IBM PC! Manufacturers like COMPAQ & Packard Bell were soon making the first IBM PC "Clones", which ran the same operating system (DOS), run the same programs, and even use the same expansion boards! Business users kept pushing the envelope of what was possible, and what was wanted. Many more clones appeared...<br />
<br />
Over at the technically superior Motorola camp, there was no equivalent business push. Lots of innovation & technical wizardry (which would eventually be picked up by the business market, but implemented at a business level on Intel based PCs). Many of the Motorola Camp computers of the time were staggeringly good, but the business market looked at what it already had (many more Intel based PCs around, and many more en route) and market forces went the "PC" way. The Intel/Microsoft camp's ability to be expandable, combined with it's software "backwards compatibility", triumphed over a technologically superior force... <br />
<br />
As we materialise back into the present, we realise that ALL PC's (including Macs) are now using chips based on the <i>original Intel 8086 design</i>, albeit a design that has been significantly added to, with new capabilities bolted on nearly every day. A design that is acknowledged as being "difficult to program", compared to most other chip archetectures. In summary then, the majority of us are using computers based on a chip design that has thrown nothing away, is bloated, inefficient, and difficult to program...<br />
<br />
It boggles the mind!<br />
<br />
(by the way, If you want to see how inefficient your own computer is, I suggest you take a look at the <a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/" target="_blank">Raspberry Pi</a>, a credit card sized computer, that can do the same things a PC can, and do it cheaper. )<br />
<br />
However, things may well soon change. Recently, the same software/user combination that created the PC dominated world we live in, has started to evolve itself. No longer is the business market the driving force, instead, the individual user market is starting to take hold. New single user devices, such as smart phones, music players & tablets, are coming to the fore like never before, and unlike the PC, these devices are not reliant on old chip technology - instead, they use a new breed of modern CPUs that are cheaper to manufacture, as well as being powerful. Software is slowly moving away from the monlithic ideas of the past, and is slowly morphing into the "app" model - cheap, powerful programs, that are just a click away. Where the computer was once the focus, now it is the user who is the focal point. People argue still argue over which is better - PC or Mac, but that war is over - another war is on it's way, the war between Apple's IOS and Android, and who will win this one? n The technically superior Apple line, or the more adaptible Android camp? I know who my money's on...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-42474649157907751952012-12-18T12:13:00.001+00:002013-03-27T15:52:04.559+00:00Progress - why you HAVE to buy a new computer every so often...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVDA5cT46B_54r8l31efrJ-H-6tZlpvbuB9PHP6qZhahACykf4I9pGZic6RoHDoyDWRErCwNWSxeFbS7oS5p4IqaAs5zEIwR5gaquZ197fkufmRoo8rmZ4iPJ6BC9vyh85T0QaJoQenv6/s1600/paradigm+shift.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVDA5cT46B_54r8l31efrJ-H-6tZlpvbuB9PHP6qZhahACykf4I9pGZic6RoHDoyDWRErCwNWSxeFbS7oS5p4IqaAs5zEIwR5gaquZ197fkufmRoo8rmZ4iPJ6BC9vyh85T0QaJoQenv6/s400/paradigm+shift.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Do you remember the HOVIS advert? Que the brass band...<br />
<br />
"'Ee were a great computer, my Mainframe! He could run t'payroll, t'stock system, and t'online transactions, print bloody great reports that consumed reams of green & white paper, and do all that in 512k of memory. Kids these days - don't know they're born..." etc, etc....<br />
<br />
You may laugh, but this is all true - I know, I was that child. In 1983, I started my first job - a computer mainframe operator for a large seed grower in East Anglia, and the mainframe I operated was an ICL ME29, with 256k of memory, that did all of the above. My friend at the time (hi Tony) used a Dragon 32 computer at home - state of the art.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to 1991 - I was still operating mainframes (although I was now a Shift Leader, in charge of other operators, as well as doing some COBOL development) and I was operating ICL VME based systems (3960). At home, I was using a ATARI 512k STFM - a great little machine that had a graphical interface, ran great games, and let me create a newsletter for a club I was with. In short, a brilliant little all-rounder, that had twice as much memory as my old mainframe...<br />
<br />
...1996 - my Atari was a fond memory in the attic, and my main machine was a 486 based PC running Windows 3.11, with a mahoosive 4Mb memory...<br />
<br />
...and now, I'm writing this on a Dual-Core PC, with 8Gb memory (that's 32 times as much memory as my PC in '96 - 16 years ago).<br />
<br />
Am I doing work that significantly different to what I was doing 16 years ago? No. Do I perform my work any quicker? No. Is my computer any quicker? No. So the question needs to be asked - why, when technology has developed, am I no more efficient than I was 30 years ago? I'm using more computing power now, than the Apollo Space Program / Shuttle Program had at it's disposal, so why am I STILL screaming at my computer to "GO FASTER DAMMIT!"?<br />
<br />
The answer my friends, is one simple word, and that word is...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><u><b>LAZINESS.</b></u></span></div>
<br />
You see, back in the old days, in the Eighties and earlier, much software was written at very low level, often hand coded & optimised to suit the hardware available. Try any of the computers created during this "golden" age, and you'll find that they seems to run just as fast as anything now - yes, their graphics might be a bit blocky, and their floppy access is SLOW, but you can run a game on an Atari STE now, and it'll seem just as snappy and responsive as a modern game. This is because of optimisation.<br />
<br />
In the late eighties, a programming paradigm became popular - that of code libraries. The idea is simple - say you write a piece of code that opens a text file. You'd like to use that code again in another program, so you create a library - a repository of common code that you can use, again and again. Libraries are a great idea, but they do have a drawback - they promote "library sprawl", a condition where the number of libraries you use grows out of control. This sprawl, is most noticeable in situations where a program needs features added quickly, and where is the worst offender of library sprawl? Yup, it's our old friend <b><i>Microsoft Windows</i></b><i> </i>- again... :(<br />
<br />
As an example, I was recently looking into moving the data from a user's PC to another, and I did a quick check to see how much disk space he was using. Windows itself, was taking nearly 14Gb - compared to my system in 1996, that's nearly 1000 times the size that Windows 3.11 took up on my machine in 1996. Reliance on existing code, gives faster development turn rounds, but leads to mahoosive computer systems, that require massive amounts of processing power, just to process these libraries.<br />
<br />
To be fair, most commercial operating systems have the same problem, this includes OSX and Linux. Some would say that software grows to fit hardware, but over the years, I come to the conclusion that this is not true. We HAVE to upgrade our systems because the developers of new software are under tremendous pressure to deliver quickly, which means they HAVE to rely on existing libraries - they have no choice. It's a sad, but true fact - our software is LAZY, which means we have to throw more computing power at it to get the speed / results we expect.<br />
<br />
Think of it in these terms. A fat man can't run the 100 meters, but instead of losing weight, he gets a bike, but still eats what he likes. Two years later, he can't ride the bike any more, because he's too fat, but still needs to do the 100 meters, so he gets a motor bike, but yup, he's still tucking into those doughnuts! Two years further on, he's now so fat, that he can't keep his balance on the bike any more, so he gets a Ferrari-powered dumper truck to do the 100 meters in - stopping on the way, to get a super sized McHeartbreaker Burger with thick shake...<br />
<br />
Lazy - oh yes...<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">IN the </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<u><b><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b></u><br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-13738416369760004662012-12-18T10:06:00.002+00:002012-12-18T10:07:16.330+00:00Apple Vs PC - Pointless & Stupid...In my last <a href="http://computersfortheover40s.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/why-i-wont-be-buying-imac.html" target="_blank">article</a>, I mentioned why I wouldn't buy a Mac, with my own money. Some people have commented that I'm anti Apple, or I'm in the "PC Camp" in the Apple/PC Fanboi debate.<br />
<br />
What a load of old tosh!<br />
<br />
I've been in the IT Industry for nearly 30 years, I've used mainframes, PCs, Macs - in short, been there, done that. I use PCs at work (because that's the environment I work in), I use PCs at home (because I like the platform, and the value for money it gives me), but I don't always run Windows, because I prefer <a href="http://www.linux.org/" target="_blank">Linux</a>. <br />
<br />
I've dealt with this type of technology long enough, to know that every platform has good and bad points, but if you're aware of the good points, you should also not be blind to the bad. I believe I have a balanced view on the subject, because I don't pretend that one platform is better than the other - they all have their strong points. Apple make some lovely kit, but they do charge a bundle for it, and sometimes, it doesn't play nicely with anything that isn't Apple - that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it, just be aware. In the same vein, PC kit can vary in quality because it's so varied, but it offers better value for money, combined with cheaper repair costs - but it can be hampered by an operating system that has evolved in strange ways, leading to sometimes weird and wonderful problems - again, that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it, just be aware. If you don't like windows, try something else!<br />
<br />
Any debate about Apple vs PC is a stupid waste of time. If you like one, stop wasting time trying to evangelise it's benefits - enjoy it for what it is - a tool.<br />
<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-20860440984487827402012-12-13T11:48:00.002+00:002012-12-18T10:07:00.382+00:00Why I won't be buying an iMac...As many of you know, I'm a cartoonist, as well as an IT Specialist, and many of my cartooning friends use Macs - in fact, many creatives use Apple Macs (in various guises) and will continue to do so, no matter what. Many have tried to convince me to convert, and many times have I thought about it - and declined.<br />
<br />
"But why do you decline?" you may ask. "Surely they're stuff is great!".<br />
<br />
Mmmnn...<br />
<br />
Let me start by linking a review of the new <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/12/review_apple_imac_21in_late_2012/" target="_blank">Apple iMac 21.52 2012 version</a> - this is for balance (!)<br />
<br />
Ok - Apple make good products. They are well engineered, look stunning, perform well, and provide a great user experience. They are also expensive, difficult to repair / upgrade, and are somewhat proprietary in their nature. Back in the Nineties, I was using Atari STs at home, PCs at work. I loved my Atari - it was quick, slick and a joy to use, but it suffered form the same blight as the iMac, as it was expensive to upgrade, and proprietary. By 1996, I was solely PC based, and have been ever since.<br />
<br />
PCs may be a bit clunky, a bit large, and not as sexy as Apples, but they are cheap to upgrade / repair, and cheap to purchase - I can buy a PC that will out-perform an iMac for less money, and for those of you who would argue that buying a PC means that you're locked into that user experience, I would point out that not only can you run Windows on a PC, but you can run Linux (my personal favourite is <a href="http://www.pclinuxos.com/" target="_blank">PCLinuxOS</a>) or even OSX (although you're not supposed to...)<br />
<br />
In short, a PC is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and just as good. I liken the Apple/PC choice to that of buying a Ferrari/Honda - both will get you where you want to go, but it'll be cheaper and more reliable in the Honda (and yes, I DO drive a honda)...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-47263881766061453672012-10-22T14:08:00.002+01:002012-10-22T14:08:54.126+01:00Watchdog - Why you should TALK to your engineerSomething got me quire riled this week. The BBC's "Watchdog" program <a href="http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/10/18/pc_repairs_watchdog_probe/">did a piece on a Computer Support company that ripped off it's customers</a>,
and as part of the "undercover investigation", they nobbled a PC so
that it could be fixed by an engineer. So far, so good, until they
showed how they nobbled the PC in the first place.<br />
<br />
They chose to remove a jumper from a disk drive.<br />
<br />
I
take affront to this test for several reasons. Firstly, it's not a
"natural" fault that would occur during normal use, instead, it's a
fault that should only occur if a) the user has been fitting hardware,
or authorised someone else to fit hardware (like a new disk), or b) on
the day the computer was built. Secondly (and perhaps more damningly),
the "user" (an actor in this case) was instructed to tell the engineer
some cock and bull story about the machine getting slower and slower,
before it stopped altogether - at no time mentioning that the case had
been "opened".<br />
<br />
I'm sorry Watchdog, but you're out of
order. I don't doubt that the company concerned were a bunch of cowboys
(you just had to see the prices they were charging), but this evidence
misleads the public. Engineers <i>rely</i> on the information that the
user gives to them to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem - in
this case, your information was not just incorrect, but deliberately
misleading. A computer engineer is like a doctor - both have to make a
diagnosis based on reported symptoms and tests. It's like swallowing
lots of laxatives, experiencing a bad case of Bombay Belly , and then
complaining to the doctor that you feel unwell, you wee a lot, and then
showing surprise when he says you might have Diabetes... Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-18827349713118310372012-08-28T11:05:00.000+01:002012-11-15T11:37:31.918+00:00This is what a disk crash looks like...If you've ever wondered what goes on inside your hard disk, now's the time to find out. I recently had to try and recover some data from a disk, but with no success. I decided it might be useful to see what had happened, so I opened the disk up - by the way, these pictures are quite high res, so they may take some time to load, but it's worth it...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuSfnrOEkhTsivU174ZvFZtHlER9g0eeW4bb1L6ASQO8QEIc37qEa_lM3OzWen-ElyJ7J8GtUGXgSt0Lc43Wb84vmRY_Hd-QubvUBOGXBcXFLrvCBN0R9wFR9srePf-hlsleuMeh9L7IG/s1600/2012-08-17+16.10.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuSfnrOEkhTsivU174ZvFZtHlER9g0eeW4bb1L6ASQO8QEIc37qEa_lM3OzWen-ElyJ7J8GtUGXgSt0Lc43Wb84vmRY_Hd-QubvUBOGXBcXFLrvCBN0R9wFR9srePf-hlsleuMeh9L7IG/s320/2012-08-17+16.10.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A bit of explanation is called for here. Your data is magnetically stored on the platter (the large silver disk) by the read write head, which is moved over the surface of the disk by the arm. In the next two pictures, you can see the circular scratch over the disk, caused when the head smashed into the platter...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifposKZ3adJjWmwvz26LFxLaZcHYpb9iTAa8Q-JOgPLZ071L4D7dC9CH_qqOZsKrjQuBwCCrQLebB3g1SMmXycGWqB-ibicjM_cM8rUTz2B6lsmL6X8U1qJigLQXmsK6dT4s_ZIOfD7cKI/s1600/2012-08-17+16.11.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifposKZ3adJjWmwvz26LFxLaZcHYpb9iTAa8Q-JOgPLZ071L4D7dC9CH_qqOZsKrjQuBwCCrQLebB3g1SMmXycGWqB-ibicjM_cM8rUTz2B6lsmL6X8U1qJigLQXmsK6dT4s_ZIOfD7cKI/s320/2012-08-17+16.11.55.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YPFQ7ramg5G8-XSJscFY_yb45tm8OKIQG2wdgoU5J0mbY3KIanIBVIVaU9ue-S2iici7fOauWtErLllH3w9e6cpEQi0M8KSpnLcgCfpuuPzdtroQpAU3jOPxwCalRN4MVpEF21qWTzPT/s1600/2012-08-17+16.12.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YPFQ7ramg5G8-XSJscFY_yb45tm8OKIQG2wdgoU5J0mbY3KIanIBVIVaU9ue-S2iici7fOauWtErLllH3w9e6cpEQi0M8KSpnLcgCfpuuPzdtroQpAU3jOPxwCalRN4MVpEF21qWTzPT/s320/2012-08-17+16.12.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
End result? Damaged head, damaged surface, loss of data. Moral of the story? ALWAYS back up your data to an extral hard drive, or dvd.Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-63915538511883538362012-06-21T13:18:00.001+01:002012-06-21T14:24:33.995+01:00BRAAIIINNSSSS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvEkwI1ZYiLFek_xjB1nZ6H4rtzkzadRkMF0g1DlP-z8hB6J3HkYIitEt22SXTwLGkJVsDCkE-wxVa84ctTVKZnxTuPg7_WDRxcxMZJOVL01iytZhLq7uKc6Lj1gBp0oMpsO2ineCOWao/s1600/cores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvEkwI1ZYiLFek_xjB1nZ6H4rtzkzadRkMF0g1DlP-z8hB6J3HkYIitEt22SXTwLGkJVsDCkE-wxVa84ctTVKZnxTuPg7_WDRxcxMZJOVL01iytZhLq7uKc6Lj1gBp0oMpsO2ineCOWao/s1600/cores.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="bigfont">You've made the decision - it's time for a new computer. Off you toddle to PC World, with your hard earned readies in your sweaty little mitts. You walk in the door, walk straight over to the computers... </span><br />
<span class="bigfont">...</span><br />
<span class="bigfont">...</span><br />
<span class="bigfont">"MY GOD - I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS GARBAGE! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELLLLLL!"</span><br />
<span class="bigfont">... and sink slowly to your knees, weeping for your lost innocence....</span><br />
<span class="bigfont"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="bigfont">Have no fear! It's honestly not all that bad, and I'm here to help you. When buying a computer, the three most important things are processor, memory and disk space. As I've<a href="http://computersfortheover40s.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/low-down-on-memory.html"> dealt with the last two subjects before</a>, I think it's time we looked at the biggy - Central Processor Units (CPU's, or processors) - the brain of the computer. So, without further ado, here we go...</span><br />
<br />
<span class="bigfont">Intel & AMD are the main manufacturers of computer processors (known
as CPU's) used in home/business computers (note: for the sake of this
thread, I'm ignoring Apple - no offence iFans...)
<br />
<br />
Intel produces several ranges of CPU - in descending order of computing power (and age) we have...
<br />
<br />
i7 - most powerful and newest
(up to 6 cores)<br />
i5
(up to 4 cores)<br />
i3
(2 cores)<br />
Pentium
(1-2 cores)<br />
Celeron - least powerful and oldest.
(1 core)<br />
<br />
AMD have their own chip range....
<br />
<br />
FX - most powerful and newest
<br />
A-series
<br />
Phenom II
<br />
Athlon II
<br />
Sempron II - least powerful and oldest.
<br />
<br />
Cores: In computing terms, a "core" is one logical processor. Years
ago (back in the 90's) all CPU's had one single core. As technology has
progressed, the CPU designs have evolved and many now contain more
than one logical processor in their physical CPU chip (For example, i7
CPU's can have 4 logical processors) - the advantage of this is
"hyper threading" - that is, having the computer run more than one task
simultaneously, with no performance hit (older CPU's can't do this).
<br />
<br />
Quad Core: A CPU with 4 logical processors
<br />
Dual Core: A CPU with 2 logical processors
<br />
<br />
The more logical processors, the better your computer can "potentially"
multitask - this depends ENTIRELY on the operating system installed
(Windows 7 for example)...
<br />
<br />
This, combined with the move to 64bit processing, means that computers
these days are incredibly powerful beasts compared to 10 years ago...
<br />
<br />
For buyers, here are the following recommendations....
<br />
<br />
1. Buy an Intel based chip. There's nothing wrong with AMD chips (I've
used lots of them in the past, and they're great), but Microsoft work
hand-in-glove with Intel, which means that Windows will not only be
better supported, but will run better too..
<br />
<br />
2. Buy the best processor you can afford - i.e If you have the choice
between I3 and I5, choose I5 - you can always upgrade memory / disk
space later...
<br />
</span>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-79480296121461077622012-06-14T16:30:00.002+01:002012-06-14T16:30:35.567+01:00ASP, Access, ODBC & 80020009, 80004005 errorsJust a quickie here for my own benefit. When trying to get ASP pages working with VB Dlls that access MS ACCESS DB's, you may get 80020009 & 80004005 errors. You've checked the permissions on the database folder, and the IUSR has the right access - yet, you still get the errors.<br />
<br />
Check your date & time settings - especially if you've created this using a VM. Make sure that your regional settings are as you expect.Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-46353346886405444512012-03-31T14:18:00.000+01:002012-12-13T12:18:42.851+00:00PDF - the most AB-used file format on the planet...In days of old, when knights were bold, before the O/S war,<br />
You couldn't share you documents, and see them as before,<br />
Then the Knight Adobe, presented PDF to the King,<br />
Who rejoiced and said "At last! An open documenty-thing!"<br />
Alas Adobe cautioned his royal Haughtiness,<br />
"It's read-only your Majesty - sorry for the mess..."<br />
<br />
We all love PDF files. In the world of information, the Portable Document Format means that everyone can read your document, on whatever device you wish - and the document will look the same on each device. At the time of it's inception, PDF was perceived as the Holy Grail by many folk, and the format made Adobe a household name.<br />
<br />
However, not all is rosy in the world of PDF, and the wise old silver surfer should be aware of all the pitfalls, misconceptions and stupidity that goes on within it, so here is a quick guide for those of you with you own teeth - especially if they're on the sideboard...<br />
<br />
1. PDF is open source<br />
Yes and no. PDF was created by Adobe, who released the details of the format to the IT community. It's format is now controlled by the International Standards Organization (ISO)<br />
<br />
2. Once you've created a PDF for sharing, no one can edit it.<br />
Wrong - ANY file format that can be read, can be re-created. PDF's do contain secure features, but in essence, if you can read a PDF, then it's data can be extracted by a third party tool, and reused.<br />
<br />
3. All text in a PDF is true text - that is, it's a set of characters<br />
Wrong - Any text you see in a PDF can be either character text, or a bitmap representation of text (a picture).<br />
<br />
4. PDF's contain either character text or bitmap pictures.<br />
Wrong - they can contain vector images too...<br />
<br />
5. PDF's are small<br />
WRONG! The size of a PDF depends on what's in it. A PDF containing a simple text character version of "War & Peace" is going to be MUCH smaller than a PDF created by scanning in a copy of "War & Peace" from a book (which will be mostly bitmaps).<br />
<br />
6. You NEED Adobe Acrobat Reader to read PDF files, and Adobe Acrobat to creater them...<br />
Wrong - <a href="http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/">Foxit </a>make a good replacement reader, and free utilities like <a href="http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/%7Eghost/">Ghostscript </a>or <a href="http://www.cutepdf.com/">CutePDF </a>can create them...<br />
<br />
<br />Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-10299162637081283522012-03-13T11:49:00.001+00:002012-03-13T11:49:49.150+00:00Caricatoons is LIVE!Hi Everyone!<br />
<br />
I've recently just put my new online shop live. If you're looking for a truly unique gift for that someone special, why not take a look?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.caricatoons.co.uk/">http://www.caricatoons.co.uk</a>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-29454957739028895182012-02-23T13:30:00.000+00:002012-06-20T11:15:14.964+01:00Abuse of power - why Windows Security Fails...Windows has one very nasty habit, that it has kept since the first days of it's creation. It's a habit so deadly, that Windows has never really been able to ditch it (despite several attempts), and rather like a junkie always needing one last desperate fix, Windows defends it's use, and will continue to use it, until the bitter end... I am of course, referring to default administrative rights.<br />
<br />
Back in the old days of DOS (that's the operating system before windows - some of us over 40's are quite fond of it), networks existed only in business, and one user / one computer was the norm. In those days, the ideas of multiple users was more for large scale computing, such as big business or Universities. From these hot-beds came the idea of networks, multiple users on one machine, and user rights. In short, a human needed a user account to use a computer, and that account needed access rights to use files/printers/resources - all this, controlled by an <span style="font-style: italic;">Administrator</span>: the one person deemed trustworthy enough to organize these resources on the User's behalf.<br />
<br />
Microsoft had already created Windows - not as an Operating System at first, but as a Window Manager - that is, a nice, graphical way to view your files, edit notes etc. Windows was not the first, but it became the most popular, and in the way that popular things do, it created demand. There was now a demand for Windows to have network access to files, printers and resources, but Windows was a single user environment.<br />
<br />
Enter "Windows for Workgroups" - Microsoft's answer to the network problem. Windows could now access network files, share network resources, and assign user rights - right? Wrong - Windows could assign network rights to other people / computers, but it was still a single user environment, and that user had FULL Administrator access to the computer. Microsoft got it right with Windows NT however - a version of Windows DESIGNED to be a computer server. It had users, printers, rights... but the USER computers that used it's resources were still running WFW - single user, full Administrative access to their own machine. The users HAD to have Administrative access to install printers, device drivers, anything that was actually useful. This problem would continue for a VERY long time...<br />
<br />
In 1995, Microsoft tried again, and released Windows 95. 95 was Windows For WorkGroups with a new front end, as well as some improvements to the back end engine, but it was still essentially the same Windows / DOS combination that WFW was, and it shared the same single user philosophy. Yes, you could have separate user profiles, but each user was still "the Administrator". We also now had "Windows Update" - Microsoft could keep your computers up-t0-date for you, but they could only do it if the user had full access to the machine...<br />
<br />
Then came Windows NT4, and NT4 Workstation. These were version of Windows designed for full network use, and actually had true user accounts practice. Now, only the Administrator could make system changes to the machine, and everyone else could be user's of lesser power... except that user's expected to be able to do things the way they were used to. People now had PC's running windows at home, and the "single user" experience was what they were used to. The user's also had to keep the machine up to date with the latest patches, to stop the growing virus threat, so the average user STILL had to have administrative access. Savvy network admins locked down the machines as best they could, but those who didn't know better still allowed the standard user's full Administrator access - is it any wonder that Windows is responsible for more viruses spreading than any other operating system?<br />
<br />
In 98, we had Windows 98, and then Windows ME, and once again, Microsoft dropped the ball, allowing the Single User ethos to continue. 2000 brought Windows 2000 / Server 2000 and for the first time, Windows on both Client AND desktop had the notion of access rights. This should have been the turning point for Microsoft - their poor record of virus spreading and compromised security should have stopped here... but it didn't. In fact, it spread like wildfire. By default, new users in the client environment were MADE administrators!!! This madness carried on, and by the time of Windows XP, was commonplace.<br />
<br />
Windows Vista tried to do something about it, by alerting the user when administrative access was required - but all the user had to do was click a button and say "ALLOW". Give a user a button that says "ALLOW", and they'll always press it...<br />
<br />
Windows 7 went one step in the right direction, by getting rid of the Administrator account - but not before granting the first user set up FULL ADMINISTRATOR ACCESS...<br />
<br />
In the UNIX/Linux world, we have the ROOT account. You can do anything with the root account, but it is never used as the primary account for users. This is the primary reason why UNIX/Linux computers are inherently safer than Windows ones.<br />
<br />
Below are two links that you may find useful at some point - the first tell you ways you can manually remove spy ware from your computer (always useful knowledge), the second, explains why running as the Administrator is such a bad idea...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/06/how-to-clean-up-a-windows-spyware-infestation.html">http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/06/how-to-clean-up-a-windows-spyware-infestation.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/06/the-windows-security-epidemic-dont-run-as-an-administrator.html">http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/06/the-windows-security-epidemic-dont-run-as-an-administrator.html</a><br />
<br />
Running as Administrator is like Arnie armed to the teeth, walking through a Nursery class - a friendly fire incident waiting to happen...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-17382392624328591992012-02-09T12:27:00.008+00:002012-02-09T14:46:42.240+00:00Social Networking - why text is not the way to talk..."Too be or knot 2b - that is the question?"<br /><br />I'll admit that I am a social networking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Luddite</span>. I blog (your reading one now) and I use forums, but I seldom tweet, and I never <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span>. Why you ask? Because text is <span style="font-style: italic;">impersonal.</span><br /><br />Take the following statement:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I think that cheese is really cheesy.<br /><br /></span>This statement can be taken several ways. It could mean that the speaker thinks that cheese has a very cheesy taste, or that cheese is a very old fashioned subject. We can't tell, because we're missing the human element of conversation, namely <span style="font-style: italic;">inflection</span>. We can't tell what the original speaker means, because the text can't reflect how the speaker has said it.<br /><br />When you have a conversation with someone, face to face, the importance of "Body Language" cannot be underestimated. A person's body language can tell you if they are being coy, sardonic, humorous, and a thousand other possible emotional subtleties that go along with the words you hear to create the verbal impression you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">receive</span>.<br /><br />Text does not do this <span style="font-style: italic;">well</span>.<br /><br />I have lost count of the number of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sms</span>, email, twitter, forum & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">facebook</span> arguments I have witnessed caused by simple misunderstandings. For your own sake, keep your text conversations simple, and if possible, read them through before posting. If you think what you have written <span style="font-style: italic;">may</span> be taken the wrong way, then rephrase it - because you can guarantee that someone will...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-17454329982121926952011-11-25T12:04:00.002+00:002011-11-25T12:09:20.507+00:00Google auto complete - your frustrations...Justa quick post from the trenches my friends. I've had lots of complaints about Internet Explorer, and it's auto complete function - "bring back IE7" the users say. On later inspection, in turns out it's NOT IE8, but Google's automatic completion in it's search bar. This is <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> difficult to turn off, but you can get round it by setting your home page to...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?complete=0">http://www.google.co.uk/webhp?complete=0</a><br /><br />This will turn it off before it even starts... :)Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-23962370737079124862011-05-19T13:30:00.001+01:002011-05-20T13:49:25.772+01:00Smoke gets in your eyes... and fans... and power supplies...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCNKkVlslsgEhgngcfUOLXk32AVTWigmwidCaC2QR4sNl8_Wj7GOFpK0ZJbDewddejjDKOejuNtxI29-Sf_IN6nkKrCzN_4wlagAzSXxztzkXosgcLsJSy9qzpojKtUWN1VANKQO6e7OM/s1600/cough.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCNKkVlslsgEhgngcfUOLXk32AVTWigmwidCaC2QR4sNl8_Wj7GOFpK0ZJbDewddejjDKOejuNtxI29-Sf_IN6nkKrCzN_4wlagAzSXxztzkXosgcLsJSy9qzpojKtUWN1VANKQO6e7OM/s400/cough.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608779296338706290" border="0" /></a><br />You all know the score. If you smoke, everyone else is at the risk of becoming PASSIVE SMOKERS - that is, if you smoke around someone, they too can share in the exotic toxic cloud you enjoy.<br /><br />Now, I'm not here to stop you smoking - good God no. I may not agree with it, but free choice, "power to the people" etc., means I will not preach at you about how you abuse your bodies. Your computer, on the other hand, is another matter...<br /><br />Dust is the computer engineer's worst enemy. Dust can turn a fabulously running piece of kit into a slovenly malfunctioning heap of scrap metal that sits in the corner of your living room like a teenager waiting for his/her allowance. Dust does this by creating electrical shorts, or by stopping the computer from shedding heat.<br /><br />Now, imagine dust mixed with Marmite.<br /><br />That's what happens to the insides of your computer if you smoke - the insides become covered in a thin layer of sticky tar that attracts dust like a doughnut attracts flies. The result is a sticky, grimy mess that's almost impossible to shift with anything other than a blowtorch. Once that gets into your computer, it's only a matter of time before problems start developing. Power supplies start to overheat, memory fails, fans slow down...<br /><br />If you want to see just how bad it can get, take a look at these <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/13/ventblockers/">Ventblockers</a>.<br /><br />**Shudders **<br /><br />The moral? Don't smoke around your PC...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-56585386386103578232011-04-20T13:30:00.000+01:002011-04-20T13:30:02.045+01:00My printer's stopped working, or "50 ways to leave your paperrrr..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieW7Xircn_-ON5aju5sADBqBPk14kwClv4nOPn-hIccSNSHM2zufDYvnMAV3NXJTkPJhWTs3r_arUTPzq_NgMo7cHIeE6Ahw8cygPngVRFdEV3PPGzD6Rj336O8laghL-04FP9Dtpxbyix/s1600/printer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieW7Xircn_-ON5aju5sADBqBPk14kwClv4nOPn-hIccSNSHM2zufDYvnMAV3NXJTkPJhWTs3r_arUTPzq_NgMo7cHIeE6Ahw8cygPngVRFdEV3PPGzD6Rj336O8laghL-04FP9Dtpxbyix/s400/printer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596907416347627026" border="0" /></a><br />I.T. Specialists have a condition, called "Printer Shudder". It's a very common condition, which results in cold sweats, palpitations and indigestion, and is usually triggered by a certain phrase...<br /><br />"My printer's stopped working."<br /><br />At this point, many professionals hardened by a life in the trenches, under constant fire from users, managers & suppliers, have lost the will to live, and have ended their lives using the ancient japanese rite of Hari-Epson-ki (death by a thousand paper cuts).<br /><br />To ease their ancient burden (and to prevent many a premature, and stingy death), we present to you everything you (as a user) need to know about your printer.<br /><br />First off, you have 3 basic types of printer -<br /><ul><li>Dot Matrix - these print onto paper by punching blunt pins through a inked ribbon, to create characters on your page. Old, but still useful in some cases...</li><li>Ink Jet - these spray small dots of ink onto your page - usually in varying colours. These are the most common home printers...</li><li>Laser - these create a image of your printed page on a special drum using static electricity - the drum is then covered in black powder called toner which sticks to the static image. The drum then transfers the toner to a paper page, which is then heated to fuse the toner to the page as ink.</li><li>Colour Laser - same as a normal laser, but the image is seperated into 4 distinct colours (black, cyan, magenta and yellow), before fusing to the page.<br /></li></ul>Most common problems....<br /><ul><li>Connection - make sure your printer is connected to your computer - no connection, no printee...</li><li>Installation - you have installed the printer software for your operating system haven't you? No? Really? Good Grief! Go back to GO, do not pass GO, do not collect £200...</li><li>Power - don't laugh! You have turned the printer on haven't you...</li><li>Paper - make sure you have loaded the paper according to the manual...</li><li>Is the printer ready? Usually, there is a light that shows the printer is ready to print - if that light is not shining, check your printer documentation (you might need to press one of the buttons on the printer to get it going you know...)</li></ul>Not so common problems...<br /><ul><li>Paper Jams - no matter how good you are with your printer, you will have paper jams - it's a fact of life. However, when clearing a paper jam, remember the following...<ul><li>Remove paper slowly and carefully</li><li>Do not use sharp objects to poke anywhere in the paper path - seriously!</li><li>Look very carefully for foreign objects (such as paper clips, screws, pins, pencils, coins, sweets, condoms - I'm not kidding here...)</li></ul></li><li>Faulty ink cartridges - try wiping any electrical contacts with a lint free cloth, or even better, isopropyl alcohol. Replace the cartridges as a last resort...<br /></li><li>Marks on toner drums (you can try wiping these off with a lint free cloth.</li><li>Refilled Inks/Toners - I know inks/toners are expensive, but refills are always problematic - any problems, replace with an new cartridge.</li><li>Print Quality - normally cured by using a new ink/toner cartridge - especially true with HP printers...<br /></li></ul>As with many things in life, printers are not rocket science. Simple common sense wins through everytime with these little beasties, but if all else fails, at least they are cheap to buy...Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-78715812096599247602011-04-18T13:30:00.000+01:002011-04-18T13:58:56.817+01:00The low down on memory...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg_3n1zdPwQjcr4HGpoW5n1C8fvzdxrudQy7o9j-U4neftvNN12fjyppWcL3_sYQPqU8oGPdnlNTwwUZTy1Y79nfWUxllV7cZX2bPbgIV4u1PfKXqel6fFDt-PFywN0Qeq94R0MCzoHhq/s1600/memory.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg_3n1zdPwQjcr4HGpoW5n1C8fvzdxrudQy7o9j-U4neftvNN12fjyppWcL3_sYQPqU8oGPdnlNTwwUZTy1Y79nfWUxllV7cZX2bPbgIV4u1PfKXqel6fFDt-PFywN0Qeq94R0MCzoHhq/s400/memory.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596907113072849218" border="0" /></a><br />If you've worked in support for any length of time, you'll have had a similar conversation to this at least once...<br /><br />User: Hi there - My computer says it's low on memory<br />Support: No problem. How much memory does it have?<br />User: 250 Gigabytes<br />Support: (groans) No, how much physical memory does your machine have?<br />User: I told you, 250 Gigs.<br />Support: (sighs) That's not your memory, that's your hard disk...<br /><br />OR...<br /><br />User: Hi There - My computer says it's running low on disk space<br />Support No problem. How much space do you have free?<br />User: 4 Gig.<br />Support: Ok - delete everything from the temporary area.<br />User: Done!<br />Support: How much space fo you have free now?<br />User: 4 Gig.<br />Support: What? You've just deleted 30 Gigs of porn - you can't still have 4 Gig left...<br /><br />...And so on...<br /><br />Why do we receive these calls? Simply because there is confusion in the user's eye between Memory and Storage space, so let's address the problem with our little handy-dandy guide to all things Gigabyte...<br /><br />Computers need to able to store information, otherwise, they simply couldn't function (and what would be the point in that). Computers need 2 basic types of storage space; storage that can be accessed almost instantly, and storage where the access time doesn't matter. With me so far?<br /><br />Fast Storage is what we call Random Access Memory (RAM) or Physical Memory - that is, very fast, silicon chip storage space that the computer can use to store data. RAM is very, very fast and volatile i.e. the data only exists in storage as long as electrical power is supplied, which makes RAM ideal for storing data that the computer needs short term e.g. running programs, calculations etc...<br /><br />In contrast, Slow Storage is used for data that needs to be non-volatile i.e. available to the system after power is removed. The most common form of Slow Storage is in the form of Hard Disk space, which we use to store the Operating System e.g. Windows 7, the programs we wish to use, and the data for those programs that we want to keep (such as photographs). Hard Disks are basically a collection of metal platters which store data magnetically.<br /><br />Fast Storage is expensive, which is why you have quite a bit less of it than cheap and plentiful Slow Storage. The more Fast Storage you have, the faster your machine will run, but be warned - each machine has a limit on how much Fast Storage it can use.<br /><br />You may have heard of Flash Drives, USB Sticks or Solid State Drives - these are all forms of Slow Storage that are either faster, more portable, or more reliable than normal Hard Disks. CD / DVD's are Slow Storage that are designed to be read only (you can't put data on them) or read many / write once in the case of DVD / CD writers.<br /><br />So why the confusion? Simply because both types of storage are measured using the same scale - the Byte. 1 Byte can store a small amount of information (such as a character). 1 MegaByte = 1 Million Bytes (approximately) and 1 GigaByte = 1000 MegaBytes (also approximately), so as you can see, 250 GigaBytes is a lot of information!<br /><br />Don't get me started on TeraBytes (1000 GigaBytes)... :)Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-13687457177670203602011-04-01T14:12:00.002+01:002011-04-18T12:21:34.549+01:00Sorry for the lack of updates recently......been very busy at work. Two new posts will be available soon, once I get the cartoons done, so keep checking!Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823897529311780344.post-11265195144410685272011-02-24T13:30:00.003+00:002011-02-24T13:30:00.526+00:00"I'll send you the password via email..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFDKknLhLjSWL4x6hgN9El6PugDqGdMjAgW9vLFjalqcaIEgqO7KvMTOZA8TAyeNWgmhRUl1ojHPfx0bFMsvQ5f1OW58nNdjc1vkWJqmxVQimM5chFf_uqypA9GwSxCiizwFlbNlGxJQ2/s1600/eyes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFDKknLhLjSWL4x6hgN9El6PugDqGdMjAgW9vLFjalqcaIEgqO7KvMTOZA8TAyeNWgmhRUl1ojHPfx0bFMsvQ5f1OW58nNdjc1vkWJqmxVQimM5chFf_uqypA9GwSxCiizwFlbNlGxJQ2/s400/eyes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576879235070065314" border="0" /></a><br />It's 4.55 p.m. on a wet and windy Friday night, somewhere in the great metropolis, and you're coming to the end of a long working week. In just 5 minutes time, you'll be going home, ready to enjoy the promise of a weekend you have been planning for <span style="font-style: italic;">months</span>. The hotel room is booked, the kids have been shipped off to your sister-in-law, and the wife has been out shopping today at that new Ann Summers shop in the high street - life really <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>good.<br /><br />Just as you're about to go home, the phone rings. It rings in that particular way that it does when it's Dave - good old Dave in Accounts. Dave who got you into trouble last week for sending you that link that was <span style="font-style: italic;">so </span>"Not Safe For Work", and which took Brian in I.T. 3 days to repair the aftermath of...<br /><br />"I need the password for the Director's pension file..."<br /><br />Why NOW?! All you can think about is what colour undies may be waiting for you tonight...<br /><br />"I'll send you the password by email" you hear yourself say. As you're about the press the send button, out of the corner of your eye you can see Brian from I.T., wielding a baseball bat, and wearing a malicious grin...<br /><br />Now that I have your attention, as I gently fondle my very own baseball bat, I think the time has come to tell you the truth.<br /><br />Email is not secure.<br /><br />There - I've said it. I know you use it every day, and I know you can't live without it, but it is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> safe. When you send an email, it travels in a plain text format - that is, it is completely readable by anyone. This is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">necessary</span> because email has to travel between varying systems, that utilize varying technologies - it simply can't travel any other way, and by default, when we send an email, it travels in plain text. Therefore, sending a password by email is like you throwing your front door key into a crowd whilst shouting "that's for number 29 folks - help yourselves!"<br /><br />So, how do we send a password (or a document) safely via email, if we have no other choice? Well, we disguise it, by using <span style="font-style: italic;">encryption.</span> Encryption is a method where we turn some piece of data into something unrecognizable, and then change it back again later on. Encryption options depend upon the type of email client you are using, so I can't really give specifics, but <a href="http://www.google.com/">google </a>is your friend - just look up email encryption options for your email client, most are based on some sort of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PGP</span> Public / Private Key</a> encryption or <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/redir/HP001230534.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HP001230536">Digital ID'</a>s.<br /><br />Failing that, create a document, place the password in the document, and use an archiving solution like <a href="http://www.winzip.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Winzip</span></a>, <a href="http://www.rarlab.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WinRAR</span> </a>or <a href="http://www.7-zip.org/">7Zip </a>to generate a password protected archive containing the document, which you can then send in an email. Then just phone up the person and give them the password to the archive.<br /><br />That's all 'till next time folks. Remember, stay safe - or me and "my little friend" may have to have a word with you... <tap> ;)</tap>Hypervoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405050371988117413noreply@blogger.com3