Archive for February, 2006
February 26, 2006 at 7:30 pm · Filed under Lifestyle, Photos
I went biking Sunday and took a couple of photos. I wasn’t sure about going because it was cold. But the sun was out and I was antsy. These are near Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum [map].
I rode North, past Navy Pier, and up to this one bend. [map] It looked a little icey and runners were treading carefully on the ice. I thought I could just ride cautiously to the other side. But I failed. I began sliding immediately and braced myself for the fall. It wasn’t hard, but I broke the front reflector off my bike. (I’m still baffled how it managed to brake since that part didn’t physically hit the ground) I picked up my bike and tried to go back, but I kept sliding. So, I walked myself to the other side, and found another way back.
In other news, I got my new computer running. It took me awhile to reformat Windows. I had to swap some hardware and all my files over with a bunch of DVD-RWs. It’s Super fast. My only gripe now is that my internet cant keep up. Kraft cheese sucks. I thought I’d skimp on the expensive stuff I’d been buying, and buy a block of Kraft mild cheddar. It tastes nasty, without a distinct flavor, like Velveeta. It’ll be back to Tillamook next time. I’m also currently reading The Search by John Bastelle. It’s about Google and the internet business model.
February 23, 2006 at 8:00 am · Filed under Techy
Google released this new beta product called Page Creator. It will allow you to easily make your own webpage or blog or whatever (I assume.) I haven’t published anything with it, because it’s a new release and many people are using it right now. That slows down Google’s servers and makes it choppy. But, I’ll keep trying and see what pops up at http://toomanychamploo.googlepages.com
If you have a gmail account, you can log in and start creating. It will take your gmail username and make it your web name. That could be a downside. Spammers could easily use this to exploit email addresses. So, be forewarned. It could actually be a crappy product, but I’ll give it a whirl before I pass judgement.
EDIT:
Well, 4 hours later and I finished my google page. The idea of creating a quick tao site popped in my head, and I wanted to run with it. So, I registered a new gmail account just to have something with “tao” in the name. I came up with “thetaowithin.” But by that time, they had already closed off the registration. I didn’t want to drop the ball, so I just used my http://toomanychamploo.googlepages.com. I’ll try to move it over when they open it up again.
Overall, the service was very basic. It has a plethora of layouts. That’s good because some people have no sense for webdesign or dont want to bother with it. Google throws in the text boxes and then you can go nuts. However, I’d like the option to create my own boxes and place them where I want. I’ve filled up all the boxes on my page. I’d like to keep it organized by allowing specific categories in certain places. Right now, you’re limited to 100 pages, and 100MB of storage. You could upload files and add them if you wanted. It’s also free of google ads, but I’m sure that will change. I’m sure this will appeal to a younger or more creative demographic, though. I’ve read alot of skeptical arguments already. But it’s a good way to allow people to experiment without the hassles of registering domains and hosting webpages themselves.
February 21, 2006 at 4:05 pm · Filed under Techy
February 20, 2006 at 8:58 am · Filed under Techy
Ok, so I went ahead and purchased a new computer from Dell. I’m confident that I could build my own computer to my own likings, but lets face it… I’m lazy. I dont want to go to 3 different sites and scour for the best price on one piece of hardware. Dell is the largest manufacturer of retail computers and the big bad giant. But who cares, they have solid products and great deals. I like ‘em.
What I cant stand about my computer now is that it’s so freaking slow. (It’s almost 8 years old.) So, I need a good processor and lots of ram. The latest craze in processors is dual and quad cores. It’s like having two processors running simultaneously to produce better results. They aren’t the best for gam3rs, but are good for multitasking. The same goes for more ram. I’ve seen reviews that 512MB or ram is the ideal for any task, and more ram has no effect. But if you’re running more than one program, you need it.
I first did some research on what’s hip these days in products and went to Tom’s Hardware Guides. What I like about them is that they have tons of benchmark charts that compare brands and models. Overall, they said that AMD dual cores are better than Intels in terms of speed and power consumption. However, Dell doesn’t sell AMD chips, so I’m at a loss there. I’m not going to have the best chip on the market, but as we know something newer and better comes out all the time. What can you do? Overall, here’s what I went with from Dell.
Pentium D 940 (3.2GHz, 800FSB)
2 GB Dual Channel DDRS SDRAM
256MB nVidia GeForce 6800
2 19″ Ultrasharp Flat Panels
Like I said, I dont play computer games, but I still wanted a video card that would hold up for awhile. High Definition video, like h.264, is becoming more predominant and it helps to have a better video card for running smoothly. Dell just happened to have a deal on flat panels, so I got a 19 incher. I got an 80GB hard drive too, but that’s not really important since you can get better deals from Best Buy. I hear there is some special new hard drives in testing now. But I dont think they are going to be anything revolutionary. I also didn’t get any special audio card or speakers. I think my old ones do a good job, and I dont want to disurb the neighborhood.
And that’s that. Hopefully, I’ll get it this quicker than my Hershey T-shirts. I plan on reinstalling XP to get rid of any third party software that Dell may think I’ll need. I remember my freshman year when friends where getting the first 1GHz processors and the difference was distinctly noticeable. So, I cant wait for my 3.2GHz upgrade.
February 17, 2006 at 5:24 pm · Filed under Books
I finished the final book of the Chronicles of Narnia, and have to say…I feel cheated. There’s a reason why people only talk about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and none of the others. And that’s because none of them meet the same expectations and fail miserably at telling stories. Let us never speak of these again.
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