Update Your Office

It's been five months, give or take, since we moved into the new apartment. With something akin to desperation, we managed to arrange and organize our piles of stuff and mounds of furniture into a functional system. There would be no more stubbed toes and banged shins. Then, Frankie moved back in.

Don't get me wrong - it is absolutely wonderful having him home. But, our interior design plan didn't leave a lot of room for more stuff. (It takes an act of Congress to get into my dresser these days.) The monster of a computer desk, which we have banged into and stumbled over for years, (the one that I keep threatening to replace) is eating up space that we could really use for other things. Like it or not, I really think it's time to rethink our office furniture set-up.

Frankly, I think that we would do better with a much (much) smaller desk and a 4-drawer filing cabinet. Maybe, a desk with a 2-drawer filing cabinet on each side. Then, we could shift everything else we own around and make room in my closet! Hey, I like that idea!

Just one - not so small - problem: Everything I like is bigger that what we have now! Oh, boy. Back to the drawing board - oooh, I need one of those, too!

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Jules

Barcode Scanners

The history of barcodes and the barcode scanner goes back much further than most people realize. I was recently reminded that my kids (born in the late 70s) are younger than barcodes and scanners. But what truly shocked me is that I, too, am younger than this technology. And I'm barely younger than dirt!

It was in 1948 that the owner of a local food chain in Philadelphia approached the Drexel Institute of Technology, asking about a method of reading product information automatically during check-out. In October 1949, the first patent was filed for a "Classifying Apparatus and Method." The new-and-improved version of the barcode holds U.S. Patent 2,162,994, issued October 7, 1952.(Quite amazing, when you consider that the store where I buy my chips and cigarettes has only started scanning products in the last year or so.)

An early version of barcodes were used at a Cincinnati Kroger store in 1966. They were not printed on product labels, but applied manually by store employees. The industry realized that, without standardized coding, this was impractical and would never be approved for widescale use.

By 1970, a company called Logicon Inc had been asked to develop an industry-wide system. They came up with the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code (UGPIC), which would evolve into the UPC (Universal Product Code). That same year, Monarch Marking in the United States and Plessy Telecommunications in Britain developed barcode equipment for retail and industrial use, respectively. By 1973, an IBM employee - George J. Laurer - had developed the UPC system and the rest, as they say, is history.

By way of interesting trivia: In June 1974, the first barcode scanner (made by NCR Corp.) was installed at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. On June 26th, the first barcoded product was scanned during checkout. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley chewing gum (the first item the shopper removed from the cart) and is on display at the Smithsonian.

I was also reminded that, when these codes and scanners started becoming more prevalent, there was a segment of society (as always) preaching doom and gloom. We were all going to end up barcoded and our every movement would be recorded with scanners! Big Brother had arrived!

I think I'll just skip that little tattoo shop, if it's all the same to you.


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Jules

Christmas Wish List

Okay, right after world peace and an end to world hunger and global warming, I know what I want for Christmas!

I'm still shopping for a new laptop and really, really don't like sharing the desktop. But, there's always something else that crops up. Hopefully, next month will be better. In the meantime . . .

We saw the coolest computer set-up on one of the shopping channels. It comes with a 25-inch touch-screen monitor that doubles as a TV tuner! Once I heard that, the rest of the goodies kind of disappeared into the ether.

Can you imagine!? I'm still drooling!

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Jules

Comodo Internet Security Pro

JMark Afghans, etc. is proud to announce that we are now affiliated with:

In this day of worms, trojans, viruses, and the armies of morons who troll the Internet looking to cause trouble and damage, it's not just important to have protection. It is critical. Trust me on that one.

Starting with a solid, reliable firewall, Comodo protection adds anti-virus and wi-fi coverage to the package. Top that with live, expert support and you've got security that will help you surf happy and sleep peacefully.

Don't risk your data, your personal information, or the computer on which you depend. Take a look at Comodo. You'll be amazed!

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Jules

Software Development

One of the most critical steps in growing a business is often software development. It can also be one of the most overlooked steps.

The little spreadsheet or database that Joe Schmo threw together in his spare time, for example, worked just fine when there were three people in the front office supporting a handful of sales people. But, suddenly, the business has taken off; the sales and support staff has doubled. Reporting requirements have tripled. And that little program can't handling the demands, at all. Bad news for everyone.

Almost as bad as hiring the wrong person or company to help fix the problem.

Years ago, I worked for a company with locations all over the United States and Mexico. Each department had pieces of information. Reports and spreadsheets transferred back and forth, around the company, with this group adding that group's information to their files. There was no single report or place where all of the information could be found. So, because I thought that was ridiculously inefficient, I was asked to fix it.

Not a problem - to a point. I knew enough about spreadsheets and databases to pull all of the information together. In a matter of days, I managed to create a consolidated database with all of the details about all of the locations. Anything and everything that anyone and everyone needed to access was there. But that was all I knew how to do.

I didn't know how to create reports from my pretty little database. In essence, the information was useless. Luckily, two contractors, working on another project, knew exactly what to do next.

So, take it from me: If your business is growing and your software applications aren't getting the job done, make sure you hire someone who is able to put all of the pieces in place and make them function efficiently. Otherwise, you could end up with a pretty little database that no one can use.


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Jules

Computer Memory Shopping

Due to a (literal) computer crash, Mark and I are sharing the desktop again. This is, in case you haven't tried it, a serious test of any relationship. Not to mention, a regular battle of wills. "I need it now!" "No! I need it! You just had it for 30 seconds, you inconsiderate ..."

Actually, we share pretty well. It's just a function issue, right now. With everything we run, our computer memory isn't quite living up to expectations. One can only recover and defrag memory so many times in a day before the fun just goes out of being on line. (Basically, after the first time it gets old.)

Even after we replace the laptop (again), it would be a good idea to improve the memory on the desktop. There are some games that are just ... big! and they do not work well on an antiquated system. Getting in and out of websites (for me) just has to be quicker. More, faster memory is the key to happiness.

Well, it is when you're trying to accommodate two people's needs on one old computer.


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Jules

Computer Crash - Again!

A couple of days ago, I got up really, really annoyingly early so that I could get some work done. Not to be! (The gremlins are at it again.) My laptop, that I had shut down just a few hours before, now had a corrupt or missing system file. A little vague for a person with no caffeine at 6:00am, if you ask me.

Having been through the oh-crap-the-computer-quit more than once, I tried every trick I knew. I tried the disc for the operating system, which has a repair option. Nope! no luck there. So, not knowing what else to do, I reinstalled the software for Windows.

This is NOT a small thing, you know. It erases everything on the hard drive and reinstalls the operating system. When you push "F" for Forget-about-seeing-those-files-again, you'd better be darned sure you have zero, nada, zilch other options. I closed my eyes and hit "F".

Consequently, because I couldn't get to the files and the FTP on my laptop, I lost all of the files that weren't uploaded to my website. At this point, coffee was no longer even remotely my beverage of choice!! I had a zillion things to put back, 5 zillion bookmarks and passwords to find again, and software to re-download and setup. I was not happy.

While adding the files for XP Service Pack 2, and trying not to cry, I noticed that it was installing the very same file that I was missing earlier!! Needless to say, had I known this lovely little fact, I wouldn't now be trying to recover and/or recreate all of the files I am missing.

Other than 'misery loving company,' the reason I am sharing all of this lovely information is: I have been unable to reload blog posts from February 3, 2009 to April 5, 2009. They, luckily, are all on the website and, if you have a link, they can be found. So, no big deal, right?! Wrong!

The software I use updates the archive lists, everytime I post a new entry. As of today, all of those pretty new Archives . . . are missing February and March!! ARGHHHHH!!

It is, actually, my fault. Not the corrupted file, but the inability to recreate the information. When someone tells you to back up your files - don't make faces, don't harumph at them. Just do it!

Trust me on this one. The alternative is a pain in . . . several body parts!


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Jules

JMark Afghans' New Memberships

When you visit JMark Afghans, etc., you'll notice banners in the navigation column and the footer. These banners tell you a lot about our website and our committment to our visitors and customers. This month we've been honored with two new associations, but let's start with the prior honors.

In our early days, we determined that our website would meet specific standards. Because of this dedication, we've been honored with approvals and memberships (click on the badges to learn more):

CODING VALIDATIONS:
CHILD- AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY:
TRUSTED SITE:

In April, after applying for several website awards, JMark Afghans, etc. was invited to apply for and received membership in these organizations:

UWSAG:  This Nominee badge, from United Web Site Award Givers, signifies that I have created a site that, among other responsibilities, doesn't steal bandwidth or contain unsuitable content or infringe on anyone's copyright and will continue to do so. Additionally, I agree to adhere to rules and guidelines when applying for online awards. Member programs to which I apply, can cast votes for JMark Afghans, etc., confirming my adherence to their application criteria.

APEX:  Following approval as an SOA Nominee by UWSAG, we were invited to apply for membership in the Association for Positive Ethical eXchange. Their mission "is to increase the credibility and professionalism of all website owners, designers and users, to set ethical standards, encourage professional practices, and promote fellowship amongst Internet users." JMark Afghans, etc. and I are honored to have been accepted for membership.

After almost four years, and being told that many of the standards to which we faithfully adhere were unnecessary for our website, I am proud to display these banners.


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Jules

Bad Karma

Okay!

I'm not certain which (what?) gods I have offended. But it would be terribly nice if they would . . . leave my computer alone! Because I am no longer amused.

Granted, it was never really all that amusing, but it was different and more than slightly odd; not altogether bad - in the short-term. Unfortunately, while I am not short, my patience is. In fact, I believe that this sensation could best be described as annoyed.

I received a notice to update the driver for my touch-pad. Why? I don't know; everything was working fine yesterday. So I updated it. Why? I don't know; I was thinking fine yesterday.

Suffice it to say - the cursor now shoots to the bottom of every screen . . . when it's not shooting to the top of every scream. Um, I mean screen.

But that's not the only problem.

Mark is making dinner. Well, Mark is attempting to make dinner. The poltergeists/demons are playing in the kitchen, too.

The chicken is crispy; it isn't supposed to be. The potatoes are hard; they aren't supposed to be. (Oops - there went the cursor again - ZOOM!)

Does anyone have any sage? I need to clean this place - really, really . . . NOW!


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Jules

Memory Upgrade

I recently went through the nightmare of recovering from a virus / trojan downloader that I picked up . . . heaven only knows where. After trying everything that Mark and I could think of, I ended up reinstalling my OS. I'm still trying to get all of the software redownloaded.

If nothing else, you'd think my laptop would be super speedy without all of the programs that were on here before. Nope!

Now I'll admit, we don't have the best wireless connection in the universe, but this is ridiculous! Logging in to my email, or accessing my Facebook page, has become a nightmare. I've been toying with the idea of upgrading my laptop memory for a while now (512KB just isn't enough); toying, not actively shopping. Until today.

Having found a site with 4GB kits, under $100.00, this is something I can afford to do. In fact, given my rising frustration level with moving around sites and screens, it's becoming something I have to do. Just as soon as I figure out how.


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Jules

Back Again!

As you can tell, we're back online. Actually, we were never completely offline, but were severely limited (by my tolerance for popups and incredibly slow access) to what we could do.

I did find the file that was causing all of the trouble, thanks to CyberDefender. Several other programs cleaned up some of the mess in my registry. Nothing, unfortunately, would help me find the culprit and get rid of it. (Those viruses and trojans hide themselves very, very well.)

After hours and hours, actually days, of trying different solutions to my virus problem, I finally caved and redid the entire system.

Once all of my website and blog files were uploaded, I hit the 'F' key and formatted the entire C-drive. You have no idea how much that hurt my feelings. But, the system is back and the virus is gone.

I can honestly tell you - I now have a large variety of anti-virus and registry mechanic programs guarding my laptop. And - most importantly - I check the status of everything every day.


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Jules

Computer Problems . . . Again!!

It just never fails. I was cruising along on Facebook, answering requests and harvesting myFarm crops when . . . BAM! My firewall went down.

Frankly, it didn't occur to me that I had a serious problem for a couple of hours, when other things started crashing.

After trying several anti-virus applications, I now know that I got hit by the Crypt virus. Among other things, it loads a trojan downloader and blocks access to the registry. So, even though I can find the problem entries, I keep getting a message telling me that the administrator has disabled registry editing.

I have spent hours running programs to find and remove this virus, with no luck. Sadly, I may just have to completely restore my system. Seriously major nightmare. Because I don't have system disks.

Gonna be a long weekend, my friends.


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Jules

Computer Memory

Since I bothered to make some resolutions, I thought I should also start thinking about the last one - Scheduling My Time. Because none of the others are going to happen, if I don't get organized.

With the great (free) database software I've got, it was easy to start generating ideas for a calendar / checklist / schedule. Sadly, as fast as this computer is, it still bogs down under the workload. Getting organized is going to be a little tough if I can't even create the schedule!

So, you know me, I went shopping for notebook memory. And did I come up with some great ideas!

For next to nothing, I can upgrade the laptop to 1GB memory. That should speed up the processing! One problem solved.

My second problem is storage. I've developed a growing spreadsheet that I use to log my work progress and, now, with a schedule database that shows every sign of being large, I run the risk of running out of storage. Not any more!

I think a couple, or four, flash drives will solve storage issues and keep the data safe. Works for me!


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God Bless!

Jules

Emergency Microsoft Patch for IE

For those of you who use Internet Explorer on a regular basis - Watch for your updates! Microsoft is releasing an emergency patch on Wednesday for, what they are calling, a perilous IE flaw

I don't use IE unless I absolutely have to. It stopped being user friendly (if it ever was) about the time I discovered Firefox. But I still have it installed on my computer and do need it for the occasional website or application.

Apparently, there is a HUGE hole in the IE software that allows hackers to get into and take control of computers.

"When the patch is released people should run, not walk, to get it installed," said Trend Micro advanced threat researcher Paul Ferguson.
"This vulnerability is being actively exploited by cyber-criminals and getting worse every day."

This would be why I avoid Internet Explorer. It is the primary target of, and most vulnerable to, cyber thugs. Yes, Firefox has been getting intermittant hits from these miscreants, but not nearly at the same levels

Take care of your computer and keep those updates installed. And, if you can, switch to a less vulnerable software.


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Jules

HDMI Switches

Have you ever heard of an HDMI switch? I hadn't before today, but now I want one!

This is the coolest piece of hardware I've seen in a long time - and I do a lot of searching. In a nutshell, what it does is allow users to connect three sources of hi-def video and audio to a single display unit. Not impressed? Wait!

Imagine having your hi-def cable, gamestation, and DVD (or Blu-Ray) player all connected to your television. Wanna play a game? Switch (via remote) to the PS3. Ready to watch a DVD? Switch to the player. Wanna watch . . . Well, you get the idea.

I'm sure that there are other uses for an HDMI Switch, but - for me - this works!


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Jules

Computer Memory

One of the problems we have with our computers is computing speed. With limited RAM, pages don't load as quickly; not to mention, running a couple of programs at the same time brings everything to a crawl.

We use a utility that recovers RAM and helps things run a bit quicker - for a while. To say the least, we need to upgrade our computer memory. How, in the world, do you do that? I started looking.

Oh, boy! what a mistake! Both the desktop and the laptop are 'previously-owned'. I had no idea what memory either one has or even how to find out. Then, I found a great site!

Simply download a temporary file. It reads the settings on the computer and presents 100% guaranteed-compatible options.

I think I'm in love.


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Jules

Computer Parts - Video Cards

We've got two computers - a used Dell laptop (mine) and a rebuilt desktop (Mark's). You've probably read that parts of the laptop don't quite work - battery doesn't charge, AC connection is loose.

Well, the desktop has a couple of issues, too. Hence, I've been shopping for (among other things) video cards. Little did I know, many games don't work well unless the video card can support the speed of the graphics. I play games, you might have guessed, that aren't exactly graphics-intense, so it's never been much of an issue for me.

Sitting here, staring at a page of video card options, I'm glad that my needs are simpler. It's going to take me a while to figure this one out.


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Jules

Office Furniture

If you'll recall from my last post, I mentioned that we are short on floor space. What I didn't explain is that we are overrun by computer desk. This thing is huge!

A couple of nights ago, Mark crossed his legs and snapped the keyboard shelf out. He's got it fixed, but it tends to pop out rather easily now. So - you know me - I went shopping. (After all, we need to come up with a Christmas gift for the house, don't we?)

Personally, I love shopping for office furniture! There are so many great things in a wide range of styles and prices.

I'm thinking that a smallish desk, plus filing cabinet and wall-hung storage unit would give us the same size work area, but with a much smaller footprint. Just what we need. Not to mention, it would be wonderful to have a desk that the boys haven't torn apart.

Realistically . . . I'll probably just replace the keyboard tray. For now.



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Jules

Computer Parts

Well, we're shopping for computer parts again.

Mark's having trouble - actually it's broken - with his wireless antenna. Since we no longer have our own service, we're desperately dependent on picking up the wireless signal from the office. The difference in products and prices is incredibly frustrating. And none of the ones we've found so far have software to help with the connection.

Then, there's the hard drive issue. When we got the desktop, it had a smaller drive than the old one, but the old one doesn't seem to want to run with the new one. (Mark's been trying all sorts of options, only to go back to the little drive.)

Now, if that weren't enough - the 'M' on my laptop keyboard isn't connecting properly. I have to stop, firmly press the key, and hope that I don't post anything before I check for missing letters.

If it isn't one thing - it's ten others! Sheesh!



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Jules

Another Laptop?

Would someone please tell me if it's possible to be a laptop jinx? Because I'm having trouble with this - my 3rd laptop in 4 years. It's beginning to hurt my feelings!

It's not that they were particularly inexpensive or odd-brands. The first (purchased new) was a Compaq model which, we found out later, had a habit of overheating. No kidding! It got so warm that it actually melted the AC connection.

The second laptop, also purchased new, was an Acer with a decent (we were told) reputation for reliability. In self-defense, we bought a cooling pad. But this computer had a habit of crashing the hard drive - and it was never recoverable. After mailing it back for replacements - twice - the monitor failed. (Granted, the laptop got bounced off the bed. So, I'm pretty sure that we contributed to the monitor problem.)

Now, I am being tormented by a refurbished Dell. This puppy has had some minor problems since it walked in the door - the AC adapter connection is loose and the battery doesn't charge. The battery isn't a huge issue, since I rarely move the laptop from where I sit, but if the power goes out - not so good.

However, the loose AC adapter has become a serious pain in the neck. I use the laptop as a true laptop 95% of the time. This means that, with a loose power connection, if I sneeze or wiggle or move wrong - the laptop unplugs! No biggy when I'm playing a game. But, 500 words into a 600 word article or 2 sentences from the end of a blog post . . .

Let's just say I've developed a keen ability to make up curse words when the need arises.



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God Bless!

Jules