Brain Waves, Sound Therapy and White Noise

WHITE NOISE RELOADED:
“White noise” devices have progressed from their roots, that’s all I can say! I went to go buy one to help my wife sleep better, and they now have devices that play a whole bunch of different sounds, and then they will modulate those sounds in accordance with your brain waves.

So I found a couple options that I am trying out.  I can’t swear they work or anything, but if I start growing hair back on my receding hairline all because the Delta waves released HGH, I will let you know.

FOR COMPUTERS:
The software that caught my attention was called Natura ($29.99 if you buy it), and I got it from download.com (c|net)  for a PC.  It let’s you actually develop a custom mix of white noise by adjusting the volume of ALL the sounds at once.  Want a babbling brook NEXT to the ocean WITH crickets WHILE tribal drums are playing? You got it! Then you can add the brain wave of your choice (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta).  It doesn’t support Gamma or M00000! OK it is called Mu.

WITHOUT COMPUTERS:
Brookstone sells a couple models that plug into the wall, by the name of Tranquil Moments ($129 for just the sounds  and $169 for a clock with the sounds).  Only certain programs on the Brookstone are listed as using brain waves, and you cannot do the custom mixing like the computer version.  It is still a pretty cool unit, if you can handle the +900% Brookstone “we have a weird gadget that is hard to find” pricing.

Hope this info proves useful.  While I am here, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Getting Google Voice working through Gmail (not Google Talk)

OK, bottom line is…I got some conflicting advice from Google about Google.  Ever since the death of Gizmo5 I’ve been left with a void in my IP soul…I WANT TO PLACE/ANSWER GOOGLE VOICE CALLS ON MY PC!

I read a bunch of posts that said Google Talk cannot do this.  And I read some posts that said GMail can call out but not receive calls. The truth is GMail can be used to receive calls initiated by you or by someone dialing your Google Voice number.  It CAN be done… but it is weird!

RECEIVING CALLS IN GMAIL

• First, I read this article
• Then, I realized to place a call in Gmail…I had to install the voice and video plug-in…so be sure that is done

Then, I placed a call, like the instructions said, from Gmail to my Google Voice Number

Then, I went to settings (the gear in the upper right of Google Voice)

And I selected my Google Chat address

Now, when I try and dial I have TWO “Google Talk” links

The first one was always there… and doesn’t do anything…if yours is like that, then just ignore that one.  It is not the Google Talk you are looking for. Move along.
The second one will ring my Gmail when I place a call, or receive a call.

Now, for some additional weirdness! Sometimes that second “Google Talk” disappears. I have to open settings, uncheck the Google Chat box, recheck the Google Chat box, and then sometimes I have to reload the web page in order to see and use the “Google Talk” link that will ring my Gmail account.  So keep your eyes open for that!

Now I can talk through my PC via Google Voice. It makes me happy, and saves me international charges from Sprint (and yes, even though they are “partnered” with Google, they don’t tell you about Google Voice… they charge some huge long distance instead!!).  You have to visit Google to find out about the partnership. Sprint…ftw…NOT!

Hope this helps other folks who want FREE PC CALLING

Backoff Tiki Dude

Backoff Tikeh Dood, (c) Nov, 2011 TheRage3K

Ceiling Cat Mall Ops

Ceiling Cat Mall Ops - (c) Nov 2011, TheRage3K

BlackBerry PlayBook Paperweight

Yeah, the title kinda sums up my experience trying out a BlackBerry PlayBook.  Maybe it is a bit unfair an assessment, but reality can be a harsh judge.

At least the Playbook works at Hooters in Chantilly

FOSE 2010
I didn’t have time to attend the whole expo, but I made time to attend ONE of the free classes – I wanted to see what the PlayBook had to offer.  The presentation was very insightful, as it explained how the PlayBook was truly set apart from its competition because it had a seamless user experience, but under the hood it was separating enterprise data from personal data. It also had security and encryption baked in via the BlackBerry Bridge to the user’s smartphone which would pick up all the BES policies and apply them to PlayBook.  All in all, that was fairly impressive – enough for me to actually be excited to try one out.

PlayBook Arrives
So, about 3 months later, my office did a trial with a handful of PlayBooks.  I was one of the lucky recipients…or so I thought.  I unboxed it, hooked it up and the ride went south from there!  Come with me down disappointment lane:

• First thing Playbook did was demand a Wi-Fi connection.  Wi-Fi connections are not permitted at my office, so I had to pack it all up and wait until I could leave work.  If a customer has to leave the office to get their office-issued equipment working, that kinda sets the stage…don’t it? Yup. It do.
• I took the unit home, and hooked it up to the Wi-Fi at my house.  Luckily, it connected… it downloaded the latest OS and worked whatever 20-30min of magic it needed.  Finally, I thought, I could start using it as intended.
• I got into the car and drove to a location with a free Wi-Fi hot spot… I figured, the PlayBook should be ready to work on the go, right?  Wrong.  It couldn’t connect to the hotspot.  My cell phone connected.  My laptop connected. Playbook didn’t even SEE the network, and when I tried to connect manually it would complain that it timed out trying to connect.  Fail.
• I then decided to try my cell-phone as a tether. PlayBook should be able to handle that. Nope. I tried a Wi-Fi tether, and PlayBook couldn’t see the network.  My laptop did, and connected without issue.
• So, I made zero progress that day and went into work.  I contacted our mobile computing department and told them I was testing a PlayBook. They said, that was nice.  I asked if I could install the BlackBerry Bridge software on my phone.  They said no.  OK, for all the marketing at FOSE, there isn’t much people can do if the folks in charge of the BlackBerry phones say NO to the BlackBerry Bridge.  Again, this is reality…and in reality, not everyone can  install what they want.
• This left me in a lurch whereby I have a device that depends on wireless in order to be productive, and it doesn’t readily tether or recognize Wi-Fi networks, nor can it be connected to the enterprise.  And this raises another issue… even if I COULD use the bridge software, 3G is not the fastest cat on the block.  It would be better to use Wi-Fi, but then how is BES policy enforced over Wi-Fi?  Answer… it probably isn’t.
• I didn’t give up yet…I used the PlayBook to take notes in several meetings… but ran into yet more frustration because, there was no way to get my notes to my office network.  No wireless, no bridge, not even a USB port for a thumb drive.  As if that wasn’t enough, PlayBook’s keyboard ANNOYS me because to type numbers and symbols I am forced to go to a completely different screen instead of hit Shift or ALT like other devices allow.
• Over the next couple of days, I tried the PlayBook at a number of venues.  It basically has a 50% chance of connecting to Wi-Fi.  I was thankful it worked at Hooters… “Sorry dear, I have to go to Hooters, it is the only network that is compatible with the Playbook.”  That’s worth SOME points.  But 50% is pretty abysmal, and to not have it work with my tether is pretty-much a showstopper.
• Then there is the application selection.  PlayBook does not have nearly the inventory that iTunes and Android have on tap.  In fact, i would bet that Palm has more apps than PlayBook.  What apps are available are sometimes pricey – not uncommon to see price tags of $3 or $6… really?
• Last but not least is the super stable OS they tout. I was playing Tetris. The OS locked. Nuff said.

The End
In the end, even though the base navigation seems intuitive, the GUIs seem responsive, and the potential seems impressive,  I think PlayBook is too little too late. I’ll be returning mine to the pool – maybe someone else will have better luck with it.  Until then, I am pretty happy with Android or my SSD-equipped Laptop which boots in about 10 seconds.  Better luck next time, RIM.

Goodbye oBout, Hello DevExpress

My experience with oBout (and lots of businesses)

Back in 2010, I was searching for ASP.NET controls for our team.  One member of our group had used oBout and said they were inexpensive and effective.  He was right… for an enterprise license, they are extremely inexpensive.  And, as long you didn’t try to do too much with them, they could be quite effective.

Problems set in when we started needing to nest the controls, trap some java script events, and have a more fine-tuned control over these controls.  So in 2010, I can say when we wrote to oBout (which we are convinced is, like, one dude camped out in a studio in New York somewhere) , they did eventually write back.  We got help a couple of times.

But in 2011, oBout stopped responding to any help requests…for months! So, we were in a bit of a lurch. I sent them an email stating we would even be willing to pay more money if we could get support. Nothing.

Last month we did some research and have decided to give DevExpress a try – we got their ASP.NET AJAX control subscription.  It’s not like we are a huge shop, but when we have a question, we need an answer.  DevExpress tools seem a lot less wonky, they sport a Visual Studio plug-in, and they seem a bit bigger an organization! Now, we’ll have to see what happens when we contact support!

Have you tried DevExpress? What luck have you had?

New Photos on DA

I said Happy Birthday to my cousin.

She said “upload some photos!”

I uploaded some photos to FaceBook.

I said, “Hey, got any grapes?” No wait…I said, “Hey, some of those should be on DeviantArt!”

I uploaded some photos to DeviantArt.

I said,”Hey,  you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!” No wait… I said, “Hey, I should add those to my blog!”

Then it was 4AM.

Stopping the Hackers

OK, so I was at work and tried save a web-conference event to my Outlook calendar.  This was denied. It got me thinking… really? So denying folks from saving stuff to their calendar must be saving us from some HUGE security hole, through which hackers could destroy the very tubes that make up the internet!!

Google and Bing Search Redirects… try ComboFix

SYMPTOMS
You do a search via Google or Bing, you click a result…next thing you know, you are looking at some weird advertisement and the URL says “Fast-Find” or one of several other URLs including just freaky IP addresses.  If you go back and click your search link again, it takes you to the expected result… but then you find yourself having to play this game of trying search results more than once.

CONGRATS
If the above is true, you have a nasty installed on your machine.  Don’t worry, I won’t judge you because…I visited that same website and got that same nasty also! Hahaha.

REMOVAL
I have Symantec… I did a full scan, it found nothing
I have Spybot Search and Destroy…I did a full scan, it found nothing
I have Malwarebytes… I did a full scan, it found nothing
I have HiJackThis… I deleted all the registry keys I could safely remove… to no avail

So I did a search, and eventually found a product called ComboFix.  You can get it here at Bleeping Computer – It Worked! So I donated $10 to the guy and posted this article, in the hopes it will help you too.

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
Please note, once you run ComboFix it tells you what to do and what not to do.  Please follow the instructions.  Keep in mind, there are over 50 phases that it goes through – so just be patient, LET IT restart your machine and finish properly.

DISCLAIMER
Use this or any similar software at your own risk.  Just because it worked for me, doesn’t mean it will work for you (although I hope it does!).  And, even though it didn’t break my machine doesn’t mean it won’t break yours (although I hope it doesn’t!).

Happy Hunting!!

Requirements? I Lied!…

So, today I took a moment to contemplate what makes a bad software project REALLY bad.  There are lots of reasons, but as a lot of books will tell you, most people simply don’t know what they want… and sometimes it feels like they are too busy to keep you informed!  I used that wonderful sense of despondence, coupled with the “I Lied” internet meme to create a truly heart-warming comic about it all.

To enjoy it, click the image to my DeviantArt page and then click on the image there to zoom it to 100% -  otherwise it is hard to read

"Requirements, I Lied..." Comic Link