Random observations, teachings and musings of a well trained cubicle superhero.
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Thursday, November 06, 2008
Love the one you're with - Upgrades for the gear you've got
Get the most out of the gear you already have.Jay, a.k.a. "The Cubicle Superhero", is a self-professed tech junkie with a passion for music and culture
Sometimes, we at Tech Mates spend so much time focusing on the latest and greatest consumer technology that we take what we have for granted. This week, we're covering a few tweaks, hacks and upgrades for the gear we've already got.
So long, Lappy
In my case, the old adage rang true: you don't know what you have until it's gone.
No, we're not talking about ex-girlfriends or scratched LPs; we're talking neglected tech. After years of famously rough treatment, my laptop finally ascended to computer heaven (which I imagine runs Ubuntu).
One of the features I didn't fully appreciate was a little video 'out' port that let me plug it directly into my TV without much fuss. You see, sometimes, the Cubicle Superhero overcomplicates things (see ex-GF comment above).
I waded deep into researching the principles of computer video scan rates, USB conversion devices, aspect ratio, modulation, adapters and connection types. It quite honestly took me about a week to recognize what I already had sitting in front of me.
The fix under my nose
Laptops and desktops all have monitor 'out' ports, and, amazingly, my HD television has an input! In fact, it also has an HDMI 'in' port to connect high-definition signals, such as up-converting DVD players or a Rogers HD digital box.
After all that searching, all I needed was $5 of cable before I found myself looking at my computer in a higher definition than I ever experienced while using a yellow 'video out' RCA cable. Amazing!
For those of you who don't have a VGA port on your television, I'll save you my hours of research. The AverMedia iMicro is a highly rated product that converts your computer's monitor feed into Svideo without a need for drivers.
There's also the more affordable AverKey Lite, which requires no external power, meaning that it's content to sap juice from any available USB port. There are many similar products, and most fall into the $100-$150 range. Don't forget to keep your receipt and check return policies.
I'm a speed freak
Internet speed is the true measure of one's nerd worthiness. Every week, thousands of blog posts and articles are produced, professing to have the magic cure for your slow-connection blues.
Don't be tethered to your printer!An article in The New York Times by columnist David Pogue touched on something I had neglected: my wireless router. Early adopters of wireless technology often suffered from aches and pains out of the box, and then proceed to write columns like these, or post furiously on message boards to share their fixes.
I got in early, and it's probably been over six years since I installed my overpriced wireless router. Much like how your computer performed live updates to its antivirus program or Windows updates to the operating system, routers too have an update function.
The embedded software that lives within your router and many other digital devices is called firmware. Six years ago, the fact that I was grumbling about the new Windows XP rather than complaining about Vista's 18 Mbps bandwidth now seems ludicrous. The firmware wasn't designed for it!
I highly recommend visiting your router manufacturer's website to see if they've posted an upgrade. Generally, the process is simple. Simply jack in your router using wired Ethernet, download a firmware update file, log in using your router's web interface, and find the firmware upload menu. You'll probably have to reenter your wireless settings and passwords, but the results should be immediate. Give your manufacturer's support line a call for more info.
Set your printer free!
Once your wireless router is all patched and ready for business, why not pull that printer out of your closet and put it somewhere a little more convenient?
As most of us move from one main computer to multiple laptops in the home, the idea of wireless printing starts to make more sense. The device that enables this feature for most modern USB-based printers is called a wireless print server, and for another $100-$150, this small device will connect your current printer to your wireless network.
Both D-Link and Linksys have highly rated units, although you should be aware that some users have reported issues with Windows Vista compatibility. See the website to determine if the software on the CD has been updated since the product's release.
One more for you snowbirds
Speaking of product releases, I know we've covered watching your computer feed on your TV, but what about watching TV on your TV? The new SlingCatcher allows you to watch and control your cable box on any TV, anywhere in the world.
While it's hardly the cheapest setup, since it requires installing a Slingbox at home too, it does provide access to all your Rogers programming, PVR recordings and favorites wherever you happen to be.
And the device does even more than just that. We've just started playing with it at Cube HQ, so stay tuned for more coverage in Tech Mates.
Get the most out of the gear you already have.
Sometimes, we at Tech Mates spend so much time focusing on the latest and greatest consumer technology that we take what we have for granted. This week, we're covering a few tweaks, hacks and upgrades for the gear we've already got.
So long, Lappy
In my case, the old adage rang true: you don't know what you have until it's gone.
No, we're not talking about ex-girlfriends or scratched LPs; we're talking neglected tech. After years of famously rough treatment, my laptop finally ascended to computer heaven (which I imagine runs Ubuntu).
One of the features I didn't fully appreciate was a little video 'out' port that let me plug it directly into my TV without much fuss. You see, sometimes, the Cubicle Superhero overcomplicates things (see ex-GF comment above).
I waded deep into researching the principles of computer video scan rates, USB conversion devices, aspect ratio, modulation, adapters and connection types. It quite honestly took me about a week to recognize what I already had sitting in front of me.
The fix under my nose
Laptops and desktops all have monitor 'out' ports, and, amazingly, my HD television has an input! In fact, it also has an HDMI 'in' port to connect high-definition signals, such as up-converting DVD players or a Rogers HD digital box.
After all that searching, all I needed was $5 of cable before I found myself looking at my computer in a higher definition than I ever experienced while using a yellow 'video out' RCA cable. Amazing!
For those of you who don't have a VGA port on your television, I'll save you my hours of research. The AverMedia iMicro is a highly rated product that converts your computer's monitor feed into Svideo without a need for drivers.
There's also the more affordable AverKey Lite, which requires no external power, meaning that it's content to sap juice from any available USB port. There are many similar products, and most fall into the $100-$150 range. Don't forget to keep your receipt and check return policies.
I'm a speed freak
Internet speed is the true measure of one's nerd worthiness. Every week, thousands of blog posts and articles are produced, professing to have the magic cure for your slow-connection blues.
Don't be tethered to your printer!I got in early, and it's probably been over six years since I installed my overpriced wireless router. Much like how your computer performed live updates to its antivirus program or Windows updates to the operating system, routers too have an update function.
The embedded software that lives within your router and many other digital devices is called firmware. Six years ago, the fact that I was grumbling about the new Windows XP rather than complaining about Vista's 18 Mbps bandwidth now seems ludicrous. The firmware wasn't designed for it!
I highly recommend visiting your router manufacturer's website to see if they've posted an upgrade. Generally, the process is simple. Simply jack in your router using wired Ethernet, download a firmware update file, log in using your router's web interface, and find the firmware upload menu. You'll probably have to reenter your wireless settings and passwords, but the results should be immediate. Give your manufacturer's support line a call for more info.
Set your printer free!
Once your wireless router is all patched and ready for business, why not pull that printer out of your closet and put it somewhere a little more convenient?
As most of us move from one main computer to multiple laptops in the home, the idea of wireless printing starts to make more sense. The device that enables this feature for most modern USB-based printers is called a wireless print server, and for another $100-$150, this small device will connect your current printer to your wireless network.
Both D-Link and Linksys have highly rated units, although you should be aware that some users have reported issues with Windows Vista compatibility. See the website to determine if the software on the CD has been updated since the product's release.
One more for you snowbirds
Speaking of product releases, I know we've covered watching your computer feed on your TV, but what about watching TV on your TV? The new SlingCatcher allows you to watch and control your cable box on any TV, anywhere in the world.
While it's hardly the cheapest setup, since it requires installing a Slingbox at home too, it does provide access to all your Rogers programming, PVR recordings and favorites wherever you happen to be.
And the device does even more than just that. We've just started playing with it at Cube HQ, so stay tuned for more coverage in Tech Mates.
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