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Quite a while back, I bought and reviewed the Targus 32 in 1 card reader. What initially attracted me to it was the plug and play capability that it had for Mac. It has been quite some time since I used the reader, so thought I would add a sequel to my initial review.

The card reader only last about a month or two. It intermittently was not recognizing a standard Memory Stick, though it was picking up the vibes of an SD card right away. I tried wiggling the card, I tried taking it out and putting it back in quickly. The old method of unplugging it from the USB and plugging it back in had failed as well.

Then, I did something that perhaps was not too smart. I figured since it was working with the SD card, perhaps it was in the space of time when nothing was in the reader that it was failing. I put the Memory Stick in another slot while the SD card was in, and then proceeded to remove the SD card.

What happened next was not what I suspected. I fried both cards and the Targus reader never worked again under any circumstances. The cards survived after a reformatting, but not the reader. Of course, this was my fault, but nothing in the literature ever said anything about this on the “DO NOT DO” list. In fact, I don’t think there was such a list.

I do have a new card reader, I paid several more dollars for, and I will review that one in the near future.

Posted in Product Reviews and Mentions | 6 Comments »

I thought that different filters used to detect porn were something reserved for public computers. At home, if you didn’t partake in looking at websites related to adult material, you were pretty safe. I thought programs and filters available for a home computer were for either detecting a spouse with wandering eyes, or were a way for people who viewed the website regularly to just be able to point out that it can be accidental. A similar logic to people who “didn’t know how that magazine got under the bed.”

However, I have discovered over time that it is simply not true. There are situations where an unassuming individual who does not deliberately view such sites may still need a filter. There are individuals or bots that sign up for accounts on social networking sites, such as Myspace and Twitter, and send you a message. It us typically about something related to a keyword in your profile, or they ask you to check out a photo of a pet, for example. They may include a signature link, or a direct request to check out a website that is related to what you do.

Unfortunately, they mask the website url by using one of the websites that shorten long links. Instead of sending you a link to something of interest to you, they send you to a site that contains adult material. In other words, you are the unassuming person who falls into their trap. Often, it is good enough to click off of the site. Other times, such sites use secondary attacks such as spyware. It is not unheard of for such sites to imbed images on your computer or to trick you into downloading them. Some such sites manage to create a pop up that looks like a windows “My Computer” or “Windows Explorer” interface and makes it appear that the material is already in your picture file! Naturally, you click it to see if it is true.

These days, you really need both a filter and a detection tool. SurfRecon has such a package, and has tools for MacIntosh and Linux based computers, as well as for Windows based operating systems. It will filter data that is streaming to your computer, as well as detect files that are already there. Sometimes savvy coworkers or housemates can disable a filter, so the detection software is a great backup. Also, if you happen to purchase a second hand computer, like I recently did, it will eliminate any surprises.

Posted in PC/Mac Compatible | 1 Comment »

I use an optical mouse rather than a trackball mouse with the iMac. Up until this time, and with previous computers, I used a trackball like everyone else. The biggest complaint I had with trackball mice is that they tended to stick when they got full of dust and grime.

An article I was just reading, Why Do Disk Errors Occur, mentioned that while an optical mouse seems to the the antidote to a sticky mouse, they still need cleaning.   They can periodically catch dust in the opening that the electronic eye “sees” through.  Typically, the opening is shaped like a keyhole.  The other parts that might accumulate dust are the rollers and bearings.  Of course, the “stick” factor is a lot more slight in an optical mouse, but it still can occur.

Instead of cleaning as regular maintenance like I would do on a traditional mouse, I tend to only think about my mouse when there is a problem.   It got a little jumpy once, and I sort of just rattled it a second and that seemed to work.  Now that I know that I can clean my mouse, I will probably do it as preventative maintenance to keep it in good condition.   It is easy to be envious of someone who has a pristine old Mac, but they got that way because they were taken care of in the beginning, when they were new.

Surprisingly enough, I also learned that disk errors can occur because of very simple things like this.  There may be dirt and grime lurking around your hardware, and it is a much easier fix than giving up on your computer and buying a new one, or paying an expert.  For more tips, check out the article.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »