Saturday, April 1, 2006
Law Day is on til 4p today with Bill Handel at Whittier Law School just off Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa.
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the North Orange County Computer Club tomorrow at 1p at Chapman University. Renowned computer curmudgeon and TWiT, John C. Dvorak, will speak.
Tech News
Have you seen Google’s newest? Google Romance goes live today!
Happy 30th Birthday Apple! I’ll be hosting a special edition of
TWiT tomorrow featuring Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld, and other early Apple employees, but shouldn’t Apple be throwing the party?
There are serious flaws in Internet Explorer, and once again it’s been third parties that have shipped patches before Microsoft has.
Steve Gibson will join us at 1p to talk about the security flaws, what they mean, and what you can do about them.
11a-Noon
QODEO Caller - Microsoft’s white box computer promotion
Someone deleted it from the show notes last week. Visit www.localpcbuilder.com to claim a bonus pack, including a free D-Link wi-fi router, for buying local.
QJeff in Miami - four displays on one computer
Check out 9xMedia - these are very high end video cards and displays for stock traders and the like. Matrox makes less expensive multi-head video cards that are very good.
QMark in Diamond Bar - mics for podcasting
I use the excellent Heil PR-40 for radio and podcasting - it’s around $300 - but it does require a mixer or interface to a computer. There’s an excellent USB mic from Samson that connects to a USB interface. It’s around $80. The micflex from www.macmice.com is only $40. I also like the Plantronics DSP-500 USB headset.
Greetings from Nepal via Odeo:
Great show Leo, we listen all the time here in Kathmandu. In fact, in grand nepali tradition we are starting a show just like yours (copycat) called the Jiggy & Jakhass “You Broke It We Can Fix It Computer Show” on Kantipur FM. Well, send us any wisdom in return for blessings, Namaste! jigs
QDavid in North Carolina - iTunes music on external hard drive
He has an iTunes library on an external disk. He’d like iTunes to automatically recognize it when he plugs it in. You can tell iTunes to use it by changing the Preferences (look in the Advanced section) but I don’t know how to do it automatically.
Noon-1p
QDale in Somis, CA - Dell Inspiron 5160
It’s only 16 months old but it won’t charge anymore. The Dell reports that the power supply isn’t from Dell - even though it is - and the battery only charges every once in a while. It could be the battery or the power supply, or both. LiON batteries will only last for 300–600 cycles, and they lose as much as 20% of their capacity every year.
QRichard in Calimesa, CA - copying CDs
Errors are increasing - he has to use increasingly better media. It’s definitely a failing burner. Get a new one.
QSandra in Norwalk - ready to buy the iMac
Go for it!
QCarl in Columbia - Open source Flash?
It’s not there yet, but interest is starting to build. Read up on it at ActionScript.com. You might also check out Open Laszlo for a Flash Free way to do Flash.
1–2p
Steve Gibson talks about the Internet Explorer flaws.
He recommends the Determina patch.
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the North Orange County Computer Club tomorrow at 1p at Chapman University. Renowned computer curmudgeon and TWiT, John C. Dvorak, will speak.
Listen to Steve’s podcast, Security Now on iTunes or at TWiT.tv.
QJohn in Corona - Act 5.0 won’t run on XP
It’s an old version and even though he’s applied all updates and uninstalled and re-installed it still won’t run. The problem is that it’s an older version and the company no longer supports it. If you’re unwilling to upgrade to the newer version I suggest you seek help from the very active user community.
QSteve in Rowlett, TX - Moving iTunes to another computer
Make sure you de-authorize the old copy, backup all the music, then authorize the new version by entering your itunes account and password. It’s that simple.
Chat Logs and Show Audio
Listener Comments
01 April 2006
Happy 30th Birthday Apple! But wait…where is the celebration!??! Did Steve forget?
This is my theory: Steve Jobs is playing an April Fools Joke on the Media by making it seem as if there is nothing going to happen today. Suddenly primetime tonight, the big networks will simultanously show an Apple commercial. “You will see why 2006, wont be like ‘1984.’”
11:05 by anonymous.
I wonder if Leo has anything in store for April Fools? ^_~
I dropped my phone on my notebook (toshiba) and cracked the screen. In a previous show Leo talked about a private company that replaces screens. Does anyone know the name, information of that company?
11:18 by jae?.
I think Apple should have a sale on i tunes for their birthday. maybe 30 cents for a song for the day. one can hope.
Is there a program all Windows converts to Mac need?
11:27 by Jim?.
Tuesdays seem to be a popular day for new product announcements from Apple. Maybe next week?
11:36 by anonymous.
I am new in hear although I have been a BIG fan of Leo. So here is a stupid question. Is this the “CHAT” room for the show?
Thanks,
Rich
I think I found Leo Lame April Fools joke, Checkout his main page on what it says on where Call For Help can be seen on TV.
Very Bad Joke Leo, Some of us are still upset on what G4 Media did to TechTV.
11:51 by Jeff.
Leo or anyone here,
What is a good Linux distrubtion for a file server?
For an undisclosed sum reputed to be in the billions, Microsoft’s Bill Gates
has personally bought the leading open-source desktop project. Saying he
“was sick and tired of open-source eating away at his profits,” the world’s
richest man decided to put an end to the nuisance and simply buy
OpenOffice.org. It will form part of a growing list of Microsoft
acquisitions, including several erstwhile competitors, a considerable
number of prominent politicians, and a few small governments.
The initially stunned OpenOffice.org community—a happy-go-lucky
international band numbering in the hundreds of thousands—later turned to
champagne to celebrate their newfound wealth. “Bless Bill!” one happy
Torontonian exclaimed, bubbly in hand. “With all this money, I can beat
Mark’s time in orbit!”
Gates has assured all current OpenOffice.org users that their future
migration path to Microsoft Office is guaranteed thanks to OpenOffice.org’s
faultless support of MS Office files formats. Users can further rest
assured that the full functionality currently provided by OpenOffice.org
2.0 will be available in MS-Office 2020 - or possibly 2030.
http://www.openoffice.org/
11:59 by mel?.
Hi Leo,
Is this the message board? I couldn’t find anything that says that on your site. I’ve been using computers for many years now, and I still can’t get a hold of this internet stuff. Anyway, I have been having a lot of trouble with Internet Explorer for the last two years. It kept shutting me down on my last computer,which had Windows 98 on it, before I bought this one in February (2006), with a message that said, “Microsoft Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close.Please tell Microsoft about this problem.” I reported it many times, but they did nothing about it. I tried to fix it with a new Windows disk, but something was missing from the disk. I think you know the deal. I had that happen on my new computer only one time so far. You have said to use Firefox instead, but I need to know how to get it onto my new computer and get rid of IE, if you wouldn’t mind giving me instructions. Also, Outlook Express has completely lost its mind. It’s not even on my new computer. When I tried to download the newest version, it wanted to bring Internet Explorer in with it! I already have it and I don’t want it. I’d be back to square one. How do I get rid of IE an fix OE? There must be at least 10,000 emails in it by now that I can’t get to. I feel so dumb.
Thank you for your help.
Wrong Page commented on where lame April Fools joke found. It can be found at Leo main show notes page.
<p>
That’s where that lame april Fools joke of Call For Help Showing On G4 USA can be found.
<p>
It looks more like a fat lie then a April Fools joke, There’s noting funny about it.
What’s this week wiki word?
So, criticism and skepticism are not tolerated here?
Now I know who you voted for in the previous election.
As well as the Apple (particularly IIe) I also remember using the Commadore PET here in the UK.
I was at college studying Computer Science in those days! The first personal computer I remember using though was a RML 380Z with a cassette tape to upload and save the programs!
Happy birthday Apple. I still have a necklace with the original Apple logo!
For the laptop battery problem, try cleaning the contacts with alcohol. As a former computer tech, this can be a problem. If the contacts are black or discolored, that indicates dirt which = high resistance. 600 grade sandpaper with alcohol will do wonders. Worth a try! (clean the battery and the laptop contacts).
12:23 by red?.
is there a free dvd to disk program that is legalre
Leo, we used Weaknees this week for our Phillips Tivo repair and they were great. Excellent referral. Thank you.
12:38 by dw?.
What is the best laptop for a fifth grader?
Bill Handel is the BIGGEST Product Whore in Radio.
Geez! He’s even a bigger pimp for products that Leo Laporte is for Apple! If that’s possible!
Hey Leo. The caller is right, Costco does have the iMac _G5_ with the iSight. I’ve seen it myself. It’s not the iMac with the Intel. Costco deals a lot with good deals with closeouts.
what if your computer anti virus programs..Norton, ewido, search and destory..and x cleaner say you don’t have a virus…..your pop up blocker is on and you get over a 100 pop ups from overstock.com 888.com etc mean?? help
Oh, by the way, the $1480 price for the Costco iMac G5 includes the 3yr Apple care warrantee.
12:50 by anonymous.
GONNA GIVE A WIKI WORD THIS WEEK?
12:53 by anonymous.
Where’s the wiki word???
12:54 by .
Flash for Linux - f4l.sourceforge.net
Open Source Flash - osflash.org
Help
Where do I look for slow bootup and start problems in my xp
Jerry Garcias’ toilet stolen..
Police have nothing to go on..
13:28 by gj.
Let me make a slight correction to the above. Firefox has JavaScript turned on by default. The webpage listed above shows you how to turn it off. Here is a document that helps with debunking Firefox myths: http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic44405.html
13:30 by .
My daughter put a new password on her xp machine, now she can’t have access….She can’t find her original rstoration cd’s that came w/pc…… Suggestions anybody? Thanks!!
The G5 is still alive at Costco.The Cypress, Ca. has the g5 20 inch
imac for $1479 with applecare included. The Long Beach, Ca. has the g5 and a mac mini. The mini is bundled with a keyboard and mighty mouse and applecare.
I love how “honesty in radio/Contra Mac” uses multiple handles to pretend there’s a vast upswell of complaints about Apple (I can see your IP address dude - in fact, we all can.) How about Honesty in Comments?
13:34 by .
Leo Leo Leo! Hi from Ireland, if you read this message please give me a wave on the webcam in the next few minutes!
Im looking at the KFI webcam at the moment its great!
Ok check out www.scoutingradio.com Im the station manager there, and I need some help with setting up a webcam like yours on our site, so if you can suggest scripting for the site and also a webcam to buy it be great.
My email address to our studio here in Ireland - studio@scoutingradio.com
Big Big fan
Justin
Thats cool Leo - and so sharp your camera here in Ireland. If you get a chance to talk on webcams in your show, I’ll download the podcast… Or in between when your not podcasting if you can send me an email !
Thanks - Justin (Scouting Radio!)
www.scoutingradio.com
Leo
Thanks for the great show..
I did send a note to Mr. Mays thanking him for the show too..
I call that honesty in radio.. ;-)
You’re not fooling anyone Leo, there is an “upswell of complaints” about your Apple Pimping and Windows / Microsoft Bashing. It’s a LOT of people!
Please do me a favor and go listen to Jeff Levy. He’s on KNX at the same time and never talks about Macs. You’ll love it! (Unless you ARE Jeff Levy… hmmmm)
Re:Windows vs. Mac. Right now I’m setting up my new windows machine. I have installed only my golf
game and wireless adapter so far but am having several problems already.Were it not for an important software I have which doesn’t have a Mac edition I would have gotten an IMac. Too bad for me I feel.
I don’t think I’d be having these these problems with the IMac I wanted. When I replace my
wife’s old Win rig it will be a Mac.
I was out and about this morning in the valley of the geeks. I was glad to rush home in time to catch the last 45 minutes of the show. By the way this is not posted by the real leo. its april 1st you know!
Leo Laporte.
Please do me a favor and go listen to Jeff Levy. He’s on KNX at the same time and never talks about Macs. You’ll love it! (Unless you ARE Jeff Levy… hmmmm)
Leo, your the best. I know I can count on you to protect my computer! One of the few people out there that totally knows the landscape. Keep up the good work. I listen to every show.
It’s just a URL to a news story.
This page is converting the /2006/03/30/” part of the url into “Thursday, March 30, 2006/”…..
what’s up with that?
Leo responds: It was a side-effect of a calendar module I installed. I have moved my calendar to Leoville.com and disabled the module here. Problem solved.
I want to write the date in numbers here.
Leo Can You please Remove The Spammers, um thanks
Dell has a battery recall. Check Dells Site.
Uh Leo, can you please fix the comment page so URLs display properly….um thanks.
Rats! Took my almost 10 minutes to edit the show today. Why? It was only 1:34:39 long after I finished and I had to go back to see if I missed a segment somehow. My recheck did not reveal an error so that means Leo is just four minutes and 39 seconds away from the “tipping” point; the point where he’s waiting to go on the air more than he is actually on the air during his three hour tour!
Sponsors and news is necessary I know but thank the computational machines I don’t have to listen to the other half of the “show.” I hope this trend doesn’t continue, I’d like to see Leo pound out some solid 1:40s again…ah, the good old days!
From the comments it sounds like Leo said something that inflamed the shallow end of the Windows users gene pool again. I too wish they would mutate, I mean migrate to some other pool. Leo isn’t talking to people who don’t have problems with Windows, like m’self, heck, I even kind of liked ME, but for those that do, he knows the cure for soooo much angst.
Why someone would feel so threatened by the mere thought that there might be a different way of doing the same thing that wouldn’t get a bunch of well-intentioned people into trouble is beyond my “bright-side” ponderings. “Dark-side” thought runs the gamut and if I can’t say something good about a person then…..wait a minute, I already said shallow end of the gene pool didn’t I. Oh well, I’m sorry I said it the first time.
Say, what’s up with the one post by mel that just goes on and on and on without any word wrap? How he do that? My web page is like a half mile wide!
Ok, I have one cycling route that takes me 1:48:xx best time. I’m going to train, train, and train some more…until I can do it in 1:34:38, or die trying…
02 April 2006
Why do some people think they have to mess up this place?
04 April 2006
18:38 by .
hey someone needs an IP ban around here.
Leo, why do you put up with that lamer?
I’m no Apple fanboy, but everyone with any sense knows Mac’s are the safer and more newbie friendly computer. Unfortunaely, they won’t run 90% of my favorite apps, so I can’t use one.
As for the Ipod, it’s overrated, overhyped, and overpriced.
06 April 2006
To the guy having trouble with the Power Adapter (Brick) for his DELL:
“It’s only 16 months old but it won’t charge anymore. The Dell reports that the power supply isn’t from Dell - even though it is - and the battery only charges every once in a while. It could be the battery or the power supply, or both. LiON batteries will only last for 300–600 cycles, and they lose as much as 20% of their capacity every year. “
Trust me…it’s the Power Adapter itself. They had a bunch of bad units and they’ll try to tell you to update your bios and all other stuff, but what’s really happening is that the brick is no good.
I kept having this problem all the time and luckily mine was still under warranty so they replaced it.
Replace yours and I’m sure you’ll fix your troubles.
18 April 2006
SWISH is a great tool to create flash files! I beleive the founder was one of the original developers of Flash at Macromedia. SWISH is very easy and quite functional while being a lot cheaper than Macromedia’s version — plus there’s a free trial download at http://www.swishzone.com/
04 May 2006
17:36 by anonymous.
Listening on podcast. Re dell 5160 power supply
I have the same problem with my power supply. I believe the problem came from winding the cable around the power adapter. what i do is straighten out the wire where it attach to the adapter, then plug it in the outlet. If that doesnt work, i just unplug it and try again. Usually work after 2 try.
12 May 2006
18 May 2006
Show Note #234 doesn’t have a comment box.
I just wanted to say that Apple is a victim of their own success. If iTunes was a hardware product, France or anyone else would not be talking about a monopoly. Gee, Apple makes the hardware, the software, and the store to buy the music to go on it. It’s not a monopoly any more than anything else Apple has done, for example. Mac OS only works on Mac computers. Some older Apple monitors only worked with Apple computers, ADB was Apple only. etc. etc. Apple just has the #1 music store, the #1 music player, and the #1 software for it.
I don’t believe the copy protection was Apple’s idea. It was the music industries demands that made it happen.
23 May 2006
Went to look at the Micflex page at MacMice and it is missing. A close look at the product page of MacMice does not list the Micflex any more. Any idea if it is coming back?
Thanks for your show
