Off to Barcelona, and a new iPhone when I get back.

Buying an iPhone 4: Since the AT&T stores are shut down for ordering, I just ordered my iPhone 4 online at Apple.com. It's now listed as "Ships by July 14". I didn't want to wait any longer, or I wouldn't be eligible for "best pricing" next year, as initially one is eligible for reduced pricing after 17 months in contract at AT&T, but in the past 2 years ATT has shortened it to 12 months for anyone that would have had to be be in iPhone contract for 13 to 17 months.

ATT is the BP of Phone companies: Obviously cutting corners in the wrong places when for the 4th year in a row its computer systems crash when trying to authorize orders for iPhones on the first day of sales of a new model. And to add insult to injury ATT wants to charge you an $18 activation fee for this unacceptable service level?

3-D TV : My best TV only does 1080i, and its certainly not capable of showing the new 3D. Then new 3D TV sets cost double what non3D TV sets cost, manufacturers trying to pull in extra bucks from early adopters. I'll pass for now.

However, last night at 2:28 AM CDT, DirecTv updated my HR24 HD DVR Receivers firmware to version 0x3e0 from 0x3da , and it is now 3D capable.

DirecTv: I've been a DirecTv customer for 13 years, and especially liked the years where I had a TiVo DVR from DirecTv. They currently broadcast ~150 full time National Channels in HD, far more than Dish or Comcast, but 2 months ago they turned off HD broadcasting using MPEG2 which uses 50% more bandwidth than MPEG4 which they now use for all HD broadcasting. The one TiVo model (the HR10-250) that received HD broadcasts was thus crippled, and although DirecTv offered to replace it with a model capable to receiving MPEG4 HD broadcasts, I held out for their current top-of-the-line model, the HR24. I'm glad I did. While the HR24 doesn't have a User Interface as simple and elegant as a TiVo, it performs better than their earlier HR20, HR21, HR22 and HR23 models. The HR24 feature set is listed here: I like its larger hard drive, and it has capability to use SWM (one cable to feed two signals rather than two) and DECA (allowing that one cable to also carry Ethernet. While it doesn't change channels as fast as a UVerse receiver, in all other aspects it's better. My HR10 has now been sold on eBay.

DirecTv claims a TiVo MPEG4 unit will be available in about 6 months. But they've lost all credibility on that score, as that promise has been in effect since September 2008.

Flying to Europe: I'm flying to Barcelona at the end of June, and hope the current lack of issues there from volcanic ash is the case then.

Good Luck flying to Europe: Here is a nice map
showing the spread of the ash:





Double click on map to enlarge.

Click here for a list of airports and their status.

Twitter Security: As with Buzz and Facebook, default Security settings open you up to the whole world and can create bad situations. Read the following for suggestions here.

Facebook Security: The New York Times recently had an article on how to secure your account so you're not giving out information to everyone that you hadn't intended to. Read it here. Other takes on the subject are here and here.

QUICKEN 2010 - On Tuesday August 14, 2007, I blogged on the literal impossibility of moving MS Money data into Quicken 2007. I am thrilled to report (especially with MS Money 2008 being the last Version of MS Money) that its now transparent and trivial to convert an MS Money data file into Quicken 2010. One clicks Convert, waits a couple of minutes and its done. ABOUT TIME.

Google's New "BUZZ" will Invade your privacy:

Read This, then

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY:

Log into GMAIL

In upper right hand corner, select Settings

On next page on right most menu item, select Buzz

On next page for "Display following lists", select lower button "Do not show these lists on my public Google profile."


Click on Save changes

FINISHED!

No ATT U-VERSE for me !:
Turns out the U-Verse whole house DVR is no such thing. In other than the room of the DVR one can not perform most standard DVR functions while watching live TV, particularly Pause or Rewind.

ATT wants to charge $7/month for dumb receivers after the DVR. DirecTv charges $5/month for addtional DVRs, so if 3 rooms are wired up, with ATT I could record 4 programs, only 2 of which could be HD. With DirecTv, I could record 6 programs at once, all of them HD.

I could never get confirmation of the promotions attached to my account, and too many folks have posted on the web that ATT tries to cheat them out of promised promotions. I could never get written confirmation that my Install would truly be free, and my DirecTv wiring would be left intact.

Then had I wanted just U-Verse Internet and Phone, all promotions would drop off, and I was promised at least a $149 Install fee. Not acceptable.

I was particularly annoyed at the heavy migration of ATT Call Centers to third world locations with unintelligible agents.

It was unacceptable to have so many customer support offices keeping "Bankers Hours". Basically ATT still thinks it is and/or acts like it is a monopoly. Luckily it is not.

So I have cancelled my U-Verse Install

ATT 3G not working today in Houston: I either get NO SIGNAL, or a Strong signal that won't make phone calls, or allow data transmission. Turning off 3G on my iPhone allows functioning on the 2007 Technology Edge Network.

DOS software in Windows 7: Windows 7 has dropped support for DOS programs. Luckily there is Freeware called DosBox that allows one to create a DOS Window to run such software, even games. Better yet, one can create a "Dosbox.conf" file, and edit it so your DosBox is full screen. Works great in Windows 7 / 64 bit.

HP SUPPORT is Abysmal: Hewlett Packard moved much of their consumer support to India, and its worse than any stereo type of bad support from India. Questions are answered with Boilerplate, whether or not the answer fits, and whoever sends the email reply, signs their name as "Craig". The Grammar is so awful its obviously not coming from the states. After 30 plus emails back and forth I gave up, they flat don't have a fully functional set of Drivers and Software for a C309a printer to work with Windows 7 either 64 or 32 bit.
Then their phone support is equally bad. Even if you lie and say your Hardware is used for Business, you get connected to equally bad support people in Ontario, Canada.

Super Bloat from Microsoft: Microsoft has now made available to the "public" a beta copy of MS Office 2010. I was very annoyed to find I couldn't install the 64 bit version as it promised my MS FrontPage 2003 wouldn't work anymore. SO I went back and downloaded the 32 bit version, and despite leaving out the corporate components, the Install was promised to take over 2 Gigabytes of disk space. Must be all those former Vista programmers and and disjointed development procedures of Vista that caused that. Office 2010 = The revenge of Vista ! It's that kind of nonsense why I still use Office 2003, and have removed a FREE copy of Office 2007 Microsoft once gave me for attending one of their dog and pony shows. Likely will do the some with 2010 version. Why do Preferences and Settings have to be hidden so deeply in a non-intuitive place ?

TIME (20 minutes later) to Uninstall Office 2010 beta. Despite a configuration during Install to leave all previous Office programs, It only left Excel 2003, and deleted Word, Outlook, Powerpoint and Publisher. I really don't appreciate having to reinstall those after Uninstalling this Bloatware 2010, which has the same ugly Interface as Office 2007, only more crowded with nonsense.

Whither HP - I had some documents that needed to be faxed, and I have no FAX, so I planned to scan them into a MS Word Document, email the Word document to someone who could/would FAX them for me. Too bad my scanner didn't want to work under Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.
I hadn't installed the HP software as Windows 7 knew about the printer. So I go download 311 Meg of 64 bit drivers and software from HP, and as I go to Install: It crashes, giving me obscure error messages. Calling HP support is useless as it puts you on hold for 30 minutes before you get to a new hire in India that knows nothing. Using my own instincts, I unplugged the USB cable from the printer, and temporarily turned off my Norton AntiVirus, and then the Install worked (although I had to drill down two layers to make sure it didn't secretly install Yahoo Toolbar). So the scanning function of my printer now works under Windows 7. Meanwhile the associated program "HP Photosmart Essentials version 3.5" flat doesn't work in Windows 7 - 64 bit. If you email HP support, the fools there just tell you to try and reinstall.

Death of Geocities Time Magazine this week has a good story
on the demise of Yahoo/Geocities. Read it here.
Yahoo's lame explanation is here.


.

Recipe 2 (see Nov 8)

Macaroni & Cheese

In 2 quart sauce pot on low heat, mix
3 cups Whole Milk
6 Tbs Flour, added slowly while stirring
6 Tbs Butter
2 10 oz Sticks of Kraft Extra Sharp Cracker Barrel, shredded. Many substitutes don't work.

While Cheese sauce in pot heats and ingrediants melt together,
Bring large pot of salted water to racing boil, and
cook 16 oz Macaroni - (Muellers Large Elbows work best), slightly under cook
about 2 minutes less than package says.

In Large Glass or Corningware Bowl pour about 1/4 of cheese sauce on bottom,
then add extra-well drained Macaroni; followed by rest of cheese sauce, and gently stir it
all together.

Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven, covered the first 20 minutes.

Serves 6.

Leftovers the next day are exquisite in Tomato Soup.
Tomato Soup (my receipe) : In Medium pot over low heat, mix

1 Can Campbells Condensed Tomato Soup
6 oz Milk
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 tsp Onion salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper

Soup or Macaroni good topped with some KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Cheese Topping.
UPC code 21000 61505
Hard to find may- be shelved with Parmesan Cheese in Pasta Aisle in
3 oz Blue Cannister

In Memory of my Mother: Just under a year ago that she passed at age 94. She had two recipes that her family loved. Let me post one today, and one tomorrow.

Bread Pudding: For Breakfast or dessert.
In Large mixing bowl mix:
12 oz of Apples and Apricot Sauce. One can always pulverize canned apricots in food processor
and mix 50/50 with commercial Apple Sauce.
2 eggs
4 Tbs Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 tsp Cinnamon
4 Tbs of melted butter - Melt butter in baking dish

Crumble in and mix well with ~10 slices stale white bread. End slices work well.
Mixture should be well moistened but not soggy, add more bread if needed.
Transfer to baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees in Glass or Corningware dish.
Depending on oven, Set for Broil last 3 minutes for crispy top.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

SERVES 4