These computers are built to go to war

Some years back, I was allowed to tag along with a US Army unit during combat training in the Mojave Desert at Fort Irwin, the Army’s National Training Center.

Long before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the NTC was the place the Army brought its troops, weapons and computers to see how they could perform in an environment of intense heat and persistent dust.

I’m guessing that the NTC is also the kind of environment the people at Chassis Plans have in mind when they build the company’s line of rack-mount computers and servers.  

Chassis Plans says its computers use aircraft grade aluminum to provide the optimum ruggedness with minimal weight. The systems also incorporate their SysCool Intelligent Adaptive Fan Control System for “optimum environmental performance and minimize fan noise.”

The US-built computers use motherboards or backplanes containing a variety of chip sets and processors including Core i5/i7 and 4/6/8/10/12 Core single and dual Xeon processors.

To get a closer look at their lineup of rugged computers, displays and keyboards, visit the Chassis Plans website.

By: Ric Manning On 11/30/2016

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Hardware Blogger examines new HP server

Buying a network server can an expensive proposition. A machine with high-end power and performance specs can cost several thousands of dollars - far more than even the best desktop computers.

The Hardware Blogger keeps an eye on the latest server offerings form big suppliers like Hewlett-Packard.

In one recent post, Hardware Blogger took a close look at the HP 765822-421 tower server and explored how it fit into HP’s Gen9 series. The box comes with a has a Xeon E5-2650 processor with 32GB of memory and the ability to support more than two dozen hard drives.

For a closer look, read the full report at Hardware Blogger.

By: Ric Manning On 7/06/2015

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PiKasa will be a tidy home for Raspberry Pi

If there's even a little bit of geek in you, then you've probably heard of Raspberry Pi. It's essentially a computer on a chip, a credit-card sized circuit board that connects to a keyboard, monitor, TV or other peripherals.

The inexpensive Pi can run applications, media and games and it's become a popular platform for DIY electronics projects.  But those projects can be messy. When components are connected to a Raspberry Pi, the result looks less like a computer and more like something Jobs and Wozniak might have built for the Homebrew Computer Club in the 1970s.

Enter PiKasa, a small console with a keyboard and color monitor that's built by a South African company specifically to house and harness Raspberry Pi.

The PiKasa has a 7-inch color screen, a splash-proof rubber keyboard, a USB hub, a power converter, Ethernet plug and audio amplified. The Raspberry Pi board snaps into a bracket on the backside of the console. Connect the internal cable and your mini compuer is ready to roll.

Yesterday the PiKasa developers launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000 to get the device into production. Backers who throw down $75 will get one of the first 100 PiKasas when the device starts shipping in August.

For more specs and details, check the Indiegogo campaign page and follow @Pi_Kasa on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 3/16/2015

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BatchPatch takes the pain out of Windows updates

Of course it falls to me to be our home tech support person and network administrator. That's one reason why I checked out BatchPatch, a tool that installs Windows updates remotely across a business or home network.

BatchPatch eliminates the chore of logging into each PC to initiate Windows updates, which these days seem to arrive every week. Instead, you create a list of computers, then kick off the installation and reboot process. The administrator then gets a cup of coffee and watches the progress on on an overview screen. That's the part I like.

Admins can choose which types of updates to install - critical updates, security updates, service packs, feature packs, drivers, etc. - or follow Microsoft's update system and install only Important and/or Recommended updates. BatchPatch also works with third-party patches such as Adobe or Java updates, as well as registry keys, scripts, and most anything else that comes from remote hosts.

To see BatchPatch in action, watch the video below. For more information, visit the BatchPatch website where you can download a free trial version of the software and check out license pricing.

By: Ric Manning On 9/03/2014

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Chrome Reviews covers laptops and accessories

Thinking about buying a Chromebook? You're not alone. According to the research firm Gartner, sales of Chromebooks could reach 5.2 million units this year, up 79 percent over sales in 2013.

The super-portable Android-based laptops are getting lighter and more useful all the time. They're also getting cheaper. For example, you can pick up the best-selling Acer C720 for less than $180.

I picked up that nugget when I visited Chrome Reviews, a website that publishes reviews of Chromebook models and accessories. The site currently has profiles of Chromebooks by Asus, Acer, Toshiba, Samsung and others. It also offers a handy comparison guide and weekly tips on deals and discounts.

The site also reviews a wide range of Chromebook accessories including cases, bags and sleeves. Check it out at ChromeReviews.com.

By: Ric Manning On 8/10/2014

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What's brewing in Google's secret lab?

An integrated circuit on a contact lens.

Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit that Google has done some pretty remarkable things. I mean, who doesn't love the idea of a driverless car? I saw that in Popular Science magazine in the 1950s -- and in a lot of science fiction movies ever since. I'm also impressed by Google's Loon project. It would use a fleet of high-altitude balloons to bring Internet access to remote areas. 

And then there's Google Glass, the high-tech specs that incorporate a computer, a digital camera and a floating heads-up display. It's Glass that's getting lots of media coverage - and cranking up a public debate over privacy and safety issues. Reports last week said Britain is about to outlaw driving while wearing Glass.

I was thinking about how difficult it could be for the Brits to determine who is wearing the glasses. After all, they don't look big and clunky like the eyewear LeVar Burton wore in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Then I ran across a column by Louisville consultant (and a long-time friend) Stephen Arnold. It suggests that, at some point, Google's wearable computer might close to invisible. Here's what Arnold wrote about Google's long-term goal for a website called CitizenTekk:  

"The goal is not glasses. Glasses, clearly, are just a bridge to the goal. And that goal may be to embed a computer in your eyeball."

Well, beam me up, Scotty. That's a warp-speed jump from today's Glassholes. I started picturing a world where the London coppers would be equipped with a Voight-Kampff machine, the eyeball scanner Harrison Ford used in "Blade Runner" to detect replicants.

How did Arnold come to that conclusion? The trail he followed started with some of the scientists and engineers that Google has hired to work at the R&D lab Google calls Google X - or sometimes Google[x]. The head of the Glass project is (or was) a scientist named Babak Amirparviz who wrote a paper for a scientific conference that described how electronic devices might be embedded in a contact lens.

He also quoted a newspaper article that said one of the other X scientists met Google co-founder Larry Page in 1998 "and they talked about how cool it would be to have a computer in your eyeball."

Those are intriguing connections, but they don't exactly prove that Google is working on an eyeball computer. I'm hoping Arnold keep digging and find out more about what's going on behind the X.
 
    

By: Ric Manning On 8/07/2013

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Getting nostalgic for some great gadgets

Pioneer's Supertuner car stereo.

The organization that runs the annual Consumer Electronics Show recently asked its Facebook followers what was their favorite among all the gadgets they have owned. Most people said their iPad, iPhone, satellite radio or some other device from the past decade.

My nostalgia for great gadgets goes much farther back in my memory banks. Some of my early electronic devices were my first kisses in what would be a 40-year love affair with gadgets and gear.

Of course, they were all eventually replaced by something newer and shiner. I too love my iPad. But I'm also fond of several early gadgets that did their jobs well and earned their keep.

My first computer is good example. While my friends went for the inexpensive Commodore 64 or the Texas Instruments TI99 in the early 80s because they were good for playing games, I saved up to buy the costlier Apple II+. As I recall, I paid about $1,200 with one floppy drive and no monitor. I wanted it because it could do everything.

My daughter learned the alphabet playing Sticky Bear while I used a word processor and modem to write magazine stories and launch a newsletter. And it was still the best computer for playing games like LodeRunner, Choplifter and Wizardry.

What else did I like? Do you remember Pioneer's Supertuner car radio? How about Mattel's handheld football game?

Take a stroll with me down digital memory lane at MyWell-Being.com.

By: Ric Manning On 3/25/2013

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Tuning up the old jalopy

Like any new computer, my PC rocket fast out of the box. Windows 7 booted quickly and applications snapped to attention.

But that was then. Over the last couple of years, my computer has continued to slow, like a ship festooned with barnacles. That's why I was curious to try System Mechanic, a program from Iolo Systems that promised to give my PC a fast and easy tune-up. Some earlier versions of System Mechanic had taken a beating in user reviews but the new Version 11 was supposed to have fixed the past issues.

Less than an hour later, my computer had regained much of its initial energy. Start-up was noticeably faster and it no longer starts doing background processing tasks when I want it to give full attention to something else.

The program performs an initial analysis and presents a list of current and potential issues. In my case, System Mechanic found useless code in my system registry, programs that launched on start-up that I didn't need, and megabytes of memory clutter. The program's dashboard offers to do a one-click automatic repair, or you can examine each each task and decide if if you want to proceed. I chose the latter option and was able to keep some start-up programs that System Mechanic would have turned off (though not deleted).

During the process, my system displayed a blue screen during reboots, but each time the computer went on to load properly when I told it to continue. Now I have a widget on my desktop screen that clocks my system's health and security and lists the last functions that System Mechanic performed. And, I have a computer that has regained its youth.

You can download a free version of System Mechanic at the Iolo website or get the upgraded version for $49.99.

By: Ric Manning On 1/31/2013

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Cloud services make backups a breeze

Backing up your computer files is one of life's lessons that you have to learn the hard way. You start out thinking that your expensive new computer will be just as reliable as your TV or stereo. They've been humming along for 10 or 20 years, why should you expect the computer to break down?

Believe me, it will break. And it won't be pleasant. When it happened to me, I lost family photos, videos and documents that will never be replaced.

Now we have the option of making cloud backups, and that makes our excuses more flimsy than they ever were. Cloud backups are easy, inexpensive and painless. And, unlike an external hard drive, your files are safe if your computer and backup drive get stolen or or destroyed.

My article at MyWellBeing.com compares the two top cloud services for consumers: Moxy and Carbonite.

By: Ric Manning On 5/03/2012

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