“Tech” collection
Stay informed on the rapidly evolving world of consumer electronics, high-performance hardware, and digital innovation. This central tech hub provides a deep dive into the physical components and software ecosystems that power your modern life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →October 24, 2006
Powerbook unboxing – Part 3
So, I got my wonderful Powerbook back from Apple Care yesterday. Yes, they fixed the issue of the ALS (Ambient light sensor). Now I'm shopping around for a good local vendor to help install the keyboard that I purchased on eBay. I have found a couple of local candidates and I'm just checking prices now. I would have tried to…
Read more →October 17, 2006
Apple Care – Part 4 – back for more repairs (ALS broken)
Well, I must say that I have been getting to know Apple Care a bit more that I really would have wanted to. Where I last left off, Apple had totally "styled me out" by fixing my case with new parts...however, it looks like they forgot to connect the Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) when they put it all together. For…
Read more →October 17, 2006
Windows Update Error 80245003 – Windows Update won’t run on Vista RC2
Updated on 06.25.07: I have added some more detailed steps based on feedback I received. See end of post for further details. I'm playing around with Windows Vista on a test box that I have. So far, it's looking like a fairly nice upgrade to XP. It doesn't feel like a complete overhaul (which, from my understanding, it somewhat is…
Read more →October 13, 2006
Helper apps for the Mac (specifically Remote Desktop Connection)
I'm sure that if you are a mac user and you use Microsoft's Remote Desktop (RDC) to connect to other PCs, that you have become frustrated on how limited the capabilities are. I found a couple of tools that may help with that lack-luster experience. First, there is RDC Menu. " RDC Menu adds an icon to your menubar, allowing…
Read more →October 10, 2006
Fun with PHPSurveyor v1.08a2
I'm finally getting back to testing out other opensource software. I just installed the latest version of PHPSurveyor (1.08a2) and ran into some .htaccess madness. No matter what I did, after initializing the security features (which depend on .htaccess and .htpasswd), I could not get passed the login prompt. Also, I noticed that my .htpasswd file showed my password in…
Read more →October 6, 2006
Apple Care came through with flying colors!
OK, it looks like the saga is over. Today, I finally received my laptop today (see all of the previous posts). Actually, I was pretty impressed with this round. I shipped the laptop this past Monday, it was received and fixed on the same day (Tuesday) and shipped back on Wednesday. I missed the delivery on Thursday, but today, I…
Read more →September 28, 2006
MORE Apple Support madness!!!
So...the madness continues. After all of the fun as outlined here and here, and thinking that "all was well" when I received the laptop package yesterday...all hopes were shattered when I started reading the form letter in the repair box! The words "RETURN: CUSTOMER DECLINED REPAIR" jumped out at me and I wanted to cry. Quickly booting up my "fixed"…
Read more →September 27, 2006
Voice call hangups after 4 minutes on Tmobile MDA/HTC Wizard
I figured that I would post this little bit of mobile phone tweaking for any users who may be searching for a solution to the following issue. Ever since I upgraded my Tmobile MDA to the "latest and greatest" rom (v 2.26), I have been plagued with dropping calls after 4 minutes. It was definitely a bug that I had…
Read more →September 25, 2006
Evaluating two Open Source Apps: Vanilla Forum & CraftySyntax
First one that I was looking at was Vanilla forums by Lussumo. What I was looking for was a forum that was different from all of the others out there. A looong time ago, I played with SnitzForums and phpBB. They seem to be ok, full featured, highly configurable...there are many others out there but they all look the same.…
Read more →September 22, 2006
A happy ending to the Apple Support Vicious Circle
Well, I didn't think it would happen...but it did. Finally, I was able to talk to someone live...after being on hold for 35 minutes. This time, when I went through the SAME status line, there was an option to talk to a representative. So, I got that option, was on hold then, nicely, pleaded my case to the rep. I…
Read more →September 21, 2006
Stuck in a vicious Apple support circle
Ok, I just have to vent for a bit here...but first I want to say that I have always loved Macs and Apple computer...I endorse them, support them, fix them and use them. I'm encouraged with their recent decisions, intel chip, dual boot, fun with Parallels, etc. Wish I could get a new Intel-based one....some day. But I digress... Here's…
Read more →September 21, 2006
Cookie Monster killed my Safari
Over the past few days, I had been having issues with Safari simply crashing every time that I launched it. No matter what I did (Disk Repair, Repair Permissions, etc.), I was unable to correct. I had to resort to using Firefox (which I actually now kind of like a bit better). So, on a whim, I posted to the…
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