Archive for May, 2007

I am a big fan a brain games.  It’s probably because my brain is getting old and I am constantly trying to keep it from “thinking” it is getting any older.  I talked about the Brain Age game last year.  If you don’t have a Nintendo DS, try the Lumosity web site.

There are games that help your attention, memory, processing speed and cognitive control.  That last one is always the one that gets me.  In the Color Match game two words are shown.  Both words spell colors.  You have to decide if the word on the left spells the color of the letters on the right.

These games are good for all ages.  Best of all they keep track of your scores.  There’s nothing like a little family competition.

The first tip I gave you was to use the Windows key to open the Start menu.  The top area of the Start menu is customizable and it is called the Pin area.  You can “pin” any application there giving you quick access to the things you use most.

You may have noticed the programs you use most are at the bottom of the start menu.  Windows will keep track of the six (that’s the default number but you can change it) programs you use the most and will automatically place them there.  The order of the placement is based on the number of times each program is used.  More use makes the program move higher in the list.  This is the “popular” list and it can change often.

If you want a “popular” program permanently placed at the top of the Windows Start menu (the Pin area), right-click the program in the Start menu and select Pin To Start Menu.  If you pin a popular program it will disappear from the popular area and reappear in the pin area.  Windows won’t show it in both places.

The program doesn’t have to be in the popular area to be pinned.  You can pin any shortcut or executable from any part of the Start menu.

You can also rearrange shortcuts in the pinned area.  If you want a certain program at the top of the Start menu, click and drag the shortcut to the location you desire.

TSPY=2.19

Back in the day, when most people only had dial-up access to the Internet, it was important for your browser to “remember” as much as possible about the sites you visited on a regular basis. This “browser memory” is called cache. Your browser saves a copy of graphics and static text in the form of cache on your hard drive. Over time, you can build up a large cache and your browser can’t sort through it as efficiently. Instead of speeding up your access to the Internet, it can slow it down.

If you find your browser taking a long time to process pages, it could be time to empty the cache.

Find your computer’s “option” menu and look for a place to clear the cache.

Internet Explorer - Internet Options - General - Delete History
Firefox - Tools - Options - Privacy - Private Data - Clear Now

You will see several options when you clear the cache. I usually uncheck everything except “cache” because I want to retain my history and cookies. If you want your computer to remember your password, be sure to uncheck that box.

TSPY=0.09 to 3.01 (depends on size of cache)

At midnight last night, Microsoft announced something that looks more like an Apple technology than anything I have seen come out of Redmond in a while. It’s called Surface Computing and I still can’t find anything about it on the MS web site.

Here is a Popular Mechanics video showing the “coffee table” in action.

Using wireless and other “invisible” technologies, the user can easily move files from device to device. The video shows how a photo can go from the camera, to the table and then to a PDA all with no wires using an interface that doesn’t require training.

Here is a TED video from last year showing Jeff Han, one of the developers of multi-touch screens. As the speaker emphasizes over and over… the interface disappears.

Here is an incredible twist on geotagging.  Google maps have gone beyond virtual reality to actual reality.

Above is one of my photos from San Francisco. Follow this link to see the same picture along with active map components. Use your mouse to move the picture left and right. Your scroll wheel will zoom in and out. The opposite corner is home to a Starbucks where the wife and I had a cup of coffee.  If you follow Grant a couple of blocks south, the Weinstein Gallery has a couple of Picasso’s for sale in the front window.  The resolution is quite good considering Google took a picture of ever nook and cranny of the entire city.

The demo is limited to a few cities, but the database will certainly expand. Maybe they will have a DIY kit for those of us that live off the beaten path.