Category: Tech

  • Bundled Software Overload

    With my recent purchase of a new Athlon64 motherboard and PCI Express graphics, I have been buried under an unprecedented avalanche of bundled software. Let’s take an inventory, shall we? I’m going to include the bundled software that came with other hardware I had already, but which will be used with this system. Asus A8N-SLI…

  • New Athlon64 system

    Well, I’m finally getting a new PC together. I’ve been using a Pentium 2 300MHz for quite a long time now. Even now, the P2 is mostly adequate for what I want to do. For web-surfing, email, and web-publishing, you really don’t need more than that. But I’ve been doing more image and video editing…

  • Security web-cam catches burglar

    Following the attempted break-in at my house, I was wishing I had set up an automated camera system to get photos of the culprit. Even cheap web-cams come bundled with software that can do it. A story on Slashdot today reports that somebody in England set this up, and it worked. Using the photos, the…

  • More X-10 developments

    I received my second shipment of X-10 goodies from SmartHome today. Among them: Leviton DHC Universal Switches Leviton DHC Three-way Dimmer Leviton Three-way Slave Switch Leviton DHC Low-voltage Universal Module SwitchLinc Transmitter PowerLinc USB I installed all the new switches and modules this evening, it’s all working beautifully. The Universal Switches are to replace under-powered…

  • X-10 First Impressions

    I received my first shipment of X-10 home automation goodies from Smarthome today. Started installing some of it in my bedroom after work. I’ve formulated a few first impressions. First, I’m a little disappointed in Leviton and Advanced Control Technologies. Of the X-10 wall-switches I ordered, four were Leviton Dimmer with AGC switches. The other…