Really, the Dell Inspiron 700m has TWO memory slots for a max of 2GB

So my faithful little Dell Inspiron 700m laptop finally waved the white flag in the face of burgeoning memory requirements from many  programs that shall remain nameless, rude programs, Microsoft saying What The Hell to a zillion instances of the same program, and ramping memory leaks from other commonly used programs.

If I leave my computer for a while, that whole glacial crawl thing happens, and I finally got sick of apologizing for the wait when attempting to show pictures to my family.  Horrible.

So, how much memory can you put in an Inspiron 700m?  I didn’t realize it would be a difficult and contentious question.

Let’s Debug It: My Demon Car Responds Innocently, Oh, You Want Heat?

My evil car knows I get cold easily, and it purposely screws with me when I desperately need hurricane winds of hot toasty air. “No heat for YOU” in its best Soup Nazi sneer, armrests crossed and headlights rolling in the air. “I just don’t feel like it right now.”

Northbranch Park. When I was *prepared* for the icicles.

Last spring, I jumped into my car, damp from a light afternoon shower and jacked up the heat. It was overcast but about 70ºF outside. Brrr – I was chilled! But when when I maxed out the temperature (90ºF) my car refused to emit the anticipated waves of warmth. Grrrr.

The gas tank was full, car nicely washed and detailed, clean air filter and sated with meandering drives in the country: she should be happy and content. But nooo, she’d gone bipolar and my car insurance doesn’t cover mental health.

Let’s Debug it: The Tastiest Bug Fix of All

After seeing this unintended oops a zillion times for real, it’s great to see it done on purpose! (I think.)

And the bug fix? Well of COURSE! Get rid of the evidence! 🙂

Consumer Mind Control – We’re All Sheep (or is that Lemmings?)

You know the saying, “When I want your opinion I’ll give it to you”? The Onion presents a video that parodies how companies provide what they feel we should want. And like sheep, we assume that they are correct. Kinda like that 54-Button Remote Control.

Have a good laugh – Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop with No Keyboards.

Perhaps this isn’t such a parody after all …

Cheat Sheets for Jacking Up Google on Steriods

Did you know Googling “movie: Star Wars” will give ONLY movie reviews and info about each Star Wars film and movie times if appropriate? Or that “phonebook: John Smith NJ” lists public phone numbers for all John Smiths in New Jersey? You don’t need a calculator anymore – find the cube root of 109 or convert three quarters of a cup in teaspoons. Just type either phrase into Google. Neat!

Check out the Google Guide Cheat Sheet, and also the Google Calculator Cheat Sheet.

More advanced options can be found in the Search Operators Guide. Great hints for searching within only one or two websites and for removing the zillions of stores selling the same product from the results.

You can also access info from old or removed pages by searching cached (previously saved) pages. If a search result produces an error or the content isn’t there, click the “Cached” link.

The cache trick can also bypass restrictions on certain sites. One company I worked for slammed me with a huge red “BLOCKED – ATTEMPT TO ACCESS WEBSITE CONTAINING NUDITY” when I searched for a hand x-ray of a hand? Nudity???? (What did you think I meant, anyway?)

Lots of cool stuff. Check it out at GoogleGuide.com.

Cool Gadget: Outlets-To-Go Powerstrip – AC and USB!

Technology creates problems we’d never have without the other technology that came first. So you’re in a hotel room with 1 outlet and need to charge your computer/phone/camera on AC, and also charge your iPod through a USB. Check out this little guy from Monster – tiny and cheap – I want one!!!!

My Blog Server(s) is Sentient and has Dementia

What happens when you create a new user profile on a website and then it magically adds your picture to the profile? Do the servers trade stories after work over SMS martinis? Compare notes and plot random “Your Registration Has Expired” warnings to evil users?

I have a couple blogs with an elusive entity called “WordPress.” I found out the hard way that massive social networking servers are as temperamental as Paris Hilton looking for a new BFF.

Apparently, according to WordPress, I am 3 different people, but really only 2½, 2 of whom share the same face. Who had to be introduced to one another through a server matchmaker.

Let’s Debug It: A Rabid War between Technology and Nature (Jet Skis vs Mangroves)

When I didn’t duck my head low enough this morning, the people-eating mangroves ripped off my hat and some hair, snagged my Jet Ski’s tow line and skidded me into the jail-like root system. Then the engine wouldn’t start. Gah gah gah gah. And I was WAY to far into the twisted passages for my husband to reach me by boat.

Gah gah gah gah. I was to get very familiar with this sound.

Powerpoint, Perl, CTOs: Entrepreneurship, duct tape and God

By accident I surfed backwards in time this morning from 2009 to 1987. Omaba’s Federal CTO appointment crashed into a 25-year Technology Timeline. Who knew you could use “PERL”, “God”, “Powerpoint”, “Boiled” and “Duct Tape” in the same article.

Four mouse clicks and 10 minutes … the first PC. Start of the World Wide Web. Flash Drives. USB.  All from a press release about some dude from Virginia who may translate previous work in technology-related policy and development to bring the Federal government out of the dark ages.  Hmmm.

Product Fail Humor: Microsoft Can of Peas – Home Edition

What if everything in the world was made by Microsoft?

Sure, we’ve all seen the funky error messages, both real and fake. Yeah, Smart-House 2.0 Crashed my Kitchen was amusing, but the next extrapolation can be downright scary.

“Can of Peas – Professional” or “Can of Peas – Home Edition”?  Cracked.com ran a contest.  Enjoy them all, and wait for the last one to finish.

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