Hack writers

My brother, David Hajdu, is a world renowned author and educator (Google him if you don’t believe this). His entire life has been devoted to creative writing and he is a magnificent success. His incredible body of work is finite proof of his ability. He is, quite frankly, my hero. My baby brother is the greatest writer I have ever known.

Many years ago he and I did a family video for fun that came to mind recently. In the video he played a “hack writer” from another planet who came to Earth. The reason we shot the video was to show how easy “weird” techniques were to capture. We did all kinds of strange effects and it was a joy.

The reason it came up was a term he used in one of the shots: Hack Writer. When he was a hack writer for Video Review I had a totally different line of work. I was, at the time, an Air Traffic Controller for the FAA, Now, many years later, he’s a serious educator and I have become a “hack writer’!!

We chatted about this recently and agreed there that there is a certain simplicity to being a hack. You have an assignment, do your research and write your piece. It’s not rocket science, it’s not something the Pulitzer Committee will be looking at, it’s just reporting.

At this point in my life I don’t expect to be nominated for any prestigious awards but that’s not why I write. I hope our readers enjoy my news and views and continue to read me every month.

A frustrating day

We had a very frustrating day in the office. Our publishing software has served us faithfully for many years and tonight it gave us fits! One of our writers sent us an excellent article with numerous graphics. We've inserted his articles and pics many, many times and expected no problems. Tonight was a nightmare! It took several hours to finally get things completed after many contortions.

What's the problem? We don't know yet but tonight bought us a little breathing room. Keep us in your prayers!

ViewSonic ViewBook 730 price drop

We're in the process of reviewing the ViewSonic ViewBook 730 for our next issue, which is due out shortly. Today we received news that the MSRP has been dropped from $299 to only $169, it's almost cut in half! Considering it's excellent screen and solid build it's a real contender in the Kindle world.

As our readers will see in the review, the ViewBook 730 is very much an Amazon Kindle eReader and not so much an Android tablet, despite using the Android OS. Make sure to read the review when it comes out.

IFA trade show and Samsung

The biggest news we've seen so far out of the huge IFA trade show being held in Berlin, Germany this week is not what is being shown, it's what is not being shown. Samsung, the number two player in the tablet field, has withdrawn the Galaxy Tab 7.7 from display. Why did they do that you ask? Simple, the iFruit company has been suing Samsung all over the planet and found a court in Germany that supported the iFruit contention that Samsung was infringing on iFruit patents. Boo on you iFruit. We have tested two Samsung Galaxy Tab products and found them to be wonderful tablets, they are excellent in every way.

Instead of competing in the open marketplace far too many companies choose to battle in the courts instead. I am reminded of the Kodak/Polaroid battle over instant picture technology. Polaroid ended up "winning" and Kodak's excellent cameras went kaput. Just look what the victory managed to accomplish. Very little. And where are both companies today?

Back to work and free software

We're back to work after the long Labor Day weekend. We received information on the new version of IObot Uninstaller and thought we should pass it on. Here's the announcement:

Left over files belonging to uninstalled programs can lead to system errors and can even crash a PC. IObit’s new version of Uninstaller is an easy to use, free solution that can remove all traces of unwanted programs, and can prevent system problems.

Uninstaller 2 is a major upgrade to the original release and makes file deletion simple; even for a novice PC user.

New features include:

·         New user interface.

·         Search feature in “Forced Uninstall”: Now it’s possible to search for programs in “Forced Uninstall” and uninstall them directly from search results.

·         Improved Powerful Scan functionality. This now carries out a deeper and more secure scan, especially for any leftover items in the computer’s registry.

·         An option for not creating a restore point, making it possible to do this in the advanced uninstall mode.

·         Multi-language support – now available in 12 languages. 

·         Enhanced program detection - Uninstaller 2.0 can detect a wide-ranging list of programs on a PC.

     

The new version of IObit Uninstaller is a Windows® utility that makes file deletion thorough, safe, secure and simple, for PC users of any ability.

Read more about the software here: http://www.iobit.com/advanceduninstaller.html

Preparing for a weather emergency

We received these suggestions for preparing for a weather emergency and felt that we should pass it on. Thanks you for sending this out CrashPlan:

Backup! – You should always utilize data backup. But before the storm hits, make sure your backup is up to date. Using software like CrashPlan+ (www.crashplan.com) will assure that your data backup is always up to date. And CrashPlan+ allows you to backup your data to CrashPlan Central - a secure, online backup destination – meaning you can access your photos, tax returns and insurance documents from any computer no matter your location.

Alternative Power Source – When the power goes out, you’ll want to have a secondary source of power to charge cell phones and other electronics. The purchase of extra phone batteries or even a small generator could be a priceless purchase.

Unplug – As the storm begins, unplug all of your electronics to avoid a power surge. It is also smart to move computers, TV’s and any other electronics away from windows and place them on an elevated surface in the event of rising waters.

Water tight – That being said, have zip lock bags on hand to ensure smaller electronics, such as a cell phone, battery-operated radio or flashlights, stay dry.

Utilize Your Cell Phone – Use your phone to store emergency contact numbers, family contacts and take before and after pictures for insurance purposes. Keep in mind that it might be impossible to make calls during a storm but your cellphone’s text message function may serve as another viable form of communication.

Pentax price drop and rebate

Pentax made this announcement today:

PENTAX Imaging Company has announced a price reduction on the PENTAX K-5 Digital SLR.  Effective today, the price of the K-5 has dropped $100.00 USD to $1499.95 USD (body only) and to $1,649.95 USD (for the K-5 lens kit w DA 18-55 WR lens).  In addition, from now until November 30, 2011, a $300.00 instant rebate is in effect on any qualifying purchase of either kit configuration.  The combined savings brings the K-5 to $1199.95* (body only) and $1,349.95* (for K-5 lens kit w DA 18-55 WR lens). 
* While the price reduction is permanent, the instant rebate is valid only for a limited time for purchases made on either K-5  camera configuration from now until November 30, 2011.

PENTAX INSTANT REBATE PROGRAMS offer several consumer advantages, including no need to submit or track claims or wait several weeks for a rebate check.  More information about the program, the products and where to buy is available at: http://www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-5/