mikepdx

Guess where.

2011-04-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Bowling girls gone wild

2011-03-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

First time all over 100!!!

2011-03-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Curried Potato Soup recipe

2011-03-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sent from my LG phone

John's 8K Shamrock Run

2011-03-13T09:50:00.001-07:00

toasterdance video

2011-02-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

Beach trip

2011-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Beach trip

2011-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

MCL Spindrift left; our place on the right.

George Michael

2011-02-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Eggs from Lelio's chickens taste much better than store bought

2011-01-17T10:44:00.001-08:00

Jimbo and me

2011-01-13T21:06:00.001-08:00

So close, like The Ducks

2011-01-13T21:02:00.001-08:00

Schweaty Hotness

2011-01-13T20:50:00.001-08:00

That's disturbing Jimbo

2011-01-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

More bowling, but I'm still out with an arm injury. Dr. Visit tomorrow.

2011-01-13T19:32:00.001-08:00

Sunglasses At Night theme for bowling. Jim W. And Kim.

2011-01-13T19:05:00.001-08:00

Tiki feeling better but now missing several teeth!

2010-12-31T19:23:00.001-08:00

Tiki recovering from dental work yesterday

2010-12-31T19:19:00.001-08:00

Sunset last night above Bullhead City at mom's place.

2010-12-24T10:09:00.001-08:00

Old mining town Oatman, AZ

2010-12-23T18:45:00.001-08:00

Colorado Belle

2010-12-22T18:36:00.001-08:00

Explored Laughlin, NV casinos last night across the river from Bullhead City, AZ

2010-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

Mom and Gavin (my cousin Sandra's son) at the library in Bullhead City, AZ.

2010-12-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

Lindsay Olives (from Wade)

2010-11-25T16:58:00.001-08:00

Old White Stag sign now reads "Portland Oregon" Yay!

2010-11-24T17:06:00.001-08:00

October is here. Jack-o-lantern from Hobo's in Old Town, Portland, Oregon.

2010-10-03T21:51:00.001-07:00

Departure, PDX (from Jacob)

2010-09-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

John & Mike

More block party pictures

2010-09-25T19:35:00.001-07:00

More block party pictures

2010-09-25T19:34:00.001-07:00

More block party pictures

2010-09-25T19:33:00.001-07:00

Neighborhood street party. Violetta's food truck, water balloon fight!

2010-09-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

Scissor Sisters, Portland 2010 (from John's phone)

2010-09-17T19:18:00.001-07:00

Art show at Scandals Lounge is half over with almost half of the pieces sold! There's still time to come and check it out.

2010-09-17T19:06:00.001-07:00

Build your own computer - one recommendation

2010-09-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.467678
Here's another package deal that includes what I think is one of the better Intel processor (includes HD video processor on board and full virtualization support) and a very impressive motherboard, memory, hard drive (a good one) and a Bluray+DVD+CD-ROM drive (reads and plays but does not burn disks I think). All this adds up to $467.98 but we still need the case, power supply, Windows, Office, keyboard, mouse.

Case and power supply deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.492901 ($99, but $85 after rebate)

Wireless keyboard and mouse combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126192 ($60)

Microsoft Office 2010 Professional Plus
http://www.techhead.org/k12/featured-products/microsoft-office-2010-professional-plus.html ($70 academic discount for those who qualify, but see if you might also qualify for a work-at-home license http://www.microsoft.com/education/license/manage/workathomerights.aspx for even less)

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Upgrade (64-bit)
http://www.techhead.org/k12/featured-products/windows-7-professional-upgrade.html ($80 academic upgrade)

Totals:

Newegg.com $647.91
Shipping + 11.70
Total $659.61
-$35 rebate
$624.61 total Newegg purchase
includes a free 6ft HDMI cable and 8GB USB flash drive

Academic discount for Windows 7 Pro (make sure it's the 64-bit version) and Office 2010 which includes Outlook total is $149.98 + $7.56 shipping = $157.54

Not bad for keeping it all under $800.

This system would be very expandable and could get extra memory, add a discrete video card in a couple years, add extra hard drives and a DVD burner if needed, a TV tuner for recording live TV or cable making it a DVR, etc. Initially the computer could hook up with a DVI cable to most any monitor or TV. The keyboard and mouse are wireless and can be used several feet away. You can add a TV remote later pretty cheap for another $20-25. This system can play many new games, and handle just about anything.

Eagle SF with Lamar, John, and Kyle

2010-08-15T18:09:00.001-07:00

Cool in Castro with John and Lamar

2010-08-15T12:36:00.001-07:00

Radius for dinner in SF around the corner from Lamar's place

2010-08-14T20:19:00.001-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Lamar and John at Lamar's loft in SF

2010-08-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

Round-up of e-book readers for the PC desktop

2010-07-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

Amazon Kindle for PC
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
Start at http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_85650291_15?ie=UTF8&node=2245146011 for links to free books through Internet Archive, Open Library, Project Gutenberg, and ManyBooks.net.

Borders Desktop
http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_ereaderapps?cmpid=SA_20100714_v2
Start at http://www.borders.com/online/store/FreeDigitalLanding?type=45&nav=0 for 1.5 million public-domain free books.

Calibre
http://calibre-ebook.com/
This e-book management software offers comprehensive file format conversion, synchronization to most e-reader devices, a desktop e-book viewer, and even a web server to reach your content from the Internet.

OverDrive Media Console
http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/
Start at http://search.overdrive.com/ListLibraries.aspx to search for e-books. Try to locate your titles for download using the service paid for by your local library, or get links to online stores through which you can download the titles for much less than a print copy. Be sure to shop around as prices will vary.

Start at your local public library or school library website to locate e-books as well.

In the wake of the iPad, I'm waiting anxiously for Windows-based tablets with transflective displays but would consider the upcoming Notion Ink Adam. See http://www.notionink.in/adamfeature.php for more info. More to keep on the radar are the Pioneer DreamBook ePad, the ASUS Eee Pad, the HP Slate, and others you can find through these links:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/07/14/the-ipad-alternatives-the-where-are-they-now-edition/
http://www.alternatives2ipad.com/ipad-competition-devices-overview/
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6789/ps7290/ps11156/solution_overview_c22-608594.html

The Pixel Qi display is available now (well, when it's not sold out) and might be used to upgrade some netbooks and future slates to perform as better e-book readers. See http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKPQ01&Click=37845 for the display.

The e-book market is certainly changing and it will be very interesting to see where it goes in terms of content, copyright, and hardware. Important to me will be how libraries can effectively loan their purchased copies or rights to e-books in a useful way.

Inexpensive Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)

2010-07-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Monitor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052
$189

Computer:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103266
$345

External CD/DVD drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135195
$50

HDMI cable to connect computer and monitor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270228
$10

Now, if you already have an HDTV, you can skip buying a monitor and hook the computer up to your main TV as I have done. This version of the Acer Aspire Revo includes the VESA mount so you could mount the computer on the back of the TV as well.

Pay attention that the computer is the R3610 and not the R1600 series. You will see the R1600 on sale in some outlets for $199 and be tempted but the processor is not fast enough and you don't get the full Nvidia ION graphics processor.

This setup has worked very well for me. Later, you can consider these add-ons as desired:

- USB TV Tuner (then you can record live TV with Windows Media Center)
- A different USB wireless keyboard and mouse to upgrade the included units
- An external hard drive to use for saving extra music, recording TV shows, or backing up data
- An SD memory card to use with ReadyBoost in Windows 7
- A Windows Media Center rated remote control (especially handy if you install Boxee to watch Internet based content through Hulu, YouTube, etc. - http://boxee.tv/ )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121003

The computer includes built-in wireless adapter which has worked very well with our Netgear Wireless N router. However, if you can locate the computer near your Internet modem, you might as well use a wired connection.

Regarding software, just a few recommended actions:
1. Uninstall the Microsoft Office trial and any other included applications you don't want or need.
2. Install Chrome, Adobe Reader, and Spyware Doctor using http://pack.google.com/
3. Get Microsoft Security Essentials from http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
4. Install Flash 10.1 from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ to take advantage of the computer's GPU (Graphics Processor Unit).
5. Get the hardware driver updates for the graphics through Windows Updates. Look at the optional updates.
6. Set Windows Media Player to rip your CD music to highest quality MP3 and start build your collection of music to use with Windows Media Center. You could use iTunes as well if you prefer.
7. Get http://boxee.tv/ and the cheap infrared USB remote control and add me as your friend on the Boxee network. Boxee pulls together your local music, pictures, and videos to be displayed using your remote control like controlling the TV. It pulls Netflix, YouTube, and hundreds of Internet video sites together for easy viewing. This is way more fun than cable.

While I do have a USB TV tuner hooked up and did set Windows Media Center (WMC) to record Seinfeld, Star Trek, and OPB content, I'm not happy with the quality. The playback options for the DVR (digital video recorder) functionality in Windows Media Center is actually better in many regards than Comcast for skipping through commercials. At this point, we are content with accessing streaming movies through Netflix using either WMC or Boxee. You can even get a little plug-in that adds Boxee to the Extras menu in WMC. At that point you don't need anything more than the remote to use either, but I still Alt-Tab out to the desktop and browse the Web.

Hope this helps get a few people who have asked me recently going with their own HTPC! Enjoy!

Portland's Distillery Row with Wade, Meri, and John on Saturday

2010-07-11T11:10:00.001-07:00

Mississippi St. Fair, Portland, OR

2010-07-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Old French fairy tales

2010-07-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

One example of the Internet Archive book reader...

Remembering Danny Howell, memorial video repost

2010-07-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning up my computer and decided to post this photo slideshow from the memorial back in April 2008.

Organic Brewers Festival at Overlook Park with John and Jim (pictured), Kim, and Lelio.

2010-06-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Rose City Golf Course with John's sister Jill (pictured), John, Rick, and Kevin.

2010-06-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Case Study Coffee - New coffee shop on NE Sandy Blvd not far from home

2010-06-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

John & Joe

2010-06-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Edgefield prep for Joe & Kevin's ceremony

2010-06-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Brian and John, Portland Pride Festival 2010

2010-06-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Karen selling her handmade clothing and gifts at Portland Pride Festival 2010. Check out her stuff through Etsey.com under KrazyBear

2010-06-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Pride Festival 2010 in Portland

2010-06-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Our friend and neighbor Greg working the KrazyBear booth, Portland Pride Festival 2010

2010-06-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Michael

Sent from my mobile phone

Broken filling is now replaced but pain forthcoming. My nose is numb.

2010-06-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

little art / BIG CAUSE @ Scandal's for First Thursday

2010-06-03T20:12:00.001-07:00

Ivan & Wade

2010-05-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

(from Joe's way cool Droid Incredible camera phone.)

Me & John

2010-05-14T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tony & David

2010-05-14T21:24:00.001-07:00

Liz and Sue, Allegro Elite Duo @ Amalfi's on NE Fremont

2010-05-14T20:42:00.001-07:00

"Lad Gaga"

2010-05-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

2010-05-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

2010-05-02T11:29:00.001-07:00

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

2010-05-02T11:26:00.001-07:00

Off for happy hour before Chicago style pizza at Giordano's with the group

2010-05-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

John

2010-05-01T13:03:00.001-07:00

Millennium Park and The Bean, Chicago

2010-05-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

Millennium Park, Chicago with John and Jim

2010-05-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Eight of us in Chicago for Jim's birthday

2010-04-30T21:20:00.001-07:00

Half the crew in Chicago for Jim's birthday

2010-04-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

Gaga A Capella

2010-04-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.uoontherocks.com/

On the Rocks is the University of Oregon's premiere all male a cappella ensemble.

I heart Myzithra

2010-04-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

Palm Springs East Canyon Hotel & Spa

2010-03-26T16:06:00.001-07:00

John in the pool. Several other guests started to arrive this Friday afternoon.

Palm Springs East Canyon Hotel & Spa

2010-03-26T15:27:00.001-07:00

Last night at the hot tub with John

Palm Springs Public Library closed for remodeling. Just my luck.

2010-03-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs arrival with Jim & John

2010-03-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion

2010-03-14T09:35:00.001-07:00

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

Wow.

Three rosewood framed tiles for Clara. Thanks Tony!

2010-03-13T12:09:00.001-08:00

My cousin Don's wedding

2010-02-20T19:06:00.001-08:00

Donnie & Deborah

Baby shower for Sherry & Tekoah @ Pearl Framing and Gallery in Portland, OR

2010-02-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

Time to use up the frozen fruit and berries from last year. Thanks Mom, great gift. Used it every day last week.

2010-01-31T18:19:00.001-08:00

Portland Nursery ANNUAL HOUSEPLANT SALE

2010-01-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

Fri. Jan. 22 through Sun. Jan. 24, 2010

30% off houseplants and decorative pots

http://www.portlandnursery.com/events/index.shtml

Classes, local beer, free candles...what could be better? :)

CES 2010 Reaction

2010-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

2010 Consumer Electronics Show

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Tablet/Notebook With Detachable Screen looks interesting and closer to what I've been after in a netbook. 11.6" is perfect in terms of the screen size. I love this size for my HP Mini 311. If it were only available without the keyboard and touchpad. This Lenovo might be the answer. More on the U1 here: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/01/07/hands-on-video-lenovos-u1-hybrid-tablet-netbook/

The HTC HD2 looks like a good smartphone to finally upgrade my HTC Touch, but I'm with Verizon now and am seriously considering a Google Nexus 1 because none of this hardware should be limited to one carrier. Ridiculous. I understand we put up with this because it reduces the price of the hardware but I'd rather have choices and not be locked into some crazy 2-year contract.

Adidas Star Wars sneakers? Okay, I might consider wearing the Darth Vader model, but forget the others.

HP TouchSmart TM2 notebook/tablet. Finally. Better. I looked at their current convertible tablet again recently and was surprised how clunky and not elegant it is. However, ultimately I'm after a slate tablet that will work as an ebook reader and photo editing solution I can also take with me to work for taking notes and doing work. http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2010/100106xb.html

Maybe the OLPC XO-2 is a better concept for a hybrid device. A slate alone sitting flat on a surface probably isn't as good as a traditional laptop in many situations because the screen can't be supported in a propped up position. I'll have to give the Lenovo another look-see. I suppose it's all about how long you're willing to wait. XO-3?

I really expected more touch screen notebooks, netbooks, slates, and surface computing to be ready to go this past holiday season. I expected more low cost low power Intel Atom 330 based devices too. Even now you are hard pressed to find the dual core Atom 330/Nvidia ION in many devices. I was lucky to acquire an Acer Aspire Revo 3610 which is still hard to find. Also, let's see more of these slates and convertibles with epaper screens like ebook readers that incorporate color and video! http://www.pixelqi.com/

Loretta and J.B.

2009-12-31T22:31:00.001-08:00

New Years at Loretta's

2009-12-31T22:27:00.001-08:00

New Years card games

2009-12-31T22:07:00.001-08:00

Owl City on YouTube and Lala.com

2009-12-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Great artist and song new to me. I discovered Owl City on lala.com, which is also new to me. :) Have I been living under a rock or what? Don't answer that.

Up Time America by Kimberly Alyn

2009-11-29T23:18:00.000-08:00

TNG episode 15 - "That Jean-Luc Picard"

2009-11-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

More here: http://www.jandrewedits.com/

Tiki - October 2009

2009-11-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Putting Together a Home Theater PC (HTPC)

2009-11-15T18:17:00.001-08:00

Several years ago I starting building a home theater PC (HTPC) with the intention of creating a DVR (digital video recorder). I had purchased a cheap mid-tower computer and starting pulling together various components. Along came Comcast and we've since been using their leased DVR solution with the digital cable package. This has worked alright but the cost of service continues to go up and up while our attention is turning more to Internet video content.

These past few months I've been following new solutions on the horizon with the release of Windows 7. I've researched barebones systems such as the ASRock ION 330HT, buying a Dell Inspiron 537s, and building from components using one of many Mini-ITX motherboard cases like the Antec ISK300-65. Most solutions for a small, quiet, low-power consumption system will run from $350-$500 on up from there.

I decided to focus in on one of the nettop solutions. Several are available now or soon:

After comparing features, cost, and availability, I settled on the Acer Aspire 3610 from Newegg.com. The small form-factor, fanless operation, HDMI port, several USB ports, wireless N, 160GB SATA hard drive, eSATA port, dual-core Atom 330 processor and Nvidia ION graphics, and Windows 7 Home Premium made this one a hard system to beat for $329.

Now for the other pieces to bring this all together:

DVD player/burner

I recently purchased an HP Mini 311 netbook with an External USB LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer. I can easily share this between the netbook and nettop as needed. Other similar drives can be purchased for around $50. Those who wish to have Blue-Ray support can find USB and eSATA compatible drives.

Storage

To supplement the internal hard drive, provide for backups, and store music and video, I purchased an Antec MX-1 eSATA hard drive enclosure to use with a refurbished 500GB SATA hard drive. The enclosure is quiet and claims to actively cool the drive so it can remain powered on at all times. So far so good.

Remote Control

For a remote control and infrared receiver I went with Anyware GP-IR02BK which is designed to work with Windows Media Center. It connects via USB and includes two channel infrared. This will run $25-$30 depending where you buy it.

Keyboard

The Acer Aspire Revo 3610 comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse that will likely be sufficient for most users. Both keyboard and mouse connect via a little USB receiver that comes nested inside the mouse. Thinking I might need a better keyboard for use from the couch, I went ahead and purchased the Microsoft ZV1-00004. While this keyboard doesn't come with an infrared receiver, it utilizes the same on that came with my remote control. I don't find I'm using it much so could have easily done without it.

Applications

So far I've been pretty happy with Windows Media Center on Windows 7. I've installed Boxee to gain access to Youtube, Pandora Radio, Hulu feeds, and many other sources of Internet content. I removed the trials for Microsoft Office and McAfee Security to start, and installed CCleaner for routine maintenance.

Final Thoughts

Next on my list of to-do's will be installation of a TV Tuner. Currently I'm considering the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1950 which connects via USB. It's compatible with Clear QAM digital cable but will likely require that we drop our Comcast service back down to a basic package to work. So, I'll do a bit more research first, but expect it will work just fine for over-the-air digital reception and FM radio. At that point I'll be able to experiment with scheduled recordings, pausing live TV, and taking advantage of the other Windows Media Center features.

Today I ripped several of my old music CDs to the external drive using Windows Media Player. I opted for the highest quality MP3 format and set all my media libraries to use the external drive. Well, back to an on-demand Netflix movie. It's coming through just fine over our wireless connection.

Halloween in Eastmoreland, crazy busy with great decorations

2009-10-31T19:56:00.001-07:00

Sent from my mobile phone.

Happy Birthday Sue!

2009-10-24T20:21:00.001-07:00

Sent from my mobile phone.

The Full Silkwood performing "I Say A Little Prayer" from GLEE, starring Josh Cheon, Jason Whipple and Mark Louque.

2009-10-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Steven and John

2009-10-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

After breakfast in Seattle with Andy & Steven, Lamar, and John.

Elliott Bay @ Magnolia Bluff, Seattle, WA

2009-10-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sent from my mobile phone.

Sunset in Seattle

2009-10-10T18:00:00.001-07:00

Sent from my mobile phone.

New window

2009-10-08T19:14:00.001-07:00

In with energy efficient vinyl. Thanks Frank! Milgard rocks!

Michael
Sent from my mobile phone.

No window

2009-10-08T19:09:00.001-07:00

Out with aluminium

Michael
Sent from my mobile phone.

Terrarium #1 sans mushrooms now, but air plant is recharged and happy

2009-09-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

Terrarium with air plant and metal frog

2009-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:00