02.08.08
Posted in Misc Tech, Software at 1:43 am by Alice Pretchet
I’m sure my friends are tired of hearing tell them about TrueCrypt, but now I have another excuse to remind everyone about this free encryption software, there’s a new version with new features! For those of you living under a rock, TrueCrypt is one of the programs that will hide your valuable data from prying eyes, it not only makes files of your choice hidden behind a password, but it also encrypts, or in layman’s terms. shreds the file behind a bunch of random characters, so if your boss, spouse, ex, or anyone tries to use some geeky method to find your hidden files, all they will find is some random data which makes no sense, without your password.
I know Danny has been using truecrypt to hide adults only pics and videos from his family (good safeguard Danny, I’m glad you are being a responsible adult surfer), Jerry has been keeping his medical reports under lock and key with it when he takes work home. I use it to secure all the docs and photos on my USB thumb drive. I also keep a backup copy of all my pictures from college encrypted. It’s a great way to store financial information for emergencies as well.
I’m a big fan of TrueCrypt and PGP, I’ve been using Handybits Easycrypto for a while as well, but the truecrypt is what I use on my USB thumb drives and my main system now. There are cool new features that allow mac users to use it, and linux users get a better GUI, and some other goodies added in as well. Download the program and go through the tutorial for using it. It takes a few minutes the first time, after that you are all set and you can use this great data safeguard anywhere.
A few people have had some issues with it working in some scenarios with a mac - check out the truecrypt 5 discussion at digg for some of that info.
Permalink
02.07.08
Posted in Friends at 6:37 pm by Alice Pretchet
I have watched several close friends go through the addictions to pills the past few years. Really great people who started with a prescription to pain pills like hydrocodone, and end up addicted to pain killers, some even moving up to oxycontin. It’s horrible to see these girls try to stop taking the pills only to be in more pain with detox. It’s made me sick to think there isn’t much I can do for them. 
Today I was reading about a new drug and treatment program that blocks the drugs from working, making detox easier.
Certainly this has to be a better option than the methadone replacement therapy which simply replaces one opiate addiction with another. There are several suboxone treatment centers using this suboxone therapy now.
Opiate painkillers are serious business. There is a lot of money being made with loratabs, vicotins, and OCs or oxy. Hydrocodone is the most prescribed drug in all of Tennessee and West Virginia from what I read in the news recently. I think it is great that we have drugs that can stop pain when it is serious, however these drugs tend to cause much more pain with the detox, and torn 
families and relationships than they are worth. I think we need to find alternative pain relievers, acupuncture or something. IT is horrible that the cure for pain often causes much more in the long run. I have one girlfriend who has turned into a whore because of her addiction to pain meds, and another who has turned into a pin cushion, with horrible sores all over her face and arms, yet she still continues to shoot up. We need changes, perhaps this suboxone detox is a step in the right direction.
Permalink
Posted in Friends, Misc Tech, Mobile Devices at 6:12 pm by Alice Pretchet
I have spoken with two friend in the past week that are starting new podcasts. I found that quite odd, as podcasting was a big buzz word two years ago, I had thought that there were a couple of popular podcasts out there, but for the most part rss text was still king. Perhaps since I still do not have an ipod, or similar device in my tech arsenal, then I am not as aware of the video and audio podcasts that may get listened to or watched everyday. I still use the DVR and streaming video, I do occasionally hear an audio cast withing my netvibes feed reader, perhaps if I had a portable mp3 player I would find some good webcasts to listen to.
This week I also see a story in one of my rss feeds (via netvibes) talking about podcasting picking up steam and advertisers are looking to step up advertising in this arena as well. I certainly hope Steve and Glen’s podcasts take off. I know Glen is looking to do a video podcast, I just hope there are easier ways to subscribe to them, currently Itunes will not let me preview podcasts without having iTunes installed on my machine, which means I can’t listen in at work, no iTunes will be installed on this system.
I think there was a movement for some time to rebrand podcasts as webcasts or something, since audio and video files put into an rss feed can be listened to on other portable devices, no need for an ipod to listen in. Perhaps there will be mix of this webcasting with you tube channels and such, perhaps there already is a way to auto-download video channels online without itunes, is anyone doing this already?
Permalink
Posted in Fun at 5:56 pm by Alice Pretchet
Two weeks ago I was hanging with some of the girls from school doing karaoke and Marsha choose to do the Jesse James song by Cher, I hadn’t heard that song in so long! We laughed about the days when we would all dance and around and sing our hearts out to the many
Cher songs that were popular back in the day. Today I decided to check out Cher.com to see what she has on her dot com. It’s a pretty flash based site with a megamix of sorts with several of our favorite songs. I also learned that she will be doing live shows soon!
Cher will be live on stage at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas! I love Caesars, they have the best shopping, great shows, and now Cher will be there! She is returning in May, and I am going to see if the girls would like to make it a group thing. A girls night out in Vegas, we need that. I am looking for group flight rates and hotels right now, let’s make it the second weekend of her shows, get Cher tickets for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas now, I’m thinking it may sell out, let’s get the tickets this week, and remember our crazy singing and dancing in Vegas will stay in Vegas. No camera phones at the show! I’m not about to be the next you tube dancing like a fool star, but I do intend to have a great time.
Her web site says there be will be new costumes, a bunch of dancers and even Aerialists performing in the show, looks like it will be a great show!
Permalink
02.06.08
Posted in News at 8:53 pm by Alice Pretchet
University of Michigan digitized it’s one millionth book and I feel really good about this. I know there is a lot of controversy about the scanning and sharing of books, and the project which google ambitiously started with several libraries a while back has stirred debate that may never have a good answer, but I really like the idea of having digital backups of books. Perhaps there will be a universal agreement regarding the best way to handle copyrights and fair use sometime in the future. For now just knowing
that there is a backup process going on makes me really happy. Imagine if a fire or some other catastrophic event ruined all the books in just one library - all of that knowledge and power should have an off site back up.
I have to wonder, how much hard drive space does one million books take up?
Permalink
« Previous entries · Next entries »