Eats N Gadgets

I just installed a BGN wireless router to replace my sturdy BG router. I used the standard setting for the router.  My Lenovo laptop connected easily. Great!

My problem was that my friend’s macbook couldn’t connect, even if all the passwords, etc. were correct.  Airport actually indicated a connection, but under advanced settings / TCPIP you would see that the Airport was NOT picking up an IP address from the router’s DHCP server.  I was getting a local address on the macbook.  I checked the router, and it indicated the macbook as a DHCP client … so I knew that one was assigned to the macbook.

SOLUTION:  Use a lower channel on the router.

I was originally set to channel 11 on my router.  I set it to 5, and voila! all my open browser screens on the macbook connected!

… mmmm…. I love these simple fixes!

Hope this helps.

After around 3 incredibly frustrating months of grappling with this drag-drop problem I encountered with my primary work laptop, it’s finally fixed!

Symptom:
Drag-Drop a file from one place to another, and I’d lose access to that file. I wouldn’t be able to open, preview, or even delete it.

Copy-Paste of the original file would work.

My Story:
The first time I experienced a problem, it was deleting a file. I got a Cannot Access error … or something like the file was in use by another application. Very annoying.

Eventually, I found UNLOCKER 1.8.9 BY CEDRICK ‘NITCH’ COLLOMB.  This worked for most of my needs.  It always said that there were no lock handles found, and offered to Move, Delete, or Rename the file.  And, for the most part, that was all I needed.

Then, over the weekend, I downloaded two SD cards full of photos onto my desktop.  I named the folders SD1 and SD2.  After that, I organized them into events, further splitting the folders, and drag-dropping the photos into their corresponding event folders.  I should have started to wonder what was wrong when I couldn’t double click on a jpg and get a preview image…. or, when I put the view settings on the Explorer window to thumbnail and it wouldn’t show a miniturized image.   But, oh well, I continued until all the 250 images were properly categorized.

The next step was to process/edit the images.  I couldn’t access any photo at all.  I tried deleting, and that wouldn’t work.

Eventually, after some experimentation, it was the drag-drop that seemed to cause the problem.

I scoured the google search results, finding one unlocker after another.  Here are some of the applications I tried:

• Unlocker 1.8.9 – this is great for simple tasks.  It’s a small app that comes up in the right-click context menu.
• File & Folder Unlocker – I never did figure out how this one worked.  I’m sure it does something, but it definitely didn’t help me in any way.
• Who Lock Me? – This was an interesting and useful app that pops up a window showing the process handle on the file.  Then, it asks you if you want to close the handle or kill it.  The problem I had with this was that I couldn’t get it to work after a couple of times.  No matter what I did, it stopped giving me the pop up window.
• UnLockIt – by EMCO Software.  This is a GREAT APPLICATION.  It has an intuitive interface.  Select the folder or file you want checked, then click the Check button, and vioala!  It gives you the application / process that’s locked the file.

The funny thing is UnLockIt worked to answer definitively (for me, that is) that my problem was not with the file being locked.  It actually said that my problem file was not locked!  The good thing about that is it allowed me to very quickly trim down all my research to one forum post that proposed a check on security permissions. (<<– Click there for the solution!)

A quick Summary of Steps:

• Basically, you check this by booting up as Administrator with XP in Safe Mode.  (You don’t need to be in Safe Mode if you are using XP Professional).
• Once you do that, click on your problem file/folder and select Properties.
• Now that you are in Safe Mode, there will be a Security tab.  Go and click on that.
• There you will find who has access and what type of access that user/group has over that particular item.

I actually had to re-assign access at the highest level, my C: Drive!

I still haven’t figured out what or how my permissions were changed. That’s for another investigation, if and when I will ever find the time.

I hope this helps those of you with similar problems.

The desire to be connected to the internet anytime … anywhere …

It only takes a trip to a destination that doesn’t have free wi-fi (when you thought it would) to make you cringe.  My cute ‘lil Acer Aspire One netbook has wonderful boot-up time, is incredibly portable, and has decent battery life.  The problem is entering an establishment like Starbucks for example and you have to frown at the need to pay P100 for an hour connect time.  In this day and age, signal should be free!  Oh well, that’s me.  And, really, you have to blame all those bandwidth hoggers (and hackers) out there who are probably the reason for all these inconveniences.

Yes, yes, you say, use your smartphone.  That’s what the data plan is for anyway.  For quick searches, I really don’t mind; but, when I am sitting having my coffee, it’s great to be able to pull up your email and possibly shoot out a couple of reports while enjoying your favorite java.

So, I went searching and actually learned that there was an Acer Aspire One model with 3G!  But, of course, it wasn’t sold here. grrrrr….

More searching led me to TnkGrl’s blog site, specifically, her HSDPA mod post.  She’s amazing!  Here’s a pic:

I’m not sure if I am ready to go into all the soldering required, though, and if I were, the parts just aren’t available here in the Philippines.  Maybe sometime in the future, though.  I’d love to slap a sim card in there and be connected!

After many years of waiting, the iPad actually may be the answer to a nagging want of mine.

You see, many many years ago, when I moved into my condo and set up my wireless connection, it was focused on filling a “want” to have the connection and information of the internet available anywhere and anytime throughout my home.  That first step was simple enough by configuring a couple of wireless routers/access points in strategic areas in the condo.

The next and more difficult one was the matter of the console.  I actually searched for this device, but at the time it did not exist.  I wanted something I could hang on the wall of each living space that you could simply power on with a click of a button and it would automatically be connected.  My smartphone worked for a while, but I couldn’t really do everything I wanted because of software compatibility limitations.

What did I want this console to do?

• Instant access to the net … information at my fingertips!  Say I’m watching the news and a story comes up that’s interesting, I want to be able to pick up this device and research it pronto!  Or, say I’m watching NatGeo and an interesting topic comes up … simply Google it!

So, I listed all the features I wanted in the device:

• Almost instantaneous power-on (oh, how I miss my Clie and Palm Pilot)
• Touch screen
• Wi-Fi
• Sound capable
• Big enough screen to type on

As I said in my first post about the iPad, I’m still going to wait.  Right now, it’s just not enough.

I figure I need to have a camera on it.  I want to Skype on the iPad.  That would make it enough to buy and stick on my wall.

So, here I was just a minute ago, reading my online newspaper, when a collage of photos spashed across the breaking news section and caught my eye… What was that?  This is what I saw…

Interesting, yeah?!  So, that got me to go straight to the Gizmodo site to check out the details direct from the source. Read the rest

Lately, I’ve been going to Resorts World Manila (RWM) at Newport City (Villamor Airforce Base, across from NAIA 3) for evening entertainment — specifically, to watch Maximus at the casino’s Bar 360.

Maximus is a foreign acrobat entertainment act featured at Bar 360.  It’s actually a compilation of various acrobats — Power Duo, Essence Trio, Yulia & Yuri — from Russia,  Ukraine and Belarus.  Whenever I’ve watched Maximus, Brazilian dancers Juliana & Rafael also perform.  They are pretty entertaining, as well.

Maximus is worth watching, and I’ve seen them more than once.  If you plan to go, make sure though that they are performing.  I had a mishap the other day, when I took a friend to watch on a Monday, and apparently the management had changed the schedule and Maximus was not performing.  I think it is safe to say that if you go on a Friday or a Saturday night, they are going to be there.  Come early on a weekend night (around 8pm) so you get a good seat.

Bar 360

Bar 360 is located in the middle of the casino’s ground floor.  You can’t miss it if you come in from the casino’s front door.  Drinks are reasonably priced, so go ahead and order that bottle of wine if you are with a group.  The service is alright, with some bright spots (and unfortunately, some dim ones).  The casino is quite new, so who knows, service could still be settling down with many more improvements to come.

Last week, Bar 360 started a Ladies’ Night special event on Wednesdays.  I hear this will continue.  On these nights, ladies enter for P700, inclusive of three Lemontinis — a pretty good deal, actually!  My brother and sister-in-law went on opening night and enjoyed with many funny stories the following day.  I’m going to have to try that out sometime.

One thumbs down I have for Bar 360 is that they do not serve food.  The only pica-pica they offer are ridged potato chips and peanuts.  See, the problem with that is they don’t go with all the other drinks offered at the bar.  You can’t really pair those with wine.  I figure they should at least have a more extensive pica-pica menu and some choice desserts to go with coffee.

The other thumbs down I have is that you have to pay for parking and valet (regardless of how much you spend at the restaurants and bar) unless you play at the casino!    You think after spending a decent amount of money at non-gambling entertainment that it would at least deserve free parking!  Oh well, that’s a wish.

There are other places at RWM worth visiting.  But, if you’re going to plan a first trip there, make sure to see Maximus.   You won’t be disappointed.

Alright, let me say first and foremost that I promised in the very beginning NOT to slam an establishment — this is not a slam!

Ok, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the new Malcolm’s Place.  Apparently, Malcolm’s Place has taken over the former Maurizio’s!

They’ve retained the Maurizio’s menu, which was fantastic, of course!

Unfortunately, they’ve slimmed down their wine menu (as compared to the original Malcolm’s) and priced it for fine dining (which was what Maurizio’s was).  It’s sad to see a restaurant make such a huge error.  The last time I was there, my friends and I walked from the center of Salcedo looking for a good place on a Friday night.  We went from one place to another … all were jam-packed!  Not a table available for hours!  So we walked to the original Malcolm’s near the Sommerset along H.V. dela Costa.  They were full too!  They pointed us to the new Malcolm’s at the former Maurizio’s and said we could get a table there.  Lo and behold! The place was practically empty!  There was no wine list because they offered just one choice of white or red (neither exciting), each sold only by the glass!

I asked them why the difference between the two places, and they explained that it is because the new location is fine dining.  Fine dining, yeah. But there was no one there!

Sometimes, you really have to wonder about these restauranteurs.  They could at the very least have shared the wine list and pricing across both locations and had the new place receive the overflow from the old location.

Grrr…. at the end of the day, we ended up at The Establishment at The Fort Strip.

That’s for the next post.

CD-R King's M12 Mobile Scanner P2990

I’ve been searching and searching for a portable scanner for ages!  None available in the Philippines … until NOW!  Every now and then I go to CD-R King over at Greenbelt 1 just to see what new items they have for sale.  Prior to yesterday’s trip, all they had were the 4×6 photo scanners that allow you to import your prints to digital format.  But, that’s not enough, really.  To make a mobile office truly functional, you have to be able to import documents.  That meant I really need more.

I’d seen these mobile scanners in the States before, and boy, what a surprise that when I ran my typical question to the lady at the counter … “Scanner? Portable?” expecting a “No”, her eyes lit up and said “Yes, ma’am, we have!”  I was like … “nonono… not the 4×6 one…”  She promptly said, “No ma’am, it can do documents!”  She spun around and grabbed a box, and lo and behold! There it was!  I’ve been waiting for this for over a year!  Finally!

So, off to the ATM I went and came home with my newest toy!  This one is not really a toy … but it’s cool and will make my work go soooo much faster!

It can scan at 600 dpi and comes with a cd containing Windows drivers and useful applications.  It can save scans as .jpg or .pdf.

Cost:  P2990

The only downside right now is that the drivers included in the CD are only for Windows.  I wish they’d include Linux drivers and Mac OSX, just to make it an ultra all-around assistant to the mobile professional.

EDIT:  MAC OSX DRIVER
The CD-R King M12 Mobile Scanner appears to be the same scanner sold by Plustek (OpticSlim M12 Plus).  The wonderful thing about that discovery is that Plustek has a download page for the Mac OSX driver.  You can find that here. Thanks Plustek!

Thanks, CD-R King!

L’Opera remains one of my favorite restaurants in Manila.  The food is excellent and consistent.  They used to be located right across the street from my office and I would eat there once a week.  Now that they’ve moved to the Fort Strip, I don’t get to go as much as I should … I really ought to go back.

Dishes I enjoy …

All the pasta dishes are fantastic, from the Vongole to the Salmon Ravioli.  Here’s a recent photo of that ravioli … so yummy that as I write this, my mouth is watering…

The Spinach Ravioli is also very very excellent.  That was an all-time favorite when the restaurant was close to my office.

Another must try at L’Opera is the lamb chops.  For me, this dish is a perfect example of what makes Italian cooking so appealing.  It’s simple. It tastes great. And, basically, when you look at it, there are no fancy sauces … just excellent meat, perfectly seasoned, cooked crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.

The perfect setting for a quiet evening… (or afternoon!)

Food always seems to taste better when placed in the proper setting.  The interiors of L’Opera just work well with the food … preparing the guest for the authentic Italian meal to come.