Software updates

A couple minor updates, and the long awaited Nvu 1.0.

• Nvu 1.0 - The free, Mozilla-based web site editor
• Skype 1.3.0.54 - Minor bugfix
• GIMP 2.2.8 - Bugfix release

Software updates

Several new updates this week:

• nVidia ForceWare 77.72 - Driver for all nVidia video cards.
• DivX 6.0 - video codec (based on MPEG4)
• WinAMP 5.093 - minor update
• OpenOffice 1.9 m109 - Freeware Office suite
• NSIS 2.07 - Installer for Windows
• SecureCRT 5.0 - Non-free, but very good telnet/ssh client for windows
• SecureFX 3.0 - Non-free, but good ftp/sftp client for windows
• Skype 1.3.0.51 - Free VoIP software
• BS Player 1.32 - Free video player with some nice features.
  

WinXP x64: it's not yet ready.

After much talk, I finally got around to building a new desktop system. I was overdue for an upgrade and this time, I went all out (well, almost). It's a dual Opteron system. With these nice new 64-bit CPUs, I thought I'd give WinXP x64 a try.

MS touts the advantages of 64-bit and how it's faster, supports more RAM and still lets you run all the same 32-bit apps. Those are all true, but there's one major problem that they're not talking about: drivers! On a 64-bit OS, all the drivers need to be 64-bit too. What's that mean? It means that you can't use the same driver that you downloaded for your Whiz-Bing 2000, you have to go back to Acme's web site and see if they have a 64-bit version of their driver. Oh, Acme doesn't make the Whiz-Bing 2000 anymore so they don't care about updating the driver.

In the two hours that I ran WinXP x64, here's the problems I found:

• No Lexmark Printer/Scanner drivers (here's 32 pages of missing printer drivers)
• No drivers for my Creative SB 16 PCI (yes, I use two sound cards)
• No TweakUI for x64 (the Itanium version doesn't work)
• No Daemon tools
• No Sony Cybershot drivers

That was enough to put me off. I went back to the regular WinXP. In theory, it's not quite as fast as the x64 version would be, but it actually works. With regular XP, it also limits me to 4GB of RAM... guess I'll have to make due :)

I'm sure they'll get there soon, but vendors are going to have to start making x64 drivers before it catches on. Who knows, maybe XP x64 won't ever get major support... we may just have to wait for Longhorn (ETA: August '06).

Screen captures

Ever since Windows 95, the PrintScreen key will take a screen capture by default. The only catch is that it's not obvious to the average user how it works. "Hey, I pressed PrntScr and nothing happened!" Well, as most of you already know, the screen capture is silently stored in the clipboard.

My typical screen capture routine is:

1. Press PrntScr
2. Win-R -> pbrush to launch Paint
3. Ctrl-V to paste into Paint (as of WinXP, it auto-enlarges the canvas without asking)
4. Alt-F4 to quit
5. y (yes to save before quit)
6. Enter a file name
7. TAB -> P (to save as PNG)
8. Enter (save the file and quit)

I've gotten pretty quick at it, but when you want to take several screen shots in a row, it's time to find a better way. Today I finally got around to searching and I found a better way.

I found a slick tool called Screen Print 32. It's just what I've been looking for. After a quick install it runs and I go through its setup screen to pick the options I want:

• Capture Full Desktop or Active Window (just like Windows default behavior)
  
• Capture Key: Prt-Scr (just like Windows default behavior)
  
• Load at Startup: Yes
• Enable Printing: No
• Save Captured Area to Disk: Yes
• Filename: Capture [rdate] [time]
• File Format: PNG
• Folder: \My Documents\My Pictures\Screen Captures

Now the aforementioned eight-step process is down to a single keypress. I simply press the PrntScr key and it pops up a small note to tell me that it's captured the screen (goes away in a couple seconds). Looking in my Screen Captures folder, I can see the .PNG files showing up every time I press PrntScr. I'm happy!

BlueTooth Headset

On Monday, I got my BlueTooth Headset (Motorola HS820). So far, I love it!

At first you think "what's the big deal, wire/no wire, whatever". For years, I've been using a wired headset while driving. The car ritual was getting tiring

1. take phone off hip
2. untangle headset cord
3. plug headset into phone
4. clip phone back on hip
5. put earpiece in ear
6. clip lapel clip on (so the earpiece doesn't fall out)

It was enough that if I was going to stop somewhere on the way to work (e.g. dry cleaner's), I just wouldn't use the headset.

Well, with the BlueTooth (BT) headset, I get in the car and:

1. press button to turn on
2. hook headset on ear

I'll admit that it took me a while to come around to spend the money on something that was just going to save me those few steps. But now that I have, I see that there are even more benefits.

For example, while driving with a wired earpiece, it's still not so easy to use voice dialing. I have to take the phone off my hip, flip open the lid and press the voice dial button. With the BT headset, I can simply press the button on the earpiece and say the name... no need to remove the phone from its holster.

So that's all? No. I found another great use for the headset: Skype! Skype? Yes, Skype. :) I paired the BT headset with my laptop (built-in BT) and configured Skype to use "BlueTooth Audio" as the preferred device for conversations. Now I can make phone calls over the Internet without being wired to a computer... it's like having a cordless phone at home (how many people do you know who are still stuck with a corded phone?)

What about quality, features, etc?

• Sound quality is identical to that of the phone (obviously, it can't be any better)
• Volume is good (adjustable on the headset)
• Mic seems good... I've asked several friends and they couldn't tell the difference
• Uses internal, Li-Ion battery (non-replaceable)
• Charges in about an hour
• Uses same charger as standard Motorola cell phones
• Very light weight (I've already forgotten I was wearing it a few times)
• Hook flips to fit either ear

My only regret is that I didn't buy one sooner.

Software updates

Latest software updates

• Skype 1.3.0.45
• SecureCRT 5.0 Beta 7
• SecureFX 3.0 Beta 7

Software updates

This week's updates are mostly betas

• Mozilla Firefox 1.1 Alpha 1 (Deer Park) - Not ready for mainstream consumption... many extensions haven't been updated to work with it yet. The good news is that by default, it installs in a new folder so it won't mess up existing FireFox installs.
• OpenOffice.org 2.0 Beta (build m104)
• NSIS 2.07 Beta 0
• Winamp 5.092
• SecureCRT 5.0 Beta 6
• SecureFX 3.0 Beta 6