David Pollitt

Windows Update Nagging

// June 20th, 2008 // View Comments // Software, Technology

Familiar with the windows update “Do you want to restart your computer now?”  “Restart Now – Restart Later” prompt that will never go away till you actually shut down what you are working on and restart?  Or have you ever come back after leaving a project open to see your machine restarted on its own due to Automatic Updates?  Well, this is a real easy, quick fix that will permanently remove the most annoying windows feature.

Start> Run> gpedit.msc> Local Computer Policy> Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Components> Windows Update> No Auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations> Settings Enabled

If you still want the Nagging window to come up, but just want to extend the time between reminders, change the “Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations” option under the same tree.  Then you can select a value of a few hundred minutes if you prefer.

This will all take effect after a restart, which right now might not be what you want.  If this is the case you can head to Start> Run> cmd> net stop “automatic updates” .  This will temporarily disable the yellow shield and update naggings till you restart again.

More detailed instructions with screenshots of the process are available here(external link).

-DPollitt

Firefox 3.0 Released in the Wild

// June 17th, 2008 // View Comments // Software

Today Mozilla released the much anticipated Firefox 3.0 the update to the opensource Firefox platform.  The new release includes backend updates to the engine, as well as a new default theme, updates to the download manager, address bar, and password manager.  The biggest end user change will come from the updated memory management, keeping the footprint of an open browser with multiple tabs smaller then ever before.  If you want to give it a test drive for yourself heres the link – http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/

-DPollitt

Treemapping for Windows and OSX

// June 12th, 2008 // View Comments // Software

Data management and visualization tools allow a user to visually inspect their hard drives to better manage and distribute resources. We’ve all been there, when our hard drives are 85% full but we have no idea what is taking up all the space. This is what Treemaps can help us out with. They visually give us a description of all the files on our disks, and what is taking up the highest percentage of the space.  Really, they are great for finding useless crap that you forgot about and should get rid of to free up space on your drive.

My favorite windows version is actually very old, but is so lightweight it doesn’t even require an installation -

SpaceMonger

Currently I am familiar with two options for OSX, both freeware and being currently updated -

Disk Inventory X

Grand Perspective

-DPollitt

Minnehaha Falls Minneapolis

// June 11th, 2008 // View Comments // Photography

Minnehaha Falls Minneapolis, originally uploaded by dpollitt.

An image I shot this past weekend in Minneapolis. It doesn’t look like I’m in the middle of a big city, but I was.

-DPollitt

Apple Event Live Blogging Resources

// June 9th, 2008 // View Comments // Blog, Technology

Some handy resources if you are interested in live coverage of Apple Events -

Macrumors Live Macrumors Twitter iLounge

Other great websites – but these links are for todays specific event only. You might have to dig a bit for future events.

Engadget Macworld


-DPollitt

Canon 40D – Digital Camera Shopping Resources

// June 3rd, 2008 // View Comments // Photography, Technology

Recently I began my search for a new camera body. If you are like me, before making a large purchase you always research an extreme amount to make sure you know what you are getting, and are getting a good price. Since I already own Canon EF lenses and bodies, unless there was a revolutionary upgrade from Nikon(Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Fuji less so) I would be sticking with Canon for the body. Canons current Mid to High range SLR is the 40D which sits right below the 5D in price and supposedly features. Without jumping into the full sensor pro series – eg 1D Mark and 1Ds Mark the 5D and the 40D were the only logical choices I had. The following were the resources that I used to help inform me about the 40D, its features, and its shortcomings as compared to the 5D.

dpreview.com

the-digital-picture.com

luminous-landscape.com

imaging-resource.com

steves-digicams.com

-DPollitt