Beto » Technology

Oh no, a Dell?

Beto — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:52:42 +0000

My wife is quite techy. Actually she enlightened me in the world of computers as newlyweds. I went the way of the Mac because of my field of work which in that era was audio editing. But my wife stayed as a “PC” user. All I can say is that whenever I have acquired a new computer it has been to upgrade and not to replace due to malfunction. On the other hand my computer savvy better half has found herself frustrated by the limitations of Sony and now Dell. I wish her software could be used seamlessly on a Mac.

Welcoming the cold

Beto — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:22:12 +0000

It is mid November and the temperatures are finally decreasing. Northeast Georgia gets cold this time of the year from what I can remember. This area of the country gets some beautiful colors during fall- the leaves have been exceptionally bright this year. My wife even though a northern born woman is not too fond of this cold weather. I on the other hand enjoy the cold weather. The brisk cold mornings remind me of walking to school in Quito.
The first fire in our wood stove welcomes this November cold and the falling of most of the colorful leaves into heaps that my daughter and German shepherd can play in. The line of Rose of Sharon has been pruned, the pansies to be planted, more firewood to be cut and split. All these things are part of a long list of to-dos. Of course, the decorations in the attic catch my curiosity as I would like to put them up as soon as I begin the Christmas music in the house. Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis are already guests in this house…
By the way- I have seen Rudolph the red nosed reindeer with my daughter already- a yearly tradition to be shared with her.

Upgraded to a hybrid

Beto — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:16:48 +0000

This is week 2 1/2 of my latest upgrade to a hydrogen hybrid. With the help of my father-in-law we have converted my Honda CRV to a Hydrogen hybrid. This has given me great results without having to purchase a small and uncomfortable hybrid car. A big factor in my decision- Gas prices, emissions and also I have a long commute and accumulate many miles a month. The beginning miles per gallon were 22 and now I am getting 28. Based on the studies and other users the MPG’s will increase and also the emissions will decrease enormously. Below is the place that does this magic- The Hybrid Conversion Place.

Slaven smiles while Fabio sighs…

Beto — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:45:51 +0000

I can see Croatia’s charismatic national team manager Slaven Bilic smiling with glee as he reads the headlines after tonight’s games for the Champions league. Steven Gerrard will be out for 15 days after groin surgery. The following is from The Times Online,

“Steven Gerrard will undergo surgery today that will rule him out of England’s two World Cup qualifying matches next month. Fresh from leading Liverpool into the group stage of the Champions League last night, the inspirational midfield player faces a routine operation on a niggling groin injury, the minor nature of which will be of little compensation to Fabio Capello.”

Steven Gerrard has been one of the better players for the three lions even during the odd strategic decision in this past game against the Czechs. Fabio Capello is probably sighing and wishing it was David Beckham with the issue as this would solve the public relations headaches that have been brought upon themselves by appointing a now single style midfielder. I can agree with Bobby Robson when he says,

“Sir Bobby believes there is now little room for Beckham if England, who last week struggled to draw with the Czech Republic in a Wembley friendly, are to unearth a coherent system.”

“It means picking vibrant wide players rather than starting with David Beckham when he can’t get forward as he used to. It means banging Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard’s heads together and getting them to play as a unit. Because they can.”

So for now Slaven smiles while Fabio sighs.

iPhone- latest privacy issue?

Beto — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:27:28 +0000

I haven’t been much into following the crowd or agreeing to the status quo or even going with the latest fad. Even though I prefer a Mac operational system, the iPhone has yet to attract my fancy. As my colleagues have found out- I even downgraded from a PDA/smartphoe to a basic flip phone. Not that this won’t change, but I just don’t buy into the hype- by the time I get them the prices have gone down on such products. Many people I meet are spit between the practical RIM Blackberry or the dazzling entertainment filled iPhone.

I just read an article talking about the capacity of phone providers”monitoring the applications used on its phones.” Some might be fearful, and understandably so, but as I type this post, there are cookies at work. And not the edible type…

The article is in the latest issue of Business Week, titled, The iPhone Kill-Switch Kerfuffle.

Abba, a group and a term of endearment.

Beto — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:07:59 +0000

I can remember sitting in the front of Sanduches al paso in Avenida Amazonas (Quito) and listening to some of Abba’s tunes. This group from Sweden was quite popular with its catchy tunes in the 70′s. I am presently listening to an Abba marathon on Sirius radio with my wife. This is slightly ironic as Abba was also what our two year old daughter called her mama until she started pronouncing her m’s. I miss her calling her mama, abba…

Vending machines with iPods and a rhino beetle

Beto — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:23:34 +0000

I took my girls to an outlet mall this morning to search for sandals. While making extra time before all the shops opened( we were early) I was amazed to find a rhinoceros beetle close to the newly manicured lawn. I don’t think these are native to the southeast region.

On another location within the Dawsonville Outlet mall we ran into this vending machine I would imagine only in an airport or Tokyo. Yes, an iPod vending machine.

How much is a ticket to Athens?

Beto — Mon, 07 May 2007 02:27:33 +0000

To go with the flow of my previous post, let me begin by congratulating- the loyal fans of a team, which has brought tears of pain and joy throughout its long history. This week we saw Liverpool qualify once again to the final of the Champions League. This time at the expense of a millionaire club that could not buy its way to the final. Jose Reina was the man of the match to seal the ticket to the Athens, Greece final with his signature penalty saves. The rival once again will be AC Milan with the classy Kaka and workhorse Gattuso.

I would have those two players at the Kop in red anytime. Hopefully a positive result in Athens will lure the likes of David Villa to Anfield. One lady with a great work ethic who has not become a Reds fan contributed to the beautification of our home with a new interior paint job and partnering with her team in handing the Premiership title to Manchester United. Yes, my wife, the Arsenal fan… I don’t think Baptista will be back to the Emirates next season.

We finally got some rain, we have needed it. South Georgia has felt the rage of a large forest fire for various weeks. Earlier North Georgia lost its peach crop to the late frost. Will the price of produce be going up? Probably not as fast as the price of gasoline… I don’t think I’ll be flying to Athens but I will listen to it on my Sirius radio.

Rafa knows Champion’s League

Beto — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 00:58:21 +0000

Great! Now what?

Beto — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 02:21:46 +0000

Click on Andy Johnson gloating for a review of this weekend in the Premiership.