Internet Fax

Despite the explosive shift to digital communications, there can still sometimes be a need for old-style analog facsimile (fax), but thanks to the Internet it's no longer necessary to have a fax machine and fax phone line.
The principal drawback to Internet fax can be cost, in that many Internet fax services are monthly subscription plans, but if your needs are modest, here's how to do fax over the Internet on the cheap (best deals as of this writing):

• Incoming: Free service from eFax. You'll be given an incoming fax number, and your incoming faxes will be sent to you by email. To view (or print) faxes received by email, you'll need to download and install eFax Messenger software.
• Outgoing: Pay As You Go service from Fax1. Currently $0.12 per delivered page to the USA. (International rates here) $1 free trial credit to get started; buy more credit as needed. Download and install FaxBlaster software to print to fax from any software on your computer, or use any of several other faxing options. (Use the incoming eFax number when setting up your outgoing Fax1 account.)
  UPDATE: Fax1 no longer works properly and is not being supported.
  Instead, use a free personal account at FilesAnywhere to send up to 10 faxes per month. Fully professional quality and service, highly recommended!

Scratched CD/DVD/Blu-ray Discs

When you have trouble playing or reading an optical disc, CD, DVD, or BD (Blu-ray Disc), the first thing to do is clean the disc. There's no need for fancy cleaners – just hand wash the disc with mild dish soap (nothing abrasive), rinse thoroughly, and dry with soft cloth (not paper towel, which can scratch).

If that doesn't do the trick, then the disc may be scratched, which interferes with the optical laser pickup. Expensive kits are available to fix scratches in optical discs, but what can do the job more cheaply in many cases is simple furniture polish (e.g., Pledge™). Spray on generously; polish thoroughly with soft absorbent cloth; and make sure it's completely dry before trying to play or read it.

If that doesn't work, then commercial polishing using abrasives, like the TAP Plastics Novus system, may be needed.

Coffee Grinders under $100

Capresso Infinity

Grinding your own coffee is essential for great tasting coffee, and the best grinders are burr mill. (Conical burr is generally superior to disc wheel burr, just as disc wheel burr is superior to blades.) Burr grinders tend to be much more expensive than blade "grinders", but there are a few burr grinders that are both good and affordable:

• Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder
  Very good grinder, easier to clean than the Cuisinart (and Krups), but not quite as convenient to use. Available in plastic ($90) or stainless ($140) exterior.
• Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
  Essentially an enlarged and improved version of a grinder originally sold under the Braun label, does a decent job at an affordable price. $50-60
• Krups GVX-series Burr Grinder
  Compact, simple and reasonably effective. Two similar models. $60-70

Favorite Android App: QuickPic

Latest addition to my list of Favorite Android Apps is QuickPic, a replacement for the stock Gallery app for image (picture) viewing that's much more elegant, efficient, and fast!

Favorite Android App: Equalizer

Latest addition to my list of Favorite Android Apps is Equalizer, a great tool for adjusting sound frequencies and effects on Gingerbread (version 2.3) and later versions of Android.

Worthy Netbook Computer At Last!

Netbook computers are a great idea – portables with good battery life and real keyboards that are less expensive, smaller and lighter than typical notebook/laptop computers, but up to now they have been flawed by poor performance (processor and graphics), small low-resolution glossy screens that are hard to read in bad lighting, poor keyboards, limited RAM memory, and lackluster design. It's no wonder that tablets like the Apple iPad have been giving them a run for their money. But now that's changing thanks to a new breed of netbooks powered by AMD Fusion APUs, which feature CPU and GPU on a single chip resulting in good performance with relatively low power consumption (good battery life).

The best of these new netbooks is the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e (awarded Best Affordable Business Ultraportable at CES 2011):

• Very well built and supported
• Superb full-size keyboard with both TouchPad and TrackPoint
• Non-glare (matte) 11.6" screen with high 1366x768 resolution and LED backlight
• Very good performance, more like a notebook than a netbook
• Up to 4GB RAM
• Fast 320GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
• Excellent connectivity (Wi-Fi, gigabit Ethernet, 3 USB 2.0, SD slot, Bluetooth)
• Webcam
• Small and light

Look for sales on the Lenovo website to bring the total price under $500 with free shipping. (Through May 26, 2011, a fully loaded configuration can be had for only $428 here, no Visa card needed, just apply displayed coupon at checkout.)

MY OWN REVIEW (based on 2 hours of intensive use of a ThinkPad X120e with 1GB RAM, should be faster with 2-4GB RAM)

• Fit and finish is very good, case not rubberized like ThinkPad T-series, but still a nice matte black.
• Machine itself is quite light, with much of the total weight in the battery.
• Keyboard is very good, with nice key travel, albeit not quite as rigid as older ThinkPad T-series.
• Both TouchPad and TrackPoint provide excellent response and accuracy.
• Single headset (smartphone-type TRRS) socket instead of separate microphone and headphone sockets makes sense.
• Screen is sharp, on par with higher resolution ThinkPad T-series.
• Software (OS, utilities, Microsoft Word) is responsive and snappy, programs opening quickly and running cleanly, with little apparent difference versus a more powerful laptop, even when running more than one program at the same time.
• Video playback was smooth even at full screen when accelerated, although it was sometimes a little jerky when not accelerated.
• Did not test webcam, speakers or microphone.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

• As compared to ThinkPad T-series, screen has lower contrast and less even backlighting.
• No ThinkLight or other keyboard illumination, a glaring (inexcusable) flaw.
• No SSD option. 

UPDATE: The X120e is being replaced by the X121e, which may make the X120e more affordable until supplies are gone.

How To Restore Google Chrome

Google Chrome is an excellent Web browser, fast and secure, but you might get the error message: "Your preferences file is corrupt or invalid. Google Chrome is unable to recover your settings." This unfortunate bug can normally be fixed with Windows Vista or Windows 7 using the following procedure:

1. Close any Chrome windows that might be open.
2. Click Windows Start at left end of Task Bar, put the following in Search Box or Run, and press [Enter]:
        %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google
   That should open an Explorer window with folders including "Chrome".
3. Right-click on the "Chrome" folder, and then click "Restore previous versions" in the pop-up menu to open the Chrome Properties window.
4. Click to select the top (most recent) version, and then click "Restore...".
5. That should pop up a confirmation window ("Are you sure you want to restore..."). Click Restore.
6. Windows should then copy a bunch of files to restore Chrome, finishing with
   "The folder has been successfully restored to the previous version."
7. Click OK to close the message, then close the Properties and Explorer windows.
8. Launch Chrome. If you get a "didn't shut down properly" message just close it with the "X" at the right (or ignore it).

Notes:

1. "Restore previous versions" does not exist in Windows 8. Use File History instead
2. This procedure is covered in Windows 7 Help and Support under "Recover lost or deleted files" in the section "To restore a file or folder to a previous state".
3. This only works if you have System Restore enabled and/or have used Windows Backup.
4. You can try restoring an earlier version if necessary.
5. If this doesn't work, you can start over by closing Chrome and deleting the Chrome folder.

See also How To Restore Mozilla Firefox.

Favorite Android Apps

Android apps I use and recommend (with links to Android Market):

• AContact (new!)
  Advanced Contact management
• Adobe Flash Player
  View website Flash content
• AndFTP
  Download and upload files by FTP
• Antennas
  Display nearby cellular towers and signal strength
• App Cache Cleaner
  Free up memory by clearing cached data
• BeyondPod
  Best podcatcher for Android (download or stream podcasts)
• B&H Photo Video Pro Audio (new!)
  Best online source of photo, video, audio, computers, and more
• Blogger
  Update your Google Blog from Android
• Chrome to Phone
  Send content to Android from Google Chrome browser on your PC
• ColorDict Dictionary Translate
  Excellent customizable dictionary, translations too
• ConvertPad - Unit Converter
  Wide range of unit conversions
• Craigslist Notification
  Automatic search for stuff on craigslist
• dMarks (new!)
  Best way to access and manage Browser Bookmarks
• Docs (new!)
  Google has finally made Docs relevant to Android
• Download All Files (new!)
  Makes it possible to download pretty much anything
• eBay (new!)
  The official app is now pretty good
• Equalizer
  Adjust frequencies and sound effects (Gingerbread and later)
• ES File Explorer
  Best file manager for Android
• exoScribe (new!)
  Save and edit notes as regular text files (unlike other apps)
• Fandango (new!)
  Buy movie tickets online
• GasBuddy
  Check gas station prices around you
• Gesture Search
  Great way to access your Apps, Bookmarks, Contacts, etc
• Go SMS Pro
  Messaging redefined, powerful and flexible
• Google Voice
  Voice telephony redefined, excellent
• GPS Test (new!)
  Detailed GPS information, including exact location and time
  
• Groundhog Newreader
  Best Usenet article reader for Android
• Groupon (new!)
  Must have for Groupon junkies
• IMDb
  Internet Movie Database, reference for movies
• KeePassDroid
  Securely manage and share passwords between Android and PC
• Log Collector
  Send Android System Log to developer after an app crashes
• MortPlayer Audio Book
  Best audio book player for Android
• Movies
  Flixster movie app, reviews, showtimes, and more
• Music (Google Beta) (new!)
  Stream your music from the cloud
• My Tracks
  Google app great for hiking, records your track
• NetCounter
  Keeps track of wireless data usage
• Newegg (new!)
  One of the best sellers of electronic gear on the Internet
• NoLED (new!)
  Display notifications over your lock screen
• OpenTable
  Find restaurants and make reservations
• Pandora
  Awesome free music streaming service
• Prey
  Protects your Android against theft or loss
• QuickMark (new!)
  Best QR code scanner and generator for Android
• QuickPic
  Image viewer that's elegant, efficient, and faster than stock Gallery app
• RepliGo Reader
  Best way to view PDF documents on Android (better than Adobe)
• SendContact (new!) Share your contacts in various ways
• Shaddapp (new!)
  Best app sharing for Android
• Shopper
  Google's nice shopping app, look up products by bar code
• SoundHound
  Amazing way to recognize and identify songs
• Speed Test
  Check your wireless data speed
• Starbucks
  Official way to pay and to manage your account
• Superpages
  Online yellow pages
• Swype
  Great keyboard alternative, tracing faster than typing
• TuneIn Radio
  Excellent Internet radio
• Widgetsoid
  Great way to control your Android from Notification Bar
• Wifi Analyzer
  Display nearby Wi-Fi access points and signal strength
• Yelp
  Local merchants with ratings

So which Android smartphone do I use?
Nexus S, pure Android, best smartphone for my needs.

Updated: October 23, 2011

Security Lock for Portable Computer

Leave your laptop/notebook/netbook computer unattended and you may well become a victim of "grab and run", the most common kind of computer theft, which can happen even when you are using it. Portable computers are a tempting target for thieves because they are so easily fenced.

To prevent this kind of theft, pretty much all portable computers have a Kensington Security Slot, a small reinforced hole for a locking mechanism that looks somewhat like but a bit smaller than a USB slot.

A variety of computer locks are available ranging from complete junk to complete overkill. A good balance of function, security, and convenience is the Targus DEFCON CL PA410U, which features a 4-digit combination lock (no key to lose) that you can set to the combination of your choice. (It won't stop a determined thief with heavy bolt cutters, but pretty much nothing will.) Find a good price with Google Shopper.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to serious deficiencies, I now rate the Targus DEFCON CL PA410U unacceptable -- see A Tale of Two Locks.

Knots Every Sailor Should Know

Alpine Butterfly

These eight knots will cover 99% of your marine knot needs.
[click links to more information and instructions on how to tie]

1. Alpine Butterfly (animation)
   Strong and secure, will not shake out, will not jam, better than bowline. Use Method #4 (video) instead of Bowline.
2. Bowline (animation)
   Strong, easy to tie, but can shake out if not locked.
3. Buntline Hitch (animation)
   Great knot for halyards, securing fenders to lifelines, etc, but can jam.
   
4. Cleat Hitch
   Use for securing ropes to cleats.
5. Figure Eight Knot (animation)
   Good stopper knot, can be adapted for other purposes.
6. Gripping Sailor's Hitch
   Great for securing one rope to another rope under load.
7. Slipped Half Hitch
   Quick-release knot for sail ties and bags, not secure. Also useful as temporary stopper knot; e.g., for spinnaker sheet at a block (animation).
8. Square (Reef) Knot (animation)
   Famously used for tying reef points in sails.

Sheet Bend is deliberately omitted because it's weak and unreliable.
Two Alpine Butterflys tied together or two bowlines tied to each other (Bowline Bend) are better alternatives, or for ropes of roughly similar thickness the Alpine Butterfly Bend. 

More Knot Resources