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Problems after enlarging items on monitors and screens

I have been often disappointed by Windows when making text on my screens larger…

Optimal resolution is supposed to be available, but…when enlarging my display…I have found many applications that have problems. Not so much with text, but the interface of the program being used.

And, Microsoft appears to make two different statements about this issue…at the same time:

“You can make the text and other items, such as icons, on your screen easier to see by making them larger. You can do this without changing the screen resolution of your monitor or laptop screen. This allows you to increase or decrease the size of text and other items on your screen while keeping your monitor or laptop set to its optimal resolution…

“You can also make text appear larger or smaller by changing your screen resolution, but if you’re using an LCD monitor or laptop, we recommend that you set your screen to its native resolution to avoid blurry text. This is the optimal resolution an LCD monitor or laptop screen was designed to display based on its size…”

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Make-the-text-on-your-screen-larger-or-smaller

Problems have been documented:

“When you perform these steps, sometimes the fonts may not all get scaled properly. Certain fonts in the user inteface may be either too large or too small.

“This is the result of a timing issue between the Explorer and Winlogon processes. When this condition happens, certain fonts get resized twice.”

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2556182

I had been faulting the programs that I had problems with, and uninstalled them.  Now, for a while…in general…I’m going to try to suffer through my display being “too small”.  Until I need to change it for the moment.

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Password reset of a Sylvania Netbook

A woman was unable to use her Sylvania Netbook SYNET7WID because she did not know the password needed for the login screen…

I was unable to find any information how to do so that worked for me. But, I did find how to perform a “SYLVANIA SmartBook Operating System Update” for the SYNET07526 “Wireless Netbook: Wireless Mobile Media Device”. After performing the procedure, I was able to use the device. (I assume that all personal file the owner had were erased: I did not find any.)

Be sure to “Unzip the SYNET_NEW_SHELL_IMAGE.zip (65MB) file to the root of an SD card”: the “folder called ‘script'” MUST be “in the root directory of the SD card”.

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I had no idea that Windows CE was currently in use! If I had seen one of these available at a local store, I may have considered purchasing it over a netbook running Windows:  most netbooks are priced over $200. I’ve been trying to find an “affordable” (“cheap” or “free”, really) replacement for my Palm TX and LifeDrive.

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The 64-bit version of Windows (7) is more secure

Below are some excerpts from The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.  I thought some of the information in it might help in understanding what types of protection are available for computers (that use the Windows disk operating system).

Note that the 64-bit version of Windows 7 is the most secure of the Windows operating systems, for the reasons that I have been stating in defense of Microsoft:  third-party developers and manufacturers who do not build to the design specifications requested by Microsoft…risk causing the operating system to be unstable.

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The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIR) focuses on software vulnerabilities, software vulnerability exploits, malicious and potentially unwanted software, and security breaches. Past reports and related resources are available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/sir

Infection rates for the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 are lower than for the corresponding 32-bit versions of those operating systems….Kernel Patch Protection (KPP), a feature of 64-bit versions of Windows that protects the kernel from unauthorized modification, may also contribute…

Windows Defender is a program that is available at no cost to licensed users of Windows that provides real-time protection against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Windows Defender runs on more than 100 million computers worldwide.

The Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a free tool that Microsoft designed to help identify and remove prevalent malware families from customer computers. MSRT is primarily released as an important update through Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Automatic Updates. A version of the tool is also available from the Microsoft Download Center…MSRT is not a replacement for an up-to-date antivirus solution…

The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner (http://safety.live.com) is a free online tool that uses the same definition database as the Microsoft desktop anti-malware products to detect and remove malware and potentially unwanted software. The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is not a replacement for an up-to-date antivirus solution…

Microsoft Security Essentials is a basic, consumer-oriented anti-malware product, offered at no charge to licensed users of Windows, which provides real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other harmful software.

The SmartScreen filter in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 offers Internet Explorer users protection against phishing sites and sites that host malware…When a user attempts to visit a site in the database with the filter enabled, Internet Explorer displays a warning and blocks navigation to the page.

 

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Cobra bluetooth mono and stereo headsets for phones

I have long been a fan of products from Cobra…I’ve used many, many of their CB radios.  (Oh, yeah…I still remember my license issued to me from the FCC…)

I like headsets.  I mean REAL “headsets”.  Always have.  Their boom microphones are much better at gathering sound from the mouth…because they’re directly in front of it.  And, they can ignore ambient noise.

mono
CBTH8

The Cobra CBTH8 Bluetooth Headset also has noise-cancelling technology.  Talk-time is up to 20 hours long, and standby-time can be as much as 400 hours (that’s at least 16 days).  It charges via a USB port, and a 12 volt car adapter is included.

OK…so maybe you’re more of an “earpiece person”…

The Cobra CBTH5 goes beyond that by providing mono…AND stereo…capability.  It can be used as a mono, one piece unit…and an extra earpiece is included that attaches to the main transceiver to provide stereo functionality.

Talk-time and music-streaming time is up to 5 hours; standby-time is up to 300 hours (at least 12 days).  This bluetooth unit weighs only 0.40 ounces.  It charges via a USB port, and a 12-volt vehicle charger is included.

CBTH5

UPDATE:

I posted this review on 2011 June 1…today, June 28.  I noticed that the CBTH5 is opening:  the casing at the rear/back of the device has seperated.  And, it will no longer power-on.

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Acoustic guitar with USB port, and software for recording

Paring electronics with musical instruments has been going on for a long time.  But this was the first of its kind I’ve seen…

The Jammin Pro USB Acoustic 505 has built-in “toys” and features:  a chromatic tuner with LCD display, a pre-amplifier with a four-band equalizer, XLR out port, and a 1/4-inch jack out.

A 5-foot long USB cord is included.  A 9-volt battery must be inserted into the guitar for it to work with a computer…Windows recognized the guitar in the Recording section of the sound properties as a “Microphone – USB PnP Audio Device”.  I was able to record using Sound Recorder (in Windows)…

Initially, using the tuner, I was unable to correctly tune some of strings:  it indicated that the strings were tuned…but I wanted to check with another source (because it’s been months since I’ve tuned a guitar).  I used http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org to get into the general neighborhood of the tones/octaves.  When doing so, I feared I was tuning the strings much too tight…but after ignoring that feeling I found that once I was in the general area of proper tone, the tuner on the guitar helped to get the strings pitch-perfect.  (I’m just long out of practice…)

A copy of MAGIX Music Maker SE (http://www.magix.com/us/music-maker/) is also included for recording from the guitar.

I think this makes a great gift for someone who is interested in learning how to play the guitar, and those who are interested in creating music.

Jammin Pro has suggested that purchases be made from participating retailers (such as http://www.bhphotovideo.com, http://www.teptronics.com, and http://www.midtownsounds.com).