Tech for Authors

Ecto 1 Has Arrived

And now I’m looking at the instructions, eight versions of them, on how to hack it with Snow Leopard.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to put a little overtime in on this one”

(applicable obscure Ghostbusters quote)

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 Tech for Authors 486 Comments

Enhanced Ebook report — Ecto 1

Since Enhanced Ebooks are a hot topic on several of these writing groups now, and since I’m in the process of creating one, I may offer some details once in a while, if it interests anybody.
The most current detail:  My kids got me Snow Leopard for my birthday.  My husband has ordered a Dell Mini 10v Nickelodeon edition netbook, suitable for converting into a Hackintosh.  It’s white with green slime, hereinafter referred to as “Ecto 1″.  It comes this week.  I’ll let you know how the Hackintoshing goes.
Saturday, August 14th, 2010 Tech for Authors 157 Comments

Facebook spoof

Don’t click on that Facebook password reset email we just got. Just a reminder.

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Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 Data Security for Authors 147 Comments

Thanks, Christy Evans

Thanks, Chris, for posting the guest blog on Data Security for Authors:

http://christy-evans-mystery.blogspot.com/

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Thursday, March 11th, 2010 Data Security for Authors, Writing-related, Yep, I wrote that. Comments Off

The Bloom Box

On 60 minutes this evening, the Bloom Box was introduced.   Definitely something to keep an eye on.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2009/gb2009127_746740.htm

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Sunday, February 21st, 2010 Tech for Authors Comments Off

The Bloom Box. Martian energy

The Bloom Box. Martian energy will fuel your neighborhood. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2009/gb2009127_746740.htm

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Sunday, February 21st, 2010 Tech for Authors Comments Off

GnuCash–Open Source Money Management

I’m using the open-source GnuCash to work on my accounting and taxes. Here comes the acid test–tax time. I’ll keep you posted.

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Saturday, February 20th, 2010 Tech for Authors 116 Comments

KeePass Auto-Type

For those of you who have dived into KeePass, make sure you check out the Auto-Type feature.

Select your entry by clicking once.
Click on the login page URL you put in for that entry. Your browser will open the login page.
Right-click the KeePass entry, then select the red pingpong ball labeled “Perform Auto-Type”.
It should auto type the name and password for that page, and log you in.

This feature alone has enabled me to keep up with all the social networking obligations I need to track lately. Ah, Web Presence…

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Thursday, February 11th, 2010 Data Security for Authors, Tech for Authors Comments Off

Now using KeePass passwords!

Now using KeePass passwords!

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Friday, February 5th, 2010 Tech for Authors Comments Off

Make Your Own Parasite

Make Your Own Parasite…er, I mean, Run Your Computer from a USB Thumb Drive
Also known as Fedora on a Stick
Depending on why your computer crashed, you may be able to get to your data by booting from a thumb drive.   Yes, that’s right–stick a thumb drive in, turn the computer on, and even if your operating system is corrupted, you may still see it when it boots up.   Even if you had been running Windows, you may still be saved.  You may even be able to connect to the Internet, and run the word processor already loaded onto the parasite…er, thumb drive.
It’s worth trying, right?
Here’s what you do:
Go here and download the free program Fedora Live USB Creator.  Install it on your computer– hopefully it hasn’t crashed yet–and follow the directions.
If you allocate persistent storage, you can save your own data to the thumb drive, so after you turn off the host computer, your data will still be on the parasite…er, the thumb drive, that you take away with you.
You may have to go into the CMOS and tell the host computer to try to boot first from the USB before it tries the CD or hard drive, so this technique is a bit advanced.  It’s well worth learning, though, especially since your friends will then interrupt you and not me when their computers crash.

Find more information at Lifehacker.

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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 Data Security for Authors, Tech for Authors Comments Off