Eee PC update

VNC seems to suck.

Not from the client side -- that seems OK, screen size aside.

Trying to connect using krfb (available with the advanced mode KDE desktop) or x11vnc as the server is a complete DRAG! Local response is quick, as viewable on the screen of the Eee itself, but the client machine (in this case a Vista x64 dual core machine that connects to my Ubuntu desktop all the time, no problem) takes ridonkulously long periods of time to refresh any, much less all, parts of the screen.

That's a bit rough. Maybe I'm doing something wrong ... I'll have to investigate further. Also to keep in mind is the fact that the Eee is on an 802.11g connection ... the Vista machine 802.11n ... and the Ubuntu desktop on gigabit ...

Having got my Smartphone back online finally, I played with getting it paired with the Eee for Internet access. I have AT&T ... EDGE sucks. EDGE really, really sucks ... but it's better than nothing, in a tight spot.

Bluetooth on the Eee isn't exactly straightforward, but the second round of instructions, the set by ericmoritz, available in this thread on the Eee user forums makes the process itself pretty simple.

8125 reROM'd

Got my Cingular 8125 (HTC Wizard) back up and running after 3? 4? weeks with no cell phone. Threw on the Thanksgiving-timed release of the 4th version of XDA Windows Mobile 6 for the Wizard. So far, so good. Pretty slick install; much nicer than the r1 or r2 release I'd had on there for six months or so. Thinking I may need to buy a new battery, possibly an extended life battery. Those seem to come with their own back cover to fit the larger battery ... I wonder if it still fits the leather holster?

This is the first holiday ...

... with no Grandma B to call.

Got the Eee PC

And it's awesome.

Wait, you mean you want detail?

Tiny, but sturdy. Quiet. Solid. Screen looks great. Speakers are tinny, but impressively loud. Probably ok as a music device at the office ... if only all my music wasn't DRM'd.

Fast boot. Speedy response. Super easy wireless setup. Recognized my Logitech V220 mouse immediately -- no fuss, no muss. No touchpad issues while unplugged, at least not so far.

I'd originally ordered this for Mom, but then got a deal on a Dell with 15.4" monitor a day or two ago. However, Mom still wants to see the Eee PC -- I think I'd better watch out, or I'm going to end up with no Eee PC, and a Dell notebook I don't need.

Eee PC

My Asus Eee PC should arrive today.

Yes, MY asus Eee PC. Originally I'd ordered it for Mom, as I'd grown impatient of waiting on a deal on a decent notebook from Dell. Of course, 3 days after I order the Eee, Dell emails me a promotion for a near-perfect Mom-notebook. So, Mom's getting a Vostro 1000, beefed up with 2GB of RAM for Vista, and I'm getting the Eee PC.

For those unfamiliar with the Eee PC:

Asus's Eee PC site

Black Eee PC from Newegg

Eee User site

I snagged one of the Black Eees from Newegg last week, it should arrive today. I've been spending quite a bit of time on the Eee user site, reading news, checking out the growing wiki, trying to keep up with fast-paced forum discussions of the growing list of mods, hacks and tricks.

Online backup services

OK, I finally have enough critical and/or valuable and/or hard-to-replace data on my home network that I need to consider offsite backup. I have the free 10GB service from Dell with my recent notebook purchase, I think I'll have to give that a look. I've also read good things about Carbonite.

At the moment, however, I'm most interested in S3 Backup, currently in free beta, which uses Amazon's S3 redundant, distributed storage backend. The rates for S3 itself are pretty reasonable; rates for S3 Backup when it goes commercial remain to be seen.

S3 Backup

Anyone have any experiences to share with online backup -- good, bad or life-changing?

eMail Our Military

I'd like to point my non-existent readers to an excellent cause: eMail Our Military.



With security these days, it's not always easy to send mail to Any Service Member. I think eMOM is a great way to support our troops.