HARDWARE: Medicaid rules can’t keep up with technology

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/10/16/1621227/Tablets-Are-Game-Changers-For-Special-Needs-Kids

Tablets Are Game-Changers For Special Needs Kids
by Soulskill

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theodp writes “The rise of mainstream tablets is proving to have unforeseen benefits for children with speech and communication problems and may disrupt a business where specialized devices can cost thousands of dollars. iPad apps like Proloquo2Go ($189) aim to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, ALS, traumatic brain injury, aphasia, apraxia, and more. Even Steve Jobs didn’t see this one coming: ‘We take no credit for this, and that’s not our intention,’ said Jobs, who’s been touched by email he gets from parents of special needs kids for whom the iPad is proving to be a life-changer. ‘Our intention is to say something is going on here,’ Jobs added, suggesting that researchers should ‘take a look at this.’ Even though they might cost significantly less than dedicated devices, SUNY speech pathologist Andrea Abramovich explained Medicare doesn’t cover consumer tablets because they could be used for non-medical purposes.”

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How long before the politicians and bureaucrats wake up and update the Medicaid rules. Hmm, save money and preforms better. Seems like “obvious” to me. Argh! No wonder the Gooferment is held in such low regard. Might be useful for all sorts of unexpected things. That’s the beauty of the free market.

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HARDWARE: Resume from hibernate didn’t resume

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mac Book Air closed lid and, when I opened it, I didn’t get anything. Argh! Lost my daily run file of hospital notes. Have paper backup. But the McBa ain’t infallible.

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HARDWARE: Cheap microscopes for developing world

Saturday, August 14, 2010

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/08/cheap-300-fluorescent-microscopes-for-developing-world.ars

Cheap ($300) fluorescent microscopes for developing world
By Chris Lee | Last updated about 18 hours ago

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So, how much would you pay for such a microscope? $500? $750? To build your own using optics out of catalogs will cost you $490. However, given the mark-up on equipment out of optical catalogs, the researchers estimate that a manufacturer could get this out the door for under $300.

Even at $500, this is all right. You can buy three of these for the cost of something from Nikon, and you can put them in traveling clinics to provide point-of-care diagnostics to a much larger number of people compared to a single microscope at a fixed facility. So, even if the researchers are a bit optimistic on the price, it is still a net win for overburdened healthcare systems in developing world countries.

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You have to admire the ingenuity that can make something that’s good enough to get the job done at a price that get to the people who can use it.

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HARDWARE: FIOS and fax

Saturday, July 31, 2010

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,24600472?r=355#24600472

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I’ve read some posts that people are able to fax using Verizon FIOS Digital Voice. I’ve had Vonage before switching to a triple play deal with Verizon. Now, I have Verizon FIOS Digital Voice.

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I have a traditional multifunction printer jacked into a fios setup. It works. If you need it, I can figure out how I wired it. (I just plugged stuff in and didn’t think too much about it. Guess heaven protects fools.) And, pass it along. I don’t remember DOING anything so I think stuff is just plugged in.

(As I remember, the FIOS modem has an RJ11 to my “computer room”. That’s plugged into the printer and then the “out jack” is plugged to a wireless phone’s base station. And, five wireless phones are around the house in various rooms. No science or thought put into it. I was just ASSUMING that it would work.)

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HARDWARE: 35$ computer is hard to believe

Saturday, July 24, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.laptop/index.html?hpt=T2

India unveils $35 computer for students
By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN
July 23, 2010 8:42 a.m. EDT

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New Delhi, India (CNN) — India has unveiled a $35 computer prototype as part of its program to provide connectivity to its students and teachers at affordable prices.

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Hard to believe?

Can I have ten?

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HARDWARE: APPLE TIME CAPSULE died. But that’s not the whole story

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

http://store.apple.com/us/write/review/MC343LL/A

One of the reasons for moving from Windoze to Apple as opposed to Linux was the Time Capsule.

It worked fine, until it died.

(Restoring files was balky at times, but any time I really had to do it, I was able to get it off. The User Interface for partial or complete restores could be easier imho.)

One day, I just was dead. No power. Plugged it into a different outlet. Flickered but died.

When I went on the web, it said “OOW! Sorry. You lose!!! Should have bought AppleCare on it.” Which really put my shorts in a knot. Pay a couple of hundred bucks for a 500$ item. Typical “extended warranty rip off.

I got around to taking my now deceased and out-of-warranty TIME BRICK back to the Apple Store. And, played dumb.

The Genius plug it in and it flickered and died. Another Genius was called over to consult. Replugged it in and same thing. Another Genius came over looked at the bottom of it and called a team huddle in a corner away from me and I couldn’t hear or read lips.

Genius One went to the docked macbook and began wildly typing. Then he announced “bad power supply, we’ll replace it but you’ve lost all the data. OK?”

Sure, it was just my backup device.

Another Genius, number FOUR if you’re keeping score, came over an typed in their machine and paper began to spit out of their printer.

I signed off on the paper. They took the BRICK. And said they’d call in three days for me to pcik up my brand new unit.

A duccessful jaunt, but I’m still annoyed.

What if I believd the website and tossed the unit in the trash?

Argh!!!

This is “barbara streisand” that you have to be a mind reader and guess what’s been recalled.

Argh!!!

I’d call that an “unfair deceptive practice”.

SO, if ANY Apple product dies, I’d drag the dead smelly carcass into an Apple Store. And moan and groan until you got something for your trouble.

I’d even go one step further. I wouldn’t be adverse to visiting ALL the Apple stores within driving distance dragging the dead body into the store.

Sooner or later, you might run into someone who’d have pity on you.

Argh!

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http://www.macworld.com/article/152634/2010/07/timecapsule.html

Apple announces replacement program for some 2008 Time Capsules

Posted on Jul 12, 2010 8:30 am by Serenity Caldwell, Macworld.com

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HARWARE: Rebooted MCBA

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

(MCBA — Mick Bahhh! — Mac Book Air)

In the fast task switch ALT-TAB, Firefox was missing from the applications.

I decided to reboot McBa to get it straightened out.

Argh!

Shades of Windoze.

I left Windoze to be free of reboots and corrupt data.

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HARDWARE: Don’t use your employer’s stuff

Monday, June 21, 2010

http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/employee-has-no-right-of-expectation-of-privacy-for-text-messages-says-us-supreme-court/?awt_l=FYQgu&awt_m=1dTPHoQu5MK295

Employee Has No Right of Expectation of Privacy for Text Messages, Says U.S. Supreme Court   

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The bottom line is that, according to the Supreme Court, Quon had no reason to expect that his text messages on his employer-provided pager would be protected by a shield of privacy, and that the Ontario Police Department’s behavior in looking at the text messages was not an impermissible invasion of Quon’s privacy.

*** end quote ***

When hardware and service was expensive, then using your employer’s stuff MIGHT have made sense. Now with most everything dirt cheap, makes no sense at all.

As a matter of fact, it may even make sense to decline their hardware.

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RANTING: Opened sold as new

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Went to WalMart to get a smaller table and cheap printer.

Had some “excitement” with the old lady, but that’s another story.

Got the printer home! It was only 40$. (Yeah, I know they screw you on the ink.)

And, the printer doesn’t work.

It’s been used and repackaged.

I knew it when I opened the box. The plastic around it was not like a factory seal.

The contents aren’t right. Stuff is missing. And the cartridges are either gone or in the machine.

I’m pissed that this is another example of a return sold as new. I didn’t think WalMart did that. I know Officemax, Staples, and Office Depot do.

And it had a very complicated anti-theft device around it. So that means the Store has to have done it!

Back it goes today.

Very disappointing WalMart. I thought you were above that. At least Best Buy has an open box sale area and you know it’s not brand spanking new.

Argh!

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HARDWARE: APPLE TIME CAPSULE died. Some backup!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

APPLE TIME CAPSULE died. Some backup!

According to the Apple website, it’s out of warranty.

I’ll take it into the Apple store and see what they say.

Argh!

I’d have expected it to outlive the MacBookAir that I bought at the same time.

Did I say “Argh!”?

I see a “NOTRECOMMENDED” coming up.

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