Has anyone had any experience with a wireless print server? I have a USB printer (Samsung ML-2010) connected to my desktop, but my desktop's wireless connection is flaky. I also don't relish leaving the desktop on 24/7 when we primarily need printing nights and weekends. A refurbished Netgear WGPS606 has a very attractive feature set at a great ( Read more... )

While standing in Oft-Maligned Big Box Store today, I noticed that they're pushing compact fluorescent lights quite heavily. I'd read some time back that they're striving to push consumers in that direction. They're making a good effort, including informative signage and packaging. Stores selling CFL have a lot to gain. If it's true that a $3 ( Read more... )

I've been using PNM files for many years. The earliest use I can recall was the Digital Stump. More recently, I've treasured the PGM portion of the spec as a super-simple format for grayscale raster image data. The format uses a text header that can be generated with a single fprintf. Plenty of free software is happy to accept 8-bit PGM files ( Read more... )

I just bought a lovely external hard drive with which to back up my main desk machine at home. Unfortunately, I thoughtlessly selected a model that doesn't come with any backup software. What does anybody else use? I'm hoping for something that will back up the operating system, the applications, and the registry. Suggestions?

When I asked for C++ book recommendations, I received some helpful suggestions. Now I'm looking to pick up a little Ruby. I've been going through the online version of The Pickaxe Book, which is an OK tutorial. Once I'm past the learning stage, though, I'll want a reference on the order of The Camel Book. Anyone know of one? I'd also like to ( Read more... )

It has finally dawned on me that all of my networkable devices but one are in the living room. That lone exception is my desk machine in the guest room. I've been contemplating hiring an electrician to fish Ethernet through the walls to connect the cable modem in the guest room to a switch in my living room. I tried bridging this wirelessly, but ( Read more... )

I used to be a fairly regular crossword solver. I've gone through several phases of solving daily puzzles with coworkers, including patrickwonders a few years back. I found the Chicago Sun-Times puzzles prety satisfying a few years ago, but gave up on them about three years ago. Having watched Wordplay last weekend, crosswords are suddenly on my mind again. ( Read more... )

My quartet will be strolling and singing along Park Ave. tonight. It's raining, though, and the satellite picture is far from rosy. Anyone have a rain dance the quartet might try to botch? I saw a headline about the Pope continuing a delicate dance in Turkey. Anyone know the moves?

Christmas is but a few weeks away, and the gift suggestions are already circulating. I've been keeping mine on a static web page for many years now. I'd like to switch to something else, but I'm not sure what's up to the task. The ideal candidate would be easy enough to use that I could talk my family into putting their desired items in, too.

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Anyone out there have recommendations for C++ reference books? In an ideal world, it would be something whose coding examples would show good OO principles. I learned C++ from a Herbert Schildt book, so his "C++: the Complete Reference" is somewhat tempting. Are O'Reilly's C++ books half as good as their Perl books? I have very little ( Read more... )