Take the Wireless Plunge

I occasionally help out friends of mine who take the wireless plunge with their home computers. Now don't get any ideas. I do this sort of thing all day long, so don't think I like to do it every night, too. It's not too difficult. I use a Linksys wireless router with TKIP encryption. It's pretty easy to set up. A friend of mine has a Motorola that works really well, too. Sometimes the encryption part can be a little intimidating for the average user, but many times your ISP will help you set up your router. You can find plenty of info online on how to do it. I would highly recommend DSL Reports. I learned how to do this by reading their help files. For example, if Bellsouth is your ISP, just type "Bellsouth set up" in the search area.

(Image from http://www.linksys.com)

The iPod Nano

Well, just as I buy an iPod Apple comes out with a new one. I wish I had known about this one. Thin, small, and color screen. I like my iPod just fine. It sounds great. The ear buds really get on my nerves because my left ear must be deformed or something. The bud just will NOT stay in my left ear! I need to get some different headgear I guess. iTunes is pretty easy to use and has a decent selection. Beware. Not all Internet-downloaded music will play on an iPod. WMA protected files will not work, at least that I know of.

(Image from www.apple.com)

Sorry, It's Been Awhile

I've been out of touch for a few weeks now. Lots of things going on. We've watched another hurricane go through. I wonder what is up with all of these storms. Is global warming really happening? I think I read a viewpoint about this a few days ago on a weather channel blog. You can check out the Weather Channel blog here. The satellite pictures of Rita are incredible. (Image credit NASA/Jeff Schmaltz)

I Got an iPod!

Well, I got a new toy. I bought an iPod mini. It's a nice little gadget. I've downloaded a few songs from iTunes. It has a really nice sound. The little ear buds kinda get on my nerves, but the speakers are not bad. I want to get into podcasting. There is a class in one of my schools that received a wireless laptop lab through a grant that was written. The teacher is very excited, and I'd love to see the kids do a podcast about what they're learning. I'll try to introduce it to them if I get a chance, and I'll let them post here. I've got a lot of teacher training to do this year, so it may not get done till next year, but we'll see!!

Pictures of Destruction

(Photo found on Yahoo! and taken by Marc Serota/Reuters)
It is totally unbelievable the destruction that Hurricane Katrina caused. So many people left without anything but the clothes on their backs. If you'd like to help you can donate to the Red Cross.


(Photo by Phil Coale/AP taken from Yahoo!)
So many families displaced. Reports are that one university has canceled classes for the semester. What will happen to the K-12 students? I feel this disaster will cause a lot of organizations including school districts to think about disaster planning.