Question: Jeff asks, "I think I need a new router. Do they go out? How do I know?"
Answer: Good question Jeff. Do routers ever go out on you? Yes, they do, but it's usually subtle. You might lose one in an electrical storm, but for the most part they're pretty solid. In my case, I changed mine after several years of service, and it still works, but I got a good price on the upgrade.
You can tell that your router is going out by how many times it loses synchronization with your broadband device. See, once in a while, a router will get out of sync with your cable or DSL modem. When it does, you just unplug both devices and plug them back in to reset them. If you have to do that much more than twice a day, it could be a sign that your router is going out, but it could just as easily be a case of your cable modem going out. I have had rashes of synchronization loss before, so you want to watch. It might get better on its own, depending on why it got out of sync. You might need to change your broadband modem. When you can't connect, call your broadband provider and see what diagnostics they can run. That'll help determine which device is really going out.
Cool Site: RateMyDrawings: Do you draw very well? (Let Eddie answer) I don't. I draw stick figures and they say, "So this is a picture of a... pizza?" Well, this week’s site is all about drawing. It's at rate my drawings dot com, and it has sections where you can learn to draw by watching videos, you can draw in your web browser, you can enter your drawings in competitions and win prizes, share them on your blog, and a really innovative feature called drawchat. With drawchat, you can collaboratively create drawings with other artists. This is really a great site for homeschoolers to help you teach your kids art. For that matter, art teachers could use it as well.
Cool Gadget: Brando Flat Vase: I'm not much on flowers and plants and stuff, but I do like to buy roses for my wife, especially the $3/dozen variety available in Tyler. This gadget comes to us from shinyshiny.tv. They call it the Flat Vase. It's made of plastic, so when empty, it's flat. It comes with various prints on the bottom part of the vase, and also in a couple of different shapes. It's not something you’ll exactly be proud of, but if you need a cheap alternative, check this out. It works like any other vase, just add water and flowers. As you add water, the vase spreads out, creating a base. Then you pop the flowers in and enjoy. Check the show notes for pictures.
It's All "Geek" To Me: GUI: Chewy, ooey, gooey. Yes, today's term is pronounced as gooey, but is spelled G-U-I. It stands for Graphical User Interface. See, you're the user and the method you use to interact with your computer is called it's user interface. You can interface with your computer generally one of two ways, either by typing commands at a command prompt or by using a mouse or something to point at pictures of things and click them. That's what a GUI is – a graphical way of working with your computer.
