Acer Aspire 5100...

So the Brain Inter-Active Construct, aka, my Acer Aspire 5100, decided not to work a long while ago. So Last summer I dual partitioned it to have Windows XP and Linux Mint 7.

This worked for a while, except for some issues with my windows partition.

Linux always worked splendidly.

After a while of this, doing static resets to get windows to boot at all, finally it just would not work at all.

What would happen specifically is, I would turn the computer on, it would load the BIOS, then the POST and towards the end of the post it would beep twice LOUDLY and then give me an error like this:

ERROR
Resource conflict - PCI in slot 03
Bus: 06, Device:02, Function:00
ERROR
Resource conflict - PCI in slot 02
Bus: 06, Device:04, Function:00

ERROR
Resource conflict - PCI in slot 03
Bus: 06, Device:04, Function:00

Press to resume, to setup

Then I would press F1 and it would go into my boot screen and when I picked windows XP, it would start running Windows and freeze on the screen that said WINDOWS XP!

So, today, I decided to work on it, ya know, get it to work so it would be usable again, not that I need it, but I just wanted to work on a PC and train for my A+ a bit, show that I could actually wear the mantle of Certified Tech.

I opened it up, looked for PCI slot 3, couldn't find anything with that description, took things apart, blew out some ports with compressed air and put it all back together... a couple of times actually.

I looked it up on google, found some forums and did every little trick that they gave, turning off network boot, disabling the wireless cable network card, all kinds of things, still it would not get passed this. I ran hardware tests, they all passed, ran DFT, pass, Ran Memtest, passed, but it would not work!

So then I took out the HD, plugged it into my mac, and wiped it squeaky clean. But when I tried to INSTALL windows, it would freeze at the beginning of the windows install start.

I googled some more.

A few others were having this same problem. Their solution: Install Linux or chuck it.

I understand that Linux is great and all... but the fact that it can run and no form of Windows can even load up on my computer is a little weird.

Then I looked down at the apple sticker...

When I used this computer freshman and sophomore year, I had the whole OS looking as if it was a Mac. I taught it that Windows was stupid and only barely necessary...

Now it won't even take anything having to do with Window's...

I've created a windows hating monster...

I'm installing Linux Mint on it again... at least I'll be able to use that...

Its name, BRAINiac fits so much better now...

TImeline of Art

Over the years, art has evolved with its different genres into what it is today. The start of this evolution would be Picaso who simply skewed art into basic shapes, an outrageous move that made everyone question what art really was. And then there was Pollock who made everyone question even further what really is art with all his paint scribbles. Photography and video became other ways to not only capture what was around but put in the right perspective could cause people to see the world in a different way and was questionable as to why it was art. Then there was Lichtenstein and Warhol who made everyone give up on being able to not call any and everything art.

Sketches from England

sketches

Here are all the sketches I did while I was in england.

Some pages have multiple pictures on them, like the one from the tower of London. I should have done a better job of labeling where each of these were sketched... but I was usually yanked away from finishing before I could do so.

I met this girl...

AIM Conversation with Sheley...

Staphon 9:55

I met someone this morning

Sheley 9:55

Oh yeah? Who? Better than me?

Staphon 9:56

Well, she was more like a beauty queen, from a movie scene

Sheley 9:56

Uh-huh...

Staphon 9:57

She told me her name was billie jean, then she caused a scene

Sheley 9:57

Yes, go on

Staphon 9:59

then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one

Sheley 10:00

Watcha doing?

Staphon 10:00

meh, just pondering on what people have been telling me

Sheley 10:01

What have they been telling you?

Staphon 10:01

Well, people always told me, be careful what you do, don't go around breakin' young girls hearts

10:02

and mother always told me, be careful who you love, and be careful of what you do, be cause the lie becomes the truth

Sheley 10:02

Oh, we're still on this?

Staphon 10:02

haha,, don't worry

10:02

Billie Jean, is not my lover

10:02

she's just a girl, that claims that I am the one

10:02

but the kid, is not my son!

10:04

ok done

...We have the weirdest conversations... mostly because of me.

This Is The Man In Charge Of Communications In Australia…

Glad he isn't in charge of OUR country!

This Is The Man In Charge Of Communications In Australia…: "

Speaking at the National Cyber Security Awareness Week on Sunday, Senator Conroy announced that his three year old daughter had altered the settings of his iPhone, and he hadn’t been able to work out how to fix it. Confidence inspiring, don’t you think? (more…)

"

AT&T takes away unlimited data plan! WHAAAT!

I was reading this article earlier today and thinking about the plan that I have.

I think in the end I would go to the $15 a month plan and maybe, quite possibly add tethering... I don't use that much data (to my surprise) in any given month and I don't need to be paying $30 for unlimited when i'm no where close. Tethering is $20... but is it really worth it? Who knows at the moment, but we will see what I change my plan to... Worst case scenario I run out of data and bump to the 2gigs a month data plan for $25 and still save $5... thats a whole meal at Taco Bell! Here is the Article from Yahoo! News.

AT&T phases out unlimited data plans

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Wed Jun 2, 12:07 pm ET

AT&T just did away with its all-you-can-eat smartphone data plans — bad news for those who stream video on their iPhones all day, but potentially good news for the rest of us, given that the cheapest of the new capped plans goes for just $15 (rather than $30) a month. Also: AT&T is finally ready to offer iPhone tethering.

First, a little background. Up until now, AT&T was charging all of its smartphone customers — including iPhone users — $30 a month for unlimited data usage. Starting Monday, June 7, the unlimited data option will be going away for new subscribers, to be replaced by two cheaper, capped plans. (If you're currently on an unlimited AT&T smartphone data plan, you don't have to switch to the new, capped options, which are required for new subscribers only. But AT&T says you can opt to make the switch without extending your contract.)

DataPro: Heavy smartphone users will probably opt for this $25-a-month plan, which offers up to 2GB of data a month at a $5 savings over the current unlimited plan. If you go over your 2GB monthly allotment, AT&T will charge you $10 for an additional gigabyte. No, overage charges are never fun, but it's certainly better than typical per-MB overage rates, which result in those catastrophic $50,000 cell phone bills you see on CNN.

DataPlus: A $15-a-month option that offers 200MB of monthly data, good for (as AT&T puts it) 1,000 e-mails without attachments, plus 150 messages with attachments, plus 400 Web pages, plus about 20 minutes of streaming video. If you crack the 200MB monthly cap, you get another 200MB for $15.

So, which plan is right for you? That depends on how much data you're using a month, which you can typically check on your smartphone's settings menu (for the iPhone, tap "settings," then "general," then "usage," then scroll down to the "cellular network data" heading).

I consider myself a pretty heavy iPhone user, so I was leaning toward the $25-a-month DataPro plan. But to my great surprise, I found that I'd used barely a gigabyte of AT&T 3G data in the past seven — count 'em, seven — months, or about 133MB of data every 30 days. I guess that means I do the majority of my iPhone browsing and streaming over Wi-Fi. So I just might switch to DataPlus rather than to DataPro. I'd save $15 a month over my current $30-a-month unlimited plan, give or take the occasional overage charge.

To help keep track of your data usage, AT&T says it will send you up to three text-message warnings when you approach your monthly cap: when you've used 65 percent of your data, then 90 percent, then when you've run dry. You can also check your data usage using the myWireless app for the iPhone or by calling *DATA#.

What about those $30-a-month unlimited prepaid plans for the iPad? They're going away too, unfortunately, to be replaced by the $25-a-month DataPro plan — and that's a bummer, considering the iPad's aptitude at streaming video. But at least AT&T is offering up free, unlimited use of its 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots.

Last but not least: Almost a full year after Apple first announced that the iPhone would support Internet tethering, AT&T is finally set to offering a tethering plan for U.S. iPhone users (starting "when Apple releasesiPhone OS 4 this summer"). Welcome news, but keep in mind that you'll fork over $20 a month extra to tether your iPhone (via USB or Bluetooth) to your laptop.

Overall, I have to say that I'm disappointed to see AT&T dumping its unlimited data plans, especially for iPad users — and don't be surprised if the other big U.S. carriers follow suit. Then again, depending on how much data you use on your smartphone, you actually might end up saving money on a cheaper, capped plan without feeling a thing. Indeed, based on my surprisingly low monthly data usage, I might fall into the latter category.

What do you think? Happy with AT&T's revamped data plans? Bummed that the unlimited plans are going away?

• AT&T: News release

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

England Day 7/8

The last two days have gone in a bit of a blur. Its hard to believe that we only have 4 days left.

On Monday, we started at 9:30 and went out to the Tower Of London! It was actually VERY interesting learning about all the history from the audio device after a bit of coaxing from Jim to get one. I went around and spent a lot more time looking around, sketching and taking notes than I thought. The crowned jewels were definitely amazing to see, its weird that I was so close to objects that are worth more than my entire life! It was no wonder that they were protected by doors which each weighed 2 tons each, solid steel with titanium bolts! The only damper on it was that a a few of the objects weren't present, they were in use at that moment, most likely by the queen.

I left later than I was supposed to since I was supposed to meet Jim for a run through Hyde park at noon... I left the tower at that exact time.

I hurried back and ended up missing him, so I went on a run by myself, hoping to run into him on the way.

No cigar...

However, the run was very pleasant, long and hot, but pleasant. The small lake was a lot bigger than I thought, but running through it was very nice.

I returned just in time to head out to the London Eye. I got to see the 4D experience and before going up (which was lame, I'm sorry, it just was) and then we went up! UP up up! We were up higher than Big ben!

Ok, Side note! Big Ben; Such a let down. Biggest disappointment of England. I thought it would be so big that I would be able to see it from anywhere! But no, that puny little bell tower is so hard to see, I can never hear it, and you can't even SEE "Big Ben" because Big Ben is the bell, the clock is just called the Clock Tower. So dumb! The London Eye is definitely the new thing I will think of when I think of London, so much cooler!

Big Ben = Fail.

Tuesday morning, we started at 8:10am and headed out to Canterbury. Yeah, the only time I have ever heard the name is Canterbury tales, which just so happened to have taken place here... or something like that, I really have no idea what the canterbury tales even are to be able to tell you what its significance to the town is. I apologize for my lack of information on the subject.

We went to the Canterbury Cathedral which was rather interesting, very nice architecture, high ceilings and what not, and very old fashioned. It was interesting to be able to see the age on everything and to think that they built this hundreds of years ago, and many many years before the machinery was built to be able to make this in any decent amount of time. I pondered on that a bit as Rick and I left and went to see the Augustine Abby. Sadly, the AA was closed and we had to take our few pictures through a gate.

The rest of the afternoon was relaxing. We had lunch, some tea and scones, and just simply enjoyed the little town as much as we could. It had some nice design and was very quant and interesting to see, but all in all, the town was boring. There really wasn't anything incredibly fascinating about it aside from the Cathedral.

When we got back, we went out and had dinner at an old pub. It was a very cool pub to go to seeing as how the downstairs basement area was build in the 1300's as a monastery and years later in 1667, the top floor was built and the whole thing was turned into a pub. I had Lamb.

Tomorrow is the National Museum. It promises to be a blast and has all the pieces I have wanted to see. I'm stoked.

To Be Continued.