You got fired, and you still hang around here like a big loser. Why can't he?

Cordelia ,'Chosen'


Buffistechnology 3: "Press Some Buttons, See What Happens."

Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!


-t - Mar 07, 2008 6:41:06 am PST #5075 of 25501
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

I have an iHome that I use the radio alarm to wake up to. The "Gradual Wake" is just a few seconds long, almost like it's warming up when the alarm goes off. After that it's the volume I've set.

Unless I've got an older model that doesn't have that feature, but it looks exactly the same.


Dana - Mar 07, 2008 6:42:43 am PST #5076 of 25501
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.

I don't have an iPod alarm, but I do have an alarm clock that gradually increases in volume *to the limit I set*. It doesn't just keep getting louder until the walls are shaking.


DCJensen - Mar 07, 2008 7:28:42 am PST #5077 of 25501
All is well that ends in pizza.

I have an old tube-based clock (analog!) radio at my mom's house. Back in the 70's my brother Jeff souped it up so that even on halfway volume it's earsplitting.

It only got AM stations, so I would set it to an annoying station and it was on the other side of the room. I set it a little less than halfway on the volume.

It didn't take long for my brain to be aware that the click when that radio came on gave me less than a minute as the tubes warmed up.

Most days I got up and across the room before it got to plaid.


meara - Mar 07, 2008 8:00:10 am PST #5078 of 25501

Hmm, yeah, the one I have (which is an iHome knockoff) gets louder and louder until the walls shake, not "to the volume I set". Hmmm.


DCJensen - Mar 07, 2008 1:15:37 pm PST #5079 of 25501
All is well that ends in pizza.

Firefox News:

Today was supposed to be the official Firefox 3 Beta 4 Test Day. It was originally scheduled to end at 5:00 pm PST this afternoon (8:00 pm EST), though according to an apparent update Mozilla's schedule, the Test Day festivities have been extended until 6:00 am EST (3:00 am PST). An amendment to the Test Day page currently reads, "(We will use the Release Candidate for testing)!"


beekaytee - Mar 07, 2008 1:28:52 pm PST #5080 of 25501
Compassionately intolerant

Do we have any Quickbooks fans in the house?

I really, really need to get a handle on my financial life. So, I've been logging things and crunching numbers and being kind of obsessed.

I need a process for keeping track of incomings and outgoings in some sort of rational way.

My fear about quickbooks (which I appear to have on my new computer) is that there are classes and consultants making a fine living out of its complexity. Is it really that hard? And is there an alternative?


Kevin - Mar 07, 2008 1:35:02 pm PST #5081 of 25501
Never fall in love with somebody you actually love.

Excel! It's what I use. Well, OpenOffice.


beekaytee - Mar 07, 2008 1:45:26 pm PST #5082 of 25501
Compassionately intolerant

Kevin, I have an excel spreadsheet for collecting and summing checks, but I was hoping for a bit more functionality...like keeping track of expenses vs. income...maybe invoice production. etc.


-t - Mar 07, 2008 2:00:48 pm PST #5083 of 25501
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

QuickBooks does not have to be complex, bonny. I use it to track my brother's store finances and we keep it pretty simple. THe Help files are actually pretty helpful, I have found.


DXMachina - Mar 07, 2008 2:29:56 pm PST #5084 of 25501
You always do this. We get tipsy, and you take advantage of my love of the scientific method.

Another option if you just want to try things out is GnuCash, an open source double-entry system. It's got good help files, and it's aimed at personal finance and small businesses.