My favorite things

• Adobe Photoshop Album 1.0 - pretty slick.  I bought ACD 4.03 and looked at the 5.0 product, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted.  I still use it as a viewer, but Album 1.0 has a timeline feature, basic (and fast) editing tools, links to Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 and tagging.  The tagging combined with the timeline are the best features of the product.  We have lots of photos and with our new digital camera this will grow exponentially.  My goal is to also setup our scanner and task the kids to scan our old photos to add to the Album. 
  
   
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 -
   
• Swingline 711 stapler - don't look for this at Staples or OfficeMax.  Its at least 20 years old and I'm not giving it up for anything.  It doesn't jam.  It uses standard staples.  Its all metal.  Its ugly grey (or gray) and its better than all the new Swingline staplers.
   
• Pocket PC add-on - Pocket Informant 3.0 - This package is awesome and for $20, its probably something every Pocket PC user should consider..  I typically use my Jornada as a catch-all reference system when I'm not connected to the Internet.  Pocket Informant offers better integration between contacts, mail and calendar than the default applications.  The latest version is faster and offered even better integration. 
   
• Chat Client - Trillian - My kids the our Corgi friends use AIM, the Microsofties I know use MSN, others use Yahoo.  What's a geek to do?  I don't want to run  multiple clients, but I want to keep in touch with everyone.  Trillian is the answer.  It has a great user interface and can be configured to connect to all the major message servers as well as IRC and ICQ.
   
• Wireless - first of all, wireless networking has changed my life.  Not really, but I like wireless.  I am concerned about security of 802.11, but the flexibility and interoperability is exactly what I wanted.  NetStumbler is an awesome 802.11b scanning tool.  I drove around my neighborhood (35 year old NJ development) and found three open WAP's.  Yow! 
   
• Telnet client - Putty.  Putty is a very robust and free telnet and SSH client.  Its small (fits on a floppy), fast and robust.  What more can I say?
   
• SOHO KVM - LinkSys KVM - KVM stands for Keyboard, Video, Monitor - its a device that allows you to share your keyboard, mouse and monitor with multiple computers.  I use the four port model for my primary workstation, server, test machine and laptop.  It works great with keyboard commands or a manual switch on the device.  Price was $65 for the unit and $15 each for the cable sets. 
   
• Browser Add-On - AdSubtract - I hate ads.  All ads, but particularly the pop-up and pop-under ads and animations that take up half a web page.  AdSubtract is a $30 package that suppresses ads.  Its also configurable so you can allow full access to sites that *you* choose.  The only down side is that some sites check for ad filtering software or require lots of intrusive functions like referrers, etc.  I usually just skip these sites, but your mileage may vary.
   
• File Sharing Software - I like Xolox, Sarah likes Shareaza.  Kazaa and others I have tested are EVIL - they load third party snooping software and other crap on your PC that does things you might not like and they don't tell you!!  In fact, one of the snoop vendors, Gator, has a court injunction to stop redirecting web ads.  This is pretty bad in my book.
   
• NiMH batteries - Thomas Distributors    The girls and I need batteries for everything. After testing >100 'dead' batteries and looking into recharging Alkaline batteries (don't bother), I researched rechargeable batteries. I found NiMH batteries offered the best of both worlds for our use. They have more power than NiCad batteries and can be recharged hundreds (1000?) of times. I looked around and found the best prices at Thomas Distributors.
   
• Wireless networks - LinkSys, Cisco, SMC, etc. I am testing a Cisco Airport 340 WAP and Cisco NIC.  These are 11 Mbps 802.11b devices.  It works throughout the house and into the basement running a full 11 Mbps measured at the card.  Various people have complained about interference from cordless phones (900 MHz and 2.4 GHz) and other home electronics which caused diminished throughput (down to 2 Mbps net). 
  Cisco has tons of utilities to manage the wireless server as well as the client.  You can measure signal strength in db, encrypt the connection and monitor the connection.  However, doing a default client install nuked my wireless connection.  I will have to investigate this later.
  I have a Siemens Gigaset 2.4 Gig two line phone and I checked the connection with both phone lines and the microwave working (which interferes with the cordless phone), but I had no problems.  I walked outside and around the perimeter of our property (1/4 acre, std 'burb lot size) and had a full 11 Mbps.  When I walked across the street (300' and on the opposite side of the house from the gateway), the signal degraded to between 2 and 5 Mbps.  Still pretty good, and I can easily work outside in the back yard if I like.  My next door neighbor could also share the connection (which concerns the communications folks).
  The best thing about the wireless connection is that I am writing this note on the kitchen table and not stuck up in my office.  The biggest family complaint (particularly Megan) has been that "Dad loves his computer" and that I "get lost" up in the office...
   
• AvantGo - (www.avantgo.com) - download your favorite news to your PDA.  Very useful for keeping up with news and hobbies offline.
   
• Siemens Gigaset - two line, 2.4 GHz cordless telephone system.
   
• Custom Bicycle Wheels - not all favorite things have to be geekware.  My new rear wheel is a 40 spoke Phil Wood hub with Mavic T217 rim.  I was breaking and bending the axles on my old rear wheels.  I have two old bikes with 126mm rear spacing.  The standard axles are 9mm in diameter, and even after using CrMo replacement axles on good hubs (Shimano 600, Campy Record), I was bending the axles.  I turned to Mel Kornbluth at Tandem's East.  Mel builds a fine wheel and I have been delighted with the results. 

If your a clysdale rider, like me (6'3" and 220 lbs), you don't look for a bike that weighs 19lbs and you don't look at <32 spoke wheels either.  Combine my size and riding style (an admitted 'grinder' who finds every pothole and debris on the shoulder) with older bikes and 126 mm rear and I was trashing rear wheels several times a month.