Apple I-Pad WiFi Connectivity Weak link in a Great Product

Did Apple lose it's way with their I-Pad?

At home my wife's I-Pad works great at close distance within our home but here is the problem. In our RV at an RV park I have no WiFi problem, in most cases, with the WiFi. Her (wife) I-Pad connection might be ok but rarely as  good as the Laptop and at times unusable. Apple knows this problem (poor reception) exists and knowing the philosophy of Apple (see next section) I wonder how Apple justifies this to themselves and really and smugly blames the router, the user, the distance, protocols, third-party equipment and would probably blame witches if they could. They would never give their loyal users a real solution.

Their original philosophy and what set Apple up as a real innovator in the personal computer arena was their philosophy and the belief that they made using a personal computer easy for the user (User Friendly). They failed horribly with the I-Pad by overlooking the connection issue while presenting a really wonderful piece of equipment. Rather than solve the problem they have ignored it and hope their reputation will overcome the shortcoming.

The Apple Philosophy:    

1. Craft, Above All (How it looks)

2. Empathy, an intimate connection with the feelings of the customer

3. Focus, eliminate all of the unimportant opportunities

4. Impute, in a creative, professional manner, we will impute the desired qualities

5. Friendliness, Apple has made cutting-edge devices seem friendly, and that’s a design strategy specifically intended to appeal to novice consumers and anyone overwhelmed by the capabilities of a computer.

"Apple posted a Knowledge Base article, pertaining to these issues. Not only does the article make suggestions for a remedy, it gives legitimacy to the fact that Apple considers this a very real issue.

What You Can Do: Apple comes up with a more definitive explanation and fix for this problem:

1) having a third-party Wi-Fi router that supports both the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands may be subject to a connectivity problem. It suggests that users can setup different SSID's for each band's network and to ensure that each network uses the same security type (WEP, WPA or WPA2.)

2) Update Your Router's Firmware. Before attempting to connect an iPad to a home network, make sure that you have the latest version of the firmware to ensure that the router is functioning at full capability. This is usually done within the router's included software.

3) Change The Router's Location. Do you have your router positioned in close proximity to equipment that could be causing interference? Microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors, wireless keyboards, and Bluetooth devices can muddy a W-Fi signal.

4) Set Your Router To Operate On One 802.11 Standard. Most current routers support not only 802.11n, but a, b, and g as well. Set your router to operate exclusively on the greatest standard available, and do the same with the wireless devices on your network. The iPad ships with support for 802.11n, so you should have your router match that if possible.

5) Change Your Router's Security Encryption. Typically, security isn't something that should be experimented with, but when attempting to boost network performance, it may be necessary. There's no question that WPA and WPA2 encryption is more secure than WEP, but the jury's still out about which encryption method can slow a network down more (some believe it's WEP and others WPA). If you have either currently deployed in your home network, try changing to a different encryption setting and see if that makes any difference in your connectivity. Apple also recommends that you use the same security settings across the entire network.

6) Rename Your Networks. Apple makes the somewhat odd suggestion that users rename their networks. "Create separate Wi-Fi network names to identify each band. This can be done easily by appending one or more characters to the current network name. Example: Add a G to the 802.11b/g network name and an N to the 802.11n network name.""

"This is surely the so-called pea in the princess' mattress, at least where the iPad's launch is concerned. It's hard to know where the blame lies at this time. While it's understandable that Apple is bearing the brunt of the complaints for their device's perceived connectivity issues, the problems could very well be an issue with third-party router vendors not releasing or pushing out firmware updates in time for the iPad's release. Here's hoping for a true fix from router vendors and/or Apple in the immediate future. In the meanwhile, try the tips above, and let us know if they helped you." www.pcmag.com

Will there be any more Paul Ryans

The Paul Ryan Budget Plan has been called courageous and a good plan. Paul calls it the Path to Prosperity but I don't see anything in his plan other than false numbers and sanctimonious sermons on the dangers of helping each other. Paul Ryan himself is touted as one of the Young Republican Guns but I still don't understand why he,this one person, is considered such a budget god. His animosity to those in need is un-Christian and borders on the uncaring. I grew up in the same Catholic faith as Paul Ryan and share the same first name but his logic boggles my mind.

Paul Ryan seems to think that our country has no place or little place in helping the elderly , ill, jobless, homeless or anyone serving the public. The irony is that Paul Ryan attended college using benefits from Social Security he received after his father's death.  *Side Note: Why was that fact removed from Ryan's Wiki Page?

There are, I'm sure some very fine qualities in this young man but I'll never understand his motivation to destabilize Medicare, Social Security and eliminate Medicaid and other programs that have made our country one of the most stable economies in the world.

There are taxes and there are taxes and right now Paul Ryan wants to lower taxes on the wealthy not the middle class or lower class working poor. Just to clarify wealthy isn't people who work hard to earn $70,000 per year not even those earning "$249,999.

 The Huffington Post's Jon Ward writes:

"Many on the left have said Ryan’s plan is unfair to the elderly and the poor -– who would also be affected by Ryan’s approach to Medicare and Medicaid, respectively. If medical prices continue to rise on their current trajectory, the Congressional Budget Office projected that Ryan’s plan would increase health care costs for seniors and limit the growth of government medical services for the neediest Americans."

The Brookings Institute's  "Up Front Blog" says:

"Ryan's plan has flaws, of course. In terms of economic growth, it undervalues the kinds of investments in science, health research, education programs, infrastructure, and other key types of "domestic discretionary spending" that are needed to build a strong economy. In terms of fairness, its approach to income tax reform lets off higher-income Americans too easily."

I wonder if we will ever have more Paul Ryan's when Social Security falls apart?

Animal Chin

I have four sons who grew up in Tierrasanta, CA and love skateboarding this is their first and fave skateboard video.

"The Search for Animal Chin"

New Software to Revolutionize the Life of Students

New Software to Revolutionize the Life of Students

Vital Logic, an Oregon based company, has been working on software that will give students the edge on grades. The software will run on any Microsoft® or Apple® based operating system.
The key to the software is it’s ability to record, transcribe, report and even analyze lectures.

Using the latest Voice Stress Analysis (VSA) software first developed in Dektor labs the software incorporates a digital application based on the McQuiston-Ford algorithm and new firmware sensor code named Diogenes.

How it Works – Digitally recording lectures the software performs several functions. In transcribe mode the software first creates a full transcript but doesn’t stop there. By clicking the Summery button you get an outline of the lecture which can be created in Brief, Full or Enhanced mode. Brief mode creates an outline of the actual lecture while summary mode creates a bi-level view of points made of the lecture. Enhanced mode not only creates the outline but adds references to every point using Google’s Universal Reference Tool (URT-23). Enhanced mode also adds relevant points the lecturer may have omitted.

But Wait There’s More – The FLord analysis engine named after Frederic Lord, Father of Modern Testing in Education kicks in with a list of probable questions with the best answers based on the VSA score and emphasis in the voice of the Lecturer.

And Even More – Since Lecture Notes 2012 retains all information for a specific Professor or teacher comprehensive tests can be produced in any question format from Essay to Multiple Choice to Fill in the blank format.

Also Available – Grade school and pre-School models with either cute kitten or fire truck cursors.

Discounts available for orders of 10 or more.

Available at all Waltmart locations or online at Goodie Egg Software

My Mother

My mother was a pip. Warm caring with a touch of devilishness. Cute and funny and one who never shied away from "what must be done." She loved giving and would feed an army if they dropped by. She loved my dad and all of her children. There was another side of her that never complained of her place in life or the great potential within. She was a marvelous untrained artist who used color like Van Gogh and Matisse. She cared for her brother and sisters when her mother passed away and her father Isaac worked all day for their reunion as a family.

Her cooking was superb a mix of Lebanon and Louisiana with instinctive dashes and splashes of spices only she knew. It wasn't just the Lebanese food but shrimp to die for as well. Sharyn learned many of the dishes and Elaine and Maggi picked them up as well. I know she taught Matt to make that wonderful pocket bread mother called Syrian bread and I'm still trying to duplicate the warm aromatic softness myself.

I'm convinced she could have done anything better than well and yet she chose family over fame or fortune and perhaps a little of that was the times and circumstance. In many ways she is famous and her life endures like her smile. I do know I am a better person because of her.

I wish I had dug deeper into her enjoyment of Edgar Cayce who said ""Keep sweet, keep friendly, keep loving, if ye would keep young," and that's what my mother always did.

My mother also wrote and my favorite of her writings was this:

Tears
by Margaret

At dusk I lie and gaze out the window pane
Upon whose face the raindrops slowly then swiftly run
And am reminded of countless tears that dormant remain
When skies have cleared and there comes a bright sun

The tears never were shown for all the heartaches in her life one of which was my arthritis and others were seeing her younger siblings pass before her, her never taken trip to her parents birthplace in Lebanon before that country was nearly destroyed in bitter conflict. She talked of Lebanon and it's reputation as the Paris of the Middle east, and the Cedars and Olive trees. How the bulldozing of the olive trees was like ripping the soul out of the people there.

Despite her love of her parents birthplace she was never a believer in the conflict only in the desire for peace.

While there were dormant tears there was always warmth from the dollar hidden in her bra to the smile at winning another Scrabble game.
Love you mom

Devil's Staircase/Wassan Creek Wilderness Area

Just heard about this area. Hopes are it can be protected.

"The U.S. Forest Service has endorsed designation of a new wilderness area in an area of Oregon's Coast Range known for a remote waterfall called the Devil's Staircase.

Deputy Chief Joel Haltrop appeared Thursday before a congressional subcommittee in Washington, D.C., in support of the bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

It would create the Devil's Staircase Wilderness on 30,000 acres of federal land east of Reedsport, and designate Wasson and Franklin creeks as wild rivers.

Conservation groups say the rugged area encompasses the best old growth forest and most dense concentration of northern spotted owls in Oregon's Coast Range. There is no trail to the falls, which are formed by a series of sandstone slabs."

Devil's Staircase from Cascadia Wildlands on Vimeo.

Two Wheels Big Dream

Don't try this at home.



Marvelous