Caffeinated Pixels

Fueled by obscene amounts of coffee and a love for all things 8-bit and shiny, Pete wants to share his experiences with you. He'll try not to twitch and fidget too much, so as to not distract you from sharing his Apple vs. PC thoughts and comparisons, wistful yearning for a return to classic gaming, and focused spout-offs inspired by a life circling around computers, video games, and gadgets

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Peter Redmer's blog

How Should I Back Up My Media And Data Files?

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 16:51

Question:

You may know the feeling.  That sinking feeling you get deep in your gut that tells you something just went horribly, horribly wrong with your computer.  It's usually confirmed when you navigate to your photos, music, or documents folder and find... that... it's... EMPTY.  Or maybe you try to access the file and get some strange error, or your computer locks up, never to be resurrected again.

Because of this type of devastating occurrence, one of the most common questions I get is:  "How should I back up files on my computer?"  You'd think it would be easy, but the truth is that there are a lot of ways to safeguard your digital loot - and I'd like to help make a little more sense of them.

Microsoft Zune: The Forgotten MP3 Player?

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 16:59

Mentally, the local and iconic Woodfield Mall represents Apple, at least to me.  I bought my first Apple product there - an 800 MHz G3 iBook, which was my constant and never-failing companion for over four long, happy years.  I bought a 3G iPod there, too. 

I remember coming to the mall frequently, always stopping by the shiny, relatively new Apple Store and salivating over virtually everything, perusing and digging through the now-removed clearance and refurb section, hoping to find that great deal to make my credit card weep.

So I was there last weekend, after months and months of... well, not being there, and old memories flowed back to me of my first fond moments with Apple, like a first kiss or that one time I drove a BMW M3 and felt the rush of that many horses under my gas pedal.

If Your Geek Wants Something Different... Give A Flying Toy This Christmas

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Fri, 12/05/2008 - 16:51

I know what you're saying, flying toys aren't necessarily "gadgets."  You can't check your email or watch TV on them, nor will they play your favorite video game.

Really, though, aren't radio control fans and gadget lovers one and the same?  Doesn't the love for the newest and hottest phones and computers translate pretty easily to high-tech remote control planes, trains, robots, and cars?

I think it does, and I have a couple recommendations for the best things on wings (or blades) to give the R/C junkie in your life.  Personally, I own every single one of these toys and love them all.  I've gone through many a set of batteries flying these around  :)

The Peek Email Device... Most Underrated Gadget Gift For 2008?

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 18:18

My email and I have a love/hate relationship.  As much as I love keeping in touch via email, I also feel an "obligation" to check it all the time, and it can interfere with my life sometimes.  Overall, staying connected is a net positive though, and my iPhone certainly makes it enjoyable and efficient.

Mobile Email for the Non-Geek

What about the "rest of us," though?  The non-geeky crowd who might not have ever even used a BlackBerry or iPhone, clutching their Moto RAZR's and entry-level Samsung candybar phones that they got for free years ago?  The folks who really want to stay in touch with their kids and more wired friends and family members via email, but avoid computers like the bubonic plague or door-to-door pamphlet peddlers?

Why Are Songs Disappearing From My iPod When I Sync?

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Thu, 11/13/2008 - 18:45

Question:

As the resident "Mac guy," I feel a special bond with user Sherry D, who is having some problems with her iPod Nano and iTunes:

"I am following instructions to transfer my CD's to my iPod Nano, but my player is not picking up the songs.  I put the CD into the iTunes window, the songs show up on the computer, and I press "import."  The songs show they are downloading to the computer.  I transfer them to a playlist, and press "sync." The songs then disappear.  I try it both with auto syncing and manual syncing.  Sometimes all of my songs on the iPod are removed when I try to sync. Help!"

Best Sites and Apps For Reading News On Your iPhone

Submitted by Peter Redmer on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 19:50

I'll confess... I've been a little obsessed with the news lately.  What with the recent presidential election and the ongoing financial disaster, it seems only natural to be more interested in tailing current events than ever.  It took a while for me to truly jump on board, but once I got all my RSS feeds up and running, synced with NetNewsWire, and ready to go, I'm a virtual dumping ground for all things headline. 

Tech, finance, and world news updates pour into my reader(s) faster than bailout money into AIG's coffers, and I can barely keep up.

That being said, I'm fortunate enough to possess one of the best mobile news readers around:  the iPhone.

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