Keep File Dates Intact When Restoring Data From Mozy

By Rick Broida, PCWorld May 23, 2011 1:51 PM

As I mentioned last week, I've suffered some fairly catastrophic hardware failures of late. Thankfully, no critical data was lost, in part because I use Mozy to archive the important stuff (Word documents, my Outlook PST file, etc.) to the cloud.
It's interesting the things you learn about your backup system when the time comes to restore from it. For example, I once learned the hard way that the image file I'd created flat-out didn't work on the new hard drive I'd installed. (Why? I never did figure it out, which is why you should always do a "test restoration" whenever implementing a new backup system.) And recently I discovered a weird, annoying anomaly in the way Mozy restores files.
Specifically, after using Mozy's Restore Manager (a small utility intended solely for restoring files) to download my Word documents to my new PC, I discovered that each file's creation date (a.k.a. "Date modified") had been altered to today's date. That might not be a big deal for certain kinds of files, but I frequently need to know when a particular document was authored.
Why does this happen? I have no idea, but it's a bug that needs fixing. In the meantime, there is a way to make sure your file dates remain intact: Use the Mozy client software, not Restore Manager, to handle the restoration. (If you're working on a new PC like I was, you'll probably want to install that anyway.) That's according to a Mozy employee who posted the solution in a Mozy community forum. And I'm happy to report my tests bear this out.
Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com, or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums.

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Robot Plays Chess, Attempts to Assert Dominance Over Humans

By Blair Hanley Frank, PCWorld May 23, 2011 2:09 PM

[Photo: Patrick McCabe]Playing chess with a computer program is often the best way to challenge yourself as a player when you don’t have a partner to play with. Unfortunately, playing chess on the screen isn’t the same experience as playing it with physical pieces. Patrick McCabe is trying to couple the physicality of a real chess board with the utility of a chess computer.
To do so, he created a CNC plotter with a grabber to move pieces around the board. It’s powered by software called MyRobotLab, an open-source framework for making robots work based on Java services.

Human control for the chess game takes place at a console on one side of the board. There, the player selects the piece to move, and the robot moves it.The computer then tells the robot to move after a pause to figure out its next move. When a piece is captured, the robot helpfully removes it from play and drops it in front of the human player. The computer plays, and the game continues until either black or white wins.
For those of you interested in building a similar ‘bot, McCabe has a detailed write-up available for your perusal.
[Chess Robot and MRL via Hack A Day]
Blair Hanley Frank tends to open with the Ruy Lopez when playing White

backyard landscaping ideas

backyard landscaping ideas

backyard landscaping ideas

The following are general ideas on how to create small backyard landscaping that is inspired by the natural habitats we commonly see in different parts of the world. It also includes the types of plants present and how they are treated for maintenance.

Tropical backyard – A tropical backyard is mostly composed of sharp colors and numerous shapely elements. In the tropics, sunlight is prevalent therefore different kinds of life forms can be found. To mimic this effect, include colorful flowers with several shapes. Large leaves, thorny branches, thick roots and creepy venous stems are signatures of tropical forests. Make sure to include these elements in your backyard landscape. Of course, since rain is a constant in the tropics, include in your backyard a lot of fluid water. You can keep the water calm, flowing, dripping or bubbling. Colors attract a lot of different insects, so be wary of bugs that are not people friendly. However, you will also see a bunch of moths and butterflies that will be attracted to your tropical backyard.

Bamboo backyard – Bamboos are eternally green and are a favorite in temperate countries because they do not change color or lose their leaves in time for autumn and winter. Bamboos are overgrown grass and can grow up to several feet high. Include a panda-shaped rock to remind you of these gentle, bamboo forest dwelling creatures. When you feel like your bamboos have grown too big; cutting them won’t go to waste. These sturdy bamboos are easily sculpted to become tiny decorations – or make them into chopsticks!

Bonsai garden – Bonsais are potted plants with miniaturizes trees. Originally from Japan, a normally large tree is forced to grow into small twins of the original because they do not have space for their roots to expand. To compensate, they are forced to limit their sizes into manageable amounts. Growing a bonsai is a challenging endeavor; however managing several of these to create your backyard landscape has perks of its own. Once you have collected a number of these, mastered how to maintain them and arranged them as you wished in your backyard, you will feel like a giant walking along a miniature forest. Since bonsais are not much different from their large parents except for their sizes, expect to see miniature fruits growing on them as well. Learn more about how bonsais are maintained. The regularity of watering these bonsais depends on where they originally came from. If their parent stemmed in the tropics, then watering them will be more often than those bonsais which originated from temperate ones.

Cacti garden – Cacti are plants that require the least amount of water. Contrary to popular belief, cacti need water too. However, the regularity and amount of water it needs is much less than that of other plants which grow in other parts of the world. These prickly creatures come in different shapes and sizes, and sometimes they grow a flower or two. Although watering them need not be done on a regular basis, a constant source of sunlight is a must. Come winter time, it is best to protect them inside greenhouse because low temperatures can freeze up the water they stored inside and will eventually kill the plant.

These are just a few suggestions on how to start your little backyard landscaping. Do not limit yourself and go for ideas you have in mind. No matter what kind you have, always remember that creating your very own backyard landscaping activity must be enjoyable and fun.

By Richard McIntyre

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

back yard landscape designs

back yard landscape designs

back yard landscape designs

On a cold fall afternoon or on a cool evening summer evening, sitting around on your back yard with a fire pit is definitely full of fun. You can do what you want their with your family or with your love ones. Indeed, you can grill some food their to enjoy the life of doing a picnic while inside your territory. This way your fire pit will no longer just be just an ordinary furniture in your back yard, but will really become part of the scenery in your place, just like having an attractive fire pits, whether it is a gas, wood generated, patio fire pit, etc. Hence, your design will become fully part of your living area.

is a gas, wood generated, patio fire pit, etc. Hence, your design will become fully part of your living area.>

There are a lot of models or styles, if you may, that you may explore using when you are designing your back yard or your outdoor area. For you to only spend less cost for your fire pit, you may, of course, take advantage of the patio furniture that you already have in your back yard, and all you have to do is to place it around the fire pit, which you think and see that will be a good layout.

To give you some ideas of a good layout in your back yard, you may try considering placing garden benches around the fire pit because their presence will look attractive. You have to choose, of course, benches that would match up the color or design of your fire pit. Stone benches or iron benches will actually suffice. It will definitely suit in with the fire pit you have in your back yard. Having these things in your back yard will surely make your territory look great.

Director chairs, swings, sling chairs, etc, are all some attractive seating alternatives you may place around your fire pit. If you feel like seating there as a director, you may place a director chair there, and for sure it will invite you more to keep coming back there during your free time. Benches that are made for a family setting are also good to place there especially when your family love to stay outdoor during your free time. Of course, aside from chairs, you also need side tables where you could place your food or other things that you may bring in while you are outdoor.

By Jessie James Marcellones

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

australian landscape design

australian landscape design

australian landscape design

These adjoining gardens, established in 1852, form the green heart of Melbourne on what was originally a swamp on the edge of the city. The Botanic Gardens house one of the finest collections of botanic species in the world, as well as being highly regarded for their landscape design. William Guilfoyle, curator of the Gardens between 1873 and 1909, used his knowledge of English garden design to create a horticultural paradise. Kings Domain, once an inner-city wilderness, became instead gracious parkland. Its civic function grew over the years, with the establishment of its monuments, statues, cultural venues and the hilltop residence of the Governor of Victoria.

Pioneer Women’s Garden

This sunken, formal garden was built in 1934 to honor the memory of Victoria’s founding women. A still, central pool is adorned by a bronze, female statue.

Shrine of Remembrance

Based on the description of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Asia Minor, now Turkey, this imposing monument honors Australian soldiers who gave their lives in war.

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

It is an architecturally acclaimed music “shell” which can accommodate up to 15,000 people for open-air concerts and ballets. In winter the stage becomes an ice rink.

Government House

This elaborate Italianate building is a landmark of the gardens. Tours of the state rooms are held each week.

The Perennial Border, based on designer Gertrude Jekyll’s traditional color scheme, is planted with pastels, contrasting with grey and silver foliage.

Algerian Oak

This magnificent mature oak in the centre of the Oak Lawn is particularly spectacular when it flowers in September.

Ornamental Lake

William Guilfoyle’s lake forms the centerpiece of the Gardens. It reflects his adherence to 18th-century English garden design, which used water as a feature.

Arid Garden

Desert region plants from Australia and around the world thrive in this special garden, watered by a small stream which acts as a natural oasis.

La Trobe’s Cottage was shipped from England in 1839 and was home to Victoria’s first governor, Charles La Trobe. The building is now preserved by the National Trust.

Articles Source : australian landscape design

arizona landscaping design

arizona landscaping design

Posted on May 9, 2011 by landscape design

Wildland fires take place all across the United States. Once thought to be merely a problem that took place in the western aspects of the United States, now people and companies are taking a harder look at the factors that combine to make fire-wise landscaping so much more practical and desirable.
The principles of fire-wise landscaping are simple ones. The forces of wind, fuel, and the behavior of the fire need to be taken into account in order that maximum protection can be given to the homes and buildings that may be in the path of a wildfire.
When a wildfire takes place, the natural materials that are already in place can interact with the landscaping that has been put into place by the human factor, as well as the buildings in the immediate area. The results of this can be devastating to those who lose their homes and property.
There is no region in the United States or elsewhere that is completely immune to a wildfire. That holds true of the western desert states, as well as the eastern hardwood forest states. The areas of most concern of course are where homes and property sit side-by-side with forested areas.
Any fire, regardless of indoors or outdoors will follow a given path. The path that the wildfire takes will be controlled essentially by three variables. These are fuel availability, the terrain on which is it burning, as well as the prevalent direction and the speed of the wind.
A fire that begins in low dried grasses such as the popular deer grass, will burn rapidly making its way to trees that may reside nearby. Fire will climb, from the lowest to the highest fuels. This is called laddering the fuel. It’s one means that a wildland fire can take a significant hold on the terrain and gather power to keep moving forward.
All fire, whether indoors or out requires oxygen, heat, and fuel to survive. If you remove just one of those items then the fire loses its chance for increasing the power and survival. Landscaping in such a way that the wildland fire that may arise has an interruption in one of those three items means that you’ve done your best to eliminate the chances of permitting the fire to grow and continue.
You can very effectively increase the chances that your home will survive a wildland fire by planning the design not only of the home, but also of the landscaping that surrounds it.
-The basic principles of firewise landscaping are:
-Reduction of the type of fuel that is available to the fire by avoiding mulch and other flammable types of plant surround or walkway material.
-Removal of very flammable plants
-Removal of dried or dead tree and plant materials around the home.
-Reduce the plants or trees that many hang over the top of your home
Space trees more apart to prevent fire jumping from one to another.
-Add planned fire breaks so that the fire has an area of no fuel
-Remove the ladder effect so that fire cannot make the jump from low brush to tree branches.
Each of these methods offers you some chance of interrupting the path of the fire. In addition, a wide area of lawn, a stone or dirt driveway and paths or sidewalks can also offer smaller firebreak areas when well planned.
Selection of the proper plant life, adequate spacing of the trees and correct placement of the items in your proposed landscaping can help to assure that your home does survive a fire.
Preplanning is a great way to assure that you have the best firewise landscaping possible. Evaluating the site, assessing the surrounding area, and working with an expert in firewise landscaping principles means that you and your home have the best chance of being together for many years to come.
By Christopher D Griffin
Article Source: ezinearticles.com Continue reading →

AT&T and Verizon's Battle to Deliver LTE to Heat Up This Summer

By Eric Mack, PCWorld May 23, 2011 9:38 AM

AT&T and Verizon's battle to deliver lightning-fast LTE wireless network speeds to its customers is expected to heat up this summer. Verizon may have a jump on AT&T, for now, but don't write-off AT&T just yet. Its upcoming LTE network is shaping to give Verizon a run for its money when it launches this summer.
Verizon Wireless announced Monday that it will be bringing LTE service to mid-sized markets including State College, Penn., Indianapolis and Greenville-Spartanburg, SC on June 16. Verizon LTE launched in December and is currently available in over 50 markets and even more airports nationwide. The company claims its LTE network allows eligible wireless customers to receive data download speeds of between 5 and 12 megabits-per-second and upload speeds of 2-5 Mbps-that's roughly ten times faster than the commonly reported speeds for Verizon's existing 3G network.
The nomenclature around LTE networks can be confusing, as they're often marketed as 4G networks, despite not fully complying with 4G requirements, they're often more accurately referred to as a pre-4G technology.
Map from Verizon showing plans to offer LTE in over a hundred cities in coming months
Meanwhile, AT&T has demonstrated an experimental LTE network in suburban Dallas capable of speeds up to 29 Mbps-that's much faster than anything currently offered by any carrier but still well below the specs for LTE, which allow for download peak rates of at least 100 Mbps.
AT&T has said the experimental network in Plano, Texas doesn't reflect real-world speeds and the company refuses to speculate about what it might be able to deliver to customers when it debut LTE service later this summer. Spokesperson Mark Seigel told PC World the company is in no rush:
"Our approach is well-known... the technology is called Long Term Evolution for a reason."
Whenever AT&T's LTE service debuts, it's likely to have a ways to go to catch up to Verizon, regardless of the speeds offered by the competing carriers. But perhaps the biggest wild card in the battle over the next-generation of data networks will be when an LTE-capable iPhone will appear on the market and which carriers it will support. And Apple says we'll have to wait until at least 2012 for the answers to those questions.

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