Every so often it’s not a bad practice to update your machine. Here’s my update to-do list in the order I prefer:

1. Windows Update – To ensure you have the latest security fixes from Microsoft. Seems like there’s always a few. I’ve not had much luck updating device drivers here.
2. Driver Agent – This is my preferred method for updating drivers. It’s not 100% correct but it covers most of the major devices.
3. AppSnap – Up until this week, I’ve not come across an application that checks for application updates that’s either worked well or was accurate enough to recommend. But I’ve been impressed with this free program. I’ve tested it on two machines and it’s found a number of applications to update and has worked well doing so.

Here’s a picture of AppSnap running on my computer. It found three applications to update but wasn’t sure about Picasa. I let it update Picasa anyway it worked just fine.

I’ve been looking for the dual monitor utility that does exactly what I want it to do and this weekend I found it. It’s called Ultramon and I now consider it a must have utility for dual monitor users. It will be one of the first programs I install when I rebuild my computer every few weeks….oh wait…I’m not running Vista anymore. 🙂

I love how it allows me to configure each monitor independently. As you can see, I’m able to use a picture as wallpaper on each monitor. But the killer feature I’ve been looking for is how it manages open programs in the task bar. An open program will show up on that monitor’s task bar. You can even move program to the other monitor from the task bar.

In short, Ultramon does what I’ve been looking for. It has a ton of other nifty features. The only downside? It’s not freeware.

Here is an overview of its best features

Link to download 30 day trial version

Link to more in depth review from Digital Lifestyles

I used to recommend Tweetr to my friends who were getting started with Twitter. But ever since version 2 arrived, I’ve been telling them to look elsewhere. What started out as a good program has become less stable over time.

The screen below presents itself at least half a dozen times a day. I’ve experienced the same problem on my work computer. In order to get it working again, I press the OK button a few times and it goes back to normal. Sometimes the OK button positions itself in the far upper left corner where it can barely be reached.

What other Windows based Twitter apps should I consider? This is getting old.

I’ve had my black Motorola Q for a few months and figured I’d revisit the review I wrote a while back. You can read my first impressions here, but keep in mind I’d only had the phone a few days.

Looking back to that first review the positive traits pretty much match up to my impressions today. The screen is quite nice, it’s relatively thin and easy to handle and it works well as an email platform with Exchange server report. Voice quality isn’t bad either.

But the Q has one major problem I can’t overstate: it’s a terrible phone.

When people ask me how I like the Q I tell them that it makes a very good email and text device. It’s not bad at basic web browsing either. But if you’re looking for a great phone, this isn’t it.

What makes it a bad phone? The keys are just to dang small which leads to making numerous typing mistakes. I assumed the mistakes would decrease they longer I had the phone. Not a chance. With my old Motorola E815, I could input the numbers by feel. But the Q requires your utmost attention. And even then you’re likely to make mistakes. It’s an exercise in frustration. If the person you want to call is in your contact list or has called recently, it’s takes pressing a few buttons to make the call. But having to input the number manually is maddening.

I use the data features a lot more than I do the phone. Due mostly to my line of work, email is the preferred method of communication and the Q works quite well for that. I’m also to able to read my RSS feeds through Bloglines which is nice.

One other reason I stick with the Q is that someone at Microsoft wrote a fantastic traffic application. I don’t believe it’s available publicly so I can’t link to a download (here’s what it looks like), but it’s the best traffic application I’ve seen on a smartphone. Living about 25 mile south of Seattle and commuting into Redmond each day, I’ve come to rely on this nifty little application. I know there are web based product with similar functionality, but I like not having to launch my browser each time I want traffic updates.

So I can’t recommend the Q primarily as a phone. If you’re a data first, phone second kind of person, it may fit your needs though. If that’s the case it would help to have thin, nimble fingers.

As more and more pages flood the net, it’s getting increasing difficult to find relevant search results within the first few results. I don’t have much patience when it comes to search. I expect to find what I’m after in the first 2 or 3 results or I try something else. I was reminded of this when I did a search this morning. I was looking for the Fantasy area of the Sportsline website so I went to Google and typed “Sportsline” and here are the first three results:

As you can see, Google organizes the different departments under the main search topic. In this case, it’s easy to see “Fantasy” listed under CBS Sportsline giving me the result I’m after.

Here are the same results using Microsoft Live Search:

You’ll notice that the first three results all go to the same site, CBS Sportsline, but the results are not as helpful at getting me to the right area. In fact, they are a bit confusing. It appears that the 2nd result is related to the first result which it is. Yet the third result looks like it should an entirely different website which it isn’t.

Google does a better job at getting me to the result faster. It’s similar to looking at a directory at a department store: Once I’m in the store, I go to the kids shoes or men’s department. If know the parent site, Google does a better job at getting me to the right area/department. Both do a good job at getting me to the parent site but so did Web Crawler and Alta Vista. Google has raised the stakes again.

Take a look at the following results and you’ll see what I mean:

1. Search for “ESPN” at Google and Live – Google organizes the major areas (MLB, NBA, NFL) . Live keeps you searching down the list of results.
2. Search for “Delta Airlines” at Google and Live – Google organizes Delta links under the main search term making it easy to navigate right to Flight schedules or Reservations. Live gets the main Delta site correct but isn’t much help after that. I’d have to click on that result and the click through the Delta site to get to the area I’m after.
3. Search for “Nordstrom” at Google and Live – Both place ads up top but Live places 3 and Google places just one. This one isn’t even close. Look how well organized the Google results are compared to Live’s results where the first result links to a Nordstrom store in San Francisco. Huh? I live in Seattle. One thing I do like about the results on Live is the “related searches” selection on the far right.

Google generally does a better job at getting me to the result I’m after faster than anything else. Maybe this has something to do with the experience Google has gathered over the years. It has an uncanny way of determining what I’m after better than anything else.

Microsoft Live has a ways to go before I’d consider using it full time. Just getting me the parent site isn’t enough anymore.

Kim and I watched a documentary called The Bridge tonight about people who decide to commit suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We’d seen a special on TV (20/20 or Dateline) a while back about the filming of this movie and why it was considered by many to be controversial. Although it was tough to watch in parts, it wasn’t as depressing as it may sound.

The director, Eric Steele, interviews the friends and family members of many of the people who decided to jump, including one young man who miraculously lived to explain his desire to die. As this boy jumped, he decided in midair that he wanted to live so he twists and contorts his body so that he’d hit the water feet first.

But the most dramatic footage comes from the multiple cameras Steele placed around the bridge that captured many of the jumpers in shots ranging from close ups to shots of distant shots where the sound of the splash tell us what just happened. A years worth of footage captured 23 people who jumped to their death.  This footage is so captivating and nerve wracking because, as it’s shown, you have no idea who is going to jump over the rail at any moment. The people come from all walks of life and it’s impossible to determine who the next victim is merely by what they are wearing or how they are carrying themselves.

We learn that the Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular suicide destination in the world with over 1300 confirmed deaths since it opened in 1937.

I visited the bridge with my parents when I was 12 years old. I recall sitting on a bus as we drove over the gigantic, golden span. The tour guide explained to us that only a handful of people had survived the jump. At the time I assumed people jumped for the thrill. It was chilling as a 12 year old to hear that and I felt a similar chill watching this movie tonight. It’s eerie. It’s disturbing. It’s honest. It’s not something I’ll soon forget.

Chris Pirillo was talking about programs that take the headache out of updating program and drivers. I’ve tried a number of products including Driver Agent which will scan your installed drivers and tell you which could be updated. But it doesn’t check program versions and it costs $30/year. I tried it for a year and the time it saved me probably wasn’t worth the money.

Chris mentions a few similar products, but the best of the lot for Windows is File Hippo. It’s fast and free and scans both drivers and programs. It even tells you which are still in beta. Very cool, indeed!

Here is the scan it ran on my Windows XP system. I’ve only tried it on two computers but it looks like a keeper