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Posts Tagged ‘technology’

Posted on October 17, 2009

An IT Checklist (and other things to know) for New Volunteers

Greetings to all new VSO volunteers who are coming to Nepal. Here is what you need to know regarding IT…

Bring your own laptop – your laptop will be your source of entertainment (movies, tv, music, photos, etc.) and it will allow you to work from anywhere (at home, at Cyber cafes, wi-fi enabled restaurants etc.). Don’t rely on your partner organization to provide you a working PC (some are ancient). You can purchase laptops in Kathmandu but they are expensive since the shop keepers tell me that they get hit with excess import taxes. A decent laptop can run from 60,000 to 75,000 npr. If you have no choice or realize that you do have to purchase a laptop in Nepal, have no fear since all brands are available and the services at some shops are pretty extraordinary (ie. “free” software, support, extra add-ons if you bargain). For my work here, I like small and compact laptops, especially if you plan to carry it around from office to office, district to district (no need to break your back). Netbooks are worth it in my opinion (if you are the Internet-Word-Photo-viewing only type of person). If there is no DVD/CD drive, just get the extra external optical drive and leave it home when not needed! Don’t forget to bring back-up CD’s of your operating system and software – you never know if and when you have to reinstall them (you don’t want to install anything from here either). Integrated web cams and mic is a must.
Anti-virus software – DO NOT mess around with this aspect. Pay for a decent anti-virus software program as the free ones will not cut it. Without a doubt YOU WILL come across viruses, especially in some places where Internet is still on dial-up and sharing files via flash USB drives (pen drives as they call it here) is the norm. Read my previous post of recommended anti-virus programs. Regarding anti-virus updates, you can plug your laptop into any cyber cafe. If you are in the Kathmandu valley, fill up at the VSO office.
Electrical plug outlet adapters and surge protectors – re: plug outlet adapters, it would be good to bring your own high-quality adapters but you can also get good ones here. Re: surge protectors, if you have a good, high-quality one bring it for the sake of your laptop. Poor power surge bars will eventually drain your laptop battery (our brand new laptop used to last for 3 hours and now it can barely last for 1). However, you can also purchase high-quality surge protectors in town for cheap.
External hard drives and USB flash drives (pen drives) – for backup and file sharing, it is a must! Sure, you can burn DVD’s of your important data, photos and files but they do fill up fast (and if you are a photo addict like I am, you will need it). You can purchase inexpensive drives here (Transcend is the popular brand – 120 GB for 9000 npr) but heck, bring your own anyways. Pen drives bought here are really inexpensive and pretty reliable.
Upgrading your laptop – I am not sure why (maybe because parts can “easily” be imported in) but upgrading RAM and laptop hard drives is relatively cheap.
Thinking about a Desktop computer? – For only 25000 – 35000 npr you can get a pretty fast clone PC. But get a laptop.
PC or Laptop support/troubleshooting? – If there isn’t any IT volunteer or any tech-savvy volunteers around, VSO Nepal outsources their IT needs and perhaps you can use the same company as well. If you are out of valley, I would head to your local cyber cafe and start from there for advice. The IT industry is booming here in Nepal.
Laptop bags and gear – a protective sleeve for your laptop is always good (for dust, spills, flying dal bhaat, whatever) as well as a good bag. You can get a good notebook style messenger bag but it’s not as convenient as a good backpack designed for notebooks. It’s easier to carry, you are more mobile and flexible, especially if you are on a motorbike. A notebook lock is good but I never really used mine.
Internet Providers in Nepal – still debatable on which ones to use as every volunteer has had good and bad experiences with each company. Check with VSO Nepal for their updated recommendations but here is my list of companies to use.
Mobile phone – you can bring your own GSM SIM card enabled phone but if it is an expensive one, I would be wary about bringing it as there is a chance that you can lose, damage, or get it stolen. You can get a decent mobile phone here (and it will for sure work) for 2500 to 3500 npr. Out-going volunteers can pass you their old phones as well (very convenient as you do not have to go through the hassle of registering for a phone number). However, if you do need to register for a new number, Mero Mobile and NTC are the popular (and most reliable) service providers in the country (as side from the registration fee, you would also need a passport photo and a photocopy of your passport). Like all telecom companies, they do have their business-driven Pros and Cons (ie. Mero moble users calling another Mero mobile user is cheaper than calling an NTC user, NTC has cheaper rates but hard to get SIM card for some reason).
Email (and related web services) – most often volunteers create new email address accounts while they are working in Nepal. The big 3 email providers, Microsoft Live Mail, Google Gmail, and Yahoo! Email each have their own perks and depending on which company your friends mostly use, it will also likely determine who you sign-up with as well. This matters the most when it comes to chatting and accessing useful web services that you may find useful for staying in touch with friends and family back home.Here is quick summary of these services:
- Yahoo! – with your Yahoo! account you will not only have email but access to Flickr (for photo sharing and storage), Delicious (for storing and sharing bookmarks on the web), Yahoo! Groups, and Yahoo! Messenger for chat.
- Google – along with Gmail, you can setup your own Blog with Blogger, manage your photos on your computer and share them online with Picasa, chat with other Google users on Google Talk (and Gmail if you have chat enabled). Google also has Groups. Like to map things? Google Maps is neat. Google is my choice.
- Hotmail (or Live mail from Microsoft) – you got blog with Live Spaces, MSN messenger chat, photo sharing and management with Windows Vista or 7, and lots of other services. You can’t go wrong here.
- Mac – if you are on a Mac, well you have all of the above plus your own cool world (MobileMe).
- Facebook is a notable mention – it is has everything you need especially if all your friends and family are on it. VSO Nepal even has a Facebook group.
Blogs – need a web site (blogs are really web sites)? Then I recommend Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, or Tumblr.com. Windows Live Spaces is included with your hotmail account.
Software – aside from the aforemention chat programs above, Skype is a godsend for video, chat, and phone calls. You should have your basic office applications such as Microsoft Office. Be aware however, most organization that I have worked with are still using older versions of Microsoft Windows and Office (Windows XP and Office 95/2000) for obvious $$$ reasons so you may stumble upon file compatibility issues (.doc vs. .docx). OpenOffice is great but if you are working on a document that was originally in Word or has to be submitted in Word, DO NOT use OpenOffice as you may find yourself having many formatting and layout headaches/issues.Finally, here is my essential list of software to load your laptop with:
1. Anti-virus software of course
2. Microsoft Office (or OpenOffice) and a backup/restore CD of your laptop or operating system
3. Email software: if using Hotmail, download Windows Live Mail to email read your email offline. Gmail via Google Gears. Mozilla Thunderbird is another free email software package.
4. For photos: Picasa is free as is Windows Live Photos.
5. Web browsers: Google Chrome is nice, light and fast, Mozilla FireFox is neat, if you are living in Microsoft land go with Internet Explorer.
6. Adobe Acrobat Reader (but get the full Acrobat version if you can or install PDF Creator)
7. Skype (did I mention that already?)
8. For blogging offline, Windows Live Writer which is great when you don’t have internet access and you can draft your blog entry and have it ready to go.
9. Video and DVD’s – VLC Media Player, it plays everything.
10. CCleaner – a useful all-in-one cleaning program that clears out the junk and organizes your computer (makes your computer go faster and can free up hard drive space.)

If anybody else has any other suggestions, feel free to share them here.

Posted on October 8, 2009

Homeless find hope through technology, Internet – The Globe and Mail

“We want to break down this stereotype of what homelessness is. It’s not just laziness, or drugs, or mental addiction; it’s a whole variety of factors that can lead to someone’s being homeless. It’s complicated. — Brett Gaylor, homelessnation.org co-founder

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Posted on September 13, 2009

Water? Electricity? What’s more important?

Another notable moment (and there were many) that I remember from my last ride through the Terrai districts was the never-ending road construction. Roads and more specifically along the road side, mounds of earth were being ripped up for various pipe line developments.

I asked my driver Saron-dai what the long ant-line of construction workers were doing (it’s was an unbelievable sight),

“Are these pipes for water? electricity?”

Saron-dai flat out said no, and simple replied with the utmost confidence that what was really going was very important…

“These pipes are for Internet!”

“What? For the Internet?”, I was completely surprised, and to think, why would I ever think it could be for water or electricity!?!?

Of course, I had to check so when I had the opportunity, I quickly examined the pipes that were going into the gutters. One of the marked PVC pipes were actually encasing fiber-optic cable owned by Spice Nepal.

Oh how the Internet has grown….

Only a mere three years ago, dial-up internet connection was (and still is in most less developed districts) the latest and greatest telecommunications technology to hit the Nepal landscape (a far distant second to mobile phone networks of course). My colleagues Neil and Gerry mentioned to me that when they arrived during that time, dial-up Internet was just taking off (talk about going back in time to the mid-90’s). Today, high-speed cable internet access is bursting into the scene, rapidly bypassing dial-up (thank goodness) and cyber cafes are madly popping up like Tim Horton stores in southern Ontario.

…re: mobile phones

I’m still getting used to seeing Buddhist monks and villagers walking around with mobile phones that are 10-times more advanced than my antique Motorola v551 phone.

Mobile phone use etiquette in Nepal still needs some work.

Related side note: thanks to Cody for posting this article link about Solar mobile phones on my Facebook wall. Here is another related post.

Looking up

So I guess things are staring to look up in Nepal (hence the photo of the baby). Without a doubt, Internet access and mobile phone networks will continue to develop in Nepal, more than anything else…

…and you can probably gue$$ why that is.

Posted on August 2, 2009

In this case, smaller is better

So today, it is with deepest regrets to say that my relationship with Shiva Ratri has ended prematurely. We had fun on our dates, logged many late night hours on the Internet, travelled together to various places in Nepal, etc., BUT it just didn’t work out as I was looking for something different to compliment where life is taking me at the moment. So with the help of a friend, we were able to find Shiva Ratri a new home and quickly purchase our latest addition to the family (drum roll please) little Dal Bhaat – the Toshiba’s NB200 mini-notebook.

(yes, I give nicknames to my computers)

Why you may ask? Well, maybe it is because I am getting a little older, wiser, and having less tolerance dealing with crap, and the thought of lugging the HP Compaq 6530s around (starting at 2.27 kg plus accessories) during our travels is as appealing as listening to a Celine Dion album 24 hours a day. I physically “could” do it but why punish myself (my SLR camera gear already weighs that much)?

In my mind, trading it in was worth it because within a year or so we’ll be digitally planning our travels at the beaches, comfortably blogging at French cafe’s, sharing photos with the Pope, and keeping ourselves entertained during long Eurorail rides (now you can download digital editions of Lonely Planet’s entire collection).

Why this netbook

I’ve been keeping an eye on the netbook scene for a few years now, ever since the first Acer Eee PC’s came out followed by attempts from HP (they also have a tablet PC), Dell, MSI, and Sony – one of the first models but so typically Sony-esque expensive (the One Laptop per Child project is still the visionary pioneer). Being mobile yet powerful at the same time was high on my list, especially now. However, these first generation netbooks, although portable, were still awkward to use, power skimpy (500 MB of RAM and 8 GB hard drive?!?!? C’mon!?!), and still VERY expensive (a few hundred dollars more and you could have yourself a power notebook). Speaking of which, who could forget the Macbook Air (I must admit I fell into the media hype).

Then one day, I stumbled upon an advertisement in The Kathmandu Post about Toshiba’s NB200 mini-notebook line. I don’t ever recall hearing about Toshiba making a netbook before so I was immediately intrigued and quickly sought out a computer store to see this product in person. I was utterly amazed – for the price, power, and upgrade possibilities, you definitely can’t go wrong (others seem to agree, see Laptop Magazine & PC World). It looks like Toshiba took a wait-and-see approach as this netbook looks flawless, even perhaps taking a page out of Apple’s design playbook.

Noticeable features:

Of course, it’s light (a little less than 3 lbs / 1.4 kg) and easy to handle – literally like a notebook.
The keyboard layout is the big draw as it is just spacious enough without making your hands feel cramped. The raised keys also makes typing much more comfortable.
USB Sleep-and-Charge ports – you can charge peripherals even when the netbook is off.
Typical yet essential: integrated web cam, enough USB ports (with 3), mic and head phone sound jacks (built in speakers suck), SD Card Slot, WI-FI / Bluetooth.
Upgradeable RAM and HD (already packed in 2GB of RAM – upgrades are inexpensive here).
Bright LED-back lit screen.
9-hours of battery life?!?! (6-cell battery)
They power adaptors is significant smaller as well – looks like a small stick of butter and thus lightens your total carrying load.
The overall design has an artistic look to it – the chrome bar is a nice touch.
Did I mention it was light? Weighing almost the same as the Macbook Air, the NB200 is much easier to handle with it’s compact, smaller dimensions.

As a long-time HP fan, I will miss the Lightscribe technology and their 6-in-one integrated media card reader. However, there are a few HP netbooks on Amazon.ca but they are slighlty heavier, slightly more expensive, slightly less RAM, and slightly “3-cell lithium battery power” !!!! (not acceptable).

My other big concern of course was the lack of an optical drive. But after pondering about this for a bit, I realized:

How often will I be watching DVD movies on this thing? I can always get a digital copy.
I seldom create CD/DVD’s as backup. Most of my data is backed up or transferred via external hard/flash drives or online.
Finally, I can always get the 13-ounce external optical drive (it’s cheaper on Amazon.com) and leave it at home when I don’t need it (done).

I won’t miss it that much.

Adjusting and new revelations

I find myself more intimately closer to the screen of my NB 200; my head is posed in a way like I’m peering through a microwave oven and my hands are more ergonomically upright like playing a piano. The new weight is God send as, like night and day when comparing how easy it is to carry around. Just like how parents handle their second, third, or fourth child, I can be more care-free in terms of handling little Dal Bhaat.

As well, seeing the World Wide Web and other applications through a 10.1 inch screen isn’t as bad as I had thought and it also gives me a better appreciation of good, solid user interface design. thegreenpages.ca and this blog actually looks better and my favourite news web sites are more compact and easier to read. Google Chrome is definitely the best web browser to date that works well in a netbook environment (although I hear Firefox isn’t far behind). Space on a netbook screen is so precious and doing away with the application title bar, creating the all-in-one address/search bar, and performing tasks easily with the least amount of keystrokes and clicks is just another Google innovation.

One awesome space saver is the “Always show bookmarks bar” (CTRL+B). Turn that off under the Tools section. Why do you need to see it all the time? The best part is, when you open a new tab or window, the bookmark bar temporarily displays until you browse to a web site.

In terms of web development and software, Gimp, although annoying and I want it to act like Photoshop, works fine and I’m quite content with Microsoft Visual Web Developer EE. I have all the browsers and utilities installed and I’m testing out iTunes. On another note, VLC Media Player works amazingly well as Quicktime is choppy.

I’m still getting little Dal Bhaat ready for prime time use and at the same time drooling at customized accessories on the Toshiba web site (I still have a few things on my radar).

Toshiba has come a long way in terms of their innovation and design. Overall, the Toshiba mini NB200/205 blows the competition away.

Posted on March 7, 2009

ShivaRatri – the HP Compaq 6530s Notebook

There goes part of my trekking savings….nonetheless I am happy to welcome the HP Compaq 6530s Notebook to the family.

Unfortunately, my old work horse notebook of 3 and of half years (HP Pavilion dv4170ca) had to be put down a couple of weeks ago due to pre-mature aging of the motherboard and related components. It all started back in Canada when the Windows XP OS detected that one of my USB ports was malfunctioning (power surge on a USB hub root). Aside from the annoying notifications, everything was still working fine for the next few months in Nepal until one day I decided to plug in many peripherals in all 4 USB ports. The notebook didn’t seem to like that very much and started to freeze up. The final indicator that it was time to let go was when I discovered that the only time the notebook could function was when I supported the bottom of the notebook with my hands and held it vertically or upside down.

It still cracks me up every time I think about it.

In retrospect, I didn’t really give it the extra care that it should have received. The old laptop has traveled around with me to many places, packed in a simple sleeve and thrown into my backpack often pressed against hard objects, and in Nepal, endured dusty environments and rugged terrain. During the “good’ol times” I have utilized HP’s technical support and took advantage Futureshop’s extended warranty services to their limits which included great email and phone support from the former and a replacement DVD-RW drive, cleaning, and many excuses of what the extended warranty did not cover from the latter.

Shivaratri

La, five Nepali computer shops later, I bought the new laptop, brought it home and appropriately named it Shivaratri (as it was bought on the festival holiday of Maha Shivaratri). Yes, rather than spending the day watching Sadu’s smoke their holy weed at Pashupathinath, I spent the whole day looking for a good deal and going to every bank ATM withdrawing my daily limit from every bank account that I had.

Based on what I knew from back home (I checked out online prices from Futureshop and Best Buy), I had an overall budget of between 50,000 to 65,000 nps. However, the sticker prices that I have seen were low-end to mid-range notebooks and after hours of internal debating, I thought what the heck, might as well get a machine that at least meets my basic power notebook needs and mobile work-lifestyle. In the end, it was a toss-up between a Dell and this HP machine and I decided to go with my old-time favourite, most-value-for-your-dollar brand.

The HP 6530s impressed me for various reasons. Here’s why:

Slim and efficient – categorized in the small-medium business section of the HP web site, this notebook has a 14.1 inch diagonal widescreen display which is of course noticeably smaller than my old notebook but even more so the slim design makes the notebook even lighter and easier to carry (2.27 kg / 5 lbs.)*. Gone is the boxy look along with any extra structural components that would add on to the weight.
Extra bells and whistles that I don’t even use that much or need – My last notebook was categorized as an Entertainment notebook which had a remote control (rarely used it), HP Quick Play buttons (rarely used as well) and a few other extra ports and components that in the end just took up more space amd weight. As well, most of the newer HP notebook lines have Firewire and HDMI ports (not much use for these ports here). Again not having those items in this notebook saves on weight.
Battery life – The HP Fast Charge feature and battery is amazing, especially in my situation where power cuts are frequent. Within an hour or so, my battery was pretty much charged and lasting well over 4 hours.
BrightView – amazingly bright, even too bright.
The HP 3D DriveGuard sounds impressive and without a doubt there will be many occasions where I think I will need the extra protection.

Overall, my basic needs are met and I am happy as a Nepali shopkeeper who was able to charge a little more extra to a bideshi and looks forward to doing business with him again. I got great keyboard space, enough USB ports, the essential WiFi, DVD+/-RW optical drive and built-in media card reader (xD specifically), plus Bluetooth capabilities (which I probably won’t use) and a webcam (a nice bonus as well). This purchase had made me think twice about purchasing another entertainment-type notebook and using it as my mobile work station. Let’s leave those bells and whistle features to desktops.

I hope Shivaratri lasts for many years to come.

* = heh, you can say that my old notebook was like me before I left Vancouver and my new notebook is how I am now – a more lean, mean, mobile machine.