What is the difference between an Apple Airport Express Base Station, and an Airport Extreme Base Station? I have a tiny 500-square foot apartment. All I want is to be able to surf the web wirelessly. Can I go with the cheaper Express Base Station? Why is one cheaper than the other (in other words, what can the Extreme do that the Express cannot)?
posted by invisible ink on Sep 13, 2009 - 18 answers

I like my vinyl records. I want to make digital files out of them. What are my options ... which don't include a new turntable and, preferably but not absolutely, don't require my computer and stereo to be in the same room? I'm on a Mac.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy on Sep 2, 2009 - 19 answers

I've got $500.00 to spend for a new computer. I want to get the most bang for my buck. My needs are: - Play music - Edit and view photos - Edit and view videos - Create DVDs & Surf the Internet. My past history has been in PCs. I am open to building my own computer. So what should I get?
posted by jserdula on Jun 29, 2009 - 19 answers

What's the best way to make a Crackle Box-type circuit (where the user touches and closes the circuit with their fingers)? [more inside]
posted by itchi23 on Mar 24, 2009 - 4 answers

Cheap digital video? Help me do time-motion studies on myself. [more inside]
posted by jon1270 on Mar 19, 2009 - 11 answers

A few of my regular podcasts always 'time out' when Itunes attempts to download the latest episode. It starts downloading, then stops and I get a message like "17 of 35 MB - stopped." If I hit refresh, it starts downloading at a normal speed and then slows down and stops again. The only way I can get the podcast to download fully is to hit refresh, then as soon as it slows again I stop and hit refresh - over and over until it's complete. Additional clues: This only happens with some podcasts, the rest download fine. One example that I always have problems with is the NPR Studio 360 show. Also, if I go to the web site and manually download (right-click/save as on the mp3 link), it downloads fine. I'm on a Cox cable connection and my download speeds are fine for everything else.
posted by mattholomew on Mar 12, 2009 - 1 answer

I currently work as a patent prosecution paralegal, but I'm increasingly intrigued by the field of E-Discovery. If you work in E-Discovery, how did you come upon it? What kind of background and training does it require? What do you like most and least about your occupation? Assuming that there's a staff hierarchy, what types of tasks are typically assigned to those on the lower and upper ends? What blogs, books, websites, etc. would you recommend for further exploration of the field? Thanks in advance:)
posted by invisible ink on Jan 21, 2009 - 6 answers

I left a job I enjoyed for a similar job that had better benefits... but the new job is NOTHING like what we discussed during my interview and signing and the benefits are non existent. What are my options? [more inside]
posted by hummercash on Jan 18, 2009 - 14 answers

Can I make my new Bluetooth headset not suck? [more inside]
posted by kbanas on Jan 17, 2009 - 1 answer

I allowed perl access past my firewall (Am I even saying that right?). Should I be worried? And how do I learn more about the subject so I'm not so clueless in the future? [more inside]
posted by dicetumbler on Jan 11, 2009 - 8 answers

What is the cheapest pc gaming rig you can come up with that can run Left 4 Dead at a playable and decent framerate? [more inside]
posted by bettershredder on Nov 12, 2008 - 13 answers

In the current and near-future markets, are there viable opportunities for a Mac-specific IT guy, and are Apple certifications worth it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 14, 2008 - 12 answers

Mac Powermac G4 AGP will not boot, can I take the drive and boot using a firewire enclosure on another G5? [more inside]
posted by safepants on May 26, 2008 - 6 answers

How can I create a social networking site? I am in Southern California (Inland Empire/Orange County) and interested in building a social networking/message board/blog site along the lines of Sermo or Metafilter that isn't really about customizable media and meeting friends, as much as it is for people within a certain specialty, let's say the veterinary community, to share their ideas about their expertise with peers, receive newsletters relevant to their work, and ask for their peers' opinions or advice. [more inside]
posted by lukeklein on Apr 12, 2008 - 10 answers

Can anyone recommend any adaptive devices for someone who enjoys computers, but suffers from severe arthritis in his hands? [more inside]
posted by Salmonberry on Mar 6, 2008 - 6 answers

I need help choosing a new motherboard around a used Intel P4 chip. [more inside]
posted by Gyan on Jan 4, 2008 - 14 answers

Be my CIO! I need to know what are the best solution(s) for our small nonprofits technology needs (specifically file storage/sharing and project management/communications). [more inside]
posted by batcrazy on Nov 11, 2007 - 10 answers

I'm an IT professional who is having a very hard time finding a job. What am I doing wrong? [more inside]
posted by PetiePal on Oct 19, 2007 - 14 answers

So I want to get into motion graphics. Where should one begin? [more inside]
posted by Senor Cardgage on Oct 18, 2007 - 7 answers

I'm looking for a way to place a browser window into a PowerPoint slide so that I can access web pages during my presentation and have them updated in real time. I've played around a bit with LiveWeb, which has behaved a bit erratically, and am hesitating before plunking down money for something like T-Dog's PowerPoint Web Browser. It doesn't need to have terribly robust browser capabilities - an address bar, forward/backward buttons and a "refresh" button should suffice. Anyway, I'd love to hear people's advice - the simpler, the better; I am a confirmed non-geek. If it matters (and I assume it does), I'm running Windows XP and PowerPoint 2003. Thanks in advance for your answers to my first-ever Ask MeFi question!
posted by AngerBoy on Oct 9, 2007 - 5 answers

I've been reading a book of late that has brought an old regret to the surface. Born in 1970, I had my first computer in 1979 and have had one ever since. But unlike a lot of kids who picked up the book on BASIC and went on to actually learn how to program, I didn't. At the time, I could not articulate 'why,' but today I'd have to say that I've always had trouble extrapolating how complex systems are built by looking at simple examples. [more inside]
posted by tcv on Oct 4, 2007 - 13 answers

Technology-related legal positions in DC for new attorney that are not patent prosecution? [more inside]
posted by dcjd on Feb 9, 2007 - 5 answers

What tech skills should I pick up to help in my job search after I graduate from college? [more inside]
posted by blueplasticfish on Jan 3, 2007 - 8 answers

I'm looking for a good computer-parts store in or around the DC Metro area; 'good' meaning one that has "junk bins" of parts that can be pawed through, lots of used gear, no salespeople, etc. Specifically not a big-box store. [more inside]
posted by Kadin2048 on Dec 28, 2006 - 6 answers

Why is my USB storage device lying to me?? [more inside]
posted by angryjellybean on Dec 17, 2006 - 11 answers

Oops ... I accidentally deleted the "Show Desktop" application from Windows XP. Not just the taskbar shortcut, mind you, but the actual program. What is the easiest way to undelete it? I tried using a restore point, but it didn't work.
posted by zembla3 on Oct 6, 2006 - 10 answers

Where can I buy a socket 478 motherboard in Manhattan or Williamsburg? [more inside]
posted by idledebonair on Sep 25, 2006 - 5 answers

The character keys on my desktop keyboard have stopped working -- but the auto keys work fine. What's going on? [more inside]
posted by terrier319 on Sep 19, 2006 - 8 answers

Looking for a free app that can enable/disable the proxy settings in Internet Explorer on a timer. [more inside]
posted by sprocket87 on Jul 25, 2006 - 5 answers

what kind of monitor should i buy to do high quality photo editing on? i am a photography student who will be purchasing a power mac G5 soon. im concerned with what monitor will be the most reliable for editing. from what i gather, i should avoid all lcd flat monitors and get a crt. is this true? i would prefer to keep the monitor price under $600. any advice is appreciated.
posted by slowtree on Jul 3, 2006 - 15 answers

Something called MPREXE has invaded my computer. Is it a virus or part of Microsoft's evil empire... in any case it is making my PC screwy.... help me get rid of it please! [more inside]
posted by zaelic on May 25, 2006 - 16 answers

Where has my primary hard drive gone? My primary hard drive disappeared after I installed a new CD-ROM drive! It seems my CMOS doesn’t see my main drive! Help! [more inside]
posted by zaelic on Mar 22, 2006 - 23 answers

Is my hard drive really dead? Really? For real? Seriously? [more inside]
posted by bradn on Feb 17, 2006 - 10 answers

So, a friend of mine who is helping out with tech support at a small business is trying to find a way to recover the password to a computer's EZ Firewall software. Suggestions? [more inside]
posted by jne1813 on Feb 1, 2006 - 6 answers

I'm a high school senior trying to plan the next few years of my life. I'll definitely take a year off before college, but everything else is still up in the air. [more inside]
posted by jbb7 on Jan 14, 2006 - 30 answers

All about blogs. - I, like many others, began blogging on blogger... I find that I want to do more with my blog and I would like to move to a better service... I love Typepad but I do not want to pay for ithe service..... I have heard good things about Wordpress.... any other suggestions...?? Also, I read that it was possible to move my blogspot entries to my new blog, can anyone guide me through this process or can anyone refer me to a site that does? TIA!
posted by libelula on Dec 23, 2005 - 18 answers

It looks like we're going to need a new PC for the family business. Here's the catch: It absolutely has to be a major brand bought off the shelf from a major chain type retailer. It cannot be something we order online or over the phone, nor something that I or anyone else builds for us. [more inside]
posted by Clay201 on Oct 27, 2005 - 16 answers

A client of mine wants their employees to be able to print out documents at their house while connected to the office server through remote desktop. Is this possible? [more inside]
posted by meta87 on Oct 3, 2005 - 8 answers

I work at a small software company. I'm a developer, so my cohorts and I are responsible for our own software bugs and it's pretty obvious when we screw something up. My policy is to fess up, fix it, and move on. But another group in the company, responsible for all database administration and all networking/internet issues, has never made a mistake. Is that really possible? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 21, 2005 - 13 answers

Too many devices question......[mi] [more inside]
posted by szg8 on Feb 13, 2005 - 3 answers

Small Operating System: A ship that I work on has a VERY old computer (running Win 98) that is used as a public terminal. It's likely a P120, or some such thing. [MI] [more inside]
posted by MotorNeuron on Jan 26, 2005 - 17 answers

EMFilter- I have my old classroom-style record player set up next to my computer monitor, which is causing mild screen jitters. Moving them farther apart is not an option, and I don't want to buy any prefab stuff. Are there any homebrew tinfoil-type solutions?
posted by The White Hat on Jan 17, 2005 - 4 answers

If Valve's Steam means that games developers can do away with publisher, distributor and retailer overheads... um... why isn't everyone doing it, or similar things?
posted by Pretty_Generic on Nov 10, 2004 - 13 answers

Plextor CD-R - Copying files to harddrive sloooowwwws computer way down. [mi] [more inside]
posted by pissfactory on Nov 1, 2004 - 3 answers

I've been told the computer hardware industry is based on holding back the release of existing technologies so that people upgrade in small increments. Is this true? If so, wouldn't the first company to break the rule get a chance to dominate the market? Is there some kind of backroom deal going on?
posted by Pretty_Generic on Oct 11, 2004 - 9 answers

Is it possible to direct sound from my computer to multiple destinations? In other words, I'd like to listen to MP3s (Winamp) through speakers positioned various places in my home, but I also want users of the computer to be able to hear system sounds, game sounds, etc. (and have those sounds NOT output to the remote speakers). Can I use two sound cards for this, and assign various software to output to the appropriate card? I'm on XP pro and I like long walks on the beach.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Dec 8, 2003 - 10 answers