Phototelegrapher 201

The need had grown too great to ignore, so I searched the Web for FTP space. The cable ISP I now use offers only 10 megabytes, and that just doesn't do it anymore. For the past year, I have been paying for cable plus four dial-ups, just to contain my growing websites, and nothing was large enough for a big MP3 or vlog file.

The result is that I now have my own domain name and an account with HostGator. Click the little banner, above, to learn more about this well-recommended company. For around $7 each month, I will be able to store 3.5 gigabytes, and that should be plenty.

How will I use all this online memory? Two of my present slow-speed ISPs can be closed out, so I will be saving money. Then, the door is open to experiment more with sound recording and vlogging. Please keep watching to see what may develop.

CorMac Technologies Inc., which gave us CQPhone, has outdone itself by designing the CQ100 ham radio transceiver. Not merely another electronic device, this is totally software, talks world-wide by voice or Morse code, and does not rely on the condition of the ionosphere. Click on the image to see the CQ100 full size.

Imagine conversing with another amateur halfway around the world in high fidelity. This VoIP application differs from other Internet telephones, because it acts in all respects like a real radio, but there is no radiated signal. Users must possess an amateur radio license, and we are observing all the usual operating procedures, as if really on the air. It is a wonderful way to keep active during the current sunspot minimum.

Click picture to run movie in your own player.
61 seconds - WMV file: 8.4 megabytes

PMUG Astronomy

Tuesday evening, members of the Princeton Macintosh Users' Group convened in Jadwin Hall, on the campus of Princeton University. This month's topic was of particular fascination, "Starry Night Astronomy Software." Dave Brody of Imaginova deftly demonstrated Starry Night Pro Plus, his company's latest product, which allows the user to "fly" through space and explore 65 million stars and 980,000 galaxies, and almost land on any planet. It was, indeed, awesome.

We sat in dimmed room light and watched the projection screen while Dave maneuvered us around on his MacBook computer and gave us a tour of both our solar system and galaxy, sometimes exceeding the speed of light as we zoomed from one destination to the next. For nearer objects, it was impressive to see the background stars obey perspective as we flew between them. Many calculations were being performed.

Toward the end of the demonstration, a telescope was activated, and it followed commands from the computer as it might outdoors. The program and telescope track together, so that what is seen in the eyepiece can be compared with what is on the sky map, or one can select an object on the map and immediately see it in the telescope.

Judd and Kristin came home with one of the simpler programs, so we look forward to frequent indoor astronomy during the coming winter months. It was definitely an interesting and rewarding evening.

Pantry Cat

Kona on the cat food