Fix: Sticky Keyboard Keys On AlphaSmart Pro

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Jack Woods

I’ve talked a little about my AlphaSmart Pro in previous blog posts and I’ve raved about how it has really helped my writing. It has made me more portable and given me a dedicated place to write out my thoughts, feelings and ideas. It’s great, but it’s been stuck with a problem since I bought it used.
When I say stuck, I literally mean stuck.

When I bought my AlphaSmart Pro used, I knew it would be old and not perfect. All I needed it to do was to function and it did when it arrived here. Unfortunately, the keys were not as nimble as the ones on my computer keyboard. They required more force to press them down and they just didn’t seem as responsive. It was something I could live with though and didn’t try to change anything. I just used it for mobile writing.

Fast forward to this week.

I decided that it was probably a case of key lubrication. I’d previously eliminated cleanliness from the list of possibilities so I researched what I could do to lubricate the keys. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any quality teflon lubricant locally. Upon inspecting the innards and making a calculated decision, I decided to apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to each key. I really don’t suggest others to do the same, but with no other option to lubricate the keys, I decided that petroleum jelly was the best option of all available.

How did it turn out?

It turned out well. The keys are finally responsive to my typing and I am able to type on the AlphaSmart just as well as I can type on my computer keyboard or laptop.

Now I’m even happier with my AlphaSmart Pro.

If you are interested in getting your own AlphaSmart, I suggest you take a look over on Amazon for an AlphaSmart.

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Loose Skin: One Problem With Weight Loss

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Jack Woods

One of the things that I’m experiencing now due to my weight loss is a lot of loose skin. It’s skin that used to be pushed out by my fat. I’m trying to do a lot of exercise in hopes of getting it looking better. I’m also trying to get it tanned a little more so it looks more healthy. Thankfully we have a lot of sun here this spring. I can get out to do it quite often and not have to rely on airbrush tans or similar remedies.

It’s nice to finally be able to talk about the “problems” of weight loss rather than the problems caused by weight. My next monthly report is due in 10 days, but I might as well share my current weight loss count, 126 lbs. :) That’s a lot of weight and it feels good having it gone. My health continues to get better and I’ve discovered how much I love vegetables and fruit.

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Useable Voice Recognition: Finally!

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jack Woods

Voice computer commands have long been the dream of people using computers, just look at the sci fi movies that show a future where the computers take voice commands. Who could forget KITT, the Knightrider Car? I have recently begun writing articles using Dragon Naturally Speaking, a voice recognition program, and I’m finally impressed.

Why do I say finally impressed? Well I’ve known about the program since the first edition. I looked into it for an Aunt of mine who wanted to send email and the like using her voice since her fingers would hurt if she had to do much typing.

My verdict at the time for Aunt Lucy? Forget it, it’s much more hype than substance.

For the first few versions of the software, it was atrocious. You had to speak very deliberately and make a lot of corrections. Since it relies on a certain amount of artificial intelligence, computers at the time just weren’t fast enough to make it work in a substantial way.

My next brush with Dragon Naturally Speaking was in 2007 when I started writing articles professionally. The promise of a quick way to write articles intrigued me and I heard some good reports about the software so I decided to try it again. The software would be worth it if it could help me.

The verdict on this second attempt: Ok and passable but I could write better and quicker using my keyboard. Add to this were problems working with Vista and Windows 7 Beta with the version I had acquired.

Fast forward to this week. I decided to give it a try again. I had a bit faster of a computer and access to version 11. I thought it would be worth a few hours of my time checking it out and seeing if it was any better.

The verdict this time around: I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s not 100% accurate but it is 99% accurate. I don’t have to be methodical when I speak so that makes the articles breeze by.

For what it’s worth, I’m not writing this article with it. I prefer doing most of my writing on my AlphaSmart Pro. It’s much more convenient and goes with me wherever I go. That said, there is plenty of other writing that I’m doing with Dragon Naturally Speaking such as filler content and article writing. If it doesn’t require a lot of thought, I have no problem using Dragon.

Needless to say, I’m impressed with the progress of Dragon Naturally Speaking and I think the time has come that people can use voice recognition software with a high degree of accuracy. Check out this link to read some more Dragon Naturally Speaking reviews.

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Why I Choose Gold and Silver

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jack Woods

While part of my better living quest has involved getting healthier, another part of it has been to improve my financial picture. Over the last 15 years, I’ve ate until I looked like an elephant or a whale and I spent myself into the poor house. As my health has improved, I have started savings money and I’ve been making it a point to regularly turn my savings into hard money using the simple advice to buy gold coins.

I’ve chosen to put my money into hard gold and silver for a couple of reasons.

1. I believe we are heading for a period of hyper inflation very soon. Banks, the Stock Market, and other traditional investment vehicles will probably not keep up with inflation. Gold, and to a lesser extent silver, has a history of keeping its value through times of inflation.

2. Prices have went through the roof on gold and silver over the last few years. Luckily, I started dabbling in it a couple of years ago and I’ve been able to double my money. If it keeps growing like this, I will be able to significantly increase the value of my savings.

So there you have it. I’m on the road to more and more financial independence.

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The Making Money Online Myth

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jack Woods

So you wanna make money online? Ha so does everyone else. It’s ridiculous the number of people who dream of making money online and then try to make those dreams come true. I should know…I spent 5 years chasing that virtual rainbow.

The truth is that there are four groups of people making money online these days. I’ll talk a little about each group now.

First off, the big companies like Google, Amazon, and others are making money, boat loads of it. They are well capitalized, had a good idea, and early mover advantage. If you are thinking about making money online, you are not in this group.

The second group consists of those individuals who come across a great, unique product or service and successfully market it online. They usually sell out to a bigger companies when it’s possible. You are more than likely not in this group.

The third group consists of the affiliate marketers and adsense fan boys. It’s a fickle business that requires a high degree of skill and knowledge and at least a double measure of luck. You can be rolling in the dough one week and the next week you can make a big fat zero. If you think you are in this group, then I hope you have the stamina, ingenuity, and crazy luck it takes to succeed. These are the carnival barkers, the snake oil salesmen, and poker players of years past.

The last group of internet money makers are those who make money off of gullible people who think they can make money online. While they may not be true scam artists, they play very loose with the truth when they try to con people into buying an ebook that will them all about making money online. They prey on people wanting to make money online but are lacking the skills and knowledge to fall into the first two groups.

I’ve spent the last several years wishing I could break into the 3rd group. I ended up spending my time(and earning a decent amount of money) doing writing for other marketers. I say I made a decent amount of money but the truth is that I didn’t make as much money as if I had done something different with my time. I think I’ve ended up dumber and less resourceful after 5 years of chasing the elusive online money making nirvana.

I made a decision to stop thinking about earning money online. I have decided to focus on the real world instead of the fake virtual world.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not giving up my blogs, instead I’m going to focus on writing what I like to write. I’m not  going to think about marketing anything. I’m just going to let things flow and if people like what I am writing, great. If not? Who cares!

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