Tag Archives: Technology

Coconino County Provides Successful Test Platform for SpaceX Starlink Mobile Units

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County continues to lead the effort in connecting students with SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed internet across Northern Arizona, including multiple tribal communities within the region, and now on school buses.

With continued focus on education, Coconino County collaborated with Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) and Page Unified School District (PUSD) to identify and select routes with an emphasis on connecting students who must ride the bus more than one hour to and from school. SpaceX provided Coconino County with two of their Flat High Performance Starlink kits that are installed on the buses, enabling students to stay connected and complete homework during their transit.

“The opportunity to deploy new technology to connect underserved rural communities is a tremendous achievement,” commented Supervisor Fowler. “The collaboration between SpaceX and Coconino County illustrates what can be achieved when the right people come together at the right time. We are incredibly thankful to our partners for the opportunities they have enabled by delivering enhanced connectivity throughout our most underserved communities.”

Coconino County began conversations with SpaceX when District 5 Supervisor Lena Fowler and Coconino County’s Chief Information Officer Matt Fowler both met with the company in 2019. This resulted in securing a private donation for the County to utilize Starlink and make high-speed internet accessible to rural areas of Northern Arizona. Coconino County successfully became an early customer, purchasing and launching Starlink internet in a 45-household trial on May 6, 2021. Shortly after, the County identified K-12 students living on the Navajo Nation without access to the internet or existing speeds less than 5 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. The County Information Technology Department engaged with the Board of Supervisors and the Flagstaff Unified School District, seeking collaboration opportunities to identify eligible students living on the reservation.

To date, Coconino County facilitated approximately 300+ implementations of Starlink internet services for a free 2-year period, which was made possible by private donations. This provides students the ability to connect with education providers and continue their studies remotely.

“This journey would not have been possible without the continuous teamwork from SpaceX, County Management, our Board of Supervisors, FUSD and PUSD. We rely heavily on our public and private partners to offer internet where it historically has been unavailable. This is truly an exciting moment,” commented CIO Matt Fowler. “We have amazing community partners, and this opportunity to embrace new technologies has greatly benefitted students in our region,” commented Deputy CIO Helen Costello.

Arizona DOT launches ‘ADOT Alerts’ free travel app

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PHOENIX – Available now for your mobile device: A free app from the Arizona Department of Transportation that will help you avoid unplanned and lengthy travel delays, and other serious highway hazards.

ADOT Alerts will help keep drivers moving on Arizona’s highways and away from potentially dangerous situations by providing information to drivers before they are trapped on a highway closed because of a crash or severe weather. Using geofencing technology, ADOT will send alerts to mobile devices with the app in affected areas and in advance of roadway decision points, giving the public plenty of time to choose an alternate route or delay their travel plans and avoid sitting in lengthy backups.

“We’re excited about ADOT Alerts because the app will help us quickly get critical information directly to motorists,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “With that information, travelers can make a decision to take a different route or stop somewhere for a bite to eat or stay where they’re at, and avoid sitting in a long backup because of an unplanned event, like a serious crash that closes a highway. We can also alert motorists to public safety issues, like wrong-way vehicles or severe weather affecting state highways.”

ADOT Alerts goes beyond providing daily commuting reports and travel times – ADOT already provides that kind of real-time information to drivers via overhead message boards and social media, not to mention the numerous traffic and navigation apps that also offer that kind of information. By using geofencing, ADOT can send alerts only to mobile devices with the app in an impacted area. That means affected motorists can make a decision to re-route or delay their travel plans long before encountering a traffic backup.

All alerts are sent by a public information officer at ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center to ensure they are accurate, critical in nature and appropriately targeted to a geographic area.

To get the most out of ADOT Alerts, enable Location Services and Push Notifications so you can be immediately notified of the most relevant alerts in your area. That way, whenever ADOT sends an alert to an area your mobile device is in, it will pop up on your device’s screen with a distinctive alert sound.

Users do not have to sign up, register or create a log-in to use the app. You remain 100 percent anonymous.

The app can be downloaded free of charge in Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Search for “ADOT Alerts” in the respective app store.

“The introduction of the ADOT Alerts app is one more way ADOT is working to promote highway safety and reduce frustrations for drivers,” Halikowski said. “We want drivers to be informed about issues, knowledgeable about options, and up-to-date on hazards. We hope this app – along with AZ511 and our social media outreach – will prove to be a major advancement in our efforts to connect with drivers.”

More information about the app can be found at ADOTAlerts.com.

Amateur Radio Field Day active Saturday

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the annual Field Day event sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League. The event will be held at the Silver Saddle Outdoor Market on Highway 89a in Flagstaff. In Prescott, the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club will be hosting an event at the Jeep Posse building.

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Amateur radio clubs across the nation participate in this event allowing the uninitiated a chance to find out what Amateur radio is all about. You DO NOT have to have an Amateur radio license to get a chance to work the equipment. If you are new to Ham radio, this is an opportunity to check out various HF operations.

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Amateur radio has more to offer in this technologically advanced age. Most people do not realize that, with the Internet and Voice Over the Internet Protocol, you do not even need to purchase a radio. Echolink is a popular program that you can download and use on your computer and smart phone. You must have at least a technician license to use the program. There are web sites that allow you to operate over HF frequencies if you have the proper credentials.

Demonstrations at the Flagstaff location include:

  • SINGLE SIDE BAND RADIO
  • G.O.T.A (Get On The Air) STATION (You can talk of the radio)
  • DIGITAL STATION – sending message from radio to internet to radio, or, peer-to-peer
  • Auto Patch – Radio to phone
  • RIMLINK – Relaying radio messages from repeater to another repeater to reach Phoenix
  • APRS – Automatic Packet Reporting System
  • Alternative power sources – solar, hand cranked generator

Amateur radio groups across the country will operate at the exact same time and have similar activities. In Arizona the main operation will be from Saturday, June 25 at 11 a.m. ending Sunday at 11 a.m. In Flagstaff, the Coconino club will be setting up at 9 a.m. on Friday and members will be available in the afternoon for questions and possibly some demonstrations.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Flagstaff location, the CARC will be giving the test for Amateur Extra for those who desire to get the license before the new examination is issued July 1. You must provide a picture I.D., copy of Amateur Radio license, and $15 fee. You need to bring a pencils for filling out the answer sheet and black pen for filling out the applications. You may bring and use a simple calculator.

Consumer Labels for Broadband Services

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Comparing prices, performance and network practices of broadband service providers can be challenging, even for savvy consumers. With this in mind, the FCC created Open Internet transparency rules requiring providers to convey sufficient information for consumers to make informed choices about available broadband services. Based on recommendations from its Consumer Advisory Committee, the FCC provides templates for broadband labels – one for landline and one for mobile – that service providers may use to supply consumers with information about their services.

If a provider uses a broadband label template, here’s the type of information you can expect to see:

  • Pricing details, including all of the various charges that seem mysterious to consumers – overage fees, equipment fees, early termination fees, other monthly fees beyond service fees such as insurance, administrative fees, or regulatory recovery fees.
  • Monthly data allowance – namely, the carrier-defined plan limit after which consumers will incur additional charges.
  • Broadband speed and other performance metrics.
  • Network management practices – namely, precautions providers may take to manage heavy traffic on their networks.

Service providers who use the labels will satisfy the FCC’s requirement to make transparency disclosures in the proper format, or a format that meets the needs of consumers. However, providers may still be in violation of FCC rules if the content of their labels is misleading or inaccurate or if they make misleading or inaccurate statements to customers in ads or elsewhere. In such cases, consumers can file complaints with the FCC at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.

The new rules will go into effect later this year, but service providers may begin using the broadband label templates anytime. The labels can serve as a helpful comparison shopping tool for consumers. Look for and consider them when you shop for service.

More information

PDFZilla PDF converter review

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I have a need to convert Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files to various formats. Mostly text. As an author, I sometimes have to convert PDF files to text so that I can copy and paste certain portions for articles and reviews. As a news reporter I often get large files in PDF format. The need to convert these to text format is obvious. In those PDF files there are sometimes graphics which I require for news reporting. I have been using the old Print Screen and save system requiring a graphics program to cut out the graphic. If I could extract the graphic easier, it makes my job that much easier.

Supreme Court decisions are a good example. Many are in PDF. It is helpful to convert to text so that I can copy and paste portions of the decisions into my articles. Other times I need to covert the whole file with graphics—as in the case of military manuals or other PDF files I might download from Archive.org or Project Gutenberg.

I have searched for and used several online options. They do all right, but tend to produce some gobbledygook in the translation. They do not seem to work well with graphics.

During my search I ran across PDFZilla. Having experience with Mozilla and Filezilla, I was hoping this was free. It is not, however. As a disclaimer I should note that I downloaded the trial version that only translates 50% of the file and has other limitations. I am writing this review based on that version and am told I can get a license for writing this review.

I will give you the bad first. You can select where the output file goes, but you cannot create a new folder while saving a file. You should plan to set up your folders before translating PDF files or separate them into folders later if you need to. Also the windows cannot be resized for easier viewing.

You can see the various conversion options in Figure 1. I did not use the PDF to Excel Converter because I do not have files that I need converted into that format. At least I have not run across any yet.
slide-1aTwo options I like are the PDF Merger and PDF Cutter. The PDF Merger is a good option. In the trial version they add a water mark. I had two particular files to test. I downloaded two SEABEE manuals. The came in Volume I and Volume II. Though the word “Merger” is misspelled in the window for this option, PDFZilla merged the two files seamlessly. This option I can find useful at times. The one problem with this option is that it does not give you the option to export the file to a folder you select. You can select the output folder by clicking on the link at the bottom.
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PDFCutter-1The other option, PDF cutter, allows you to cut out pages. I had some problems with testing this one. I chose a file over 700 pages longs with graphics at first. This file sent the PDF Cutter into a tizzy. It uses drag-and-drop functionality. That is you drag the PDF to the cutter window. The file did not show up and I had to eventually restart the computer to clear the memory. The second time I tried a plain Supreme Court text PDF and it displayed (50% of it) and I edited out a few pages. The edited output file appeared in the folder that I selected it from. You can resize the file, but not the window. The window should be about the same size as the main screen to see the file easier. Again the cut file in the trial version adds a watermark.

Transferring from PDF to Word was difficult for me, but might not be for you if you use Microsoft Word. I use Openoffice.org—A Microsoft Word clone. It has to import the Microsoft Word DOC file into ODT format. It does well, but the formatting is odd. In most cases I would not use that option anyway preferring PDF to text.

The PDF to Text converter works well saving in RTF format or TXT. While on this feature, I will go over some of the options on the screen.
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On the upper-right portion of the window you will see a drop-down menu for output formats. I selected PDF to txt and this is what shows. You can use the drop-down menu to select other formats in case you mistakenly push the wrong option from the main screen. Just above that is the Options where you can select the first page and last page to covert and whether or not you desire page breaks. Below that you can select the folder you desire to output to and, of course, the button to start the conversion is at the bottom.

You can drag-and-drop the PDF to the screen. Or you can choose the file by selecting the green cross on the File Menu. Next to the green cross is a folder with a green cross. This option allows you to add an entire folder of PDF files for bulk conversion. This is very useful to convert bulk PDF files to a specific format. The red X allows you to delete some of the PDF files if you do not desire to convert them. Thus you could select a folder and delete those you do not want to convert.

The PDF to text works good. Especially with straight text PDF files such as articles and Supreme Court decisions. There will be some formatting required. For example if you convert a file with a large a table of contents. You might have to remove the table of contents depending on your need. But it converts the text well. I have used the PDF to RTF format and it converts everything including the graphics, but the graphics appear upside down. You can rotate the graphics depending on the program you use to for your final print. You can also save the graphic and adjust it for your need in a graphics program.

The PDF to HTML seems to convert the text flawlessly even to recreating the format of the PDF. This makes a long HTML file, in some cases, with narrow columns. The trial version does not seem to translate any graphics, but the registered version might. It also automatically adds links to other portions of the HTML file. For example the file I translated adds an appendix and the HTML added several links to that Appendix and various graphics.

The other option I found useful was the Image to PDF Converter. I just happened to download several graphics for a technical document. PDFZilla converted them into a PDF file with watermarks. I then tried to convert that document to text, but only got the watermarks. The Image to PDF converter, as you see in the figure, allows you to add your own document title, an author, subject and keywords. You can also select an output path for the file. You can also adjust the quality of the file which will in turn make it smaller or larger.

Overall the trial version seems to work well. I would give it 3.5 out of five stars. I do not know if the registered version, allowing all functions, will work better. Some of the faults I cite may be corrected in future upgrades.

You could, of course, use register for Acrobat Pro. This requires a subscription of $14.99 a month (as of this writing) and a one year commitment. That is $179.88 per year. This is a good option for a large company having to edit or convert a large number of files. In addition to that you convert online in “the cloud” were anyone can have access to your files and the national government normally does.

PDFZilla is a program on your computer which converts the file on your computer. Although the NSA still has access to the file, it makes it difficult for others. If you are converting files for research for, say, a new invention idea, you probably do not want it floating on a “cloud” where any devil can intercept your work and develop your idea first. It is still a little more difficult to hack into your computer. The other advantage is that PDFZilla is $49.95 (as of this writing).

This program seems to be relatively new and may not covert everything absolutely flawlessly. What it does convert for me makes the price worth it. They could probably even squeeze a few more dollars from poor reporters such as me.

Can you stop the Windows 10 upgrade?

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As we have been reporting, the Windows 10 update is causing some problems and people might want to wait a few months before upgrading. If, however, you accepted the “invitation” of Microsoft to update, you may be forced to. Unless you can stop it.

We previously reported on a procedure offered by Wired, but that did not work. The following procedure from SuperSite for Windows did seem to work. Having tried it, it removed the Windows 10 upgrade icon from the task bar.

The update is KB3035583 and has to be removed.

We will present the steps from the article, but you may wish to check the article for the graphics.

1. Open Windows Update through the search.

2. Click on the Installed Updates link in the lower left corner of the window.

3. In the Search box in the upper right corner of the new window, type in KB3035583.

4. The update should be the only one to appear. Click on it and agree to remove the update.

You will have to allow the system to re-boot. I do still get a box that states that the Windows 10 download failed when I bring up the Windows Update. Hopefully this information will help.

See you on the other side

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Today is the big Windows 10 upgrade. I have decided to wait a few days and research any problems. GIZMODO Review says that the it may be a risky upgrade and it is not easy to revert to Windows 8.1.

If your computer is working fine, you might want to turn off automatic updates for a few days and install only hardware and security updates. Wired has a procedure to make sure you do not upgrade right away.

Anyone having a good, or bad, experience are welcome to comment on this article.

Uh-oh. Windows 10 roll-out may cause problems

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We suggest that you back-up your computer system, or at least important files, immediately. If you have not created a restore disk, we suggest you do so immediately. Consult your manual or check the website for your computer system to see how to do this. If your computer stops booting properly, you may need the restore disk(s) to return your computer to factory condition.

windows-10 Although the official Windows 10 upgrade is supposed to start July 29, Forbes is reporting that it may already be causing problems; including stopping computers from booting. Gordon Kelly also reports that the Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade cannot be stopped. He quotes Microsoft:

The software periodically checks for system and app updates, and downloads and installs them for you. You may obtain updates only from Microsoft or authorized sources, and Microsoft may need to update your system to provide you with those updates. By accepting this agreement, you agree to receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice.

The flaw apparently is due to an update for a Nvidia graphics card driver which interferes with the operation of the graphics card and may cause PCs to stop booting entirely. This flaw may mostly effect multi-screen users.

The obvious security suggestion right now is that you should immediately back up your system and conduct a daily back-up until Microsoft forces Windows 10 onto your system. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Reviews from those using beta copies have been positive, but have continually noted bugs. It is reported that most of those bugs are fixed, but this may be a prelude to other drivers not ready ready for the roll-out.

Computerworld reported last week that you might want to wait to upgrade for several reasons. Author Preston Gralla writes that you have a year to upgrade from the release date of July 29. According to the Forbes report, this might not be true.

Gralla does suggest that if you are happy with your Windows 7, you might want to avoid upgrading all together. He points out that the whole object of Windows 10 was to replace Windows 8 which removed the familiar START menu. You already have that in Windows 7.

In addition—as with any Microsoft upgrade—new drivers might not be available for the peripherals you might have installed, such as printers or scanners.

{It is our understanding that the Windows 7 upgrade to Windows 10 is not automatic, but this might not be true. Back-up your system, at least important data, just in case.}

According to an article on c|net, the Windows 10 PC build 10240 is the final build for Windows 10 before its release date. Beta testers are still testing and reporting on the build. Lance Whitney writes:

Microsoft needs to hit a home run with Windows 10, not just to make up for the debacle of Windows 8 but also to prove that it can still create an OS that generates appeal, excitement and demand among users. …
But even if Windows 10 isn’t 100 percent bug-free and rock-solid come next Wednesday, that doesn’t spell doom and gloom for the latest version. …

The problem is that Microsoft has gained its “appeal” by making deals with computer manufacturers over the years by giving special deals for their software to be used on those computers. Microsoft only provides the operating system itself and, understandably, is not concerned with any proprietary drivers which might be included by hardware manufacturers. Much less games and other software.

Windows users notified Windows 10 coming July 29

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Windows10-01Microsoft passed its original June estimation for release of Windows 10. It appears to be set for the July 29 release of the new operating system. So much so that you might have even got a notification to reserve your copy today.

I know this because my system began dragging this morning for no apparent reason. A notification appeared on my task bar alerting me to reserve my copy of Windows 10. I clicked it to get the window in the graphic above which led me to the window following.
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If you are operating in Windows 8.1, a notification should have appeared in the notification section of your task bar to the right. This notification is to reserve your copy, not to download it. You will be notified when the installation files have been added to your system. You can proceed with the installation anytime thereafter.

According to the Windows 10 Q&A page:

For devices running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update with Windows Update enabled, the app shows up automatically as a Windows icon in your system tray at the bottom right-hand side of your screen.
The only requirements are that a) your device is compatible, and b) you’re running genuine Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows 8.1 (Update).
Windows 10 is designed to run on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs. That means your device is likely compatible and will run Windows 10.

There are many theories as to why Windows 10 and no Windows 9. The fact is, however, that Windows 10 will be the newest upgrade to the Microsoft operating system.

The upgrade is absolutely free and will be available to those using Windows 7 SP1 or later. This is probably because Microsoft is rather red faced about the worse operating system since Vista. Microsoft is hoping to correct many of the terrible features of the Windows 8 operating system. If the videos produce on line are any indication, they may have succeeded.

Apps will now be adjustable in size and you can use them while remaining in the desktop. You will be able to snap up to four windows in place on your screen and swtich between them simply by selecting them. They will have the familiar “X” on the right side of the menu bar at the top like any other program or application. You simply click on it to close it out. Instead of having to go to the “Apps Page” to start an app, you will be able to pin it to the Windows Start menu button on the desktop. There are a myriad of other proposed improvements. Some have been tried in the beta copies and some may not make it into the final version.

The Q&A page goes on to explain that it could take up to an hour to complete the installation on older systems. On newer systems, it could take as little as 20-minutes. They recommend that you plan for an hour. It is also a good idea to back up any important data whenever installing any upgrade this massive.

After you reserve your upgrade, you can confirm whether or not your device is compatible with Windows 10.

Between reservation and when your upgrade is ready, the files you need for the upgrade will be downloaded to your PC to make the final installation go more quickly. Then, when your upgrade is ready after July 29, 2015, you get a notification that lets you get started with your upgrade.
Get Windows 10 is an app that’s designed to make the upgrade process easy. It checks to make sure your device is compatible, and it reserves your free upgrade; it also has information to help you learn about the features in Windows 10.

It will be interesting to see if, this time, Microsoft lives up to its own hype.

Study: Average Attention Span Now 8 Seconds – Lower than a Goldfish

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Girls-on-mobile-phones-004A study from Microsoft involving more than 2,000 people has found that the average attention span has dipped to a low 8 seconds – down from 12 seconds in 2000. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.

There are many effects from smartphones and the like on the human body which are never written about. Information technology (IT) is much more powerful in unrecognized ways than is generally acknowledged.

Because these various IT devices are often very close to a person’s body, they can and do have profound effects on the human bioelectric field. The key factor in this ever-intensifying dynamic between human and technology is the length of time of daily interaction.

In other words, picking up a cellphone to make a couple of calls a day is one thing; being tied to your smartphone 24 hour a day, 7 days a week is something altogether different. Herein lies one of the key causes of the shrinking attention span. Additionally, constant exposure to cell phones near our heads may be dangerous.

Read more at Natural Society