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Some readers took exception when I stated in a post from last month on future-proofing your data archive that Microsoft's proprietary Office file formats may not stand the test of time. Well, compatibility problems have already surfaced between the two most recent releases of MS Word.

Several people report spaces being dropped randomly from documents created in Word 2010 when the files are opened in Word 2007 on another machine. (A post on the Microsoft Answers forum explains the problem in more detail.)

The quick fix is to set both systems to use Adobe PDF as the default printer … Read more

Big Free Clock is exactly what its name suggests: a free utility that displays the time in a large format. Although it's a fairly basic utility, it comes with enough options for customization to make it interesting.

The program's interface is plain, just a large digital clock with two buttons: one to minimize it, and one to display the options menu. There are quite a few options, too; users can make the background and numbers transparent, change the number color, switch to 24-hour format, and increase and decrease the size of the numbers. Our first impression of Big … Read more

Cellcontrol has entered into an agreement with RealVNC that makes it easier for automotive manufacturers to adopt its technology. For carmakers planning to use Nokia Terminal Mode for next-generation infotainment solutions, the partnership offers an out-of-the-box middleware solution that blocks distracting applications while a vehicle is in motion.

Terminal Mode is a standard being developed by Consumer Electronics for Automotive (CE4A), of which Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche, and Volkswagen are members, which replicates mobile devices on a vehicle's in-dash screen. The phone is tethered to the entertainment system, and occupants interact with the phone using the head unit interface. … Read more

Sometimes problems happen for what turn out to be rather bizarre reasons. Recently we were contacted by MacFixIt reader "Frank" who had a long-standing problem where his Mac Pro would not accept boot arguments such as booting to Safe Mode when holding the Shift key.

Many times when boot commands are not working people suspect either the PRAM, the SMC, or an enabled firmware password is the root of the problem; however, this is not always the case. Sometimes incompatible hardware or faults in hardware can interfere with the ability to pass boot arguments to the system, though … Read more

When troubleshooting various aspects of OS X and Mac hardware, one common routine is to boot into Safe Mode to automatically run some maintenance routines and prevent the system from loading inessential features. This can be done by holding the Shift Key immediately after hearing the boot chimes when starting the system up; however, sometimes this may not work.

Booting to Safe Mode requires the Mac's firmware to send the kernel some variables (boot arguments) that it interprets as a command to modify the procedures it uses to load the rest of the system. These can be set manually … Read more

Mercedes released photos of its updated 2012 C-Class, which adds to the entry vehicle lineup a generous handful of technology upgrades and improved fuel economy.

The C-Class vehicles are set to receive Attention Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Parking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and Blind Spot Assist for added safety. The next-generation infotainment and navigation system will get new features, including the ability to display text messages. And it may also add Nokia Terminal mode, according to an article in Telematics News.

Citing Automobilwoche.de, Telematics News reports that the 2012 C-Class will feature COMAND Online, which brings in Internet access … Read more

The first 40 miles you drive in a fully charged 2011 Chevrolet Volt uses energy stored in the 16kWh battery to propel the vehicle, with the 1.4-liter gas engine kicking in only when the battery is drained and needs to be recharged. But GM engineers are working on a switch for the British version of the Volt, the Vauxhall Ampera slated for 2012, that will let U.K. drivers decide when to drive in electric-only mode and when to use the gas engine, according to an article in TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

The tweak is designed to suit the driving … Read more

I recently argued that everyone has a blind side. When people or organizations miss important threats or opportunities--ones that are perhaps obvious to you--it's easy to think badly of them, to assign blame. My goodness! Why ever could they not see that coming?! Idiots! But it's not simple to avoid being those idiots.

I've dealt with department managers with unimpressive budgets who truly "get it." And I've worked with international governments and captains of industry who wouldn't recognize a clue if it dressed up as Colonel Mustard and bludgeoned them with a lead pipe in the conservatory.

In my experience, truly incompetent individuals and outlandishly oafish organizations are the exception. What I usually find are intelligent, well-meaning folks who can't see what they're missing--not because they're stupid, lazy, or in any other meaningful way blameworthy--but because they're focused on other tasks and looking the other way.

Last week, I promised to share some techniques for dealing with the blind side. I wish I could say "Combine a pound of black beans, a quart of skepticism, three eggs, four product evaluations, and a dash of focus group feedback in a large mixing bowl; stir until creamy; pour into well-greased pan; and bake for an hour at 325 degrees." But it's not like that. Improving your perception and handling of things that are over the horizon, camouflaged, latent, or visible only in the "negative space" (i.e., what's missing rather than what's there)--those are skills to be learned, not recipes to be followed. Nevertheless, I've used these these techniques with excellent results:

Admit It, Move On People tend to be embarrassed by, thus defensive about, their blind spots, weaknesses, ulterior motives, errors, and failures. Ego drives us to pretend they don't exist. But when you're pretending something isn't a problem, it's hard to do much about it. So get over it. Accept that you have significant weaknesses, fears, and other assorted ugly bits--that there's an often large gap between where/what you are and where/what you want to be. Getting over shame and blame and getting your ego out of the way lets you get on with the real work. If it's not your ego in the way, help whoever's ego is in the way to get out of it.… Read more

I spend a fair bit of my working life meeting with people, listening to their plans for their next product, project, strategy, initiative, or campaign. My job? Review, evaluate, and give feedback. It's great when I can confirm they've got things right. Check! Good! Yep! Oh, yeah, I like that! I help confirm and build confidence in the plan.

It's a good thing I have the opportunity to be positive, because the larger and more important part of the job is decidedly less affirming: figuring out where they've gone wrong. What's missing? What's vague … Read more