We Fix Your Gadgets

Dolce Press :: Design Studio & Letterpress Print Shop

2007-10-31T22:59:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about this:

Dolce Press is a design studio and letterpress print shop that creates just about anything from, wedding invitations and birth announcements to social stationery and imprintables. Samples available upon request.

They also have a blog with a range of topics on letterpress printing such as finding a press, mixing ink, and printing for the first time.

UPDATE: Dolce Press has just opened their online shop for business. The shop features a small selection of Dolce Press' most popular cards. "Get them while they're hot!"

Dell Battery Recall (details)

2006-08-15T02:02:00.000-04:00

So everyone knows that Dell has been planning to recall a huge amount of batteries in almost all of their laptops sold from 2004 to 2006. It has gotten so bad that even my grandmother knows that the battery in her dell laptop might be subject to a recall, I kid you not!

All of the posts that I have read about the dell battery recall speculate that a recall will be issued but don't give any information about how to check if your battery is eligible and how to order the replacement.

Well I was messing around on Dell's site when I found that a quick refresh on the home page revealed a link to the battery recall site specifically setup to handle the more than 1 million batteries they have recalled.

Here are photos of the 5 steps your need to go through to determine if your battery is eligible for recall and to order the replacement.

Step 1: Home Page

Step 2: Instructions

Step 3: Validate

Step 4: Shipping Information

Step 5: Confirmation

And you're done. I ran through the steps and it took me all of about 5 minutes with some minor distractions. Luckily my battery is eligible for recall. Half of the time the battery gets so hot it burns my leg right through my pants. Unfortunately, there is a long delay so sign up as soon as you can. The word from Dell is that it can take up to 20 business days for delivery and some models can take up to as much as 75 business days.

I guess the delays are to be expected since they did recall over 1 million batteries. The website for battery recall can be reached at the bottom of the Dell homepage or the specific Dell battery recall web page.

I Hate Google, Period, End of Sentence.

2006-07-27T19:15:00.000-04:00

Read this if you're wondering why the blog looks different (and no it wasn't intentional, planned, or desired):

So today Google has officially crossed over to my shit list. I have spent the last 2 months perfecting the template for this blog (adding social bookmarking links, altering the layout, and other fine tuning) and today when I decide to write some new posts I find out that they decided to erase all of my changes to my template. When I checked my page I got a bunch of HTML code so I checked the template out and found that only the top portion of template was there.

Now I know I can't complain because Blogger is a free service but what the hell is this about. I am just so pissed off that I can't begin to explain. Well if anything this gives me even more of a reason to switch to another platform. The only thing that was holding me back was that I had customized the template specifically for Blogger. So bear with me for the next few days while I try to figure out what I am going to do with this mess.

In the mean time feel free to share any similar experiences that you may have had. I'm off to the gym to take some aggression out on the punching bag.

Apple's New Wireless Mighty Mouse

2006-07-27T18:46:00.000-04:00

So we all have to thank Vincent Nguyen for sharing some sexy and surely revealing pictorials of the new wireless Mighty Mouse.

Mighty Mouse Features Include:

Bluetooth wireless capability
Laser tracking engine provides 20x surface sensitivity
360-degree clickable Scroll Ball
Touch-sensitive top shell
Force-sensing side buttons

And to top it all off the design is so attractive that you won't be able to take your eyes of it. Now that I've wet your appetite, here are some pictures from Nguyen:

The rest of the pictures of this sexy beast can be found here.

Firefox Extension of the Week: VideoDownloader 1.0

2006-07-27T18:20:00.000-04:00

All I have to say is this biznitch is the schiznit. This weeks Firefox extension of the week is VideoDownloader 1.0, a tool that allows you to download videos from the likes of Youtube, Google, Metacafe, iFilm, Dailymotion, and numerous other video sites. Now I can watch all of those episodes of Naruto on Youtube in one long block.

NOTE: The program downloads the files in .flv format so you'll need to download the flv player to watch the video. You can go here to download the flv format player.

The tool can be especially useful if you are a poor college student who can't afford internet or cable. Just take a visit to your local library or free internet cafe and download a few hours of video, that's why you convinced your parents you needed that 250GB external hard drive.

Alas I once was a poor college student. Once was? I still am a poor student instead now, I've moved up the ranks to Ph.D. (Sometimes I have problems suppressing my internal dialogue.)

Here's Episode 1 Part 1 of Naruto ... Enjoy!

Tech. obsession has reached a new level

2006-07-20T15:16:00.000-04:00

If you ever fear whether you are tech obsessed, just remember this kid who freaked about his Nintendo 64 and all your worries should just melt away.

You know what would be really cruel?

Let the kid open the box only to find that there is no N64, just a bunch of books and a sweater that your grandmother knitted for you. Can you imagine the expression on his face when he realizes that he didn't get an N64, man that'd be funny! Am I cruel?

Back in time ... on the verge of the computer revolution

2006-07-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across this video in the YouTube archives and have to share it with you. It is a news broadcast from 1981 chronicling the growth of computers and comments on what we can expect in the future. It was a little eye-opening as I was born in April 1983 and so my whole life computers have existed.

There is even a segment with Steve Jobs back in the Apple II days. This video certainly gives perspective on how this all began. Enjoy!

100th Post - Daily Show Revisits Net Neutrality

2006-07-20T14:33:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show has been all over the Net Neutrality act like Larry the Cable Guy on bad jokes. I thought as a treat for the 100th post on FixGadgets I'd share with you guys the latest Daily Show coverage of Net Neutrality. As an added bonus the correspondent in this bit is John Hodgkins, the PC guy from the Apple commercials.

John Stewart makes sure not to let Hodgkins get by without a little ridicule first. Without any more delay, here is the hilarious bit on Net Neutrality from the Daily Show.

Communication Devices of the Future (according to Forbes)

2006-07-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

Someone at Forbes Online thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of next-generation communication devices. Some of these things are downright scary.

The Hug - a pillow that feels your pain
If the writers at Forbes had their way, we would all be like this crazy lady hugging a pillow - maybe in the future we'll all be crazy and confined to rubber padded rooms. First let me clear something up, this is more than just a pillow, its The Hug, a melodiousness wireless phone and fuzzy pillow that enables people to communicate using sensors, heating pads, buzzing motors, and lights during a phone call.

The Hugs "purpose" is to allow a physical interaction to carry over long distances using the same technology that carries data and voice. It was designed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Project on People and Robots that implements the fundamentally significant idea of using technology to communicate emotionally and physically thereby enriching and personalizing communication.

But you've got to admit that this seems a little wacky and I can't help thinking that this is just another sign that we are all too disconnected from the world. Almost everything we do involves the net and studies have shown that the Internet is the likely cause of people having less close friends. I wonder how much they paid this lady to hug the pillow and what the photographer was telling her for inspiration.

More futuristic communication devices after the jump.

The Phone Glove - surf's up dude!
The next gadget on Forbes list is the Phone Glove, similar to the Bluetooth headset you were forced to buy because talking on your cell phone while driving will get you a ticket. Created by Jason Bradbury, the device is a Bluetooth headset that's been disassembled and reassembled into a glove. While Jason's design isn't earth-shatteringly ground-breaking it is part of a bigger movement called wearable computing. You have actually seen examples of wearable computing such as the Bluetooth RAZRWIRE Oakley Sunglasses and the ScotteVest (www.scottevest.com).

The area of wearable computing is very widespread in academia. The Wearable Computing Lab, part of the MIT Media Lab has developed several new communication and computing devices which may be put into production in the future when the cost of embedding these devices can be reduced. The real advances in wearable computing will finally come when these devices can be manufactured for single use and can be embedded into our clothing and attire.

Micromedia Paper - video here, there, and everywhere
Another major advance in communication will come from the use of electronic paper or as Forbes refers to it, Micromedia Paper. Various designs of this device will allow whole books to fit on a single memory-enabled, polymer sheet, displayed using infinitely reconfigurable magnetically-charged pigments; or futuristic printing technologies that will allow mass-produced super-cheap color screens that could be applied like wallpaper.

One of the more interesting e-paper concepts is by Lunar Design. They have imagined a product called MicroMedia Paper that is an ultra-thin, mini color screen with replaceable "power sticker" batteries and would be controlled using touch sensitive buttons and a volume dial that adjusts the integrated speakers. Video, pictures and teleconferencing imagery could be transferred using a built-in wireless connection. All of this will fit in the dimensions of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper, a fraction of an inch thick.

My only fear with the advent of this technology is how much media, specifically video advertisement will become a part of our daily life. If digital displays can become as cheap or close enough to traditional print, we will the immediate booming of the video billboard sign, not just on highways but everywhere (taxis, shops, trains, classrooms, offices, etc.). We won't be able to go for more than a few minutes without encountering some form of media.

$100 Laptop Challenge - a laptop for every child
The next futuristic communication device Forbes mentions is the $100 laptop, which I would argue isn't a futuristic concept, just a present day concept done cheaper. If successful though, it can potentially change how the rest of the world communicates. Many people think computer usage is as widespread in other countries as it is in the USA. Unfortunately, developing nations often have trouble with computers because of the tremendous economic barrier. I wrote about the $100 laptop challenge a few weeks ago; it is a practice in practical engineering where every piece must be considered to so the ultimate price of the laptop can be $100.

The Ubik - digital Swiss Army Knife
This Swiss Army Knife-style foldable phone, gaming device and multimedia player of the future is going to be the next must-have all-in-one device. The Ubik uses a borderless, flexible high-resolution screen that folds in half when the device is closed. The outer casing is constructed of two hard shells that also work as OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens themselves both inside and out, allowing the user to customize the look of the phone with displayed imagery and creating either gaming buttons or a telephone keypad on the inside depending on how the Ubik is being used.

When closed, it is the size and shape of a Post-it Note, and it opens two ways depending on what you want to do with it. One configuration serves as your phone, e-mail and instant-messaging device. The other way turns the Ubik into a gaming machine, photo viewer and video and music player. And to make sure that you are the only one using your phone, there is a built-in biometric optical scanner.

Haptics - redefining your sense of touch
Haptics is another area of major research for future devices that is the science of applying touch (tactile) sensation and control to interaction with computer applications. Again the Media Lab is also involved in this kind of research because it makes controlling objects and applications more intuitive. If you have played a PS2 or GameCube you have used a device with haptics; the small vibrations you get in response to your action in the video game is a primitive form of haptics.

One area where haptics is being developed is for eBooks. The biggest complaint from users is that the reading experience is nothing like a traditional paperback or hardcover book. eBook manufacturers hope to take advantage of haptics-inspired features bringing the tactile nature of reading to digital devices. Haptics is also used in force-feedback mechanisms to provide the controller with a sense/feeling of what they are controlling. More sophisticated haptic-based devices will obviously require more complex -and thus more expensive - hardware and software which will undoubtedly be developed in the coming decade.

The rest of the devices on Forbes list are really just new features that will enhance/improve/cheapen how we communicate by phone. They include VoWi-Fi a Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) phone technology that will be adapted for use on wireless (Wi-Fi) hotspots, WiMAX (802.16) wireless technology that will provide large bandwidth to mobile devices for video content and more, walking bio-identification that identifies users by how they walk, and iMOD, a power-saving technology for LCD screens. For more information on any of these topics take a look at the Forbes article.

Apple Rumor Roundup

2006-07-07T10:11:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like a nice warm bowl of Apple Rumors to start your day off right. A financial analyst from Piper Jaffray has ranked the Top-Ten biggest Apple rumors and gives you his perspective on the credibility of each rumor.

Analyst Gene Munster is "almost certain" that Apple will release the long-anticipate Intel-based Mac Pro at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on August 7, which will replace the high-end Power Mac G5 that is one of Apple's last machines to see the upgrade to Intel chips. I'd have to agree with him, Apple needs now more than ever to significantly boost the power of their pro machines or they risk losing pro customers to other platforms. The Intel chip is the perfect avenue to increase the speed, performance, and responsiveness of the pro-line of machines.

Gene, with his powers of prediction is also "almost certain" that Apple's latest revision of OS X, code-named Leopard (v. 10.5), will see a release in late 2006 or early 2007. A part of this rumor which isn't yet clear is whether this latest revision will include an update to BootCamp, the software which allows Mac Hardware to dual-boot OS X and Windows XP. The update is speculated to add support for Windows Vista and a new feature which will allow both OSes to be run simultaneously, without the need for a reboot.

More rumors after the jump.

Next on the rumor-mill list are Apple's plans to unveil an iTunes movie store - similar to the very popular music store - that will sell feature-length films. There has been a lot of buzz about the difficulty Apple is facing in agreements with major film studios. Apple has changed the digital music store by insisting that every song sell for 99-cents regardless of how popular it is; this line of thinking is counter-intuitive to most record labels whose only interest is to squeeze every penny out of our pocket.

A similar pricing scheme is believed to be in the works for downloaded movies; reports speculate that movies will be sold for $9.99. There are still many issues that need to be resolved such as viewing permissions and copying rights before this service goes live.

Following the iTunes Movie Store rumor is the speculation that Apple is working on an "iPhone". The flop of the ROKR - in my eyes at least - makes many people believe that Apple wants to correct the huge mistake that Motorola made when designing the ROKR. The biggest problem most people have with the ROKR is that it is a mediocre music player AND a mediocre cell phone. Apple is known for the tremendous effort they put into designing hardware and software and many were disappointed at the failure of the ROKR. Whether Apple is actually working on an "iPhone" is still up in the air but certainly is more fiction than fact at this point (Munster puts the time to release for an "iPhone" at 12 months); its more likely that we will see an iPod device mashup sporting cell-phone capabilities and/or other PDA-like features. Here are some sketches of phones enthusiasts have put together:

The rumors don't stop here and they only get more ridiculous from this point on. A less certain rumor is that Apple is working on telephone capabilities for iChat 4.0, similar to Skype features, to be launched simultaneously with OSX 10.5. Again I would agree with Munster that this is less likely to be true but Apple has been known to surprise us in the past so we can't put anything past them.

Mac-enthusiasts and the like are speculating or maybe just praying for few new gadgets such as: a new video iPod that will have a touch-sensitive 4" viewing screen or a home media hub dubbed iHome that would combine music, photo, and video capabilities. The question with a touch-screen iPod is what is the need for that feature when the device GUI (graphical-user-interface) is already super intuitive, a touch-screen would only further increase the price of a device that Apple is looking to lower. The iHome story has been proposed so many times, don't people have any new ideas?

The last three rumors rounding out the top 10 are:

Apple is in talks with in-flight entertainment systems to offer air travelers iTunes-branded audio content
Apple is developing an ultra-portable Mac equipped with NAND-flash memory technology
Apple may soon host advertisements on the iTunes music player interface

All I have to say is "WOW!" people are certainly imaginative, where do they get this - excuse me - crap!

First, the in-flight entertainment just isn't Apple's niche, if Apple offered branded content like XM then this would 100% make sense but what most people don't remember is that Apple is just the middle-man that offers the technology and services to the men (or women) with the music. Apple is not in the business of making music content and I hope they never try to. What is a traveler's need to have access to purchase music? Again, maybe if Apple were Napster and offered subscriptions to listen to music then this might make sense but Apple doesn't so I don't see any validity in this rumor. On top of all of this, Apple would need to give the Airlines a cut of the profit, which is small to begin with.

Second on the list of downright dumb rumors is the ultra-portable Mac. All I have to say to this is why? It all comes down to what is Apple's reason for wasting time and money on an "ultra-portable" computer. Isn't that what a laptop is? Do people think that the MacBook and MacBook Pro aren't portable enough? If anything, Apple laptops are one of the most portable laptops on the market. Everyone knows that the equivalent Dell machines are nowhere near as portable especially with power supplies that weigh more than the laptop. Apple's product line is something they put care and consideration into, they are all about simplicity and adding another machine to it needs more justification than just "ultra-portable".

The last of these ingenuous rumors - Apple placing ads on iTunes - I swear must have come from some half-wit PC user. Apple is a company that strives to make technological tasks easier and remove all of the clutter. There is nothing about ads that follows this line of thought so you don't have to worry about seeing adds in iTunes anytime soon, that is unless Microsoft or Napster decide to buy iTunes - hah like that would ever happen.

So that ends the Apple Rumor Roundup. I bet you never thought people had so much free time to conjure up rumors about Apple's next step. If the past is any indicator of the future, the only thing we can be certain of is that Apple will stop at nothing to push the envelope and change what roles computers and now even gadgets play in our lives.

Please feel free to let me know if I left out any rumors that you've come across on the net, there are too many to report all at once. For more information about Apple and their next moves, stay tuned to the results of the WWDC coming this August 7th 2006.

WGOW: Lingerie Clad USB Mouse

2006-07-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

A while back I wrote a post about what I thought was the worst gadget of the week (WGOW), which at the time was going to be a weekly article covering my pick of the worst gadget for the week (duh!). But I'll admit it, I was lazy and haven't got around to posting another one, that is until now.

So without any further adieu, my pick for the worst gadget of the week is the Lingerie USB Mouse being sold by FabStuff.net. In case you were wondering what it looks like, this should satisfy that hunger:

Thankfully this mouse has USB but no word whether its optical or uses a ball. If you were guessing that her tatas are the buttons then you are definitely right but you've got a dirty mind. Well enjoy this tasty tid bit that is sure to leave a sweet taste in some people's mouth, just not mine.

Top 150 Firefox Extensions

2006-07-06T15:28:00.000-04:00

I found this list of the top 150 Firefox Extensions while surfing John's My Place ... Technology / Family / Life Blog (whew that was a long name!). The list, made by Rijk van Geijtenbeek, was composed from initial research from user Dodd in the my.opera.com forums from extensions that were accessed on/before 7/6/06.

I had no idea that there were so many extensions (there are over a thousand of them) and new ones are posted everyday. These extensions make Firefox the digital analogue of a Swiss army knife, allowing the user to do much more than just surf pages. Not only is there a plethora of extensions, the quality is pretty good. I stumble across a new Firefox extension every few days. A script I came across today in fact is a blogging tool from Performancing that integrates with all of the major platforms and allows you to write and save posts before publishing to your blog.

Some Firefox Extensions that I couldn't live without:

The Firefox team has also compiled a list of extensions they use and think are noteworthy. If you find Rijk's page too noisy to read, you can always use Mozilla's Firefox Extension Database which has an excellent interface for finding the extension you need. Here is the link to the Firefox Addons website.

Windmill on Crack or maybe just Marijuana

2006-07-06T14:56:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what a windmill on crack might look like? Well leave it to architects working for the Dutch Government to figure it out - marijuana is legal there right? From a government standpoint, why build one windmill when you can build 4 for four-times the price.

More pictures are available after the jump.

All joking aside, this is certainly a smart idea because more energy could be extracted per unit for less cost because the cabling for each runs into a central unit. In addition, you might notice that the design resembles a tree which was the intention of the architects. A few of these units scattered across the flat Dutch landscape is certainly less intrusive than the windmill parks that so many are used to seeing.

The picture shows only 4 blades per unit but they can be designed to hold up to 8 sets of blades and will be just under 400ft tall (120m for your European folk). I have passed windmills before when driving through the countryside in the northeast US and they are huge constructions. They almost seem fake especially in the flat countryside where you can see them for miles.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never see these windmills in the US - damn gas guzzling bureaucracy - I guess its just another reason to vacation to Amsterdam. Enjoy!

A Megaphone for your Alarm

2006-07-06T14:31:00.000-04:00

This is a DIY project that even an idiot could do, not that I'm calling you guys idiots. I often have a problem with how quite my cell phone alarm is. Often, I will set alarm and not even remember it going off. When I tell you I sleep quite deeply, I mean you'd have an easier time waking a patient in a comma.

The problem with most alarms even traditional alarm clocks is that the noise exits the speaker and radiates outward in every direction. Well Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad came up with this ingenious little device to focus the alarm sound in a single direction. The invention isn't any simpler than a deep red win glass with the stem broken off. Don't you just love 1-step DIY projects. The greatest part is that you don't even have to crack open a toolbox to get this to work.

So dust off the wine glasses that haven't been used in oh so long - because bachelors drink beer - and get some use out of them. I'd admit that you might run into a problem if you're one of those people who tends to smack their cell alarm to shut it up; but at least if the cell phone doesn't work, the shards of glass causing your hand to hemorrhage will do the trick.

Backup your Cell with the CellStik

2006-07-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

Face it, our lives revolve around cell phones, they are the 21st century rolodex and we'd be in trouble if we lost all that information. Don't fret because CellStik has your back like your mates would in a bar fight.

It seems that many of the posts lately have been about our cell phones; Some good SGH i320, Cell Phone Condom, and some bad Cell Phone Cooks Egg. While the condom might almost totally proof your phone it isn't drop proof so you'll need the CellStik to backup any important data you have on it.

Skeptics might ask, "Don't all phones have Bluetooth nowadays?" and they'd be right but setting up a Bluetooth connection can be a difficult as rocket science (unless you're lucky enough to have a Mac). With the CellStik, all you do is connect the drive to the phone and with one simple click you can backup all of the data on the phone. Later the data can be accessed with a computer but plugging the device into a USB port. Each model phone has a specific CellStik so make sure you pickup the right one. If you've got to have one of these right now, visit RedEnvelope for more information.

Robot can skateboard better than me

2006-07-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

I think everyone needs to thank the hard workers at Geekologie for finding this gem. This little robot can do almost anything that I think it might be fake. Not only can it ride the board, it does tricks and can rollerblade, something I was never able to master - I think its my total lack of balance, I almost broke my arm once blading down a tiny hill back in the day.

Click the image to load the video. I know what you're thinking, I've seem this before but trust me you haven't; I pooped my pants when I saw this thing. Now if they can only make robots that can do something a little more useful like drive my lazy ass to work and make me a gourmet breakfast, get to it!

Cell phone is a perfectly good egg cooker?

2006-07-05T20:29:00.000-04:00

If you find yourself out and without any other method of cooking your eggs, you can use your cell phone according to two Russian journalists. In their experiment, they placed a raw egg in a porcelain cup between two phones that were talking to one another. The article reports that no change was observed during the first 15 minutes, but at 25 minutes the shell became hot and at 40 minutes the shell became hard; the egg was fully cooked after 65 minutes.

This article is part of a string of reports that as of late points out that cell phone radiation is harmful and may cause brain tumors. My experience is that after using a cell phone for a long time (60+ minutes continuously) my ear and head get hot. That aside, it isn't clear whether the heat is due to harmful radiation or just heat emitted by electronics. I don't think there is anything to worry about heat because if this was the case then everyone would have brain tumors from taking hot showers or soaking in hot-tubs.

The other thing that should be noted here is that their experiment isn't very scientific. Their remarks about the egg are purely qualitative and they don't propose any mechanism by which the egg cooks. The lack of any experimental design means that their findings are nothing more than a cool trick. If these reporters hope to be taken seriously they need to properly interact with the scientific community by publishing their findings in a peer-reviewed journal so their work can be scrutinized and repeated.

My biggest problem with the media is how they skew facts and draw bold conclusions akin to sensationalism and yellow journalism from the early 20th century. Journalists are always looking for the big story and in the process twist findings and observations to fit their pre-formulated conclusions. This is in part why I started this blog to highlight fact from fiction. Until this is study in a more controlled environment I wouldn't consider this more than just some journalists looking for acknowledgement.

Ironically, I don't think people would stop using their cell phones if an accurate study was done and showed that they caused brain tumors; we are too attached to our gadgets.

Cell Phone Condom

2006-07-05T20:07:00.000-04:00

Writing a title to get visitors to stop and read a post can be tough but not with this post, it was way too easy. Before your mind gets carried away, this product is a like a condom for your cell phone, you know to protect it like you would your piece. With how many people that love their cell phone, I could see people being more interested in protecting their gadgets than their gadget.

The condoms are waterproof, paintproof, bloodproof, sweatproof, snowproof, rainproof, mudproof, and any other proof you can think of. They call them Cell Phone Condoms because they are identical to regular condoms except that the latex is seventeen times stronger and can be stretched seven times its length. Now the excuse, "It broke" just won't work. The condoms can be used as regular condom, you know if you're Superman or Spiderman.

If the sheer mechanics and engineering of the product isn't enough to convince you to buy this product, the Skins promo team, dressed in latex bikinis, "love to give demonstrations". There is nothing subtle about the sexual undertones of this product. The inventor, Rogier van Camp, didn't have anything sexy in mind when he thought up this product. Rogier was painting a swimming pool in France when the idea hit.

I see this product actually being useful. I had a bad encounter with a pool once when babysitting a relative. I walked by the pool to feel the temperature of the water and lost hold of the phone and plunk my phone decided to cool off in the deep end of the pool. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. If you're interested in this product, you ca visit the manufacturer's website here.

Apple 4 - Microsoft 0, Can we say shutout?

2006-07-05T19:19:00.000-04:00

If there was a scoreboard keeping a record of who is winning the Desktop OS game, Apple would have a healthy lead. John Boudreau from Mercury News wrote an article essentially summing up the events in the battle of Apple and Microsoft. John's position is that Apple has consistently delivered on its promises while Microsoft seems to jump from delay to delay with no end in sight.

The upcoming World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is where Apple is expected to release its latest revision of Mac OS X, Leopard and a bevy of other products. Meanwhile Microsoft still hasn't delivered on the Vista promise and don't get me started on the XP promise. If XP were a pizza and Microsoft a Pizza Shop, my food would be free. But the major difference Apple and Microsoft which might explain the severe backlog of releases is that Windows and Vista will have to run on millions of computers world-wide while OS X only runs on a fraction of the machines. The other issue with Vista is that it has to be compatible with a ton of different hardware while Apple only has to worry about a much smaller selection of hardware and software.

My problem with Windows delays is how long will it take before people get fed up with waiting for Vista and switch to something else? I'm surprised how long all the techies who use XP have waited for Vista. I won't take the argument that they have Vista Beta 2 because its no where near ready for release.

In the end the question is, does any of this matter? For the majority of users the answer is no, they have no need for innovation and they are the same people who still use Windows 98 today. Read the original article for more of John's opinions on the topic.

Windows Vista and Office demoed on MacBook

2006-07-05T18:46:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like a software and OS demonstration of Microsoft products on Apple hardware to blur the lines between the lines between Apple and Microsoft fans.

The picture is of a Microsoft employee demoing Vista, Microsoft's next-gen OS, and Office 2007 on a MacBook Pro. The presentation took place at Microsoft's Belgium headquarters; apparently Europeans are free-thinkers because a presentation like this in the US would certainly cause a stir in the media. Before anyone has a chance to make a comment, it isn't clear if the presentation was a live demo or simply a series of screen shots.

This is important because while XP can now be easily installed and booted on an Intel-based Mac, it isn't clear yet if it will be as easy to install Vista on current Intel-based Macs.

Now if I can just get someone to donate a MacBook Pro to me, I could test this out.

Google Romance = Google Joke

2006-07-05T18:22:00.000-04:00

I was surfing Flickr and came across this strange pic that I hope is someone's attempt at a joke. Apparently this is a screen grab from someone who happened to surf over to www.google.com/romance/tour.html. The press release describes the service as an attempt at contextual dating. The service works using Soulmate Search (TM) to pair potential matches and offer them a date in exchange for viewing contextual advertising. Here is what the screen grab looks like:

At this point I'm thinking Jesus they've got to be kidding me. I know that Google is everywhere nowadays but come on! After actually reading the fine print I realized that the image is tagged in Flickr, April Fools, so surely enough this isn't real, could you imagine if it was?

I'll take the role of the skeptic though, I think they leaked this to start a buzz on the net (taking a lesson from Apple). They've probably got some kinks to work out in the Soulmate Search (TM) algorithm, yup and I've got a flux capacitor in my Delorean.

Samsung SGH i320 - Q's got some competition

2006-07-05T17:29:00.000-04:00

On the coat tails of the RAZR's success, Motorola was hoping that its new smartphone, the Q, would cause the same stir and buying frenzy that the RAZR and SLVR did. But it seems that Samsung doesn't like when Motorola gets all of the attention (can we say "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"). That last piece was a Brady Bunch reference in case you didn't realize, I know I have way too much time on my hands!

The Samsung SGH i320 is a direct competitor to the Motorola Q and the fact that its smaller and thinner than the Q may make it more desirable in some eyes. For me it'll come down to how much more I'll have to shell out for a slightly thinner/smaller phone, do you think they'll take blood as a form of payment. But, bragging rights are all that matters in the gadget world and Motorola has just lost them to the i320. Not only is the i320 thinner than the Q, it supports GSM which means that this gadget is compatible with your jet-setting lifestyle, no matter where you go (almost).

Unfortunately the phone runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 - I hate it - but with no other alternative, we can't fault Samsung because Microsoft runs the world. Of course the phone sports a 1.3 mega-pixel camera, a 2.2" LCD, Bluetooth, and high-quality dual speakers; what phone doesn't come with these features nowadays. The smartphone is designed for users who want to chat, read, and send emails on the go. An embedded messaging platform allows for easy IM and the mobile mail functions enable users to send/receive a multitude of file types. There is 120 MB of embedded memory and a microSD slot to allow for additional memory and storage. Lastly, the phone weighs in at 95 grams, for all of us in the US that's 3.35 ounces.

The only place I think the i320 falls short is its name. Motorola understands that a cool name can totally change the image of your product, the RAZR is a great example. I guess this means that Bill Shakespeare was wrong all along, a rose by any other word wouldn't smell as sweet. If I had to judge these two phones just on their names, I would have to give props to the Q for a stylish/understated name that certainly tells your more than i320. Thankfully we don't judge books by their covers here and the name aside, the i320 looks to be a great contender for the Q. Here's to hoping someone will give Motorola a run for their money!

What Search Engine Do You Use?

2006-07-02T09:19:00.000-04:00

First, I have to apologize to everyone for not posting in the past week. I have been swamped with work and school and have not had one free moment to get out a couple of posts. With that, I thought I would turn the tables on you guys and ask you all a very common question.

Being a computer repair specialist, I am often asked what search engine I use and why I think its the best. People think this is a straightforward question and answer but there are a lot of subtle nuances. You could compare this questions to: What is your favorite restaurant and why? Suprisingly, I get asked this question quite often too. For me, it depends on taste and how I'm feeling that day.

If you read most of my posts you'll find that I often speak about Google. Its hardly difficult these days to do anything on the net without somehow involving Google; I guess this means that business is good for Google (It should be with a stock valued at $419.33 as of June 30th). But just because Google is everywhere, doesn't necessarily mean that it translates into a great search engine. Now I'm sure that I'll get flamed for that statement and most people would be right in saying that Google is a great search. Heck, I use Google just about once every 5 minutes during the work day. Remember what they say about size, it isn't everything.

Google was great long before it became the corporate monster (800-ton Gorilla) it is today. Google was great because they innovated the search engine marketplace by bringing fresh ideas and making search more than just a bunch of keywords. Back in the day, Google was ahead of the game but as of late the likes of Yahoo, MSN, and even Ask! have caught up to the #1 competitor. Through hard work, these other search engines which were once at the top of the game have begun to reclaim leading positions in the search engine marketplace.

All of this put aside, answering the question, "What search engine do you think is best?" isn't so easy. Search engines are just like shoes, everyone has a particular style, size, and color that fits them. Search engines are very particular and often your results are only as good as your knowledge of how the engine works. At the heart of it, search engines are just another machine that doesn't comprehend human thoughts. It is in part the requirement of the user to process and filter what terms are vital to the search. Knowing how the search engine works will help you in selecting keywords to filter what you want from all of the other web junk.

Search engines are vital to the survival and further growth of the Internet because they act as the literal link between the user and the content provider. I like Google because they put priority on the search results, minimizing all of the other junk that competitors include on their results page. Google has done a great job of integrating advertisements into the search results while their competitors seem to be more interested in emphasizing the ads than the results; maybe this is because their search results aren't that good.

I wrote not to long ago about MSN hiring people to hand craft search engine results. When MSN's search algorithm isn't able to find good enough results, they direct the request to a hand-crafter who scrubs the web finding the sites your are probably looking for. I only wonder how they are going to find other sites, Google maybe?

My answer plain and simple is: I use Google because their search results are the best and I have tried all of the competition. Until something better comes along I will continue to use Google for all of my search engine needs. I will admit that if I can't find what I'm looking for in the Google results I do try other search engines but usually without success.

Well that's enough of my opinion, I want to hear yours:

What search engine do you use regularly and why?
Are there new competitors that have emerged in the market like Google did so many years ago?
What do you think is going to be the next big revolution in the search engine marketplace?

So get off your ass and getyoursearchon!

Socializer, automatic submission of social bookmarks

2006-06-25T07:34:00.000-04:00

I hate clutter just as must as every Tom, Dick, and Harry and Socializer will cut down the social bookmarking clutter you deal with every day. The Socializer allows you to easily submit a link to several social bookmarking systems. Instead of having a link to each site, you have a single link to all of them!

This service is so simple and easy to use I'm kicking myself that I didn't put one together first. It almost makes you go "duhh!" Here is Socializer's schematic, could it be any simpler?

And the tool couldn't be any more straightforward to setup. There's no need to register or any of that bullcrap, just insert a snippet of code (JavaScript or PHP) and Socializer does the rest. As if that isn't idiot proof enough, there are specific instructions on how to integrate the service with Wordpress, Movable Type, Blogger (me), and Blogware.

I posted about the sociable bookmarking plug-in that I created for Blogger not too long ago and if I had only known about this, I wouldn't have wasted my time (thanks Kiltak for posting the plug-in though). The biggest problem with maintaining links to sociable bookmarking services is that each one has its own API, and that gives me one huge API headache.

To use Socializer with Blogger all you have to do is insert this small snippet of code into your template.

<a href="http://ekstreme.com/socializer/?url=<$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>&title=<$BlogItemTitle$>">
Social bookmark this</a>

Now you might be saying, "Are you crazy? You want me to change my template?!?! I don't know the first thing about HTML, etc.!"But don't fret because all you need to do is copy the code above, go to your template in Blogger and paste it directly after "<$BlogItemControl$>". If you're having trouble finding this section of code, search the page (CTRL+F) for it, it only appears once. Now save your changes and click republish and you're done.

That's it and its certainly less painful than a trip to the dentist so you shouldn't procrastinate about it any longer. If you want to get more fancy, you can use the Socializer logos (, ) like you would use the digg or del.icio.us logos. To add this, the code is slightly different:

<a href="http://ekstreme.com/socializer/?url=<$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>&title=<$BlogItemTitle$>">
<img src="{insert URL to icon}" />Social bookmark this</a>

For this you will need to have a server where you can upload image (Flickr, etc.) and also need to know the URL of that image. You can grab a copy of the icons (small or large) above and upload them to your server. My personal recommendation is to use the smaller 16x16 pixel icon because this is the standard size of most sociable bookmarking icons. Paste the URL of the image into the snippet of code above where "{insert URL to icon}" is. It should look like this when done properly:

<a href="http://ekstreme.com/socializer/?url=<$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>&title=<$BlogItemTitle$>">
<img src="http://www.myurl.com/Socializer16.png" />Social bookmark this</a>

Now that you have the code ready, just copy and paste it into the same spot as mentioned before, save changes, and republish to make your changes go into effect. Whenever you make changes you should always confirm the changes posted properly and that you didn't mess anything else up in the process. Another good note is to ALWAYS make a backup of your template before editing it. If for some reason you make a mistake and mess something up, you will be able to use the backup copy.

Well that's Socializer and how to set it up with Blogger. I hope you and your readers enjoy using it, its a great service. I'm planning some house-keeping around here in a couple of days at which point I'll be changing everything over to Socializer, which will make my life and yours easier and less cluttered with social bookmarking icons. Now only if I could apply the same theory to my office desk.

Back to the grind, happy surfing!

Nissan Terranaut - Technofilled Next-Gen 4x4

2006-06-22T15:54:00.000-04:00

So I normally try to keep the posts strictly gadget and tech. related but I caught a glimpse of a new concept car from Nissan called the Terranaut. This 4x4 beast isn't just a car its a gadget in a class by itself and that's why I thought I'd share it with you. Nissan claims that the Terranaut was designed for "scientists, geologists, archaeologists, and adventurers", but who wouldn't want to cruise around in this bad boy.

Follow the jump for more info and pictures.

The interior is certainly the most unique part about this car and sports a 360 degree swivel chair allowing the rear passenger to access a bevy of gadgets and accessories, who knows what they've packed in there. If that's not enough, there's a circular sunroof above the seat on which a huge screen is mounted and can swivel around the entirety of the back deck. I say 'deck' because it is just what Captain Picard and the rest of them from Star Trek: The Next Generation ordered.

But don't be envious if you're stuck in the front because the sleek interior and abundance of gadgets throughout the car will make cruising in this 4x4 enjoyable for all, even the driver. There is only one door on the front passenger side and two on the driver side which open like suicide doors.

The features don't stop on the outside either with a rear-mounted camera and satellite dish to allow you to communicate with the outside world without getting off your lazy ass. The rear of the car also sports what looks to be a specimen container which you can insert random things into and have the supercomputer in the back analyze for all sorts of things.

The polished sleek exterior and gadget-stuffed interior are going to make every want one of these. But you better start saving up now because this next-generation 4x4 surely won't be cheap. For now I'm content with just salivating over these gorgeous pictures ... wow!

The Mentos-Cola Fountain Show

2006-06-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

So today I was pretty bored but not to worry because the Internet is full of things to read and watch, like this video which I've dubbed the Mentos-Cola Fountain Show.

What do you do with 101 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke and 523 Mentos?

Mix them up and create a coke fountain that rivals the water fountains in Las Vegas. The two plus minutes of high pressured coke shooting fun is more than enough to bring you out of that slump you've been in for the past three hours. People have a lot of free time (some way too much) on there hands and that's how videos like these even make it to the web. But I'll be thankful for those people who continually entertain me when I'm bored.

I'm just trying to imagine what was going through these guys heads when they got dressed up and decided to put this together. Did the one on the left say to his wife, "Have a good day hun, I'm off to mix to work where I'll be mixing Mentos with Coke"? To top it all off, when the soda is all done exploding they take champagne glass and toast each other and what I would say is pretty amazing.

So join me by raising your glass/mug/Styrofoam cup and lets cheer to people with too much free time, without them the world would be a boring place!

New Apple Ad Campaign

2006-06-22T14:18:00.000-04:00

I was surfing the next as usual and I came across this picture of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Microsoft Chief Software Architect Bill Gates together at the Wall Street Journal Executive Conference. I have to admit I thought the world might implode if Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were ever at the same place at the same time. But I checked outside after seeing this and happily, the world did not implode.

These are not photoshoped images and there are many more of the two of them talking (slideshow). It would be interesting to know what they're talking about, hopefully its more interesting than them congratulating each other on how rich they are. These two men have made a lot of money (Gates certainly more so than Jobs) through the competition of the companies they started.

I wonder if this might be part of an Ad campaign to show the world that they've buried the hatchet. I mean now that Apple is using x86 chips, Windows can run on a Mac and OS X can run on a PC, this is the compatibility that everyone has been asking for for two decades. Maybe instead of the current ads they're thinking of replacing Mac with Steve Jobs and the PC dude with Gates, I would love to see that commercial!

More pictures after the jump.

From the pictures it looks like the two are having a pretty long discussion over the span of a few courses. I'm not sure who the man to the right of Bill Gates is, but who cares. Either way I thought that these pictures were interesting; there is a misconception that these two hate each other because Mac and PC users have an ongoing battle over who is better. This just helps to blur the line even further.

Sony can't spell SERECT SELECT

2006-06-22T13:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what Sony was thinking when they SERECTed this controller to display in their Ginza Showroom but someone is going to feel the heat for it. I'm in no position to bust on someone for a spelling error, I'm pretty bad myself but I just couldn't resist. I'm sure the mistake has been noted and a new controller with correct spelling swapped in or maybe SONY is being sued by Nintendo because they used the select button without permission. Or maybe, Serect (S. Erect) is a new command with more functionality than Select that Sony is planning to include in the PS3.

One person has commented that "They were just trying to spell 'SECRET'" and others just can't resist poking fun at the gross spelling error. Another commenter remarked, "Something tells me Sony won't be seeing a victoly at this years's erection" and was replied with "Haha, that's crassic". Some people have even been link to a site on Engrish, yes one does exist (shocking). I just hope that my PS3 doesn't have spelling mistakes on it when I get it.

Microsoft approves Creative Commons, too nice!

2006-06-22T12:59:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but when I think of Microsoft I get a warm fuzzy feeling all over my body. This is just another piece of news from Microsoft that tickles me pink (tee-hee). A new agreement between Microsoft and Creative Commons (CC) will allow users of the Office Suite to publish their documents with a choice of several different CC licenses.

CC licenses allow authors and artists to release their work while maintaining some of the rights such as ownership by preventing people from selling or altering their work but allowing for copying and distribution. The licenses will be available via an Add-In that is publicly available (here or here) and will make it easier for users "to mark their creative work with the freedom they intend it to carry". This sounds like a great feature and seems to implement nicely with Word and Powerpoint.

Stay with us as we follow the Microsoft corporate PR wheel as it continues rollin, rollin, rollin ...

AeroJOHN at Woot, if only!

2006-06-22T12:19:00.000-04:00

Surfing the net like we always do on a slow morning we found this ingenious invention, the AeroJOHN posted over at woot.com. This gadgets is a must have for people ~~on the go~~ who have to go, literally. The AeroJOHN as the name implies in an inflatable toilet inspired by the likes of the Aero Mattress that you see advertised on TV at 3am.

As the designer describes it, "[the AeroJOHN] goes where you go thanks to easy one-touch inflation and deflation technology. Imagine, never having to wait in those long lines for the restroom, never having to wee or squat against a tree, and all that time spent walking from whatever you were doing to the bathroom can be put to much better use".

Like the advert shows, you can read the newspaper next to your wife while she eats breakfast, so you never have to be apart. Not only is the AeroJOHN portable it sports a plush memory foam seat that conforms to the contours of your buttock to give you a "personalized poo experience". My biggest fear is what you would do with it after you're done with your dirty business. Maybe they'd be better off marketing this as a disposable appliance!

Pictures and more after the jump.

In case you can't tell, this is a joke and part of a contest at woot! where people submit renditions of totally whacked out gadgets (and such). In case you're not familiar, woot is a different kind of online store and community. Instead of having a massive inventory say like Amazon, Woot lists just one item for sale a day. The new item is posted at 12am (midnight) and is on sale for 24 hours or until the item sells out. Once sold out, the item is no longer available, period end of sentence. Everyday something different goes up for sale so there is no telling what you might find. And with the low prices they sell at, who cares what your buying if its a good deal!

In case you were interested in what the AeroJOHN looks like, here is the winning submission by wonderstew from the Best of Contest 77 at Woot! The rest of the submissions can be found here.

Stop Windows from Phoning Home

2006-06-21T15:48:00.000-04:00

A new tool created by a private security company can prevent your PC (or Mac) from phoning home ET-style. The component targeted by the tool is the callback component that is part of the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool now mandatory for all Windows installations.

The WGA tool is used to curb Windows piracy and consists of two major components: validation and notification. Validation determines whether the copy of Windows installed is pirated and Notification nags users when Microsoft believes you are using a pirated version of the operating system.

The problem is that Notifications has been "phoning home" to Microsoft server every day and Windows users are concerned about how it violates their privacy and security. To prevent the transfer of information, the private security company created the utility, RemoveWGA, which works on Windows XP (SP1 and SP2).

The utility can be downloaded here but it is not intended to be used to run on pirated versions of Windows. You should only use the tool for preventing the violation of your privacy and security if you have a genuine version of XP. I would never condone software piracy.

Get a Mac at your local BestBuy

2006-06-21T15:39:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately we can't all be so lucky to have an Apple Store around the corner but if successful you might be seeing Macs at your local BestBuy. An article from the Associated Press reports that the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer is testing the possibility of selling Apple's full line of computers.

Currently, Best Buy only carries the popular iPod and accessories but that may change. Best Buy has added Apple computers in seven stores (four weeks ago) and it's considering expanding Mac sales across the whole chain according to BestBuy Senior VP for Merchandising David Morrish.

This move could be very profitable to both parties. Apple computers are held in high respect by many computer buyers and demand a high selling point because of their quality and attention to detail. Apple could stand to see considerable profit by offering its whole product line to a markedly larger audience. This combined with the ability to load Windows Operating Systems on Apple computers could change the computer market completely for Apple.

In the end, the numbers will have to do the talking.

Nintendo DS Inspired Laptop

2006-06-21T15:23:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what a Nintendo DS on crack would look like?

Well the Canova dual-touch screen notebook is just that. Designed by ~~Nintendo~~ V12 Design+Engineering - located in Italy and Australia - the Canova Notebook seems to be inspired by the dual-screen of the Nintendo DS even though they may not come out and say it.

Similarities aside, the Canova is targeted at creative minds, where just one touch screen isn't enough. The bottom portion of the laptop can be changed from a virtual keypad to an additional screen as the situation dictates. The laptop also includes an electronic pen to allow the user to interact with both displays without gumming them up with their grimy fingers. Carved our of stainless steel and carbon fiber with a laser the Canova Laptop is sure to turn heads.

The picture shown here seems to be a rendering and it isn't clear whether the design is intended for production or not. Either way, you better start to save up your money now as this bad boy is sure to scrape the upper stratosphere when it comes to price.

Reading on the go for blind people

2006-06-21T15:03:00.000-04:00

This is an amazing device that combines a camera and PDA to scan a document, convert it to text, and read the contents aloud. The device is the latest invention from Raymond Kurzweil, a well known American inventor. Devices like this have been made in the past but bulky hardware meant that the document had to be taken to the machine and not the other way around.

This new device is portable and handheld which allows blind people to read documents like menus and timetables on the go. The device, named the K-NFB, is set to be released to the UK market next month (July) for about $4860 (£2,625). While the price tag certainly isn't small, its well worth the investment to be mobile and independent.

Sidekick 3 Reviewed (thoroughly)

2006-06-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

The Sidekick 3 is finally here (June 28, 2006) and we would be nowhere without a thorough review. Thankfully the Phone Scoop clan has put together a review so thorough that once you get done reading it the Sidekick 4 will be out (either that or T-Mobile will be out of business). Who wouldn't want this phone, my only problem is that its only available for T-Mobile so I guess I'll have to stick with the Motorola RAZR for now.

For everyone else who has T-Mobile, you'll happy to know that the new Sidekick sports Bluetooth, a memory card slot, a megapixel camera, a full QWERTY keyboard, large screen, and a bevy of other features.

Weighing in at 184 grams, the Lithium-Ion battery will allow you to talk for 4.5 hours and can operate on standby for up to 72 hours (better make sure to have your charger with you when you travel). With 64MB of built-in flash memory, the phone has more memory than my backup server.

There are some drawbacks though such as the camera (poor color accuracy) and making phone calls (its easier to surf the web than make a phone call). With a hefty $300 to $350 estimated price tag I don't think that everybody will be running out to purchase one of these on June 28th. Although I could be wrong and maybe people think a cell phone is more important than paying the electric bill.

Is Comcast that bad?

2006-06-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

This video from YouTube says it all. The story behind the video is that a Comcast-ic technician came to replace a faulty modem among other things. The technician spent more than an hour on hold and in the process fell asleep on this guys couch (the one shooting the video). I don't think its possible to make out the guys face but if they find out who this guy is he will definitely lose his job. Talk about bad PR for a company that certainly doesn't need any more.

If I could meet the guy who shot and produced this video I would definitely buy him a beer. Now I won't be so bitter when I have problems with my cable guy.

Plugaid - Instant conversations about anything

2006-06-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

Plugaid is a new Web2.0 company on the prowl looking to help bloggers instantly start a conversation about a certain idea or topic. I received an invite in my email this morning allowing me to join the closed beta that they are starting.

The service works by embedding code for a 'box' into your post that allows people to form conversations on a specific topic. When you include a plug box into your post you are automatically included as part of an ongoing conversation or can start a new topic.

The premise is that many people often discuss similar topics and while your post by itself may not have a significant impact, the post when grouped with others of its kind can be much more valuable. Not only are your opinions on the topic reaching others who are participating in the conversation but you can provide your readers with links to other peoples opinions and responses.

Here is an example of a PlugAid box:

The above conversation groups several posts on the topic of Technology, Gadgets, and Gizmos. Each blog post is listed as an entry or plug. The best part is that you can preview a small snippet of the post without having to load each one. If a particular plug looks interesting you can click the yellow visit button to read more.

The box can be embedded in two ways: participate and scrap. In participate mode, your blog post will actually be included in the conversation while in scrap mode you can show the conversation without participating in it.

I am going to try and implement Plugaid into some of the posts to see the response it draws. Who knows if this will be a success or not but the idea is certainly novel.

10 Things I Hate Love About Google

2006-06-21T12:58:00.000-04:00

Alyce Lomax over at Motley Fool has decided that she really doesn't like Google and her arguments are pretty convincing. Apparently the corporate geeks at Google have done something to tick her off and write an astounding 10 different things she despises about Google.

One argument I strongly agree with Alyce about is "2. Jack of all trades, master of none". Nowhere is this more evident than with Blogger, a now outdated blogging service that has fallen far behind the innovation wheel. I'm sure I'll be flamed for saying this but Blogger has not kept up pace with the other blogging platforms and there is no clear reason why. It seems that since Google's acquisition of the company little has happened to improve the service.

When you log in to Blogger, a section of the Dashboard displays Blogger News which I believe at one point was used to inform people about new things being developed at Blogger. Well the most current news is from February 1st 2006 and announces the Blogger Buzz Blog. The two previous posts cover Maintenance notices that talk about outages. When was the last time any major update was brought to Blogger?

The best feature of Blogger was how easy they made it to setup blogs for the general public. Since the service lacks any major features it fails to attract major blogging outfits. Thus many of the blogs hosted by Blogger are sub-par. I know I'm setting myself up for flaming since this blog is hosted on blogger. And just in case you're wondering, I'm plannig to move this blog to a better platform very shortly. I guess my question to the developers of Blogger is when will any new features for Blogger be introduced?

Sorry for the rant, take a look at the rest of Alyce's list at Motley Fool to understand why she doesn't like Google.

One laptop per child for $100

2006-06-21T12:09:00.000-04:00

The $100 Laptop is a challenge to build and distribute a simple PC to bridge the digital divide. While the Internet and Computers are becoming more commonplace everyday, there is a divide that is quickly growing between the haves and the have-nots. The central aim of the project is to provide a cost-effective ($100) computer to less affluent areas of the world.

There are many contenders in this challenge the most noticeable being a group of academic and industry members building the One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) Laptop. Members of this group include Nicholas Negroponte (MIT Media Lab), numerous other MIT faculty, Google, Nortel Networks, RedHat, AMD, and several other companies.

There is a lot of discussion over the merit of these low cost laptops and Phil Hartup at bit-tech has written a good review of the three major contenders and the machines they are proposing.

Cleaning up desktop clutter

2006-06-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, then you've got a desktop cluttered with files, some of them for business, some for pleasure, and some of them just crap. Not only is my desktop cluttered with files but its also contains 1000+ folders in which more documents are sorted and stored. The problem is, I can never remember exactly where I put something and when I do, I have to go through 5 to 6 levels of folders just to find it.

I came across a video on YouTube of a prototype 3D computer desktop environment. This 6+ minute video covers a bunch of innovative features that allow you to interact and organize your desktop clutter like you would clutter on a real desk.

The group who has put together this demo is called Dynamic Graphic Project (DGP) and some of the cool features include Pile Creation, Laso Menu, and Pile Manipulation. The amazing part is that you can create piles of documents just like you would on your real desk. The piles contain similar documents and allow you to keep groups of objects all on a single desktop. To make it easier to organize and access files, piles can be manipulated by widgets that display the contents of the files in a variety of ways (grid, list, fanned out, sideways, etc.).

The file icons can also be chosen to show the contents of the file. So links to webpages contain snapshots of the pages contents. Links that I save from websites are a big problem because often the name isn't indicative of the contents and filenames can get excessively long.

For right now the video is just a demonstration of what is possible and it may be a while before any of these features make it into a real operating system. But the work they have done so far is certainly innovative.

Overclock your CPU to 500GHz

2006-06-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

No the title isn't a typo but I'll admit it is a little misleading. You won't be able to take a stock AMD or Intel CPU and overclock it like this (although a Japanese group have clocked standard chips to 7GHz, link).

The team of scientists behind this endeavor have accomplished this massive speed increase (500GHz) by cooling down to 9 degrees above absolute zero using liquid helium. For those of you who aren't familiar with absolute zero, it is the lowest temperate possible, the temperature at which even molecular vibrations cease and everything is frozen. This temperature is comparable to that found in outer space.

The team includes researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Korea University, and IBM whose results will be published in IEEE Electron Device Letters, a technical journal. Their efforts have produced a Silicon based chip that operates at 250-times the speed of chips common today. Previously, it was believed that such speeds weren't possible purely due to the heat produced from operating a conventional chip. Even at room temperature, the new chip can run at speeds up to 350GHz.

These results are significant because it demonstrates that the chip industry has not yet reached its upper limits, something many have been speculating over and fearing for years. But it is important to know that such technology is far from finding its way into commercial products any time soon and that sheer processor speed is not the only factor in determining a better CPU.

Teddy Bear USB Drive - Off with its head!

2006-06-20T15:07:00.000-04:00

Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is a teddy bear stuck in the USB port of a computer. This homemade gadget is actually a portable USB drive you can use to store documents, music, and other information on. I use my USB drive all the time but its not as flashy as this guy which is actually a key chain teddy bear that's been gutted to house the drive. No worries though because no animals were hurt in the capturing of these pictures.

If you'd like to see more take a look at the flickr slideshow that has been put together. For now, I think the USB Teddy is homemade but we'll keep our eyes open for any similar products that make it to the market.

Plagiarism and the "Google" generation

2006-06-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

I was reading an story at the BBC and came across this article about plagiarism today. One thing I found interesting was the use of the term "Google generation", this is the first I've ever heard that term before.

The issue at the heart of the article is that widespread availability of information on the net makes it very easy for a student to copy and paste documents and pass them off as their own. I have both seen and heard about this but had no idea that it was so widespread. An official on the subject says that students of the "Google generation" often don't understand what plagiarism is. Even if they know what it is, they don't see anything wrong with copying other people's work and are often misinformed as to the punishment for it.

Plagiarism has always been an issue and will continue to be one (it would be naive of anyone to assume they could prevent it completely), but the problem at hand is how easy it is for students to get away with it and how widespread the cheating is. This could potentially be a big problem for this generation as they mature and they lack the skills necessary to develop their own ideas and content.

The way educators believe they can overcome this is by putting more emphasis on the original or personal aspects of assignments. The teachers need to make the students do work that they won't be able to find answers to on the web. If anything, teachers need to be more aware of what their students are doing and play a more proactive role in squashing plagiarism. One example of rampant plagiarism is the web and plethora of blogs which simply copy and past posts and claim them as their own.

Phone booth without a phone

2006-06-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

No this isn't a joke. With the popularity of cell phones, there has been a lot of talk about removing public telephones completely because they cost so much for the telephone companies to maintain (everything is about money).

But this causes a huge problem you might not realize. Telephone booths allowed businesses to designate a location where people could carry on a conversation and not disturb everybody else. So what should be done? Well Cell Zone, a Massachusetts company has solved the problem by creating a phone booth without the phone. The strange thing is they're not alone. Cingular did something similar in 2002 by designating Courtesy Zones in Loews theaters and The Biltmore Room Bar created a leather-walled cellphone booth for which they became famous.

But these companies don't think these booths are only good for etiquette, they also believe that restaurant patrons and movie goers will flock to these phoneless booths for a quite place to talk.

Not everyone thinks that these booths are a good idea. Tom Farley, editor of Town & Country Modern Manners, thinks that these booths will just enable bad behavior. I agree with Mr. Farley, while the booths will provide a place for people to talk on phones the problem is getting people out of their seats and into the booth. Personally, I don't think the majority of people will bother to use the booth. So you're left with a $3000 plus empty cylinder.

Many people think you can teach etiquette but when it comes to things like this, rude people will always be rude people no matter how much money you spend to help them.

The real problem here is that we are quickly turning into an instant gratification society where want things now and don't care what it takes to get it. I won't tute my own horn, but when I have to use a cell phone I step outside or into a hallway so as not to disturb the other people, it just seems like common sense (maybe I'm wrong). The problem is that people don't care about anyone but themselves.

I have witnessed some truly horrible cell phone offenses. One in particular is the ringing cell phone in a classroom. In many of my classes as an undergrad, people let their cell phones ring loudly during a professor's lecture. This displays the utmost lack of respect for their classmates and the professor. The offenses don't stop at ringing cell phones either. Many of these people often answer it in the middle of a lecture and proceed to talk. Are we really that lazy that we can't take a moment to step outside to answer the phone?

In another instance I actually had a professor stop his lecture to answer his cell phone and then continue to carry on a conversation for almost 5 minutes. I understand that some phone calls are very important and can't be missed but people's lack of etiquette is forcing teachers to ban the cell phone from class completely.

The worst part about this is, there doesn't seem to be anything we can do besides ban phones from certain areas outright. What do you think about this and what are some of the worst cell phone offenses you have encountered?

Selling your car in the 21st Century

2006-06-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

This past weekend with everything else that has been going on I decided to sell my car. This was a tough decision because it was my first real car, well the first car that I paid for and owned. I thought that this would be the perfect time to write an article on how to sell your car on the Internet.

There are many places to sell your car; car magazines, dealerships, privately, newspapers, online, and the last place is probably the junkyard (for parts). The best way to recoup your investment on the car is to sell it privately, unless you're considering purchasing a new/used car from a dealer.

The #1 rule to remember throughout the process is that you can expect a good selling experience if you're straightforward and honest with prospective buyers. Lying about the condition of the car or other details will come back to haunt you, maybe not in this life but certainly in another. After all if your were in the buyer's position, you would want and expect to be treated fairly and honestly.

Step #1: Kelly is your new best friend.
Not the hot blonde who works in your office but the blue book. Nowadays blue book prices are posted on the Internet and finding your cars value is as easy as clicking some buttons. The online Kelly Blue Book can be found here but can also be purchased at a book store. People will often refer to the price listed in the book as the 'blue book' value. There are some important considerations taken when estimating the value of the car such as location, make/model/year, extra features, mileage, and mechanical/exterior/interior condition.

To get an good estimate of your car's value you need to be honest. Very often, people interested in buying a used car will lookup the Kelly Blue Book value so don't think you can cheat here to boost the value of the car (remember rule #1).

Another great index for the value of your car is the classified section of your local paper or auto-trader publication. These can often be picked up at grocery stores and auto parts stores. Look at the listings for your car or a car similar to it (year, vehicle type, mileage, condition, etc.). The sellers asking price should be similar to yours and if not there should be a good reason why not. Remember that potential buyers will likely find your car through these and other online ads. If your car which is in similar or worse condition that others and your are asking a higher price, what is there motivation for buying the car?

The most important aspect of this step is to do your research. An educated seller will convey to the buyer that you know what you're doing, building their confidence in you. Ultimately, an informed seller will lead to an informed buyer and should help you close the deal.

Step #2: Value is in the eyes of the beholder.
Determining how much to list and eventually sell your car for is a big factor in your success or failure. It is important that you do the research on what your car is worth because there are drawbacks to posting the car for too little or too much. Value is in the eyes of the beholder so don't base your price on feeling, back it up with solid research. Using research will help you when a potential buyer asks why you are selling the car for the listed price.

Obviously, posting your car for too little puts you in danger of not recouping your investment and destroying any equity you may have in the car. Also, posting a car for too little might make quality potential buyers seem skeptical about your car. At the same time, posting a car for too much can be very damaging to the amount of people who are interested in your car. Most people buying a car look at it as a major investment, after all even $5,000 is a lot of money to most people. Again, ask yourself what is a buyer's motivation to spend X amount of dollars on my car?

While many things such as Make/Model and mileage will determine the value of your car, the market has the final say as to what your car is worth. If there is no demand for your car, you might not be able to sell it for anything close to what its worth. Finally, you have to consider what type of car you are selling (luxury, economy, classic, recreational vehicle). Pricing on an economy car is much more critical than on a luxury or classic car.

This may sound wrong but people who have money to spend on a very nice car are going to be less concerned about price and more interested in quality and details so even if your price is a little high it might not hurt the sale. A graduate student like myself is more concerned with the price since we don't have nearly as much money to spend (the words tight income should come to mind). Finally, is you are selling a vintage or rare car, all rules are thrown out the window because your car essentially is the market. You might be able to find some information searching online forums and auction sites on what comparable cars have sold for. The best place to start in my opinion would be a simple Google search.

Step #3: Your new name is Mr. Clean.
Before you let any buyer within 20 feet of your car you need to make sure you can bounce a quarter off the floor mats and brush your teeth using the hood as a mirror. If you're not into cleaning, spend the cash to have the car washed and maybe even splurge for the wax. To get top dollar for the car, you need to present a top quality product.

Don't stop here either, make sure to remove ALL of the clutter from the car. When I test drive your car I don't want to see your beanie baby collection or smell your gym bag. The buyer is trying to picture him/herself in your car and your junk doesn't help their imagination. This same logic is used when trying to sell a house and its done for a good reason. If you've lived under a rock all your life and have no clue how to clean your car don't worry there are some good resources on that here.

Step #4: Prepare your documents.
Now that your car is clean and ready to be shown there is just one more thing you must do before posting an ad: gather all the service/repair records. Once you have all of the documents gathered, make photocopies of them to give to prospective buyer (again, an informed buyer is a happy one). Also make sure that you pay off any parking tickets and keep the registration current.

One last thing is to contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and find out about any laws you must abide by or forms you must fill our before selling the car. For instance, in some states you are responsible for a smog certificate. Each state has a DMV website which you can access for more information about selling your car, go here to find your state's website.

Step #5: Advertisement = Sale
The next step in selling your car is to advertise it. People won't know about it if you don't tell them and placing ads is the best way to get the word out. Like in the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come" well when selling a car, "If you advertise it, they will buy".

This is where it gets interesting because there are an endless number of places to post ads but we all have a limited amount of time. They key is to find out which places are best suited to your car. First off, you need to consider whether you want to sell your car locally. If this is the case then you don't need to bother with large papers or trade magazines. On the other hand, if you are willing to branch out or if you've got a specialty (rare, luxury, utility) vehicle then you'll get more bang for it by widening your buyer search.

For the sake of brevity I'm only going to cover online avenues of selling or advertising your car. Here are a list of some good sites to start on:

It may seem like a lot but there are even more than the few I have listed here. If you want to test the water and don't want to pay for an ad or fee, I'd suggest starting with the top 3 (Craigslist, Postaroo, Windows Expo). These three services allow people to post ads for free so you can test the response to your car before you make an investment in any fee-based service. Since I live in a small town, I have opted to use Craigslist because many people here use it.

If Craigslist doesn't work for me then I'll rethink my strategy and try again. I'll keep you guys updated on how these different services work for me.

There are other avenues such as online forums and bulletin boards, many of which have specific sections for your car. In these forums people talk about cars and interested buyers may look in them for people selling your Make/Model car. If you don't live in a big town and aren't interested in selling to people outside your area then you might not see success from these sites. Again this is an iterative process which you'll need to repeat until you've sold the car (or given up). Education is key and an informed seller will be able to sell their car faster.

Step #6 through 100: A few last notes ...
Finding a buyer is just the first step among many that you'll need to take among many when selling your car. Once you've got an interested buyer, start a dialogue about the car and make sure to let them know that you're available to answer any of their questions. This will let the buyer know that you are interested in helping them and that your actions or not purely self-serving.

If you do get an offer, always appear to mull it over even if it is more than you expected. And if you the offer ends up being insultingly low, don't counteroffer, simply explain to them that you cannot accept anything so low. When thinking of a price for my car, I also made sure to account for some bargaining and am keeping in mind what the lowest price I am willing to accept is. Having these numbers in your mind will allow you make a smarter decision when accepting offers. Remember that bargaining goes both ways and not to cede your ground too soon. The purpose is to come to a price that both of you are happy with.

If you are lucky enough to have sold you car, ONLY accept cash, a cashier's check, or a money order as payment. It is generally a bad idea to accept a personal check. Besides, a money order or bank check are very cheap. If the buyer is not willing to come to your terms you can rescind your offer. As long as you're being reasonable, they should have no problem paying you any of these ways.

Some last tips your should keep in mind are:

Check that the prospective buyer is insured during a test drive
Always ride along during the test drive (thieves steal cars this way)
As a good rule of thumb, I make a copy of their driver's license to keep in case of a problem during the test drive
Make sure to contact your state's DMV to notify them of transfer of ownership
Notify your insurance company once the car sells and have them remove it from your policy

I'll keep everyone posted about Craigslist and how they work for selling my car. As always your comments/suggestions are welcome!

Suggestion Box

2006-06-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

Things are going pretty well around here (I've been swamped with work for the past week) and I'm still learning new things everyday about blogging. The changes that I've made to my Blogger template got some press over the weekend. Who knew that there was so much to writing about technology etc. online. There are communities, forums, other blogs, programs, and I'm sure a lot more that I don't know about.

One thing I have been thinking about adding is a suggestion section where people can post questions or news that they think deserves mention. So with that I'd like to introduce the suggestion box where you can let your comments run rampant. Tell me what you like, what you hate, post breaking news, or ask me a question. The sky's the limit so don't hold back and post away.

I'll make sure to keep an eye on your posts and respond as quickly as humanly possible. I can promise that your suggestions won't shredded. To inaugurate the section I'll make the first suggestion:

Can you get back to posting news and stop wasting your time?

With that I'll get back to scrubbing the web for the latest news.

Simulating the Sociable Wordpress Plugin under the Blogger Platform

2006-06-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

Things have been going well here at FixGadgets. I've been getting this blog off the ground and in the process business has picked up as well. When I decided to setup this technology and gadget related blog I did a little research into the different platforms available (Blogger, Wordpress, TypePad, TextPattern, ...). I decided that I would initially use Blogger and see where it went before getting more involved.

The only problem with Blogger is that out of the box, it doesn't has as many features as compared the other competitors. One of the biggest things you'll notice on blogs is the ability to use social bookmarking services through small icons or lists included at the bottom of every post. While you can modify the Blogger template, for people without programming experience it might be difficult to do this manually.

I did get around to implementing social bookmarking (it only took 5 minutes) into the Blogger template as you can see at the bottom of this post. Kiltak from GeeksAreSexy (GAS) emailed me not too long ago wondering how I implemented this great feature into Blogger. I thought it was great that other people were interested in modding their Blogger setup. I happily handed over the code to Kiltak and within minutes he too had it up and running on his blog.

Now, Kiltak has even posted the code and a tutorial for everyone to use on his blog (here). I think this is great and should expand the capabilities of everyone's blog. My only question is, why hasn't the Blogger development team implemented this as a feature?

Until the developers at Blogger start to update it with new features, you can check back here to get the latest tools and features that I've implemented. I'd like to thank Kiltak for implementing and organizing the Blogger Social Bookmark mod. Happy Blogging!

Samsung SyncMaster 19" LCD for $130

2006-06-16T00:16:00.000-04:00

This is a Tony The Tiger G-R-R-R-E-A-T deal on a Samsung LCD that I found over at dealbundle, yet another web2.0 company. The LCD sells for $349 at Office Depot but by combining 3 rebates (yes count em' 1, 2, 3) for a combined discount of $220. That means that you get this 19" LCD for the cool price of $130, no questions asked.

You'll have to act quickly though because the offer is only valid until July 1st and with such a great price I can't imagine this will stay in stock for much longer. Between this and the free memory stick I posted earlier I don't know how these companies can make a profit. Oh yeah that's right, they hire cheap child labor overseas, that's how.

Happy shopping!

512 MB Memory Stick Pro Duo for free

2006-06-15T17:19:00.000-04:00

I thought that if I couldn't provide you guys with posts for the next few days the least I could do was tell you about this great deal that's going on a Best Buy and Circuit City.

Go here and get the coupon then get to your local (or not so local) Best Buy or Circuit City as fast as you can. I don't think these memory sticks will last very long. I had to stop at Best Buy to return a router and was able to get the free stick (they only had 3 left at the Best Buy in Ithaca, NY). I'm tempted to go back and buy the rest for my friends.

Best Buy sells the stick for $20, and the coupon is for up to $25 off a 512MB Memory Stick ($20 - $20 = FREE). In a world where nothing is free, I can truthfully say that this memory stick is in every meaning of the word F-R-E-E. It works with the Play Station Portable (PSP), some digital cameras, and hopefully the PS3.

The offer seems legit as the coupon is directly posted on SanDisk's website and it worked for me. The coupon also mentions that it can be used for online purchases (not sure if that's true) and if no,t you can always check the stock of items at Best Buy by going to their website. I hope everyone is able to get their hands on at least one of these!

The Reasons Windows Vista Keeps Getting Delayed

2006-06-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

This is an update to a post I wrote not too long ago. An employee at Microsoft working on Vista wrote on his blog about why delays with large software projects are inherent.

The blog entry from the manager of developer teams at Microsoft cites several reasons why Vista has been delayed, among which are "the code is too complicated", "poor organizational decision-making", and "ignorance as to a proper estimation of software schedules".

Maybe this is just another attempt by Microsoft to release press (indirectly) explaining to us why Vista is late. I wonder if he received any money for posting this. Probably not because the original post has now been deleted.

The original post from the manager's site has been pulled down and this might indicate that someone from PR at Microsoft caught wind of it and issued an immediate order to the employee (although the Microsoft blogger claims this isn't so, "This was originally posted a week ago, and yanked of my own volition"). Thanks to wonderful Internet technology, the original page has been mirrored by Digg and can be found here.

Microsoft's projects that Vista will be officially released in January 2006 (here) but we'll have to wait and see if this comes true. Until then, there is the public beta which you can find here.

Not Much Going On Here For The Next Few Days

2006-06-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

As the title describes it, there won't be much going on here for the next few days as I will be busy at the office taking care of some big jobs that need to get done. Sorry for the disappointing news and I'll try to check in and post some stuff if I have a few spare minutes.

In the mean time you might consider passing the time by playing some games. The good sport that I am, I rounded up a couple of sites that will keep you busy for at least a few minutes.

If that doesn't do it, you can always take this NERD quiz. I scored a 9, so according to them I'm 'normal'. If anyone scored a 17+ let me know because you should be writing this blog instead of me.

I always enjoy listening to a couple of idiots discuss complex subjects. In this case you'll have to read it but its still just as funny. I think my favorite is the discussion on "Hydrogen as a fuel source".

If reading isn't your thing and you're bored at work then try this video:

Hopefully this all will keep you busy while I'm away. If you still aren't satisfied, send me an email (fixgadgets@gmail.com) and I will find something for you, personally.

15th Worst Tech Ever - Iomega Zip Drive

2006-06-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

I still own a Zip Drive and occasionally use one but the writer's at PC World think that it's one of the worst tech gadgets ever created (number #15 on the list in fact). I disagree and so do a lot of other people. Now you might argue that a Zip drive is antiquated by today's standards but back in the day, the zip drive was accessible and everyone (I knew) had one.

While some people I knew had CD-burners back in the day (mid 90's), the burner was big (the size of a computer) and very expensive. Zip drives were more accessible to the general population and made it very easy to swap large files.

I first heard about this shameful list from Retro Thing, a blog on gadgets from the past. The people who run Retro Thing, Canadians from Western Canada, have also expressed their belief that the Zip Drive was a great gadget.

The Zip Drive was great for me for two reasons:

I archived my work on them
I was able to transfer large files to co-workers

I'm saddened by the fact that the writers at PC World don't share the same love that many of us have had for our Zip Drives and as one commenter pointed out:

"It's interesting that the same author put the Zip drive on the 15 worst
list and also on the 50 greatest tech gadets of the past 50 years. So which is
it to be Dan Tynan? You can't think something is the best and then think it is
also the worst? make up your mind."

All I can say is that what freedom is all about, saying things even when they don't make sense. What gadgets do you guys have a love/hate relationship with?

bk_keywords:external drive, zip drive, cd burner.

MSN's results fed by humans

2006-06-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

MSN is hiring you and your friends to hand craft search engine results when a particular query doesn't yield good enough results. According to a job posting on MSN's website, you will be working with approximately 132 other handcrafters (that's what they call them).

I can imagine the MSN Search commercial now. One huge rack server in a white room with lots of lights flashing on the front of it. An MSN tour group enters the room and the guide says, "This is the core of MSN Search". She leads the group around the server so they can get a closer look. One portly man in the back comments, "Its not plugged in!".

The guide calmly responds, "MSN Search doesn't operate on conventional power. MSN results are powered by humans like you and me." She then proceeds to open the 'backdoor' to the server and to our amazement, the inside is filled with many cubicles of people running around like mad to find search results. One person escapes from the server enclosure and the tour guide stomps on them like a bug and tells the rest of the 'hive' to get back to work at which point she closes the door to the server and the commercial fades to black. Words fade up in white with the MSN logo, "MSN Search. Powered by HandCrafters". I would love to see someone spoof this job ad in a commercial.

If you are familiar with 3+ search engines (can one of them be Google?), are well versed in English, and can type more than 149 words/minute you're a perfect match. I certainly can't type 149 words/minute or more, can anybody else reading this? I don't think I'm ready to quit my day job just yet.

AdSense Here, There, Everywhere!

2006-06-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

Yaro Starak at Entrepreneur's Journey has written a great article about AdSense invasion on many sites. The issue at hand is how difficult it is getting to distinguish real content from Ad Sponsored content.

The problem with sites is how many ads they include in their content. On top of this, the ads are not located in one place but dispersed over the whole page and even mixed in the main information on the page. The purpose of course is to increase revenue but the question is, a what cost?

Many people see $$$ with AdSense and other Ad networks. Some sites make money by confusing the people browsing into clicking ads they believe to be genuine content. This is great for the publisher's bank account but at what point does the level of frustration get too high and users begin to turn away?

To help support my writing I do place ads on this site. But the only place the ads are located are on the right sidebar of every page. I do not want the content of the site to be garbled by ads. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions or comments regarding them.

The biggest problem Yaro has is that many people searching for a quick buck are building sites with no interest in the content whatsoever. Unfortunately, I don't think the problem will ever fully go away. But mine and Yaro's message to web publishers out there is to make your motivation about the content and not the money. Keep in mind that people are coming to you for information and if poorly done ads can hurt it.

Controversial list on Top 10 Tech-Savvy Rockers

2006-06-14T13:44:00.000-04:00

BusinessWeek has published an article online citing the ten most tech-savvy rock stars. While the list has some interesting entries to real question is, is this a marketing ploy to promote these bands and the products they use or does the author really think that endorsing a tech product makes them the most tech savvy.

I wouldn't even begin to knock Bono from U2 as I'm sure that many fans would attack me for it. I'm sure Bono is quite tech savvy, I always enjoy his comments on apple products.

But where do the rest of these people come from? Most of the things that make these people tech savvy are choices made by their managers to bring in additional sources of revenue (by endorsing the products). How did the writer even decide that these people are tech savvy? Did he open the latest issue of People or US weekly and pick some names out?

So in proper fashion I've created my own list of tech-savvy rockers that everyone can contribute to. Here are some contributions people have already made:

If you can, when you submit a name try to give a link to a story as reasoning why that person should be included.

What do Search Engines See?

2006-06-14T13:28:00.000-04:00

Working on websites or just surfing them don't you wonder what the search engine sees? Unlike humans, search engines sort information very systematically and how they sort your information on your blog or website is important to how it eventually gets ranked. All of this is part of a major field called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Many people blog about SEO and there are discussions all over the net on how to best optimize your site to be recognized and ranked by search engines. Part of the difficulty of SEO is understanding how your site is viewed by the spider, the machine that 'crawls' your site.

Thanks to Donna Perry we don't have to wonder anymore. She has created a tool that will crawl your web page and report what it finds. Its very surprising to see your website stripped of all of its formatting. It makes you realize that proper formatting and layout is key to the spider understanding your content. If you have a site of your own, this tool is very useful!

Monster USB Splitter (16+ ports)

2006-06-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

Have you run out of USB ports on your computer? This is the gadget for you. From what I can tell the device is a 16 (or more) port USB hub with built-in power supply. I wonder how this guy was able to accomplish this amazing feat?

Regardless, I think its finally time to build my USB flash drive from individual 4GB pen drives. I wonder if there is a way to compile the individual drives into one 64GB drive on my desktop. I'll have to do some research. But you might run into trouble if someone steals one of the pen drives. I guess I'd need to build a lockable clear enclosure as well.

No word on if this item is for sale or even a post on how to build one.

bk_keywords:usb hub, pen drive, flash drive.

The Future of Cell Phones According to Nokia

2006-06-14T13:03:00.000-04:00

T3, the world's #1 gadget magazine, is reporting about Nokia's exhibition of futuristic mobile phones by design students at London's Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. The Finnish mobile phone manufacturers teamed up with design students to get their opinion on what the next generation of mobile phones should be like (who better to ask then the target demographic who will buying them).

The designs are on public exhibition until June 16th. The ideas range from handsets made from recycled material, phones that double as photo frames, and even a phone that can be setup to perform surveillance (above).

Some of these ideas are very innovative but I doubt we'll be seeing them anytime soon. These designs are projections of possible fifth-generation products which are speculated to be released in 2015, nearly a decade wait time. Now I know that manufacturers like to get our attention early but I don't think I can wait that long to get my hands on one of these.

I think that many manufacturers of electronics are catching on to what the automotive industry has known for years. While we may never see these prototypes released, there are definitely features that will leak their way into modern day phones as the technology to accomplish it emerges.

bk_keywords:mobile phone, cell phone, pda.

Spring cleaning ... joy!

2006-06-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

Now I like a tidy blog just like the next person but sometimes I have to pull my own teeth just to get myself to clean things. A while back I added some social bookmarking links to the foot of every post to make it easier for people to track what I'm writing. Well just like too many cooks in the kitchen can spoil the soup, too many social bookmarking links can give everyone a headache.

If you have seen my website before today I had about 20-30 icons below every post that linked to individual bookmarking services. So to give everyone a break, myself included, I have compiled all of the bookmarking service with the exception of the top 4 (Digg, Del.icio.us, Reddit, and Technorati) into a single pull-down menu. The top 4 sites will still have an icon displayed under each post. This should help remove a lot of the clutter and also help the page to load faster. If you think I have missed a service let me know and I'll be glad to add it.

One other feature I have added are post abstracts. From now on, if a post is longer than 2-3 paragraphs it will be abstracted and only a portion will be displayed on the main page. This should also help to improve page load times.

If you have any comments about the changes I have made or think other changes should be made please post a comment below.

Thanks for your patience while I'm cleaning up, I'll be back to posting shortly!

Most useless gadget of the week ... The mouse mouse

2006-06-14T11:11:00.000-04:00

No this isn't a type. After finding this latest gadget I have decided to start a new weekly post on the most useless gadget of the week (left).

Tired of your boring old computer mouse?

Do you want to spruce up your computer setup with a unique mouse inspired computer mouse?

Well then this is the gadget for you. The computer mouse is gray and has the face of a mouse painted on it with two pink ears that I'm guessing serve as buttons and a click wheel situated right between them. Best of all, these mice don't use the latest laser/optical technology but instead have a small ball inside like the old style mice. Having a ball based mouse should help make your headshots in CounterStrike or Halo all that more accurate.

Don't worry about not having a free USB port to plug in your mouse because this bad boy (or girl) doesn't use it. Instead the makers opted for the traditional PS/2 connector to be fully backwards compatible.

The best part about this mouse is that you can own it for the low low price of $3.24 (US). Unfortunately, it seems that the vendor is all out of stock currently so you'll have to wait for more until you can order. This is definitely going on my holiday list for must have gadgets.

And while I'm at it I think I'll get the whole set. Yes you read correctly, this isn't a one of a kind mouse. This bad boy belongs to a family of animal inspired mice so if mice aren't your thing, you can buy one that looks like any animal you'd find at the zoo plus more!

The varieties of animal inspired mice range from frogs to pandas to Pikachu to even pigs and donkeys. Don't believe me? See for yourself:

In case you missed the link before, click here to go directly to the vendor that sells these wonderful mice or whatever you call them. That does it for this weeks most useless gadget post. Let me know if you've come across any other really useless gadgets while surfing the net.

[Update: I don't think mice are useless. Mice are very useful. I am using a mouse right now. The design and selling point of the mouse is what I'm pointing out as useless.]

bk_keywords:computer mouse, keyboard, kids toy.

Prevent Shoulder Crick with Shouldercool

2006-06-13T15:51:00.000-04:00

Have annoying shoulder pain from spending way too much time on the computer?

Is your computer setup not ergonomic?

Cherycom, a Korean company is offering up something to relieve your crick. The Shouldercool {left) is an ergonomically designed mouse pad and arm rest to alleviate any crick that might develop from using a mouse for extended periods of time.

According to the company, when people stand upright naturally, the palm of the hand turns toward the body. But when people use a mouse, the palm is forced to turn downwards causing a misalignment of the ligament and muscle in the shoulder. When the misalignment is prolonged, it can present itself as a crick or pain.

Cherycom designed the Shouldercool to form a sloped mouse pad unlike traditional flat mouse pads. The tilted mouse pad helps to maintain the natural posture by turning the palm towards the body. Because helping solve a major ergonomic problem isn't enough, the device also includes Gold-plated conductor material to absorb harmful electro-magnetic (EM) waves that are generated by the monitor. The skeptics are still out on this feature.

No word on how much this special mouse pad will set you back and I can't seem to find any information about this company on the net. More pictures of the device are below.

bk_keywords:mouse, mouse pad, keyboard.

Google Sketchup - 3D modeling for FREE!

2006-06-13T15:12:00.000-04:00

It seems that we can't go a day without another release from Google. I also can't seem to stop myself from reporting about it. Not too long ago, startup-eating-giant Google acquired yet another company. The company, SketchUp has been offering a dual-platform easy-to-learn 3D modeling program for years. It enables the user to quickly draw almost anything in 3D.

The SketchUp motto is "Dream. Design. Communicate." and is what they hope to accomplish with their software. I remember using this software a few years ago for some computer aided design (CAD) drawings that I needed for a presentation. Back then, the software was only available for a Mac. Now the software is dual-platform so you can sketch 3D on a Mac or PC.

While you can get a 'free' copy of SketchUp, which I'm sure comes with an installation of the Google Toolbar, the free version doesn't come with the full suite of tools that version 5.0 Pro does. The free version - currently in Beta - does allow you to model and explore worlds in 3D. With a few simple tools, it is possible to draw houses, sheds, decks, and other simple projects.

The software is very easy to use and has an amazingly quick learning curve. Drawing a 3D shape is as simple as clicking the desired shape and pushing or pulling it to create the 3D geometry. A quick tutorial on SketchUp can be found here. After you're done drawing, you can export it to Google Earth, post them to the 3D Warehouse, or even print a hard copy.

So the next time you need to do anything, try Google first because their bound to own a software company that does exactly what you need. All joking aside, the SketchUp software is very good and the free version has some sophisticated features you won't be able to find anywhere else.

If you find the need for software that is approved for commercial use, SketchUp Pro 5 is available retail for $495.

Tired of automated phone systems, talk dirty to skip it

2006-06-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems will send you straight to a customer service rep if you just use a fowl word or two and you skip through all the annoying menus.

This story is according to Yahoo News who reports that many of the IVR systems installed across the nation will forward you directly to a customer service representative when they think you are talking dirty.

What defines talking dirty?
Well first the FCC has compiled a list they call the dirty 7. Examples include pi$$, fu#k, sh!t and some more obscene ones that I can't mention here. Apparently the list originated from comedian George Carlin who recorded a monologue entitled, "Filthy Words". The monologue was aired by a local radio station which the FCC caught whim of and immediate action ensued. Supposedly there are even more dirty words than the original 7 but I don't know anything about them ;).

Tired of pressing 7 to try to speak to a human when you call your cable company?
Well a database service called GetHuman is aiming to alleviate some of the stress you have when calling these big companies. The database has numbers for multiples companies so if verbally flipping off your insurance company doesn't work, try GetHuman.

Does this really work?
A pissed off customer tried to talk dirty and according to him it worked!

After calling a couple phone numbers with IVR systems and not having too much luck (I could have been saying anything, as long as it wasn't on their menu they were confused). But my third try did the trick. The IVR operator gave me a list of options, I said, "F*@#!" and he said: "I think you said you want to talk to a customer service agent. Is this correct?"

So the next time you find yourself in a maze of button pressing trying to get to a human, just remember that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so squeak away!

Top 10 Coolest Travel Gadgets

2006-06-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

Whether your traveling for business or leisure, these gadgets should help make your life easier.

What are your favorite gadgets when traveling?

To help save you some time, the TechEBlog has compiled the top 10 coolest travel gadgets list for you.

The top 10 cover must have items like a hat with solar powered fan (for those long days on safari), a cell phone turned projector, a portable washing machine, a $9 MP3 player, and a Beerbelly.

You read correctly, the #2 must have travel gadget is the Beerbelly. Not the kind you get from drinking cases of beer and no exercise, but the kind you can fill with any liquid of your choice (preferably beer) and strap to your belly to conceal it. The Beerbelly holds up to 80 fluid oz. and will keep you hydrated, although if you're a woman you might have to fight off people wondering if your pregnant. The only problem you might have with the Beerbelly is if you already have one (a real beer belly that is).

The #1 coolest travel gadget is the Multifunctional Credit Card (above). Now you might be wondering what exactly 'multifunctional' means. In this gadgets it means a device that is the size of a credit card that can record video, has a built-in program to display discounts, acts as a remote control for any device, offers GPS, and even gaming with network support. That's a lot of features in a very small size, great things do come in small packages. The device even uses biometric fingerprint technology to authorize users. Now you're wondering where you can get this amazing device and I'll direct you to the designer for those questions.

So what are your favorite travel gadgets that you can't live without?

bk_keywords:ipod, blackberry, PDA, cell phone.

Google's Gbuy nears launch

2006-06-12T15:45:00.000-04:00

Yet another spoke in the Google release wheel. Google's online payment system, Gbuy, is expected to launch June 28, further pitting the Internet giant against industry titan and rival eBay.

During the initial phase, Gbuy is expected to be free however merchants may eventually be charged 1.5 to 2 percent per-transaction as a fee for the service. This fee is slightly less than eBay and would certainly help to convert Papal users and further increase competition between the two Internet giants.

The system allows Google to gather data when users click on a merchant's Gbuy feature. The consumer is transferred to Google's Gbuy site, where they complete the transaction.

The benefit to Gbuy merchants is the ability to monitor which paid-search results users click on and which ones turn into actual sales. This aspect is especially important to internet advertisers interested in which categories bring the highest return on investment (ROI).

Merchants already involved in Gbuy's beta test are set to launch on June 28th. No further information has been released as to when Gbuy will be available as a public beta.

As someone who has used Paypal in the past, I can say that there is room for improvement. Paypal is by no means a bad service, I currently use it for my girlfriend's online store. There are certainly additional features that Google can bring to the table, that may increase Paypal's need to innovate.

When Gbuy is finally released to the public, I will be waiting to test it out.

Microsoft: Vista Downloads Maxing Out Net

2006-06-12T15:25:00.000-04:00

Internet running slow? Well you can thank Microsoft for putting Vista Beta 2 for download on the net. This multi-gigabyte installer for the next-generation Vista operating system is in such high demand that there isn't enough bandwidth to supply it. Microsoft commented that they couldn't provide additional bandwidth for the download without impacting the Internet as a whole.

I wrote about the Vista Beta 2 public release here.

Microsoft is encouraging users to order a DVD copy of the software to help quell download demand for the software. There is also a torrent for the installer to ease the distribution.

You have to wonder whether Microsoft knew that the public release would cause this kind of reaction. Seems that they would have been better off releasing the file as a torrent to start as well as offering the DVD. After the initial demand subsided they could post the file on their site for direct download. Maybe this was all part of Microsoft's plan to make everyone realize how in demand Vista is. Then again maybe Microsoft didn't release Vista as a torrent because many copies of its software is illegally swapped on BitTorrent networks.

Hopefully the demand will subside in the next week and everyone can get back to life as usual.

Spyware explodes as virus writing declines

2006-06-12T14:25:00.000-04:00

A survey from the Aladdin eSafe Business Unit reports that spyware has increased by 213 percent last year. This possibly reflects a change by malware programmers to more lucrative forms of programming. The study also shows that Trojans, standalone programs that make certain areas of your computer exposed to other Internet users, increased by 142 percent.

This is in contrast to viruses and worms that grew only by 47 percent over last year. The change of focus to spyware is increasingly important to Internet users as the software exposes critical information from computers. Behind this increase in spyware and trojans is a concentrated effort by criminals to steal identities and data.

An earlier study by Alladin estimated that 15 percent of all spyware are designed to steal passwords and log keystrokes. So what can we do? Some might say the most efficient solution is to stay off the Internet, but for many people that isn't an option.

The only other option is to get smart about spyware and malware. A group of MIT grads in San Francisco have teamed up to create a large database of sites that either have executables with spyware/adware or start spamming you with e-mail once you give them yours. They have integrated the database into extensions for Firefox and Internet Explorer so you can stay somewhat safe while browsing the internet.

McAfee, a popular antivirus and antispyware software manufacturer has performed a study on how safe results from major search engines are. All major search engines returned risky sites in their search results for popular keywords. They found that MSN search had the lowest percentage (3.9%) of dangerous sites while Ask search had the highest (6.1%) (Google was in between with 5.3%).

Some users have offered up their suggestions to avoid being attacked. One user on Digg simply stated:

Don't use IE
Don't put your email places, just because your going to win a free PSP

Two great suggestions that at their essence tells users to be careful of what software they use and to safeguard their private information. While an email is meant for people to contact you, you shouldn't go plastering it everywhere because it may get into the wrong hands.

In addition to changing your behavior, there are some decent tools (AdAware, Spybot, Windows Defender, ...) out there to protect you from spyware and help you remove it. My personal choice is AdAware, one of the first antispyware programs ever released. CNet reviewed and tested antispyware software and ranked number one in overall performance.

Another line of defense is to make sure you have popup blocker enabled on your web browser. Here are tutorials for IE and Firefox. Popup blockers can interfere with the functionality of some sites.

If you're still having trouble with spyware or want to learn more check out Google, just be careful what you click on it might install more spyware.

Delete locked files in Windows ... Why?

2006-06-12T13:07:00.000-04:00

There have been some posts on Digg [1][2] about a new utility developed for Windows that allows users to remove restrictions on locked files. We have all encountered the infamous cannot delete folder/file message and are often forced to reboot to solve the problem. Sometimes rebooting doesn't even solve the problem.

Why does this happen? Windows is notorious for many things, excessively locking files being one of them. What really happens is that while reading meta-data in media files, Windows places a lock on the file to prevent a read error. On top of this, some other programs will also place locks on files and sometimes forget to release them when you are done.

What is the purpose of locking? Well, a file is locked specifically when it is being accessed but because of poor programming locks are sometimes forgotten and not reversed. Such a lock will prevent the user from moving, deleting, or sometimes editing the target file or folder.

While locking has prevented users from deleting or moving files in Windows Explorer, it is still possible to delete them the old fashioned way using the DOS command prompt. And when all else fails, programs have been made to allow for easy removal of unwanted locked files.

One such program, Unlocker, integrates with Windows and allows you to easily view the processes that have locked the file (below).

Click unlock all and all of file locks should be released and you should now be able to delete the file. Take note that Unlocker is not the only software out there to help you unlock files. Many of the programs out there are free and reviews of them are abundant. If you're interested in a review of Unlocker take a look at CNet.com.

Dangerous???
My biggest concern with this sort of software is that inexperienced users can cause severe damage to Windows by unlocking and then deleting certain files. File locking is good in many cases because deleting a necessary file can cause a program or operating system to crash and possibly render it unrecoverable. If you are unsure about deleting a file, you are better off not deleting it or reading more about it before deleting it.

Ultimately, Operating Systems and programs implement these restrictions to prevent the users from damaging the computer and more often than not file locks are in place properly. If you are having a problem with a locked file, consult a computer technician or an online forum before deleting it.

Browser wars are over ... Firefox has won.

2006-06-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

[Update: As was pointed out by others, a war is only won when one side captures the other or one side surrenders. So while Firefox hasn't 'won' it is certainly ahead in my book.]

The Browser Wars was the ongoing battle between Internet Explorer (from the blood-sucking programmers at Microsoft) and everyone else. Everyone else includes a bevy of web browsers from front runner Firefox to Opera, Netscape, and Safari. All of these competitors offer great alternatives to Internet Explorer but have fallen short in adoption due to Explorer's monopoly-like control in most computers that run Windows.

The first major news of Firefox was reported back in October 2004 by Forbes who highlighted the Browser wars as one of their Monday Match ups. At that point, Microsoft had an astounding 95.5% market share while Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox only held a puny 1.8% share. Well the picture doesn't look as pretty for Microsoft anymore. In less than two years, Firefox has been able to turn the Internet Explorer tide and grow its market share to over 25% (more information) while Microsoft's share has shrunken like the nether-region of a weight lifter on steroids.

[Update: These statistics are taken from W3Schools whose audience is predominantly tech. savvy. The current total market share estimate is somewhere around 10% Firefox and 80% IE]

How was Firefox able to achieve unparalleled adoption?
Firefox has done something that no other web browser has come close to doing since the dawn of Internet Explorer. Firefox was able to accomplish this by creating great software and listening to its users about new features and bugs. The other key turning point for Firefox is their ability to meet deadlines, something Redmond giant Microsoft doesn't think is important. Microsoft's next-generation browser IE7 has been released but poor early adoption (1.1%) has made it so most people won't ~~be forced to~~ use it until Window's Vista is officially released. Even then, it isn't clear how fast the adoption will be.

Why is slow adoption of IE7 a problem?
The biggest problem with a slow adoption of IE7 is the effect it will have on web development. IE6 is old by any measure and doesn't support many new developments. This has already caused a huge problem for web developers pushing the envelope. A new feature or innovative design is of no use if only a percentage of the web browsing population can view it. Therefore, developers have struggled for cross-platform compatibility between Internet Explorer, Firefox and all the rest.

While you can go and download IE7 currently (here), the latest revision is Beta 2 and like I said before there hasn't been a major adoption of it. Now if everyone else on the block suddenly started to use it, you can bet gold on the fact that I'd be next in line for the download; I wouldn't want to feel left out. However, what has happened is that Microsoft has fallen asleep at the wheel and Firefox has gained control. I believe that the ONLY reason Microsoft still has a commanding share of the browser market is that it Internet Explorer is the default installed with Windows. Sometimes, people are too lazy to fix these things or don't know any better.

Hugs, NOT bugs!
Internet Explorer has more bugs than the Brazilian Rain Forest and I certainly like hugs more than bugs. Now this isn't to say that Firefox is bug free because no software is but when the majority of the computer savvy population prefers to use a platform its a good idea to follow. I make sure to let everyone know this too, after all its our responsibility to inform the less savvy general public.

Can't we all just get along?
In an age of standards, why can't we all get along? As a web developer I find dealing with compatibility issues time consuming and a waste of time. At a time when everything is being standardized, why can't Firefox and Internet Explorer get together and develop an engine to properly render pages. A big part of this is actually coming true with the Web Standards Project (WaSP) and the Acid2 test. WaSP believes that all next-generation browsers should be able to properly render the test page to ensure cross-platform compatibility.

Now that we've got some form of a standard, all we have to hope for is that everyone decides to comply. Compliance has already been reported by Firefox, Safari, iCab, Konqueror, and Opera 9. Sadly enough, the newest releases of IE7 will not pass the Acid2 test as noted on the IE Weblog.

"In that vein, I've seen a lot of comments asking if we will pass the Acid2 browser test published by the Web Standards Project when IE7 ships. I'll go ahead and relieve the suspense by saying we will not pass this test when IE7 ships."

Maybe at some point Microsoft will catch up to everyone else and comply with the latest standards. Until then, the IE7 development team have noted all of the problems that cause the browser the fail the Acid2 test and have added them to their long list of bugs. On a positive end, the development team noted that they "believe the Web Standards Project and [their] team has a common goal of making the lives of web developers better by improving standards support, and [are] excited that [they're] working together to that end".

Why has Firefox won?
Plain and simple, if Firefox goes with this commercial I caught a glimpse of on Google Video, Microsoft won't stand a chance.

Now I don't think this is a real commercial but I could be wrong. Either way I think it accurately portrays the attitude of Firefox and its competitors. Firefox is a serious browsing platform and I hope many more people learn about it and switch.

Should Microsoft make Vista 2 public?

2006-06-09T15:32:00.000-04:00

There is a lot of buzz on the net right now over Windows Vista and it covers the spectrum (good, bad, and ugly). I wrote an article not to long ago about the Top 20 Worst features included in the most recent version of Vista, Beta 2. Now Microsoft has released Vista Beta 2 for the public's opinion of the latest revision to the ancient Microsoft operating system. If you're too scared to run the install for fear of a fatal error, more than enough video and screenshots of Vista are available on the Internet. The link to download Vista Public Beta 2 are:

English [x86] [x64]
German [x86] [x64]
Japanese [x86] [x64]

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Microsoft or Vista but there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. I think that Microsoft has done a smart thing releasing Vista for trial to the public. It might backfire though if too many inexperienced users attempt to install the OS and fail. While technical problems can be solved by the small group of developers they pre-release Windows to, the larger problems such as interactivity, ease of use, and others are better suited for review by the very people who will be ~~forced to use~~ using Windows in the future.

Windows Vista Beta 2 is expected to be distributed to over 2 million users. High demand for the public download has ensued and Microsoft's server even as of today are still being pounded with requests for the Next Generation OS. But you might think twice about installing the newest release of Vista as one article from InformationWeek suggests. The article cites 5 things you should know before installing Beta 2 such as:

You better have a DVD burner
The install has a limited lifetime (it goes dead in 2007)
You're stuck with Vista (there is no turning back to an older installation)
You're stuck with Vista (you might not be able to upgrade to the full version when its finally released)
"Gotcha" is Microsoft's new mantra (there are many known problems that you may not know)

If you're having trouble getting the download directly from Redmond Virginia, you can try to use the torrent that many people have setup for it. The torrent should allow the file to be distributed more easily than a conventional download (this would have been a smart move for Microsoft). If you are interested, the torrent for Vista Public Beta 2 can be found here.

In my opinion its great to get the public's opinion about new software but it is very dangerous for Microsoft to make this publicly available since there are likely to be many cases of inexperienced users trying to install it and destroying their current computer in the process.

I should note to anyone interested in trying this out that they should us an alternative unused computer to install Vista on. You should be experienced in formatting drives, installing and troubleshooting drivers, and installing operating systems. If any of this sounds difficult you might be better off waiting for the public release, if it ever comes out.

In the mean time, there is likely going to be lots of new videos and pictures being posted on the Internet to keep any interested satisfied.

Save some $$$, Intel is getting cheaper

2006-06-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

In an effort to be more competitive, Intel has decided to drive down the price of chips they offer to consumers. This is a great feeling at a time when we are being squeezed at the pump by greedy petroleum companies.

Intel explains that because of improved higher-efficiency manufacturing they will be able to cut prices on older chips. The CPU giant recently finished construction on a fourth factory allowing them to more easily ramp up production of additional 65-nanometer Core architecture. This public statement is likely an effort by Intel to compete directly with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

Recent news reports cited that AMD had surpassed Intel in retail store sales, a major victory for AMD who has been battling against the CPU giant for years. The Current Analysis report showed that 49.8 percent of PCs sold for a particular month contained AMD processors while Intel CPUs were present in only 48.5 percent. While AMD has surpassed Intel in number of units sold, they failed to generate more revenue because AMD usually sells chips for less than Intel. In fact, Intel sales accounted for 57.6 percent of the U.S. retail market revenue while AMD lagged behind at 40.1 percent.

Another thorn in Intel's side was a recent decision by Dell to cancel their exclusive CPU contract with Intel in favor of carrying chips from both Intel and AMD. Offering the versatility of either chip will likely cause a big boost in sales for Dell, whose customers have been requesting AMD chips for years.

A spokesperson from Intel commented:

"We have a more aggressive product and manufacturing ramp, so those
older Pentium products will move down faster. It's not like we're cutting prices
for the sake of cutting prices."

While no direct comment on pricing was made, Citigroup analyst Glen Yeund said that based on talks with Intel customers, he believed that Pentium price cuts could fall between 8 percent and 61 percent by July. The problem for major chip manufacturers like Intel and AMD is a growing inventory of old chips whose value are rapidly diminishing due to increases in chip speed and performance.

Additionally if the computing market goes, both companies will see huge losses attributed to inventory that won't sell. Cutting prices is an early effort by Intel to minimize loss and overcome difficulties with a potentially slowing economy.

Bluetooth 3.0 - The Next-Generation

2006-06-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

I use Bluetooth every day to connect my headset to my phone and transfer files. Its a great technology and my only complaint about it is how slow it is (around 721 Kbps). A much faster version (thankfully) termed Bluetooth 3.0 is poised to solve the slow transfer speed by boosting it to around 480Mbps, a major increase. The increased will not only help file transfer but will be able to support high definition video conferencing. The additional speed is gained from ultra wideband technology (UWB).

But Bluetooth has always been a short range transfer technology and other technologies exist to transfer data at the same speed over further distances. So the question is, what is the need for Bluetooth at all? Competitors such as Wireless USB will give Bluetooth a run for its money since works over longer distances (greater than 30 feet).

When will we see Bluetooth 3.0? The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has been working with numerous developers to include the next-generation Bluetooth technology into products that will hit the market as early as 2007.

The real determining factor among the numerous transfer protocols that have been proposed is which ones get incorporated into more devices. Ultimately the stratified market of protocols should be simplified into one or two top contenders, we'll just have to wait and see who they are.

Iceman Outdoor PC - read your email from the comfort of your pool

2006-06-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

Do you spend long days in your pool and can't bring yourself to get up and go inside to use your computer? Well computer manufacturer Visson has the perfect solution for you. The Iceman by Visson is an all-weather outdoor PC built for use poolside.

While the specs certainly leave something to be desired the ability to check your email or watch TV poolside will win you over in the end. The computer boasts the following features:

1.5 GHz Via CPU
Supports up to 1GB of RAM
Digital TV receiver (optional)
Wireless LAN (optional)
MPEG-2 decoding

It is certainly powerful enough to handle most if not all of your computer needs poolside. Now all you need is a large outdoor theater system and you'll have one banging outdoor theater. Thanks to the guys over at Engadget for pointing out that a SuperScreen Outddor Theater System does exist.

What do you prefer? iPod or drinking

2006-06-09T13:28:00.000-04:00

Times have changed: College students now prefer their iPod more than beer. This doesn't seem right but when I went to college only a handful of people had mp3 players.

A survey conducted by StudentMonitor shows that students favor their iPods over a nice ice cold brew. This is the first time in ten years that anything other than beer has topped the survey. So maybe it isn't the intense partying and drinking that is causing students to perform poorly in school but the fact that they listen to too much music on their iPod (I don't think you could find anyone who agrees with that argument, myself included).

So how did students rank beer and their iPod? The results show that the difference between the two were two percentage points. Hardly a significant difference between the two (the survey had a margin of error of 2.3 percent). But even if students don't hold their iPods more dearly than beer, they do reserve a special place for the portable music player. More importantly, the previous survey from last year had ranked the iPod as 20 percentage points lower than the current survey.

Some believe that part of the "explosion" of the iPod's popularity is due to its use as a learning instrument. I disagree with this mostly because the majority of students I know that use portable music players are not downloading education content, but rather listening to the latest tunes. I believe that the tremendous growth of the iPod among students is not based on its educational merit but the fact that it is a must have device.

At major universities you will be hard pressed to find many students that don't own some form of portable music player. The device is well suited for a student who is constantly on the move and having one allows you to interact with everyone else that has one. The educational podcasting may play a small role in the iPods adoption but it is no way explains the survey's results. This only goes to show how misunderstood today's youth really is.

How long will the iPod dominance last? Well I wouldn't sell my stock in Samuel Adams just yet because drinking beer is an American pastime and something that I think will never go out of style. What you can bet on is the fact that the iPod in its current form won't dominate for long because the next great invention is just around the corner. College students, in particular, are known to be "early adopters" and thus their actions might foreshadow are larger increase in public demand for the iPod. Either way, the signs are good for Apple that they have a product that everyone wants.

I wonder what results we'll see from next years survey?

Tune into what Pepsi has to say

2006-06-09T12:46:00.000-04:00

What is Pepsi's innovative new advertising campaign? Getting everyone, including you, to plug their headphones into the same poster. I can just imagine what the poster would say after you plug your headphones in:

"You've now been infected, drink Pepsi or Die!"

Thankfully Pepsi is not going the viral marketing route this time. The poster is actually meant to encourage passers-by to listen to short song snippets (30 seconds). If you're in American the posters haven't made it there yet, but almost 100 of them have been deployed in Toronto and Vancouver by the Canadian advertising firm BBDO.

So what's the deal? The 30-second song snippets are intended to wet your appetite for the entire music track.

What's the catch? Once you're hooked, you supposed to go out and buy a bottle of Pepsi that contains a PIN number. This PIN is redeemable on Pepsi's website for that song you've been infected by as well as anything else music-related they can sell you.

The advertising campaign is working because Canadians are already plugging in to these creative posters. My only word of advice is, be careful what holes you stick your gadgets in, not all of them will be as friendly as Pepsi's.

miJam - toys for your lonely iPod

2006-06-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Been worried lately that your iPod hasn't been getting enough interaction with other gadgets?

Do you find yourself humming, drumming, or plain old rocking out when you listen to music on your iPod?

For the iPod its lonely at the top, being the worlds best portable music player can be thought and we all need some friends to lean on.

Well the creative minds at Blue Box have the perfect solution. The miJam series of accessories allow you to interact with whatever music you're listening to. How you ask? Well they have created three devices, a guitar, mixer, and drummer that interface with your iPod and give you creative freedom to rock out.

How does this amazing idea work? Simply. You plug the audio from the iPod into the miJam device and plug your headphones into the miJam. Abracadabra you're playing along with your music idols.

And that's not all. BlueBox is developing a Stage Mic peripheral that will allow you jump in on the vocals when you feel the urge. What I'd love to see is someone use the guitar and the microphone at the same time.

Do you think you'll be rocking out to your iTunes music any time soon? No price has been announced for these devices and I've got no clue whether anyone will actually buy them but I think its an interesting idea if nothing else.

More information on the miJam accessories can be found on iLounge.

The 100" DIY Home Theater Screen (be the envy of ... everyone)

2006-06-09T11:59:00.000-04:00

The Home Theater industry has a new enemy, the $100 Do-It-Yourself 100" screen. Now you might be saying whose crazy enough to build a screen but if you are little crafty, you can build a movie quality screen at home for under $100. Who can argue with that?

Of course you will need some other parts besides the screen itself such as a projector and sound system but that doesn't matter right now.

The great folks at Projector Central have a new tutorial for every Do-It-Yourself-er who is eager enough to take on the challenge. The following is all you will need to make your very own Movie Screen:

Super-white seamless paper - $26.00
Wood for frame - $34.00
L brackets and screws - $8.50
Velveteen fabric (3 yrds) - $27.00
Elmer's Glue - $2.00

TOTAL: $98.50

You will also need a woodsaw, staple gun, fabric scissor, and a drill or Philips head screwdriver. There are only 7 steps and the screen is just as simple as a wood frame with black border and white screen. The wood frame allows the screen to be easily hung where you want it in your home theater.

In true DIY fashion they have pitted the screen against a Stewart Grayhawk (a top of the line screen) in a series of tests including color accuracy and contrast. The end result: a quick and easy to assemble screen that's cheap actually gives comparable performance.

I've got the $100 for the screen, I just need to find a $1000 for the projector and I'll have my home theater setup in no time.

For more information on the exact steps check out the details on Projector Central's site.

iTunes EULA does equal iHappy

2006-06-09T11:52:00.000-04:00

Are you one of those people who just agrees to the End-User License Agreement (EULA) on all the software that you use?

Well I guess people from Norway aren't as click-happy as we are here in America and they actually decided to read the EULA included in iTunes.

What happened when they read the EULA? ~~The fell asleep.~~ They found something that didn't make them iHappy. Norwegians called the agreement "grossly unreasonable" because it required them to consent to English law while iTunes can change the rights to the downloaded music whenever they want. On top of this they disclaim all liability for possible damage that their software may cause. Now while the EULA should provide some level of protection to Apple from frivolous lawsuits I hardly think that they should be in no way liable for damages that might occur if they were Apple's fault.

Sadly enough, this is not just the case with Apple but is true for most EULAs that end-users like you and me click through every day without a second thought about it.

The Norwegian Consumer Council has singled out iTunes but is making plans to go after other downloading services offered in Norway. The council has mandated that Apple has until June 21st to voluntarily change the terms after which the Council will persue a lawsuit.

Just another piece of evidence to convince you that Norway's Consumer Council isn't joking around is this site detailing their case against iTunes.

Thanks to the hard workers at Engadget for pointing this story out.

Alienware's Superman-themed limited-edition Area-51 systems

2006-06-09T11:46:00.000-04:00

I heard about this one from my friends over at Engadget. It seems that the demand or at least the supply for custom themed computers has increased. In addition to Dell's X-Men themed XPS machine, Alienware has crafted a new limited edition Superman themed laptop and desktop.

You better get these while there hot because in an effort to make these machines truly limited edition, Alienware has limited production to 350 latops and 250 desktops. The whole machine is inspired by the upcoming movie Superman Returns due in Theatres nationwide June 28th.

The desktop features a mural (it is truly a work of art) by comic artist Tommy Lee and at bare bones will cost you $1,899. But that is not where the excitement is at. The excitement comes from additional features like liquid cooling and 1TB of storage. Its too bad this bad boy doesn't come with X-ray vision or lasers but it will satisfy all of your gaming and computing needs.

The laptop sports a 17-inch screen, a Core Duo processor, and an understated look for the conservative Superman fan. The laptop is personally my favorite of the two although it might be a bit weird to carry around one with a Superman emblem on it. I would love the machine if I could get it in Blue without the emblem.

To help feed the demand on these special editions, you can track the number of systems sold on their website.

The Typhoon: 8 CPU Monster Computer

2006-06-07T13:02:00.000-04:00

It's now possible to check you email even faster than before thanks to the hard working individuals at the Tyan Corporation. In the ever advancing world of computers, a Taiwanese Company (Tyan Corp.) has pledged to ship a personal supercomputer that is powered by eight Xeon processors. And if you thought that 8 CPUs weren't enough, each one is a dual-core which means that it actually contains 2 processors per chip making this behemoth a sixteen core computer. To top this all off, the computer boasts a beefy 48GB of memory which means that the computer probably has a better memory that most of us.

The supercomputer is officially named Typhoon and the Tyan CEO is quoted as saying, "it'll blow you away"; Appropriate words from a man who is offering one beast of a machine. The system has four removable motherboards each which run 2 Xeon chips, 12GB of memory, and 1 hard drive.

Each motherboard is operated as a node and are run co-operatively using Windows or Linux clustering software. The yields good performance for scientific and other computationally heavy tasks. But they hope to broaden the application of this machine to beyond engineering and science.

preceding the Typhoon is the B5191, a toned down version with only 4 CPUs aimed at the cost conscious crowd. I guess it isn't as deserving of a great name as the Typhoon. Both models have eight USB and eight Gigabit Ethernet ports and on-board video cards with 16MB of dedicated memory each.

Don't grab your credit card yet because either model won't be out until the end of the summer and even then you have to shell out $10,000 for the high-end model. And if the price doesn't chew up all of your green, operating this machine 24/7 might. At 14000W total per box, you might need to purchase a substation and put it outside your office.

Google vs. Microsoft (or the other way around)

2006-06-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

It seems that there has been a lot of press for both of the companies lately. Both seem to be developing strategies and releasing services to attack what the other does best; Microsoft with MSN and their ongoing battle to defeat google in the search game and Google with their latest release of software (Calendar, Writely, Spreadsheets) to compete with Office. Its gotten so bad lately that you can tune into any media format without hearing something about either one of these Mega-Corporations.

I wrote yesterday about the amazing wiz-bang new addition to Google's arsenal, Google Spreadsheets. It didn't take long after Google announced the release of this product to directly compete with Excel, did the executives at Microsoft start complaining. Google's service sports features such as automatic saving, keyboard shortcuts, and supports more than 200 formula functions. Perhaps the best feature of all is the ability for multiple users to simultaneously edit spreadsheets and chat.

Spreadsheet product manager, Jonathan Rochelle explains that Google is looking to help Excel users share more effectively.

What is Microsoft's response? "Thanks but no thanks", Microsoft spokesperson Heather Gillissen told reporters. She and the Redmond, Va corporation don't think that Excel users need the help. She added that many other vendors already offer the functionality that Google's service does and there is nothing new or great about it. Heather remarked that "Google's new spreadsheet product is just an imitation of functionality". What ever happened to the saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

I think Microsoft might do well to play nice until Google has all of its cards on the table. Badmouthing has never helped the success of any company or person, I'd like to see an example where it did. Take for example the Dixie Chicks' commentary on President Bush a year ago. They were publicly scroned by the news and fans for their dissing and hate remarks.

Google is at the forefront of a movement pushing web services to compete and defeat computer based applications and they've got a lot of people on their side, I'm one of them. We'll just have to wait and see how the next round in this title fight will turn out, so stay tuned!

Google Launches Online Spreadsheet System

2006-06-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

Lately, Google has been churning out new goodies faster than I can blog about it. New today (although massive speculation has been floating around for a while) is a Online Spreadsheet System appropriately named Google Spreadsheets. This product is so new that its still in the Lab and apparently only available in a limited test. You can however signup to receive an invitation when they decide to expand the service. Until you're fortunate enough to receive an invitation, you can view the many posts, pictures, and reviews of the service.

It seems that this is just another brick in Google's path to competing with Microsoft Office. Why not, Office generated $2.95 billion in sales and $2.09 billion in profit for Microsoft's third quarter alone.

Travel to these sites to read more about Google's newest product:

2016: A Peek at Our Internet Future

2006-06-06T15:02:00.000-04:00

Many people are predicting how our world will change in the present and distant future. Among the speculation is the discussion of how the Internet will change and how that will affect our lives in the future. The Internet is a huge economic component of all developing and developed nations and as I write this and as you read this we are communicating over the Internet.

Michael Pinto, a member of the board of directors of the New York Software Industry Assocation (NYSIA), is one of many people that are betting on the prosperity of the Internet. Not to long ago, I wrote about some of the legal issues we are facing with the internet and how big telecommunication companies want to implement a tiered fee-based Internet. The article can be found here. Michael Pinto has a much more positive outlook on the development and growth of the Internet.

He believes that, "The biggest shift over the next ten years will be one of attitude, as our mindset of 'going online' is replaced by one of 'being online' ". Michael predicts that the Internet, or "Internet" as he refers to it, will become the essential glue that holds the world together. This huge growth not only depends on the development of the Internet but also on the growth of computer power. Improved computing power coupled with an every expanding Internet will find its way into almost every object we encounter and every task we accomplish.

One critical component to Michael's vision of the Internet future is the "Death of the DVD". This is hard to imagine since we have finally become accustom to DVDs and now when I go to the video store 90% of the movies they have are on DVD. He argues that packaged media formats in general will vanish and which will give rise to downloaded media. The concept of the downloadable media format is already at work today when you purchase ringtones, music, or software online. But Michael believes that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to downloadable media. For example, digital books (commonly referred to as eBooks) have not had major success in the past because of several factors. In the next decade or two with advances in monitor resolution we should be able to download and read any book without getting dizzy or blinding yourself.

The final part of Michael's vision is the birth of a still nascent media form, Interactive Art. He believes that all media will become interactive in an attempt to grab and hold the incredible short attention spans we all will have from living in the digital age. Ironically, as the technology grows, the spotlight with shift from technology to art, as Michael describes it. Once all of the ground work has been laid, it will become more about the art and less about how it is accomplished.

An important aspect to consider, which Michael does, is that this all hinges on how we and politicians decide to control the Internet. There has been a lot of news lately about countries installing firewalls to censor web content; China is one great example. As Michael puts it, "The nations that thrive in the 21st century will be those that recognize the necessity of innovation for national growth -- innovation that will only come from citizens who can communicate easily (and inexpensively) with the outside world".

For more information on internet predictions read Michael Pinto's article on PBS.org as well as these other great articles:

National Public Radio: Forecasting the Future of the Internet, May 26, 2006
Pew Internet &: American Life Project: The Future of the Internet, January 2005
Red Herring: The Future of the Internet, April 10, 2005

The Wall Socket PC (aka Jack PC)

2006-06-06T13:26:00.000-04:00

No this isn't some futuristic high tech. light switch, this is actually a computer that is housed in a wall socket and boasts some surprising features considering its size.

Now you might be worrying that it might need a power adapter, but no fear because this bad boy is powered entirely by Ethernet. Ethernet lines carry a miniscule 5 Watts of power which nothing in comparison to the beefy 500 Watt power supplies installed in many top of the line PCs.

The internals of the Jack PC consist of two layered circuit boards which contain 4 USB channels, audio in/out, and a VGA port. The CPU is an AMD RISC processor that has the same power as a 1.2 GHz x86 processor. Now its important to note that the Jack PC's main purpose is to connect to a server, which performs most of the processing. However, the computer does include Internet Explorer 6 to allow you to access web applications.

The Jack PC is a vast improvement over the old 3Com switch housed in a wall plate that allows you to convert one copper line into 4 ports at your desktop. While this PC isn't for the average joe, its might have application for business and schools who install many decentralized computers. The Jack PC would allow companies and educational institutions to install these machines around their buildings and maintain large servers for the devices to connect to. We'll just have to wait and see how people react to it.

The Jack PC will be officially released on June 14th 2006 at the IT Works Show by the UK company Jade Integration. I first read about this new PC at Gizmodo, another great gadget weblog.

The Ultimate Summer Gadget Guide

2006-06-06T12:38:00.000-04:00

The writers at TechWeb have put together the "Ultimate Summer Gadget Guide" to help you buy the best gadgets for this summer. Because we can't always Jetset down to Fiji or some other exotic island, these gadgets might be the closest we get to transforming our backyard vacation.

The list starts off with an Outdoor Movie Night Projector from Dell (Model 5100MP) which combines stunning visual clarity and blindingly bright pictures (3,300 lumens). The projector can display a screen size larger than 24 diagonal feet turning the side of your house into a comfortable outdoor home theater.

You've all heard of the Roomba, well here is its' bastard step child, The Scooba. The Scooba will give you that well deserved break from mopping muddy floors. It can clean hardwood, linoleum, tile, and marble so as Ron Popeil might say, "Set it and forget it".

While still in development, I think this is the ultimate summer gadget for all of your sea-faring lads. Its a Bionic Dolphin Submersible Hydrofoil which if you're rich enough will allow you to dive to depths of 20 feet and reach speeds of up to 45 mph on the surface. Unfortunately, if you've got an extra $120,000 laying around, I think you might be better off taking a real vacation and probably should think about moving out of your parent's basement.

For more great must-have summer gadgets check out the entire article at TechWeb.

The Truth About Switching (from a PC to a Mac)

2006-06-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you must know someone somewhere who has recently switched to a Mac and if you don't you might remember those Switching commercials from Apple not to long ago (below).

You can find even more Switch Ads as well as parodies on the Apple Switch Ad Campaign on YouTube. There have been many stories and articles written on switching from a PC to a Mac but I don't think anyone has described it as simply as Bill Westerman who posts about his PowerBook at Utilware.com. Bill switched to Mac several years ago from a PC and has been taking notes about his experience ever since. In this article, he writes about the truth of switching, all of the good and bad stuff included.

Bill noted that when you have a Mac, "People will help you for no reason". This is probably the best thing about owning a Mac, the community is very tight knit and everyone is willing to lend a hand. Now the only problem you might have is finding someone else who owns a Mac. If you don't know anyone who owns a Mac then travel down to your local Apple Store and grab a stool at the Genius Bar for some help.

Another comment from Bill on switching was, "You'll get more things done". This is something you should expect from a next-generation laptop and operating system that allow you to focus on your work and not solving computer problems.

Some of the valid issues that Bill raises include, "You'll spend more money than with Windows", and "You'll play pretty well on a Windows network". While a Mac will cost more upfront, you will get a well made machine that lasts longer and will depreciate much slower than a PC. Networking has been an issue since day one with different platforms but Apple has done a lot to make cross-platform communication between Macs and PCs easier than it has ever been. And if you're still having trouble, you can always find the neighborhood Mac owner who can help you out.

As a computer technician I've had to work with both PCs and Macs but my personal computer is a Mac and I've had it longer than I've had any PC.

Computer Problems? Hire Steve Ballmer.

2006-06-06T11:13:00.000-04:00

No this isn't advertising for Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer. Apparently the 13th wealthiest man in the world (worth over 18 billion) is not to rich to help you fix your computer problems. This story comes from another Microsoft executive who told the press about Ballmer's personal experience with Spyware.

Apparently CEO Ballmer was at a friend's wedding reception when the bride's father complained that his PC wasn't working and asked Steve if he would mind taking a look at it. At this point I would think Ballmer would pass him off and move on to the next topic of conversation but that's where I'd be wrong. Ballmer spent almost two days trying to clean the PC, removing worms, viruses, spyware, malware, and severe fragmentation. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Ballmer was unable to fix the computer.

I wonder how Microsoft thinks we should maintain computer running Windows when even the CEO of their corporation can't do it. But this isn't where the story ends. Steve Ballmer lugged the computer back to Microsoft HQ and assembled a team of top engineers to fix it. The engineers spent days working on the machine and found that it was infected with over 100 pieces of malware, several of which couldn't be removed.

Thankfully the Corporate Machine that is Microsoft was able some potentially bad PR and spin it into a business venture. Another Microsoft executive commented that, "This really opened our eyes to what goes on in the real world." Apparently Microsoft executives and employees don't live in the real world. So last week, Microsoft launched Windows Live OneCare, an "all-in-one, automatic, and self-updating PC care service designed to help consumers more easily protect and maintain their PCs". Presently, OneCare is only available in the US and costs $50 annually. Not to worry because I'm sure OneCare will be released in other countries as the system develops.

Microsoft has some huge cajones to charge users an annual service fee to fix problems in its operating system that shouldn't be there in the first place. Thankfully, competition is still somewhat alive in our economy and Symantec/Norton and McAfee will be releasing comparable programs to OneCare shortly.

For more information on Windows Live OneCare, check out Google News.

New Special Edition U2 iPod

2006-06-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

Latest on the train of Apple releases is a revision to the special edition U2 iPod. The U2 iPod is special for many reasons including a jet black finish, prominent red Apple click wheel, laser inscribed signatures of all four band members on the back, and exclusive bonus material only available to people who purchase the special edition iPod.

The 30GB U2 iPod is a customized version of the low end iPod video and boasts up to 7,500 songs and 75 hours of video. The screen is a 2.5 inch 320 x 240-pixel QVGA color display, which gives you the ultimate music experience - sight and sound. The battery boasts a great 14 hours lifetime between charges, with an 80% recharge taking only 2 hours (full charge takes 4 hours).

So what is this special edition iPod going to set you back? $329 plus tax and shipping. If you're lucky enough to be a student, you can snatch the U2 iPod up for $299, the same price as the standard edition 30GB iPod.

So stop reading about it, get out, and go get one. More information on the special edition U2 iPod can be found here.

Someone (else) Is Reading Your Email

2006-06-05T15:12:00.000-04:00

While we already know that we are being watched by Big Brother another area of our work life is coming under surveillance by our employers, e-mail. If you work at a large company, a new study shows that there is a 1 in 3 chance that your e-mails are being read. This study surveyed big companies in the US and Britain about how they monitor their employees actions.

More than a third of the companies surveyed hire employees to read and analyze outbound e-mail as they seek to guard against legal, financial or regulatory risk. Many of the companies (over a third) also said their business was hurt by the exposure of sensitive or embarrassing information in the past 12 months.

Garet Steele, chief executive of Proofpoint, which conducted the study along with Forrester Research said that "What folks are concerned about is confidential or sensitive information that is going out."

The biggest concern for these companies is protecting the financial privacy and identity of customers. The businesses ranked monitoring for inappropriate content and attachments as less important. So you don't have to worry as much unless you divulging confidential information.

Steele also mentioned that more and more companies are employing staff to read outgoing e-mails of workers who typically have no idea their correspondence is being monitored. This is a big privacy issue and the law currently is on the side of big businesses. Anything you say or do on a business computer can be tracked and monitored legally without your consent.

Another finding of the study showed that in the U.S., nearly one in three companies have fired an employee for violating e-mail policies in the past 12 months and estimated that about 20 percent of outgoing e-mails contain content that pose a legal, financial, or regulatory risk.

What are the practices of the company you work for?
Do you think such monitoring is right and should be legal?
Where do we draw the line for the privacy of the worker?

The original article was posted by Wired News.

AppleBerry might be the next big thing

2006-06-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

Apple Computer is hot right now. The amazing Mac OS X coupled with the booming iPod has hurdled Apple in to the speculation forefront. There are many people, myself included, waiting to see what Apple releases next.

There has been speculation on the internet and in print about a partnership in the works between Apple Computer Inc. and Research In Motion (RIM) Ltd. RIM is the popular manufacturer of the Blackberry, a device that many businessmen use to check their email when they're out of the office. An analyst with Canaccord Capital Inc., who accurately predicted a partnership between RIM and Intel Corp., speculated on the idea of an "AppleBerry" partnership.

The deal is big for both sides because RIM was to maintain a firm foohold in the consumer market and Apple lacks a presence in the wireless sector. The result of such a cooperative union could be an Apple branded cellphone that harnesses RIMS's wireless technology or a iTunes embedded BlackBerry, or both.

Peter Misek, the analyst at Canaccord Capital Inc. notes that several senior executives at Intel have recommended that Apple work with RIM. The one difficulty of a joint venture is that both RIM and Apple have different strong personalities which may hinder a partnership.

Of course both Apple Computer Inc. and RIM Ltd. declined to comment on the speculation.

What do you think of an "AppleBerry"?
Are businessmen writing email in the market for music?
Could such a partnership destroy any hope of a revived Newton?

The original article was posted at the globeandmail.com.

20 Things You Won't Like About Windows Vista

2006-06-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

Windows Vista, the next major update to the Windows operating system (OS), has been delayed yet again but this is no suprise. What does this mean? We'll wait even longer for the Next-Generation OS from Microsoft. The current projection sets the Windows Vista release for January 2007.

Even though Microsoft isn't even close to releasing the OS for retail, they have been gracious enough to give the Press full access to the latest builds. This is their attempt to keep you salivating about a product that should have been released 3 years ago and for many its working. For me, well my mouth is about as wet as the Sahara over it and so I've compiled the Top 20 Things You Won't Like About Vista.

Why is Vista supposed to be a Next-Generation OS?
Microsoft first announced Vista to compete with the truly Next-Generation Mac OS X. Apple has done a great job at innovating the traditional OS by including features that allow us to do our work more easily and efficiently. This has all happened while Microsoft has been living in the Dark Ages with XP. Ironically enough I say this while typing at a PC running Windows XP. XP was Microsofts first stab at innovation which fell short due to technical glitches and a slow adoption rate.

While dominating the OS market sounds like a good thing, it has hindered Microsofts ability to include innovative features in their OSes. While Apple can innovate, Microsoft is left having worry about compatability with old computers running old software. This makes compatability a major focus of Vista development.

Another thorn in Vista is that the majority of systems running Windows are from large corporations and institutions which means that Information Technology (IT) management is a huge concern. With the latest release of Vista, Beta 2, Microsoft has upped the ante by favoring security and IT control over end-user productivity.

The dominance of security in Vista is so bad that many testers have compared their experience "to that of a rat caught in a maze". This is very troublesome for small business and home users who will be caught in a "blizzard of protect-you-from-yourself password-entry and 'Continue' boxes" that are required in the control panel. Additionally, nerwoking settings are scattered over multiple locations. Add us this plus all of the other complaints people have lodged about Vista and compiling a Top 20 Worst features list isn't that hard at all.

This isn't to say that everything is bad with Vista. In fact, they have gone a long way to update the graphics subsystem, improve security, and develop new features. But, discussing the Top 20 Best features of Vista is another article entirely.

The List ... Finally!
20. Minimum video card requirements make my new laptop outdated.
In trying to push the envelope, Microsoft has included a lot of Mac OS X like visual effects which make the minimum requirements for your video card on Vista excessive. The current minimum memory is 128MB to run all of the visual elements in Vista. Well this requirement makes the laptop I just purchased already outdated by Vista's standards.

19. Heavy video requirements will cause businesses problems.
Because most current PCs wont have a strong enough video card for Aero, the new graphics engine in Vista, they will be forced to run in Vista Basic. IT managers will now have to worry about which PCs can run Aero and which can't. Adding insult to injury, it seems from initial reports that Vista Basic is more main system random access memory (RAM) hungry than Aero or even XP in older machines. The bottom line is that Vista is going to run incredibly slow if you don't have a 128MB video card so if you want to use it you're going to have to shell out more cash.

18. F%@#ing user account controls.
Their concept was to simplify how you setup the users on your system. The result is pain in my a$$. For years, Windows been downright difficult to use on a daily basis unless you log-in as the administrator or setup complicated permissions on a per-user basis. In the old systems, administrator was a level that any user could be promoted to but in Vista, the administrator group is not the same as the administrator. In addition to this, Vista requires authentication for almost every control panel as well as the registry and program files folder. All of these changes are going to totally confuse any Windows user, the experience and unexperience alike.

17. Secure Desktop
You have to experience this to understand how horrible it is. This is part of Microsoft's User Accounts Control and occurs when you do something the OS deems dangerous. The worst part about it is that when it occurs, the popup is modal and locks Windows until you answer the prompt.

16. How come I can access the Administrator account?
I guess Microsoft wants to force us to use the User Access Controls because I could not find a way to access the Administrator account like you can in previous versions of Windows. I personally belive that separating the administrator class with the administrator account is a huge mistake on Microsofts part.

15. Vista makes my networking life more difficult.
Fixing people's computers all day long I am constantly working on networking problems and the easiest way to answer so critical questions is by looking at the network connection properties. In Vista, accessing those properties are no longer easy or straightforward. Another aim of Vista was to simplify networking, but this didn't happen (maybe it will in the next version of Windows).

14. Windows Peer Networking
Working in a large office, it is often easier to share files between co-workers than sending them back and forth. It seems though that Microsoft has changed some of the good peer networking options from XP and added more bad ones. The result: Peer networking is not as easy as it should be with a Next-Generation OS.

13. Network settings takes one step forward and two giant steps backward.
I think the new slogan for Vista should be, "Vista, making things hard to find!" because thats what they have accomplished by making me click seven times to open the network connection properties. The design of Vista has been to make settings harder to access by the basic user so that they can't change them. It might work better if the OS ran well enough that the user didn't have to change the settings.

12. Applets, Wizards, and Dialogs Oh My!
I think Microsoft shot itself in the foot this time. They want to make setting up things in Vista easier. Their solution: Include an ungodly amount of wizards and widgets. The result: The user has to spend more time finding the right wizard than solving the problem.

11. Display setting USED to be straightforward.
For no apparent reason Microsoft has decided to change the easy to use Display settings. Instead of the easily accesible and navigated tabbed window has been changed into categories of settings that are not intuitive.

10. Say Goodbye to File, Edit, View, etc.
Intelligent graphical user interface (GUI) design is critical in a great OS. Well Microsoft hired some downright awful GUI designers who decided to kill off a primary interface structure that has been in use for over 20 years. On top of this, almost every program known to man makes excessive use of some type of a menu bar. But new with Vista is an OS without an menu bar. So officially say goodbye to your File, Edit, View and other favorite menus. Now I should tell you that you can re-enable the Menu Bar through a series of property dialogs, it just seems stupid to kill this basic feature that EVERY operating system includes. I guess this is what makes Vista unique.

9. Windows Defender is buggy.
Beta versions of any software is likely to have bugs but the troubling thing is that when Defender does have a problem it does so silently which has prevented it from running the scheduled scans setup for 2 a.m.

8. Problems need solutions.
Another 'new' feature of Vista is the Problem Reports and Solutions utility which logs problems with drivers and software and then tries to help you solve them. The score is 0/20. With twenty problems encountered, the solution utility has helped none of them. This should be improved by the time Vista ships but I'm thinking they should change the name to Problem Reports utility and drop the solutions since its not keeping up its end of the bargain.

7. Where did all the Sidebar Gadgets go?
The Sidebar is akin to the Dock in Mac OS X, a great idea to help improve productivity and the bottom line. The problem is that while there are over 2000 Dashboard widgets for OS X, there are only 21 for Vista. Since they have been introduced on a handful (3-4) have been developed by people outside of Microsoft. For Sidebar to be very useful, Microsoft needs to get people to make more gadgets.

6. Media Center falls flat.
Many people have had problems with getting Vista's Media Center displaying TV. While the software was easily able to setup the TV hardware, it was unable to display the TV which is a problem for just about everyone. What's a media center without media?

5. Bad assumption #93: Start Menu
In yet another bad move by Microsoft, the Start Menu in Vista has become intelligent and knows whats best for you when it comes to shutting down and logging off. While the sleep and lock mode are displayed using large buttons, useful functions like shutdown, restart, log off get shuffled off into a small menu. As it turns out, simplifying these options has made it much more difficuly and annoying.

4. Long installation time.
I could do a days work in the time it takes Vista to install. No wait I can't because my computer is busy installing Vista. The one benefit is that all of the information the installer needs from you is taken at the beginning not middle or end of the install so you don't have to stand and watch 1% change to 2%.

3. Too many options!
In the never-ending battle to be flexible, Vista comes in five flavors: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate. On top of this, Tablet PC functionality is available in all but the Home Basic version of Vista. Media Center functionality is available in the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista. If that wasn't enough, each version of Vista contains different combinations of the new features in Vista. For instance the Home Basic edition will not have Aero, the new graphics engine. Good luck buying the right version!

2. Money, money, money ...
This all comes down to price. How much ~~blood~~ money will we have to fork over to get Vista. Recent estimates put the Vista Ultimate edition at somewhere around $329 to $349. We'll have to wait until the release gets closer to have a better estimate on how much Vista in all of its flavors will cost. The other interesting aspect of this is the Vista Start program that is designed for emerging home-computer markets. The idea is that you buy a computer with Vista for $200 to $300 and purchase usage cards that allow you to use the machine for a predetermined amount of time. After you bought a specific amount of these cards, you own the machine.

1. Vista is a photocopy.
What I mean is that when you make a photocopy of something there is always a loss of quality. In essence, Vista copies many of the things that Mac OS X has offered for years. While there is no problem with copying these features, it is important to recognize that they aren't the original. While Microsoft has the opportunity to take what Apple and other OS manufacturers have done well and make them great; The result thus far is not the case.

So thats the Top 20 Worst features/aspects of Vista as I see them. Let me know what you think of the latest release from Microsoft and what you hope to see in the coming months.

I hope that many of these things will be cleared up when Vista finallly is released. Either way, I will be watching the development closely and will be reporting back to you as they occur. So stay tuned for more on the upcoming release of the next-generation Windows Vista and more.

"The Internet isn't free"

2006-06-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about whether the Internet should be free. It seems that the telecommunications companies want you to pay to access content and other people. The great thing about the internet is that it has always been free in the sense that when I pay for access to the Internet, I can communicate with my friend who uses a different service. There is no need for my friend to have a special arrangement with my service provider.

Wikipedia, the Internet's Free Encyclopedia, defines Internet as "the worldwide, publicly accessible system of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It consists of millions of smaller business, academic, domestic, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web."

But can a system be implemented to charge users for access to specific content be implemented without killing what the internet is about? I don't think so. The Internet has survived and thrived because of its universal freedom from any restrictions, even legal ones. There has been a lot of questions about legal issues pertaining to the Internet such as taxes, privacy rights, and more.

The International Herald Tribune conducted a digital dialogue on these issues with Tim Berners-Lee, the man who helped establish the programming language of the Web in 1989 with colleagues at CERN, the European science institute. An abbreviated dialogue can be found here and the full transcript of the dialogue can be found here.

As internet users, what do you think about this? How would instituting a fee-based system affect how you use the Internet? Do you think that a free Internet could co-exist with a fee-based one?

I for one am fearful of the changes some companies and politicians are proposing to the internet but only time will tell what happens.

50 Million Americans Create Web Content

2006-06-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

On my daily patrol of the internet I came across an interesting study performed by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. They claim that forty-eight million American adults have contributed some form of user-generated content on the Internet. This group of web surfers accounts for 35 percent of Internet users in America.

Even more interesting is the finding that those people with broadband access in their homes are significantly more likely to create and post content on the Web. Approximately 73 percent (31 million) of the 50 million Americans who create Web content have broadband access. This is part of a trend occurring on the Web where content is shifting to predominantly user-generated content. The popularity of blogs and personal websites has accelerated the growth of user-generated content. The old internet was a place where big services provided content to internet users, the key is that content was more often than not repackaged for the internet from another media (print, etc.). Today, people are engaging the Internet in a number of different ways in their lives. One such was is through personal blogs and user-driven services where new content is being developed solely for the internet.

Earlier studies on broadband conducted by Pew described the individual content creators on the Net as the "broadband elite" but this new research shows that the broadband user group has expanded and diversified. One would assume that the majority of content would be coming from younger more tech savvy individuals, but the study reports that the split is fairly even across age groups. While younger people may generate content, older people are sharing photos and videos, all important to the growth of the internet.

Demographic information on content creators shows that forty-six percent of respondents who live in households with incomes of less than $50,000 put content on the Internet. This is in comparison to forty-one percent of respondents who live in households with incomes over $50,000. In comparing age, 51 percent under the age of 30 have posted content on the web as compared with 36 percent over 30.

It is important to notice that Pew group conducted this survey using a subset of the population that they believe represents the population. Just like political polls, there is some fudge work and false conclusions that people draw.

What is your role in this study, where do you fit in? Do you agree with what they have found? Personally, I am under 30, have a broadband connection, and am a prolific content creator on Internet.

You can access the Home Broadband Adoption 2006 report here, directly on the internet. I first found out about this study from ClickZNews in an article written by Enid Burns.

What goes on inside your PC?

2006-06-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

As a computer technician I am constantly being asked about computers (I'd be out of a job it I wasn't). The most popular question I get asked is, "How do I build my own computer" ? Home built computers have become very popular because of the advantages that come with putting a computer together yourself. Just like cars, we all have specific features that we want and those that we could do without. Building your own computer allows you to create a computer that is the perfect match for you, that is if you take some careful steps when planning the build.

For those of you out there who are interested in building your own computer, there are a lot of great resources on the internet to help you do this. I feel like a broken record but the best research tool out there is your friendly search engine: Google. I am big proponent of Google because of its simplicity and great results. Check this link out for a search on building your own computer and this link to Wikipedia on computers and how to build one.
NOTE: With good articles come bad ones and if you're not careful you can end up with a mediocre machine that will cost you more than a prebuilt machine from Dell.

Quiz (Don't run away, its painless)
Before you decide to build a computer, you should ask yourself several questions:

What are your needs?
How much do you want to spend?
How long do you want the machine to last?
Who will be using the computer?
Where will the computer be used?

These may seem like overkill but it may mean the difference between saving or wasting your valuable money and time; I hate wasting my time and money.

Two Classes of Computer Users
I firmly believe there are two types of computer users out there: Those that use the computer sporadically and those whose lives are on the computer. Despite what you might argue, you fall into one of these two categories. I am someone whose life is on the computer between school and work.

For many people a prebuilt computer is sufficient and will be cheaper than a custom built one. People who occasionally use a computer, use it to surf the internet, or use it as a word processor will be much better off buying a prebuilt computer. My personal recommendation for those people is to buy a PC from Dell. Their prices are competitive and machines durable enough to outlast how much they cost.

For the remaining people, you might benefit from building your own computer but there are some caveats. These people include those of you that play video games, require the computer for work (other than word processing), or want to use the computer as a media hub (what the heck is a media hub?). Now that you've decided to build a computer, we can get into the guts of what's in a computer.

NOTE: Beware of people who offer services to build a computer for you. While you get a customized computer, you are in a tough situation when you have a problem and don't know how to fix it. If you do use a service such as this, make sure to get a warranty or guarantee on what your buying.

The Guts of a Modern Personal Computer
Depending on your experience with computers you may or may not be familiar with some of these parts. The links I have provided should give you more information on each of these parts.

There are more components to a computer than I have covered here and I can't go in depth on everything, so if you're serious about building a computer and want to know more use your favorite search engine.

Do Your Research!
The next part in building a computer is to research parts that you want in your computer. When I write an article, like when I build a computer, I have to do research otherwise what reason do you have to believe what I'm saying? Thankfully the best source for this kind of information is the internet. Between manufacturer websites, professional magazines, and techie blogs like this one there is a plethora of information, take it slow and read, read, and read some more. When I build a computer, especially for a customer, I spend a long time balancing cost, features, and ease of use. I almost never go with the first design because I usually find great deals on great parts while I research. Here are some good resources for researching computer parts:

If you can't find what your looking for on one of these sites, go to Google and search for what your looking for. Another great place to find computer parts is directly on computer part manufacturer websites. You might wonder who popular manufacturers are and this is where you can turn to Google once again (Test this: motherboard manufacturer). Once you've got ideas on the parts you want in the computer you'll need to find out how much these parts cost.

Buy Your Parts Online
Now that you know what goes into a computer, you need to know where to find these parts. Having gone through computers faster than sneakers or clothing, I limit my shopping to three places on the internet:

Froogle (vendor search engineer)
ZipZoomFly (vendor)
NewEgg (vendor)

While I will buy parts at a local store in an emergency, I have found that the best deals are on the internet and if you're savvy enough you can find them. A great resource for deals on computer parts etc. is TechBargains. TechBargains is a service that posts deals on tech related goodies from across the web. The key is to act fast because some items don't last for long and these websites are heavily traveled.

Its' an Iterative Process
You have to remember that building a computer is an iterative process and that your design may change based on the deals of the week. Whatever you do, don't get frustrated. If you're having trouble and need some help refer to one of the tech magazines or personal blogs like this one for help from the community. The great thing about people who build computers is that they love to brag about what they've got and you can use this information to help you build your computer. Remember that you're doing this to make a better computer and the more effort you put in the better the outcome will be.

This is just one man's opinion. Let me know what you think and what resources you use when building your computer. As always, comments/suggestions/criticism are always welcome.

Happy computer building!

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

2006-05-31T13:54:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I had some issues with my laptop's hard drive and I thought that this would be the perfect time for the first Tech Tips/Advice article. Hard drives today have gotten so large that we often forget that the smallest error in that drive can wreak havoc on your computer. Now I was lucky this time that the hard drive didn't die but next time I might not be so fortunate and its good to know what to do if you're ever in this situation. I can tell you from experience that if you own a computer you will have to deal with a hard drive problem at some point in life.

I'm sure most people here have experienced a blue screen of death at some point in their past. Even if you didn't know what a blue screen of death was you'd be able to figure it. Lets just say that it isn't a good thing as anything with the word death in it is usually isn't. Techies often refer to a blue-screen-of-death by the acronym BSOD, which is how I'll refer to it from now on. BSODs have existed since the dawn of Windows and the name was coined by Erik Noyes while he worked for Charles Schwab and Co., Inc.'s technical support for the Electronic Service Delivery division in early 1991. Ever since then, blue screens of death have popped up everywhere, even at your local ATM.

A little background ...
Google is a great research tool and a quick keyword search for "Blue Screen of Death" returns over 22 million pages containing the words. Here is an examples of a BSOD from a Windows XP machine:

In new operating systems (OSes), such as Windows 2K / NT / XP, a blue screen of death occurs when the kernel or a driver running in kernel mode, encounters an error from which it cannot recover. Therefore, the only safe action the computer can take it to force the user to restart. Unfortunately, the user is not given any opportunity to save any new work and the data is lost. Microsoft more affectionately refers to these errors as 'Stop Errors' or 'Bug Checks' in their documentation.

When a BSOD occurs, the operating system creates a memory dump file which is effectively a copy of the entire contents of physical RAM. The memory dump file can be debugged later, using a kernel debugger, to ascertain the true cause of the problem. The other instance when a BSOD of death is encountered is when a criticl boot loader error occurs. This occurs when the opertaing system is unable to access the drive or a part of the operating system. When this happens, there is no memory dump but the problem can be fixed by using the Windows Installer CD.

If you get a blue-screen you can use the information on it to determine what went wrong and how to fix it. In my experience, most of the blue-screens are a result of a hard drive access problem and can be fixed with the Windows CD.

Red Screen of Doom (RSOD)
Until I did some research for this article I was not familiar with the Red-Screen-of-Doom (RSOD). The RSOD is the nickname for error messages that exist in some beta versions of the upcoming Windows Vista as well as in rare versions of Windows 98. The screen appears when a boot loader error occurs. Essentially, RSOD is the ugly red-headed step-brother of the now infamous BSOD. While the RSOD was removed from Vista in the latest versions, we can be happy that the more popular Blue-Screen-of-Death still remains.

Popular Blue Screens of Death
The most famous BSOD occured at COMDEX '98 when Microsoft's Bill Gates was debuting the new Windows 98. The demonstration PC spit up a BSOD when an assistant connected a scanner to it. The event has been memorialized on tape and can be seen here. Gates' only response was, "That must be why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet." BSODs have become so ~~popular~~ infamous that it has been included in TV shows, movies, games, and even on T-shirts. A comic named after the BSOD can be found here. If you really want to experience a BSOD for yourself try this web simulation out.

Macs Don't have BSODs?
This isn't completely true. Back in the day, Macs just like PCs had their share of problems and they came in the form of Sad Macs and Bombs. Today Macs run on Unix which is much more stable but still prone to problems.

Still hungry?
This article hasn't satisfied your thurst for knowledge then try these links out:

Comments? Suggestions? Post your remarks to this article below.

Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories

2006-05-31T12:56:00.000-04:00

The internet allows us to research just about anything and there is nothing more interesting to the random websurfer than strange gadgets. The great people at TechEBlog, who provide us with the latest tech and gadget news have come through with the Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories.

My personal favorite is #11, The Rat Race Clock, which reminds us all of the personal rat race that we run in every day of our lives. Thankfully for everyones sake the rat in this clock is mechanical so there's no need to worry about having to catch a rat to power your clock. The mechanical rat runs on a treadmill that is powered by four D and two AA batteries that also advance the hour and minute hands. At $24.99, the rat race clock is a steal and is the perfect gift for your fellow rat racer in the cubicle next to you. To purchase this amazing clock, go here.

For my girlfriend, I think the perfect gift is #3, A Human Head Knife Block, because she's a great cook and knives are meant to be displayed. I think it might also work well as a outlet for her frustration when I screw up one of her recipes. I personally would love to see this knife block made out of self-healing material, the same used in the cutting mats, so that you can stab new holes in it every time you put a knife away. Unfortunately, this knife-block was hand carved by Irene van Gestel and I don't think you'll be able to get your hands on one just yet.

The original 'Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories' article can be found here.

What other weird gadgets and gizmos have you found surfing on the web?

Moola.com - A Web2.0 Gambling Site

2006-05-30T15:11:00.000-04:00

Moola.com is a new web2.0 company out on the market aiming to take over your life. The premise of Moola is that you can start with one penny and walk away with 10 million. At this point you're probably thinking that I'm yanking your chain, but check it out for yourself right here (I'm not totally off my rocker). I first read about Moola at TechCrunch, a great blog that highlights new web2.0 companies. The specific blog post that talks about Moola can be found here.

Each user starts with $0.01 and can play against another player on the network for a predetermined amount. The premise is that if you can win 30 times in a row, doubling your money each time, you will have made a little over $10,000,000. I remember this math problem from elementary school where my teacher offered us the opportunity of taking $300 to mow a neighbor's lawn or get paid one penny which doubles every day we mow the lawn. Of course every one of us was tricked and said we would take the $300. The one thing to remember though is that as you bet more, you play against more experience players, some players have been members since November 2005. All of the money you come across in Moola is supported completely by advertising and don't worry if you lose all of your pennies, Moola is nice enough to give you a free penny for watching an ad.

Now you might be asking how they could afford to pay people to play video games and the answer is ... advertising. This has been the model for many new internet businesses. In addition to traditional text adds, Moola also makes money from video advertisements. When you want to play a game, Moola serves up an ad and you are required to correctly answer a question about what you saw. All of the times I've played, the commercials have been from YellowPages, Orbitz, or Dell. Requiring the user to answer a question about the advert really forces you to watch the commercial and since then I haven't been able to get these companies out of my mind. Once you finish the ad-quiz, Moola searches its network for others who have bet the same amount that you have and match you to a competitor.

Right now the website has two games, Gold Rush and Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu, both developed for Moola exclusively. Gold Rush is a 2-player game in which both players bet on gold pieces to amount a larger pile of gold than your competitor. Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu is a twist on the Rock-Paper-Scissors game we all played as kids. The winner gets your money so place your bets carefully. Moola says that they plan to roll out more games as the service grows and it seems logical that they want to get other game developers to showcase their games on Moola.

Since Moola is currently in public Beta, the service is available by invite only. There are two ways to get an invite to Moola. The first way is to submit your information on Moola.com and when they expand the service they will send you an invite, this is how I got my invitation. The other way is to get a member of Moola to send you an invite. My username is nanoguy and if you're interested in an invitation leave a comment in this post, I still have a few left.

Part of the benefit of inviting members is the multi-tiered referral network that is built into Moola. When you refer a user, you get 4% of any money they cash out for a year. If that person refers someone else, you get 3% of what they cash out for the next year, and so on. This can work to your benefit if you invite the right people because four percent of 10 million is $400,000. That much green would surely help pay off some student bills.

Moola is a good idea that could become very popular if done the right way. We'll just have to wait and see if the people behind this are able to pull it off. For now the real test is if they can keep our interest for more than 5 seconds, they've got mine.

Moola like every other company in the digital world maintains a blog where you can read news related to Moola's development and progress. In addition to the TechCrunch article on Moola, I have come across a bunch of other articles on Moola:

As always, let me know what you think of Moola and if you've got anything new and interesting that should be covered here. Now go play for pennies and don't come back until you've got 10 million dollars!

Share, Store, and Track your favorites

2006-05-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

Digg, Technorati, Del.icio.us, Reddit, and more services everyday are opening up to allow interent uses to store, share, and track articles, blogs, and sites they find interesting.

If you taken a look at my site lately you can see that I have added a toolbar of links to the bottom of each post to allow my readers to track articles that they find interesting. There is a lot of confusion about these different services so I'll make it a little simpler:

Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Technorati

All of these websites provide bookmarking services which make it easy for you to keep track of links you need or find interesting. Being a computer technician I find myself researching things on the internet very often and it is very difficult to keep track of these using traditional bookmarks in your browser. In addition, I'm not always at my computer where I want to access articles so I need them to be mobile, these services are great at this. I first read about these bookmarking services a year ago and since then have been a big fan of Technorati and Del.icio.us.

To learn more about Del.icio.us go here, and to learn the different ways to use the service go here. Ironically, all of the blog tracking and bookmarking services all have their own blog and this is the link to the Del.icio.us blog.

To learn more about Technorati go here, and to learn about how to use Technorati check this link out. This is the link to the Technorati blog.

Digg is a great service where people can see popular articles and websites on technology news. More information on Digg can be found here. Amazingly enough, digg also has a blog that posts the most recent changes to digg.

The last of the four bookmarking services that I have added to every post is Reddit, "a source for what's new and popular on the internet". For more information on Reddit take a look at this link and go here for Reddit's development blog.

These services are the most popular services I have discovered on the web but that's the great thing about the internet; there is always something new. If you've got a service that I haven't covered make sure to let me know.

My question(s) to you:

What bookmarking service do you think is the next best thing?
What internet service in general do you think is better than sliced bread?

Personally I couldn't live without my Gmail/Google Calendar account, its got my whole life in it.

Now posting at writingUp.com

2006-05-26T13:22:00.000-04:00

So I'm new to the Blogging world and am finding new things each day. My biggest concern is getting people to see and read what I have to say otherwise this whole venture is for naught. A great blog I have discovered is Phil Windley's Technometria. As Phil Windley describes it, " Technometria is my attempt to make sense of the technology that interests me through exploration, analysis, and, hopefully, reason". This is a great resource for information and Phil is a great writer and his articles are written for the general public.

One article of Phil's that particularly caught my eye was How to start a blog, a introduction to blogging. This article was a great resource for me, a new blogger, and should be helpful for you guys who are interested in blogging. WritingUp.com is one service mentioned by Phil where users can post their articles to a community of readers. Instead of having your own blog, writingUp makes your blog as a sub-blog of the whole site which makes articles written by beginners like myself accessible to a bigger audience. To see the articles I have posted to my writingUp blog use the following link.

I want to send a warm welcome all of the writingUp.com members who venture to this blog and I encourage you to leave comments and suggestions for me here as I continue to grow this company and blog in Central New York. Also, let me know if you use other services or are members of other "blogging" communities that have helped you grow your blog's popularity.