Monday, December 29, 2008

A look back on 2008

2008 was a great year as far as I'm concerned..many things come to mind technology wise. The things that come to my mind immediately are the creation of my fave app Digsby, Monty Python got its own youtube channel, my twitter obsession began this year and the political filter and Mr. Tweet didn't help. Facebook changed a bit with Facebook im, a whole new layout all together, and the death of Scrablous. We learned that some will pay for anytype of app on an ipod with the I Am Rich incident. It was proven that the internet was not just for porn. Microsoft made droves of whineing geeks with the Jerry Seinfeld ads. One small thing I think deserves mention is Radars tricked by a muppet but thats just me. It was a great year for inovation as Leo Laporte started up Twit live and Twit Army. All and all a very interesting year and a year for change(and no that was not an Obama refrence). I can't wait to see what come up for everyone in the new year..if all this happened..just wait for the new one.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Mac vs PC now on twitter

Mac versus PC, the battle continues on Twitter « TheNextWeb.com

Simply Follow @MACvsPC and let the chatter between the two systems begin.

New bandwith meter for all of us

Featured Windows Download: BitMeter Monitors Your Bandwidth

Finally something for us that honestly dont know what the heck our cap is..I'm on satellite so i got a cap of about 300 MB..yea..bad isn't it but its the only highspeed I can get.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Google streetview art

Infonaut Inc. :: Blog

This story is wild.A large group actually posed for google street view.It includes links to all the "displays" that went on during the event..I like the sword fight myself.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Evolution of game controllers

The evolution of video game controllers, illustrated IKEA style - Offworld

This is a neat diagram of how the controller has changed over the years..my first in the list was the nes..what can I say I'm a Nintendo nut.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Top gear gets its hands on a Tesla

» Top Gear reviews the Tesla Roadster Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

My favorite (and if I'm honest only) car show that I watch has got its hands on a Tesla car. Shame that..well I'll just let you watch it for yourself...all I can say is..poor Jason Calacanis.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Bratz smacked by Barbie.

BBC NEWS | Business | A costly storm in a toy box

So If I read this right Bratz are being taken from the shelves in the new year...what am I going to do with that one spot on the toy isle where I work? Oh well I'll know when it happens I guess.

Bandwidth meters.

TechBlog: Coming soon: Comcast to offer a bandwidth meter

This is a great idea. My only wish would be if all services that have a cap would provide one of these..maybe this move will force them to.

Kevin Rose top ten gifts for geeks.

this is my website | Kevin Rose - blogg - My Top 10 Gifts For Geeks

A pretty neat list and I agree that I would rather get drm free music than Itunes...

Mr. Tweet rocks!

It's time I plugged another site that i like Mr. Tweet is designed to show you who you should be following on twitter that you may not even know about. In my case I found the creators of one of my fave online comics "the joy of tech" and others in my list that I didn't even know were on Twitter. Just follow mrtweet on twitter and when your list it ready it will send it to you. Simple yet effective..I love it!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Mr tweet helps you find twitter friends.

My Friend Mr Tweet, and my new-found Friends on Twitter

I Am going to try this service out and give you a report on it when it reports back to me.

Macys parade rickrolled.

Thanksgiving parade gets a live 'Rickroll' | The Social - CNET News

It's great that he did it himself...shows hes not one of those stuffy ones..

Fatal black friday.

Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

I would like to take this moment to thank god that he protects me in situations like this..my boss was nearly crushed by a crowd wanting what you may ask? Leapster systems..If we are this materialistic then I continue to pray for the world as hard as I always do.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Mafia aparently has its own Q branch.

Dial M for murder: The Mafia gun disguised as a mobile phone | Mail Online

The only explanation I could come up with is that apparently the mafia is addicted to James Bond or something of that nature..either way I had a total geek out when I saw this.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Iphone/ipod touch firmware has some neat features

iPhone 2.2 firmware update available now, Google Street View and plenty more - Engadget

I like the fact that you can now download podcasts directly to your ipod..makes it easier for a forgetful person like myself.

Internet not bad for teens afterall

Teenagers’ Internet Socializing Not a Bad Thing - NYTimes.com

This is a different way of looking at how teens use the web..if I'm honest the most time I spend online is chatting and downloading podcasts. The fact is that not all geeks are antisocial..in fact nowadays it seems to be quite the opposite.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Lazy geek poetry

Geek Poetry in Motion

This is hilarious..for those geeks that dont like getting up at all..read this...

Pushing dasies cancled...im depressed

Depressing Scoop: ABC passes on 'Eli,' 'Daisies' and 'Dirty' | Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies | Ausiello Files | EW.com

I dont care about the other two but I love pushing dasies and even have the first season on dvd...it was a good show with a short life...just hope they wrap it up for us well...

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Free dr pepper on sunday!!

Dr Pepper to deliver on its free-soda promise - Yahoo! News

It would figure that i quit pop and a few month later it happens...to steal the phrase of someone I know...just my luck...good for you guys though..just not me...

Pc mag goes all digital.

The Slow Death of Print: RIP PC Magazine - ReadWriteWeb

Given the subject im not surprised it has made this move. Once something like the new your times or something like that goes strictly online then I will worry that print is dieing.

Firefox makes extensions easier.

Firefox Extensions: Fashion Your Firefox Creates Quick, Custom Extension Packs to Fit Your Tastes

This makes it easier for those that have different surfing tastes to know how they need to customize firefox. It's better than going through the sea of extensions.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Monty python on youtube!!

Monty Python Joins YouTube - AppScout

Thats right kids get your silly walks ready because now all of us can bask in python goodness on its on offical youtube channel...including my favorite sketches..got to love it when old media embraces new media like this..I think john clese is a major player in this though..hes been embracing new media for a while now.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Twitter reaches 1 billion tweets.

Twitter: One Billion Tweets. Wow.

One billion tweets..I wonder if the election had anything to do with this..or maybe even Leo Laporte...oh well either way its not as niche as it once was...

How much did that phone really cost you?

The Bizarre, Misleading World of Cell Phone Prices | Technologizer

I first noticed this when the whine started about the Iphone but i figured this went on with most phones..seemed to good to be true..and usually is.

Big prank or political statement?

Fake New York Times: biggest hoax ever?

I think its a combo of a political statement and a prank..this is the kind of thing i aspire to pull of..this or a big group freezing in place at the same time.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Radar tricked in germany by muppet.

Speed Camera Pranks: The Muppets' Animal Caught Speeding, Driving Police Crazy

This is hilarious..if I didn't follow rules I would probably pull something like this.

More in depth searching with Juice

Juice - The intelligent discovery engine from Linkool Labs (Now available as Firefox plugin)

An interesting firefox plugin that does more of an in depth search of things with several neat features. Go to the website and watch the vid on the homepage to get the full story...just downloaded it..I'll let you know what I think later.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

To much caps lock?..try this

MAKE: Blog: CAPS LOCK trainer key

This is hilarious..I hit the caps lock by mistake every now and then but i notice it and fix the problem..for those who don't notice or just don't care..maybe this would work.

Windows 7 interface

First look at Windows 7's User Interface

These are some neat changes to windows that seem to be good ideas so far.

changes at revision3

Revision3

I wonder why this decision was made but to avoid the economy shouting that would no doubt ensue from such a post I will keep my opinion to myself and say this..Devoraks bubble theory may not be far off...

Monday, October 27, 2008

Open office sets download record

PC World - OpenOffice.org Update Sets Downloads Record

Thats right my favorite open source program just hit a record. Anyone that doesn't have it already should download it right now.

The inspiron mini is here!

Dell launches the Inspiron Mini 12 - Engadget

Ill take it by the name that it is a smaller version of the laptop I'm typing on right now. I don't need another one but I find this to be kinda cool.

Oprah endorses Kindle

Oprah Gives Kindle the Thumbs Up | Technologizer

This has to be the funniest endorsement yet..but it does make since. Her book club makes her a perfect spokesperson for a device that you can get books on.

Google earth in your pocket

TechBlog: Is that a planet in your pocket, or Google Earth for iPhone?

Thats right its finally here for the touch and the iPhone. Google earth is now available in your pocket

The origin of fail

TMischievous Monday Mornings: FAIL!!!

Have you ever wondered where that stupid meme came from..rocket boom attempts to explain it for you in this funny vid.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Twitter: a new tool for terrorist.

Terrorist 'tweets'? US Army warns of Twitter dangers - Yahoo! News

Well a person can write death to America in 140 characters or less so i guess they could. Twitter has always been described as something you use for whatever you want so..yea i could see it being used for this even. I don't see it changing minds but if we figured out who they were we could follow them and find out what they were up to.

Boot up time shortened?

In Age of Impatience, Cutting PC Start Time - NYTimes.com

I know that everyone is impatient lately..try running a register and you will notice quick how impatient everyone is...

Friday, October 24, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Ipods 7th birthday

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The 7th birthday of the iPod is here so TUAW has made a gallery of how the ipod has changed over the years. Neat how many changes it has made over the years.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Keystroke logging may nolonger require a sneaky usb key

Researchers log keystrokes from afar with an antenna | InfoWorld | News | 2008-10-20 | By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

This would make me paranoid if i had something to hide but I don't so I find it cool.

Real time censoring

Microsoft gets patent for real-time f-bomb bleeping

Interesting technology..I'm just waiting to see how it is used in other mediums.

Blogs obsolete?

TechBlog: Are blogs obsolete?

Interesting post from the techblog about a rant that recently went on about blogging. I agree with Silverman completely. Blogging is not about how big your audience is and its not about you...it's about the content.

Cell phone talk must stop!

Cell Phone Mania Must Stop Now! - Columns by PC Magazine

Another column by one of my favorite columnists John C. Dvorak. Phone talk has became so common that I even find myself talking about it..reminds me of a dilbert comic i read today..it ended in Alice smashing an phone that a coworker was showing off. Hilarious.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Twitter in comics

A Time Before Twitter?

Thought I would provide a link to a post I saw that amused me..I always fall for a good twitter joke.

Pizza hut on facebook

Pizza Hut Lets Users Order from Facebook - AppScout

A few weeks ago my girlfriend asked if i wanted pizza..and then went on the internet to get it. Sometimes the whole internet for everything goes to far...and the funny thing is..my area doesn't have the service available..all im saying is the phone is not dead and a person can still use it..or at least get a already made pizza for 5 dollars.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Blog action day-Poverty

It's that time of year again. Blog action day, the day where a lot of blogs come together and talk about one topic and the topic this year is poverty. There is all sorts of poverty in the world from your average home with little money to a whole country of poverty. In my little town of Williamsburg a new goodwill recently opened up. For those in the area that read my blog and want to help with local poverty I would say that this would be a good place to start. Instead of throwing away things you nolonger want donate them to a goodwill or some other place similar in your area. If you can't do that then I submit my usual solution to everything and its just one word. Pray. Kepping someone in your prayers can help more than you think. God can do wonders for poverty. The new goodwill in Williamsburg is right next door to Wal-mart if you want to know where it is. Keep the faith and as my mom says "Let God Live"

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A new SNL site

NBC, Lorne Michaels Plotting 'SNL' Video Site - 10/13/2008 - Broadcasting & Cable

I just hope that this one will have the full sketches..on NBC they just have clips..and that is not right...I not only need more cowbell I need all of it!

And the new windows name is...

Windows Vista Team Blog : Introducing Windows 7

Well that was easy..it was first code named Windows 7..now it turns out the new operating system will be in fact named Windows 7..easy..and we won't have to figure out what it means. I'm cheap though..so unless its really good I'm sticking to my vista basic.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Computer almost passes AI test

It's Alive!: Computer Nearly Passes Turing Test for Artificial Intelligence

Some of the bots on the net are impressive..but mostly the fall at the wayside. Not sure if it's a good thing or not..I prefer to speak to humans myself.

Real dvd stopped for a bit

Court bans sales of RealDVD indefinitely - Engadget

I'm waiting to see the verdict in this case. It could define DRM as we know it when it comes to DVDs at least.

50 impressions in 50 seconds

» 50 seconds, 50 impressions Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

A funny post on Devoraks blog that I just had to link to. I'm big on impressions..but this is just hilarious.

Make firefox faster

8 hacks to make Firefox ridiculously fast | News | TechRadar UK

I saw this on DL.tv and it works..be careful though..some of these could screw up your computer..i only did the safe ones myself.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The pitfalls of a cashier.

As a cashier I have various things that I have to watch out for and it still boggles me as to what tries and..in some very horrid cases..gets pulled on me. Anyone that deals with the public has their own, as the doctor once put it, universe of terrors to face. The main thing to think in your head is that you cannot please everyone. The only thing you need to please is god. If your rules that you must follow make someone angry then don't falter just to make someone happy. I take solace in knowing that as a child of god anyone that comes against me will not go without problems later on. Justice is out there..you just have to know that it will happen when the time is right.

Go ahead and bite the apple..its not poison...

Macworld | Apple: No evidence of benzene in Mac Pros

Wild...but hopefully its true..dont want leo to die from mac poison...

Citizen journalism..about as refined as normal journalism

CBS Gets a Rude Lesson in Citizen Journalism - Advertising Age - Digital

Sometimes I wonder why old media trys...but at least some of them are..I feel a commentary about this coming on..but not today..I already have one planed for later on today.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

8 Things you can do on firefox

Firefox 3: 8 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do - Solutions by PC Magazine

8 little tricks that might make your Firefox browsing easier.

Chili sauce kills apsiring chef

Cyber war scare ads

The First Country in Cyber War is “Arming” its Computer Users

I think this is almost the equivalent of the color code system we got..but in ad form..

Facebook Iphone app upgraded

Facebook delivers version 2.0 of its iPhone app | The Web Services Report - CNET News

Keep in mind this app works on the touch to..I should know I have it...on that note have you ever noticed that no one ever mentions if an app works on the touch as well..all they ever mention is the iPhone.

Knight Rider GPS

Knight Rider GPS by Mio - At A Glance - Reviews by PC Magazine

Do i honestly need to say anything else..if I ever actually traveled more than one state away..this would be my new GPS.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Twitter goes political

Politics Never Smelled So Tweet - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

This makes me think what other sorts of filters they could place on twitter for interests. I has potential if this one works.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Suicide stoped on Seesmic

When somebody announces to stream his suicide on Seesmic

Im not kidding..you have got to read this story..sometimes I worry about the world..that's when I start to pray..hard.

EA responds to DRM gripes

EA threatens to cancel Spore accounts News // PC /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More

I think they should have done it a long time ago. I never like DRM but at the same time it does serve some good purposes such as games. I can understand sharing music but I think if a person wants a game they should have to buy it..its as simple as that.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2008

Windows releases new image ads

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows: Life Without Walls

I laughed out loud when i saw how creative these were..i think everyone is going to be satisfied with this..plus apparently the Seinfeld ads are not dead..I hope that this is true but of course until i see a new one I wont be completely satisfied.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

New microsoft ad bites back

YouTube - New Microsoft ad I'm PC - Not Alone

Well this is what all the media was crying for..still upset that Seinfeld has gone poof but at least all the tech journalists will stop complaining now...was starting to make me get tired of Leo(shudders)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Social networks take porns place

Porn passed over as Web users become social: author | Technology | Reuters

Its about time that the main thing on the web wasn't porn anymore..its just slightly sad that social networks were the thing to do it.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Google privacy takes less time.

Google pledges 9 month anonymity on data | News | TechRadar UK

A lot of pepole are relived but i think if your worried about what they have on you then maybe you shouldn't't use them to search for stuff that would embarrass you.


Friday, September 5, 2008

The first microsoft ad with Jerry Seinfeld.



Bill Gates & Jerry Seinfeld - Shoe Circus Commercial

I loved it and got the message..but some might find it stupid.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Huge Vaio recall.

BREAKING: Sony recalls 440,000 Vaio laptops | The Toybox | ZDNet.com

Just in case anyone has a Vaio I figured I would help warn you.

A good story involveing GTA.

Preteen girl helps family escape crashed vehicle - My Web Times

I had to post this one seeing as I don't agree with the "violent games make violent kids" theory. If a parent teaches the kid what they need to then they know not to go shooting up a neighborhood and not to steal a car.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Iphone in england has pictures on it before its shipped...oops

iPhone girl scared by attention - vnunet.com

This is a simple case of making a slight mistake by having some fun at work. She does look kinda cute though..its not like these pictures are malicious..in fact shes flashing the peace sign in them. The pictures can be found here.

Spam without bots..for CAPTCHAs at least...

Inside India’s CAPTCHA solving economy | Zero Day | ZDNet.com

This is ingenious. Charging to solve CAPTCHAs for spammers or other members of the like that want to gain more accounts but don't want to spend the time proving they aren't doing what they are doing.

Mac vs Clone Mac

Psystar: Apple Illegally 'Destroys' Competition, Bricks Mac Clones -- InformationWeek

This case could open up Mac OS to go on any computer..mind you ill still use windows but still..interesting case.

How much bandwidth did i use?

TechBlog: Comcast's moral obligation: If you cap it, help us count it

This is an idea I think should have come up a long time ago. Sometimes its hard to keep up the amount of megabits I use so something like this is a good idea.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Journalism vs Blogging



Journalism vs blogging

My First vid blog and my thoughts on the subject of Journalism vs Blogging.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Dead sea scrolls online

Israel to Display the Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet - NYTimes.com

Here's a link to an interesting project that has me waiting for the results. The dead sea scrolls are a great artifact found by accident. (or divine intervention depending on how you look at it)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Bandwith caps anoying..say it isnt so!

Internet providers' usage caps irk customers - USATODAY.com

Another story of bandwidth caps...I know it gets old but this sort of thing happens everyday and its finally becoming more of public knowledge instead of being a strictly geek thing.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Free broadband?!

Martin wants broadband across USA - USATODAY.com

It seems like a good idea..but I wonder what kind of bandwidth limitations would be placed on us with this sort of plan.

Microsoft fights back

Microsoft enlists Seinfeld, Gates to battle "Get a Mac" ads - Engadget

Microsoft finally fights back with the help from one of my favorite comics. Say hello to Jerry Seinfeld.

Monday, August 18, 2008

An insight as to how digg works

Bloggasm » The Politics of Digg

So this is how it works..funny thing is I found this story on digg itself.

An excuse for sleeping in.

How to Become a Late Riser: 5 Reasons Why Sleeping In Every Day Will Boost your Productivity - Life Evolver

At the most I may sleep in one hour if I had a bad night but i used to sleep in more...if only I had this excuse before I changed my habits.

One more reason for guys to know its not your fault

Birth control affects sexiness of a man's scent | Science & Health | Reuters

Some say that guys have it stacked against them when it comes to finding a woman. It turns out that birth control pills might make that a bit less of an excuse.

The U2 bullseye

U2 Tracks Leak After Bono Plays Stereo Too Loudly | TorrentFreak

I swear sometimes I think that artiest just want to be pirated from. This could be a scam to get publicity but could a person really be that desperate for attention.

Your email says more than you think.

Yes, your goofy e-mail address says something about you

Ill admit when some hear my personal email they sometimes make fun of it. I started it when I was younger and have kept it because I don't change something just because of what someone might think about me. It just means that they have a problem, not me.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Shut the phone off!

Top 10 Cell Phone Etiquette Rules People Still Break | Mobilecommandos.com

I use my cell phone to just talk when required. I'm not guilty of any of these rules and I'm proud of that fact. The breakers of these rules make the rest of the cell phone users a stereotype that annoys me.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Tips for staying happy

Are You Happy? ~ Chris Pirillo

I saw this article by following Chris Pirillo on twitter and thought maybe someone out there could maybe use these tips. Several of them I use myself.

Monday, August 11, 2008

How twitter works

Why Twitter Hasn’t Failed: The Power Of Audience

This article should explain to anyone that is curious about twitter as to why those who use it do use it. It also explains a few things to those who do understand it.

The do nothing app sells copys

LA Times: 'I Am Rich' author sold eight copies - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

I couldn't believe this when I first heard about it. An app that as far as I can tell was designed specifically to have a person have a spending high proving they are rich by buying a very expensive app on the Iphone. It's times like this that I worry about the human race and its love of money.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Getting thrown out for taking pictures. (UPDATED)

Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection: Simon Blint, Director of Visitor Relations at the SF MOMA, Yeah You Asshole, Photography is Not a Crime

To understand this story you must read the whole thing before you think its just an angry rant. If the rules state a person can take pictures then a person can take pictures..end of story.

UPDATE: Thanks to dhubba on twitter for pointing this out..there may be more to this story than meets the eye check this account out.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Games saving rock..is it possible?

How Video Games Are Saving Classic Rock - Page1 - MSN Tech & Gadgets - Products

I will admit that one part of this theory actually pans out about introducing bands to younger generations. I myself had no idea i like aerosmith until i played the recent guitar hero. It does seem that a bands new way of marketing does indeed include games.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

High tech peeping tom.

High-tech Peeping Tom rigged laptop webcam to snap nude pics

From the "thats really desperate" files we have an example of someone who is either a mastermind..or just plain stupid.

The mad magazine and circuit city affect

Circuit City, Mad Magazine and Streisand | NetworkWorld.com Community

I find the parody that mad did of the ad quite clever and did not even get mad that it poked fun at Nintendo as well. The bit about a mouthpiece attachment to the wiimote was quite good and deserves some applause to whoever came up with it. This is just a case of a bunch of CEOs with no humor getting to serious about something. It makes me wish that the joy in the world was felt by everyone and not just those that decide to notice it.

Twitter attacked.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Hi-tech criminals target Twitter

With all the other social virus hits it was only a matter of time before twitter was hit..but to be fair anyone desperate enough to see a woman to click a link on twitter..kinda silly.

A new use for legos

Time Tracker: Track Your Time with LEGO Bricks

With my past in legos i couldn't resist showing you guys this article.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Power hungry devices

Power-hungry features kill battery life | Computing | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

A neat column by Dwight Silverman on the little things we forget about that drain batteries fast in the things we use every day.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Six degrees might not be so crazed afterall.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Study revives six degrees theory

I had a friend in high school that loved figuring out the six degrees thing..she should have just checked instant messaging accounts.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Whats in a name?

Daniel Rubin: When your name gets turned against you | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/30/2008

This is ridiculous..i understand if a cuss word is out of context and as a result shouldn't be used in email but when a persons name is censored..it goes a bit to far.

Could tech knowhow effect the white house race?

The Nation - Hail to the Twitterer - NYTimes.com

The way I see it is as long as a person understands concepts..not uses them but at least understands them then we should be fine.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Hasboro makes facebook users sad

globeandmail.com: Scrabble knockoff suspended on Facebook

Im a bit late on posting this but better late than ever. I used to use this app then stopped when i figured they were doomed when this whole mess started.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Monday, July 28, 2008

Lifehacker editors tell what they use..and so do I

What We Use: The Lifehacker Editors' Favorite Software and Hardware

Given that I give you a link to an article like this I believe its time that I did my own version of this and yes i shall be following the lifehacker formula for my version.

The basics

  • Firefox 3- This will come as a surprise to no one that I use Firefox..most geeks do. My main reason is the extensions scribefire, del.icio.us, and sage. These three help me blog, bookmark, and check feeds at greater speeds.
  • Digsby- I've already ranted about this in a pervious post as my killer app. I use it for both my email accounts, both im adresses, my twitter, and my facebook.
  • I tunes- What i use for my podcasts every morning.
  • Wizmo- The windows gizmo created by Steve Gibson to make a few things a bit easier.

Primary OS

I used to run a computer with Windows XP and was very happy. Now i run Windows Vista Basic(yea go ahead and laugh) on my new computer and I am still happy. I don't get why everyone is so mad at it..of course my only speed bump was i had to get a new webcam but i was planning on doing that anyway.

Hardware

I only have one computer that I use and love. It used to be a dell desktop then i saved up and got me an inspiron notebook and im never going back. I have a Wii as well that has web capabiltys so i guess that counts as well.

Peripherals

I shall use this as a place to tell what is hooked to my computer at all times..save for when im up and about of course.

  • Supersize earbud speakers- When it comes to my gadgets i prefer the funny type that still gets the job done.These speakers have great sound and look really cool
  • TARDIS usb hub- It seems to be a trend for a geek to choose a usb hub that has some sort of gimic to it. Mine is a small version of the ship from Doctor Who that makes to engine sounds and flashes the lamp on top.
  • 60 gig Ipod- I add this to the list because I use it anytime i need to move big files i use it as an external hard drive...if apple made a version of the touch that did this then id buy it in an instant but untill then my good 5th gen ipod suits me just fine.
  • Cruiser micro 1gig- When it comes to smaller files i use my one gig flash drive to get the job done.
  • Logitech wireless mouse- I dont know if anyone else has this problem but the only thing i find akward about my computer is the pannel at the bottem that is used for a mouse. Thats why i have an good old fashioned optical mouse to go around my screen with.
Webapps

  • Hotmail- My primary email adress that only close friends can get ahold of.
  • Yahoo mail- My secondary email for the blog and other things.
  • Twitter- My favorite little microbloging tool for 140 letter posts.The only downside is I find it imposible to explain to anyone interested.
  • Meebo- When my im clients failed me in the past i use this as a backup..and now if it ever happens again ill be covered.
  • Del.icio.us- The only way to bookmark in my opinion.
  • FriendFeed- I use this mainly as my way to update facebook without being there. All my feeds in one place.
  • Drop.io- A great way to share files. I use it as a way to share fanfics(quit laughing I know im a geek)
Self Assesment

My main reason for trying things is my various sources I pay attention to. Im quick to try something out and not so quick to eventually drop it. Although once i find software for a certian purpose then i keep it like it were a child. Im not a big harware person and dont jump on gimicks often..unless Leo talked about it of course.. still when it comes to my computer I like things that get the job done if not also a bit silly as well.



Friday, July 25, 2008

A new facebook

I have a few friends that are having problems checking out the new facebook. Simply go to www.new.facebook.com to check out the new layout. I like it but it may take a while for me to get used to it but I defiantly can get used to the lack of crowding.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Disgruntled geeks

S.F. officials locked out of computer network

This story proves that..wait..have i said this before..oh well..we often hear about disgruntled postal workers or other types..but finally we get a story about disgruntled tech workers.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Gold in them thar iphones

Theres Lots of Money in Those Old iPhones - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

Since the 3G iphone came out everyone has gone nuts(some because of glitches). It turns out that a old iphone is actually still useful for some. Some things never stop surprising me.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

My killer app

Digsby = IM + Email + Social Networks

It is inevitable that at some point in a persons life they will find that one app that was practically made for them..I have found that app. The term killer app is really appropriate because you know how long I've used it before i decided...one hour..that's it just one hour and I'm hooked. If your like me with a few social networks, two email/Instant message accounts, and a partrige in a pear tree(sorry I just had to say it) then this app is what youve been looking for. All your stuff..in only one app.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A neat performance

YouTube - Who Am I Casting Crowns

Watch this group of performers do a complex performance with just gloves a black light and the song Who Am I. You will be amazed..or at least inspired.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

A question of legalty

YouTube - President BUSH PARDON's HIMSELF against POTENTIAL WARCRIMES

I had always had the thought in my head that if a president could pardon others why not himself. I thought this jokingly of course as i thought it could never happen and then sure enough following Chris Pirillo on twitter gave me the following vid.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

One more reason why im happy to be where I am

Iran Parliament to Debate Death Penalty for Bloggers - ReadWriteWeb

Its things like this that make you happy that our country is what it is regardless of screw ups our government keeps making.

Search engines to detect if flash is involved in a site

Flash video Web search to get easier - Internet- msnbc.com

This should make things easier for dial up users that don't want to be slowed even more down by running into flash.

Viacom gets limited data from YouTube

Source: Protective order will keep Viacom out of sensitive YouTube user data | News - Digital Media - CNET News.com

This protects YouTube users(of which I am one) privacy at least..lets just hope that they don't find the data that they are looking for. Ill admit some do use it for those purposes but not on a grand scale. We are not a syndicate..merely those who hate tv and prefer the net to get the few things that are good on it.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

A new seach engine

Viewzi — What are you looking for?

This is a flash based search engine that gives you different views. Im not saying its a google killer but it does present a new spin on searching with different sources and different ways to look at it if you don't like one.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Web browser envy

The Joy of Tech comic... laughter is the best tech support.

When i saw this i laughed my head off. This is what other browsers think of Firefox 3.

A comedian that will be missed

Legendary standup comedian George Carlin dead | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

George Carlin passed away yesterday and i feel i have to blog this seeing as he was one of my favorite comedians. One thing that catches my eye is the flame war that appears to have broke out between a christian and a bunch of people that hate us...or rather the image of us that some get because of certain groups. I will admit that he did cuss alot and sometimes he got a tad irreverent but he did usually came up with stuff you really never thought about. I find it soiling and wrong that a person had the nerve to put a bad comment on a page about a man dieing. Regardless of who it is that lacks respect. The fact that then people started a flame war over it sohws even more of a lack of respect. Carlin made fun of certain establishments of Christianity and never poked fun at god himself. One in particular I found funny was that we assume god looks like a man when hes a spirit and Jesus gets the man image understandably but then the holy spirit get stuck with the dove image. It was a funny observation ment as a joke and nothing more. I think I will now turn on my ipod and listen to some Carlin and hope that these people in the flame war have a Christan come along and tell them the truth of god. The truth being that Christanty is a way that we celebrate god and some ways that it is done are not correct or are correct acording to your beliefs. If only we could all just get along and see gods truth together then perhaps flame wars over god wouldn't happen.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

The twitter hall of shame

The Twitter Hall of Shame: 50 Tweets That Will Echo in History - Inside CRM

Being on twitter myself i couldn't help but laugh at what some are actually crazy enough to put on it.

A blog plug

http://www.brucesizemore.com/

I'm always willing to plug a good website and this is one. The sites owner is a friend of mine on twitter and a great commentator on anything god. He even covers those topics most would never dream of touching. These are the reasons why i must plug this blog and encourage you to read it.

Twitter Debates

Obama vs. McCain: It's Twitter time | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

I knew this would happen soon enough. Of course the candidates themselves wont be the ones debating on twitter..that would be ridiculous. (sarcasm)

Monday, June 16, 2008

UK police nicked by copyright cop for playing radio too loud

UK police nicked by copyright cop for playing radio too loud

I think it has just hit the point where the copyright is getting a bit to far...I sing aloud quite often and now I'm scared ill have to pay rights to do it....joke of course but if it goes any farther it might happen.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Geeks can be bad to.

Feds: Tech Mogul Built Drug Warehouse, Sex Lair


This is proof geeks can be bad boys to...mind you I would never do any of these things. One I know god and two..its just plain stupid.

Amazon went down..another DDOS?

Amazon working again, but what went wrong?


After what happened at revision3 i wonder if this isn't the same situation...mind you it would be a different setup but still its seems odd.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Revision3 attacked

Inside the revision3 Attack

Mistake or more? No one knows but i think that they should sue..and I don't toss that word around lightly...

Dell ceo caught by Gizmodo with new laptop.

Dell mini inspiron

This is slightly interesting. It means one of two things. Either dell has become a marketing genius by making the strategy a wheres Waldo search for new products or hes become stupid by carrying unannounced products in public.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Another use for twistori.

http://www.twennis.com/

Thank to bud_caddell on twitter for pointing this out to me. It's a focus on tennis. Mainly the French Open. It works the same as twistori but instead of focusing on tweets that have specific works it focuses on tweets that have something to do with The French Open. This shows the true potential of this web service. I'm excited to see what they come up with next.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Artistic twitter?

Twistori

This is interesting. How many times do you think the phrases love, hate, think, believe, feel, and wish show up on twitter.
Now you can see the posts in real time on one site...its almost like an artwork in my opinion..just seems..artsy. just click on what phrase you want to see and it starts showing all the posts.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Facebook IM

The new news that has come to my attention is the new service on the social website I belong to that is named Facebook. The new service is an instant messangeing(IM) client. My space didn't something similar in the past bust facebook has done something interesting. They have implanted the IM client right on the sight. No software downloading is required, go to the site and its just there. Im testing it as I type this(far out huh?). The service works just like normal im and even informs you in the browser if you get a new message. Im useing firefox so i have it as a tab on here and the tab actually changed to show that a person sent me a message. Anyone the uses IM will complain about one thing. The software you download usually sucks. This actually works quite well and can be minimized to get it out of your way. It makes me wonder if traditional IM programs have just become obsolete. One neat feature is that as friends do thing the resulting mini feed post shows up in the chat. Of course some features like logging don't exist in it but the neat thing is you don't have to sign up extra or anything. If you have a Facebook then you have the IM program. I just want to see how this shapes this nearly dead technology..it might even make IM a mainstream thing again.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sunday, March 30, 2008

A free photoshop!

I know a few friends of mine that will be very happy to know this one..maybe adobe got nervous about all the free alternatives to photoshop on the net.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Being alive

The concept of staying alive is a wide spread one that reaches from the beginning of time to the end of it(or at least according to doctor who). It has been a widespread belief in disco music and anyone who plays as dad would put it “useless games”. My point of these crazy jokes? The concept of staying alive is not exactly written in stone as to what it means. This even applies to the bible. The phrase alive is used in different connotations. Most of those I found have referred to it in literal sense while others have talked about your soul staying alive. A common attitude in the world is that staying alive is merely breathing. These types of thinkers usually wear a frown and hate the very fighting for life that they do wondering if there isn't something more to the life that they live. Others are much more optimistic about it and love every minute of it. These are the one that always wear a smile no matter what. I would probably fall into this group partially with a bit more added in. You might ask what I see as staying alive. My idea of it is quite simple. Having a full life filled by gods spirit, oh and a bit of the breathing part to. But what about you? What is your concept of staying alive? Perhaps you need to rethink this or look it over. Your choice. Either way I believe that life is missing a bit of that special something without god. That is why you see most(i say most because theres always a few sour ones in the bunch) Christians smiling from ear to ear about the day ahead of them while others stare at them as if they are insane. Any way you think will not change my opinion of this or my opinion of you. There is a difference between witnessing and pushing someone very rudely but I wont get into a rant about that now but perhaps later. I merely like making one think and I hope that this has made you think..and hopefully not that you want to snap my head open.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Leo is still alive

Jonathan Coulton performs still alive with Leo Laporte, Veronica Belmont, And Merlin Mann. THey are playing it on rock band..its hilarious..couldn't resist putting this up.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Blue screen of death hits vegas

This has to be the funniest thing ive ever seen. Weird how Windows is on everything isn't it?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Free zunes!?

This has to be one of the most brilliant moves ive ever seen Microsoft do. Bravo to them for a job well done.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

AT&T Data Network Fails for BlackBerry, iPhone Users

AT&T's wireless data networks in the Southeast and Midwest U.S. were down today. I find this interesting..plus i know someone who has a blackberry so maybe this will explain to them whats been going on.

MythBusters: 7 Tech Headaches—and How to Fix Them

Jamie Hyneman gripes about common tech problems and how to fix them. Being a fan of the show i couldn't resist posting this one up.

Monday, January 28, 2008

50 years of legos

My favorite pastime of my childhood has not become fifty..makes me think to the good old days.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Multicore crisis?

This is an interesting article i found that warns of certain pitfalls of software developers due to muiticore processing if they don't watch their step. I wonder if a person cant afford the processor,or just flat out cant afford a new computer that has them, fits into this whole equation.

Could apple be in money trouble?

This interesting article on Bloomberg suggests it may be in for a few downhill turns.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The top ten expensive oil paintings

I could not believe these prices...then again im a tightwad so most prices seem steep to me....