Aaron's Tech Blog

New Design

2009-01-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

Many of you have probably noticed the new design by now. I have essentially embedded my Shared Google Reader up above. This is the easiest way for me to post new blogs posts here with my comments above each post in blue. So, to actually see my latest posts, you'll have to use the smaller embedded scroll bar. I found this to be better than just making the Google Reader Share page my blog because I can't customize it with sidebar content or anything like Blogger lets me do. If you want to subscribe, you should see the Atom Feed link underneath all of my Google profile information.

So, don't think that I haven't updated since my last post in July of 2007. I have just been using the embedded Google Reader page to share interesting technology tidbits!

Aaron

Personally Using Technology

2007-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

This tech blog site is all about technology and I felt it appropriate to use one of my favorite Google apps (Google maps) for a practical and cool use. We have heard from people all over the world that say that they are praying for our son Eli to win his battle with Neuroblastoma. I thought it would be fun to get a visual representation of that, so below you will find a map full of pushpins where people have said they are praying for our family. If you would like to add yourself or someone else that you know of to the list, just click the Add button and fill in as much or as little information as you want (city and state would be a good minimum). You do have to hit "Submit" twice as it verifies the city you entered to pick the right latitude and longitude and you might have to refresh the page after clicking close to see your pushpin appear. Also, if it happens to ask for a password, use EliRHorn and that should work. Otherwise, enjoy moving the map around and zooming into and around to see the growing network of people supporting Eli. And as always, thanks for the prayers!

Time Off

2007-07-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

So you've probably noticed this blog hasn't been updated in a long time. There's actually a reason for that. My 3 year old son was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that is very large. We are battling that, and obviously I haven't been "blogging" lately because of it. In my "down time", I do still read up on my sources, so thanks to the ease of the Google Reader, I'll still be sharing things in my "commentaryless i.t. quickies" section of to the right hand side of the screen. If you don't want to keep coming here, you can access that page directly here. Or, you can subscribe to that as a separate RSS feed here. My "commentaryfull" blogging should resume once life starts to resemble normalcy again (no idea on when that will happen).

Freebies Round-Up: Icons, Buttons and Templates

2007-06-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Freebies Round-Up: Icons, Buttons and Templates | Smashing Magazine

For those that do any kind of web designing or have graphics needs where you want cool looking icons and buttons, but don't want to break any copyright laws...

Mystery of tiny faces on Vista DVDs solved

2007-06-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Mystery of tiny faces on Vista DVDs solved

So there is an actual microsopic photo of three guys in the hologram of the Windows Vista DVD. Cool Easter egg, but really there to make it harder to pirate the DVD. :-)

IE7Pro - The Ultimate Add-On for Internet Explorer 7

2007-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

IE7Pro - The Ultimate Add-On for Internet Explorer 7

IE7Pro is a must have add-on for Internet Explorer, which includes a lot of features and tweaks to make your IE friendlier, more useful, secure and customizable. IE7Pro includes Tabbed Browsing Management, Spell Check, Inline Search, Super Drag Drop, Crash Recovery, Proxy Switcher, Mouse Gesture, Tab History Browser, Web Accelerator, User Agent Switcher, Webpage Capturer, AD Blocker, Flash Block, Greasemonkey like User Scripts platform, User Plug-ins and many more power packed features. You can customize not just Internet Explorer, but even your favorite website according to your need and taste using IE7Pro.

Safari 3 Public Beta for WINDOWS

2007-06-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Apple - Safari 3 Public Beta

So to me, not being a Mac person, the only notable news from the Keynote speech from Steve Jobs at WWDC 2007 was that they have released a public beta of Safari (the web browser for Macs) for Windows. It's supposedly faster. Safari has 5% of the browser market share. IE has 78% and Firefox has 15%. I'll give it a shot and see how well it works. Can't see getting away from IE, but should be fun to try a new browser for a few days...

Windows based iPhone

2007-06-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

HTC Touch

Microsoft says they don't want to get into hardware of phones, they'll keep pushing out Mobile OSs and let the hardware vendors like Motorola and HTC do the work. So here's the first response to the iPhone by a Windows based device. The HTC Touch.

My Outlook Calendar Published Online

2007-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

So maybe people have known about this for a while, but today while playing in the Outlook Calendar view, I found a way to publish my calendar online. I can also e-mail itineraries from a day/week/month, etc. The online publishing is really cool because I can have it auto update with just my availability without showing what the appointments are. So if someone wants to see whether I'm free or busy, they can check this website that just synchs with my Outlook. If they have Outlook, they can subscribe to my calendar and have it in their Outlook without going to the website. Pretty cool for when you want to share your availability with those outside your company, especially with those not using Outlook!

There are a lot more features like being able to have people contribute to it and only show it to people you invite and giving access based on whether they are Office Live users or not. I just thought generic availability to everyone was a pretty cool feature...

Jobs and Gates Interview Highlights

2007-06-01T20:47:00.001-07:00

Highlights from the Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bill Gates (Microsoft) interview where they were on the stage at the same time for the D5 conference.

Microsoft Surface

2007-05-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the Microsoft Surface that everyone is talking about...

Google Street View

2007-05-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

Click the header for more information on Google's new Street View feature (or just watch the video below). In select cities, you can actually take a "virtual tour" of certain streets and see pictures taken from the actual street (360 degrees). It's actually quite cool. Not sure how long it will take them to get to Ames, Iowa though. :-)

Google Goes Offline

2007-05-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Gears puts Google in the driver's seat - BizTech - Technology - smh.com.au

So I noticed this morning that Google has a new feature, which I'm pretty excited about. I was going to check out my RSS feeds with Google Reader (I'm now a fan since they've made some serious upgrades to Google Reader, it has now officially replaced SharpReader for me). It's called Google Gears and it allows me to take my Reader offline. This is really cool for me because I have a few hundred unread items and a 2 hour flight from Dallas to Des Moines ahead of me. Guess what I can do on the plane now! Once I synchronize the items (up to 2,000) and read them offline, I can then synch back once I'm online at home and it will tell Reader all the items I've already read.

Probably the most exciting part of Google Gears is the knowledge that email, docs, spreadsheets, etc. are coming soon. The ability to go offline with those apps (especially gmail) will be even more cool, but I'm happy they started with the Reader.

How to assign a program to a processor in XP or Vista

2007-05-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

How to assign a program to a processor in XP or Vista

In Windows XP Pro or Vista, if you have a computer running multiple processors or one with a dual core processor, you can assign specific programs to use a specific processor or core. First you need to open the program or run the process. Then do the following:

Right click an empty space on the taskbar or press CTRL+ATL+DEL and select to start Task Manager.

Click the Processes tab.

In the left column, find the process you want to assign (for example, Winword.exe for the Word program) and right click it.

Click Set Affinity in the context menu.

By default, both CPUs will be checked. Check only the CPU you want the process to run on (CPU0 or CPU1).

Click OK.

This can be useful if you need to keep one processor free for use by a particular program, or if you're running older applications that don't work as well with two processors.

Analyst bets on Google-Salesforce.com merger

2007-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Analyst bets on Google-Salesforce.com merger - 24 May 2007 - Computing.co.uk

The Wall Street Journal said something last week about Google and Salesforce.com getting friendly with each other. I see the benefit to Salesforce.com as they try to compete with Siebel/Oracle and Microsoft, but I'm not sure on Google. Undoubtedly the web based piece of Salesforce.com, and call it a merger if you want, but it'll be a Google buying out Salesforce situation. I don't tend to post too many rumours on this blog, but when Google is involved, I can't help myself. :-)

Gmail Doubles Maximum Attachment Size to 20 MB

2007-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Google Operating System: Gmail Doubles Maximum Attachment Size to 20 MB

It used to be 10MB per file, now it's 20MB. Um, yeah, cool, we all know Gmail rocks...

Keystrokes as BioPasswords

2007-05-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Keystrokes Are Us

So the newest idea is that you do BioPasswords, not with a fingerprint reader or a smart card, but by analyzing HOW you type the password. If you aren't typing the password like you normally do, it assumes it isn't you. I like this idea since it doesn't require a new device to purchase, and just uses your existing keyboard. How long do you hold the 'a' key when you type your password (which I hope isn't 'password')? That will be a part of your BioPassword profile!

6 Vista Tips in 6 Minutes

2007-05-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Why Microsoft's purchase of Aquantive is So Smart

2007-05-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Key: Why Microsoft's purchase of Aquantive is So Smart

So Microsoft paid $6 Billion for aQuantive in response to Google's $3.1 Billion purchase of DoubleClick? Who got the best deal? Google still on top in my opinion...

Washington State Bans Texting While Driving

2007-05-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Washington State Bans Texting While Driving

Had to see this one coming. I don't think it's that unreasonable. I expect most states to adopt this very soon. As a person who has personally e-mailed from a phone while driving, I can admit it's not very safe. :-)

Picasa Web Flash Slideshows

2007-05-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. I was at the Cognos Forum 2007 in Orlando this week. Pretty interesting for Cognos customers if you've never been. Anyway, Google's Picasa announced a new way to make your Picasa slideshows portable in Flash version. You can get embedded code from your photo album that you can put on any website and let people control the properties of the show. I've included one here on this post so you can see how it works. This slideshow is from Iowa State's VEISHEA this year.

Comcast CEO Shows Off Super Quick Modem

2007-05-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

Wired News - AP News

So Comcast says that within a few years, we'll have "channel bonding" cable modems that can do 150 megabits per second (25 times faster than today's cable modems). Watch out Verizon Fiber, her comes cable modem again!

Free Xbox 360 transfer cable

2007-05-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Order Form

I don't personally know anyone that this applies to, but in case you have an XBOX 360 and want to upgrade to the XBOX 360 Elite for the 120GB hard drive, but are hesitant because you're afraid of losing the data you have on your 20GB hard drive, there is hope. Click the link above because for a limited time, Microsoft is offering a free data transfer cable for the 20GB hard drive to the 120GB hard drive. Microsoft and free in the same sentence, you read that right. :-)

Track your flight in 3D

2007-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Track your flight in 3D | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone

Ok, so as much as I don't like Google Earth at work because it's a bandwidth nightmare, it's still cool to use at home. :-) This free add on app sounds really cool, although I'll admit I haven't tried it. Put in a flight number and track, in real time, where the flight is in the world and follow it all the way to the landing spot. Um, wow, that's cool.

1 Month Free Netflix

2007-05-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

iGoogle

2007-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone notice the change last night after midnight on your personalized Google Home Page? They've officially branded it iGoogle. Ah, will the iMarketing will never cease? George Foreman just launched an iGrill. No joke. Anyway, regardless of what they call it, the apps and themes on iGoogle are really quite cool I think...

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4355

GM's OnStar announces partnership with MapQuest

2007-04-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

GM's OnStar announces partnership with MapQuest | Reuters

Google might have a partnership with BMW, but this Onstar/Mapquest partnership is pretty huge. That's going to affect a lot of people that already have OnStar and that already use Mapquest, vs. the number of people using Google Maps and driving BMWs. I hope Google has a big announcement coming soon about how they struck up a partnership with Garmin, TomTom, and every other GPS device vendor soon. :-)

iPhone Q&A for AT&T employees

2007-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

iPhone Q&A for AT&T employees - Engadget Mobile

Engadget got an internal FAQ sheet from AT&T to their employees regarding the iphone.

"The highlights:

With an iPhone you'll have access to Cingular's MyAccount via the device as well as via iTunes.
Sorry, no pre-orders (yet).
If one wants to read tea leaves, it's still probable there will be iPhone specific service plans.
"... no subsidies are being offered on the phone at this time." You heard 'em!
They will "allow" out of contract customers to sign up for two more years to get an iPhone. Sui generis!""

Click the above link or header to see the Engadget post with the full FAQ sheet.

Vonage can continue signing up new customers

2007-04-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Vonage wins stay of potentially crippling injunction during appeal of Verizon patent verdict - Business - BostonHerald.com

Link and headline says it all. Vonage has caught a break ... for now.

Virtualized BlackBerry?

2007-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

SiliconValley.com - RIM to bring BlackBerry application to rival Windows devices

You've got to be kidding me. Running a virtualized copy of BlackBerry OS on your Windows Mobile 6 smartphone? Yep, RIM is working on it and should be ready in the fall. This is an attempt to get in with the Microsoft fans I didn't expect. Truthfully, is there anything that BlackBerry can do that Windows Mobile 6 can't that I just HAVE to have?

Push Ringer for cell phones

2007-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

MobileTechNews - Emotive announces "Push Ringer"

Ok, so most people are aware of how to set a certain ringer for a certain person when they call you. For example, every time my wife calls me, my phone plays "Brown Eye Girl" by Van Halen. Many people are also catching on to the RingBack tones offered by Sprint, Verizon, Cingular etc that plays music to your caller when they call instead of hearing a ring sound. For example, every time my wife calls me, she hears some country song she likes. The newest thing being announced is a way for your CALLER to set the Ringtone that your phone plays when they call. It's a temporary override and they are actually picking the song, not you.

I think this is cool, but I also think this could be abused. I'll wait until you are in church and hope you forgot to put your phone on vibrate when I "push" a Snoop Dogg song to your phone when I call you. :-)

Google WebEx

2007-04-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Google buys Marratech and now WebEx is sweating. I've been waiting impatiently for Google Talk to offer video conferencing. This must have been what they were waiting for. Now how long do I have to wait before Marratech is integrated with Google Talk?

PS, with the market share Cisco's Webex and Citrix's GoToMeeting have, I'd be shocked if Google really makes a dent before 2009.

Google Voice Local Search

2007-04-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Google Voice Local Search

This is experimental, which is a bummer because it could mean it goes away, but Google Voice Local Search is really sweet. Call 1-800-GOOG-411. Say the city and state. Say a business name or a category. Google finds the location, then dials it for you. You can also get the details sent to your mobile phone by saying "text message" and then it still connects you. Totally free (so far) and no ads.

I tried Lowes and Ames, Iowa and it worked flawlessly. I also gave it something more tricky. I tried Ames, Iowa and then "Lawn Mower Repair" for a category. The first result was a small engine repair place in Ames. The second was a truck repair place in a surrounding town and the third was a lawnscaping service also in a surrounding town. I had it send me a text message for the first result and I think it's who I'm going to call tomorrow about fixing my lawn mower!

This will have to replace 1-800-FREE-411 until they decide to scrap it. :-)

Microsoft Unveils Silverlight 'Flash Killer'

2007-04-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Windows Observer--Microsoft Unveils Silverlight 'Flash Killer'

You've probably heard of the new product to go up against Adobe Flash. It's called Silverlight. I have a hard time swallowing that Silverlight will take over the flash market. In my opinion, Microsoft is WAY late in this game. There is just way too much flash in the world for Microsoft to take away much market share. I could be wrong, but I don't see Flash developers jumping ship any time quickly.

Froogle renamed!

2007-04-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Google Product Search

One of my favorite Google Tools, Froogle, has been renamed Google Product Search. At least www.froogle.com still redirects to http://www.google.com/products. :-) They say the results are more similar to Google Search results and integrates better with Google checkout, which I also use, but it looks about like the same old Froogle to me. Either way, after 5 years, it's still in beta, so who knows what it will graduate to be...

Sprint considering purchase of Vonage?

2007-04-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Light Reading - VOIP - Could Vonage Sprint to an Exit? - Telecom News Analysis

So while Vonage is getting their heads handed to them by Verizon, they are also preparing to get smacked again with patent infringement suits from Sprint (scheduled for September). But there is TALK of Vonage being willing to sell itself to Sprint. While one might think that would mean Sprint gets the patent probelms with Verizon, the truth is that Sprint has their own technologies that Vonage would adopt and no longer be infringing on Verizon. Punitive damages I'm sure would still exist, but that would all be part of the buy out deal. The only thing more interesting to me would be if Verizon just bought Vonage. :-)

Presentations for Google Docs & Spreadsheets

2007-04-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

» Presentations for Google Docs & Spreadsheets | Googling Google | ZDNet.com

Google confirmed that they are adding PowerPoint support and presentations for Docs & Spreadsheets (something many of us already think is way cool for Word and Excel). Anyway, should be fun to play with Google Presently...

Future PCs to integrate powerline Ethernet

2007-04-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Future PCs to integrate powerline Ethernet | Reg Hardware

Intel plans to put 802.11n powerline Ethernet into desktop designs next year as part of the bundle of processor, chipset and connectivity for computer manufacturers. You're going to have to keep it straight between Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Ethernet over Power (EoP) pretty soon.

Cingular and Verizon Wireless drop kid phones

2007-04-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Cingular and Verizon Wireless drop kid phones :: RCR Wireless News

I am a bit surprised that the cell phones for kids with preprogrammed numbers didn't take off enough to continue the program. I would have thought this would have really taken off. Shows how much I know about the cell phone market. I guess once they turn 5 they need a fully functional PDA phone like everyone else. :-)

Ancient Help Desk

2007-04-17T11:49:00.001-07:00

For the Help Desk people in your life...

Chat For Charity

2007-04-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

i'm Home

Interesting initiative from Microsoft:

"i’m is a new initiative from Windows Live Messenger™. Every time you start a conversation using i’m, Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes. We've set no cap on the amount we'll donate to each organization. The sky's the limit."

Vonage admits no workaround for technology in patent row

2007-04-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

Vonage admits no workaround for technology in patent row

So for those of you not following, Vonage was found guilty of infringing on 3 Verizon patents. It was alleged to be 7, but they were found guilty of 3. They were immediately told they couldn't sign on new customers, but were given a temporary stay on that decision the same day. They were told they had to find a new way to do things that didn't infringe on Verizon's patents. Today, they announced they don't know how they're going to do it, and even if they could find a workaround, they'd lose so many customers in that timeframe they wouldn't survive. That was the basis for the appeal for a stay on the "no new customers" decision. It's an interesting battle, you should "google" Google News about Verizon and Vonage. Really isn't looking good for Vonage...

Virginia Tech Tackles Head Injuries Using Wireless - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

2007-04-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Virginia Tech Tackles Head Injuries Using Wireless

I thought this was interesting and am a bit surprised nobody came up with this sooner. The Virginia Tech football players will have wireless transmitters in their helmets that send information about tackles to a Sybase database that keeps track of head impact. That way, people on the sidelines can see when the players have "had enough." It'll be interesting to see if this catches on.

Two New "Get a Mac" Ads

2007-04-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

I can't help it, I love these.

Computer Cart

Flashback

Dell Axim, RIP: 2002 - 2007

2007-04-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Dell Axim, RIP: 2002 - 2007 - Engadget

I couldn't figure out why my Dell Axim X50v was crying yesterday until I saw this blog post on Engadget. The Axim is no more...

OCC builds an Intel Chopper

2007-04-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

Intel Wheels and Deals Embedded Xeon Chips

Ah my two favorite hobbies. Technology and motorcycles. I'm a huge fan of the Orange Country Choppers, so this episode coming up in July should make for one of my all time favorites!

Snake gets loose in Google Offices

2007-04-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Official Google Blog: Snakes in a Plain... Old... Office Building!

This was pretty funny. Especially since it happened on April 1st, so people were unsure whether it was a prank or not. The kind of thing that would only happen at an office like Google's. :-)

MPAA names its Top 25 movie piracy schools

2007-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

MPAA names its Top 25 movie piracy schools

Check it out. The most piracy-ridden schools in higher education and Iowa State is number 15. :-) Iowa State's student/faculty number is about 28,000, which means there are a KNOWN 2% pirating copyrighted materials. I wonder what the percentages would look like for the other schools...

1. Columbia University - 1,198
2. University of Pennsylvania - 934
3. Boston University - 891
4. University of California at Los Angeles - 889
5. Purdue University - 873
6. Vanderbilt University - 860
7. Duke University - 813
8. Rochester Institute of Technology - 792
9. University of Massachusetts - 765
10. University of Michigan - 740
11. University of California at Santa Cruz - 714
12. University of Southern California - 704
13. University of Nebraska at Lincoln - 637
14. North Carolina State University - 636
15. Iowa State University - 586
16. University of Chicago - 575
17. University of Rochester - 562
18. Ohio University - 550
19. University of Tennessee - 527
20. Michigan State University - 506
21. Virginia Polytechnic Institute - 457
22. Drexel University - 455
23. University of South Florida - 447
24. Stanford University - 405
25. University of California at Berkeley - 398

CompUSA.com - Closing Stores

2007-04-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

CompUSA.com - Closing Stores

Under pressure from online retailers like Newegg.com and discounters like Fry's Electronics, CompUSA is closing about half its stores. I must admit, I haven't been to CompUSA for probably 10 years. However, if I get the urge, it doesn't look like the one in Des Moines Iowa is on the chopping block! See the link above for a list of stores closing. Maybe you can get some good going out of business deals if you live in those areas...

About Gmail Paper

2007-04-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

About Gmail Paper

I couldn't believe what I was reading when I logged into Gmail tonight. Gmail Paper Archive button? I find this really hard to believe, but if you want a paper copy of your e-mail mailed to you, you just click the ones you want, click on Paper Archive, and Google will send you a box (free of charge) with all of the e-mails you had selected printed out. Am I missing something? Will people actually do this?

PS, note the date this started appearing on GMAIL'S login screen. 4/1/2007... ;-)

Iomega announces Power Pro Desktop Hard Drive with 2TB of storage.

2007-03-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Iomega announces Power Pro Desktop Hard Drive with 2TB of storage

Check link for more info.

Dell to Release Pre-installed Linux Desktops, Laptops

2007-03-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

Dell to Release Pre-installed Linux Desktops, Laptops - News and Analysis by PC Magazine: "Dell will soon become the first major desktop vendor to release mass-market desktops and laptops with pre-installed Linux. "

It's official. Dell is going to be selling desktops and laptops with the open-source operating system installed due to customer demand. Not a great day for Microsoft.

Novell Releases “Get a Mac” Spoofs

2007-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Get a Mac Spoofs from Novell

Linux 1

Linux 2

Microsoft Unveils Phone System for Small Businesses

2007-03-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

PC World - Microsoft Unveils Phone System for Small Businesses: "Microsoft will today announce a speech recognition-enabled phone system designed to give small businesses a flexible alternative to a public branch exchange (PBX), the company said. "

Google Talk Gadget

2007-03-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Google Talkabout: Google Talk Gadget

So now you can add Google Talk as a gadget inside your webpages, or just add it to your www.google.com/ig homepage so you can chat from a webpage anywhere. Pretty cool actually. Check the link for full details. I'll also be adding this to my HornIT.net blog so you can chat with me (hornit) right from this blog!

4 Things You Might Not Know About The Geek Squad

2007-03-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

From a former Geek Squad employee:

One

Data Recovery is not a big deal. They hook it up to any random desktop, run a recovery program (license costs about 1k a year), and click recover.

Two

An Agent’s RPT or Revenue Per Transaction is around $250.00. Which means if you are spending less than that, their goal is to get you to spend more.

Three

Geek Squad hires people based on their Salesmen and Customer Service skills before they hire on their Technical Prowess. They would rather Train a salesman to be a tech than train a tech to be a salesman.

Four

They outsource some of the repairs via a remote access application (AKA AJU or Agent Johnny Utah). These people are in countries that have no similar privacy laws that are in the US. So in other words, your computer with your saved bank passwords, government contacts, ETC; are being accessed by “Bob” in India, Pakistan, and various other countries around the world.

DirectX 10 vs. DirectX 9

2007-03-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

So Vista has DirectX 10 instead of DirectX 9. Is there really that big of a difference? You decide:

DirectX 9

DirectX 10

BMW and Google Maps

2007-03-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Instead of printing out or writing down an address to re-enter in the car, the information is sent directly from your computer to your navigation system. German drivers with Drive Assist-equipped BMWs can send any Google Maps Deutschland business listing straight to their cars, either to contact the business once inside, or to set it as a destination. Pretty cool!

Best Buy Tricks Customers With “Secret” Website

2007-03-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

Best Buy Tricks Customers With “Secret” Website

Check out the article above about how Best Buy uses an intranet site that looks identicle to their website so customers can look up the products online and see they are "more expensive online" than they are in the store, when in fact the intranet site has the prices jacked up higher than what www.bestbuy.com shows. Nice, Best Buy, nice.

World's Smallest Vista PC

2007-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

The specs aren't bad. 1.5Ghz, 1GB RAM, Wifi, Bluetooth, 60GB HDD, and Vista (or you can get the XP flavor). 5" screen that slides. What do you think, too small to make it worth it? Click title to go to the OQO website.

Dell revitalization may take it into stores

2007-03-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

Dell revitalization may take it into stores: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

This gets rumored a lot, but it looks like Dell might be serious about doing something different after 23 years of selling over the phone and Internet. I don't know how well these "Dell Kiosks" have been doing that you sometimes see in the mall (I have personally seen one in the Mall of America in Minneapolis and Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, Iowa). This would have to be something bigger and better I think, but I can't imagine it wouldn't do well in a CompUSA or a Best Buy type setting. Definitely a different approach for Dell though, with plenty of repercussions.

Sirius Buys XM and Other Interesting Facts

2007-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

10 Things You Might Not Know About the XM and Sirius "Merger"

1. It's being touted as a "merger of equals," but in fact, Sirius is buying XM for nearly $4.6 billion in stock. (Source:Bloomberg)

2. Sirius and XM's receivers are incompatible: it won't be elementary to combine the two services, and to get both, you'll probably have to buy a new receiver. The companies have promised to merge channel lineups, however, letting customers pick and choose on an "a la carte" basis.

3. Sirius offered one-time payments for a lifetime subscription, but tied it to a receiver. These users could be offered deals to add XM or upgrade their receiver, or could be told that one-time payment forever applies only to Sirius-branded content on the original box. What deal will the merged giant offer?

4. The merger effectively creates a local monopoly in digital radio (excepting that provided through cable television services.) Under scrutiny from the Justice Department and FCC, Sirius and XM may claim to be competing not with each other, but with iTunes and other music download services. If they do, might it have consequences for XM's claim that they aren't a download service, in regard to an RIAA lawsuit? However it pans out, the phrase "regulatory hurdles" could haunt the deal for months.

5. Channels will die. There's a lot of duplicated content across the two networks. It'll be interesting to see how closely culling is tied to earcount and ego.

6. Though XM has more subscribers (XM has claimed 7.6 million to Sirius's claimed 6 million) and had more than double Sirius' revenue in 2005, Sirius recently boasted about its economic performance and climbing subscriber base. Both companies have been losing money hand-over-fist for years, however: Shares for both declined about 50 percent last year. Sirius is worth $5.2 billion, while XM was recently valued at $3.75 billion. (Compare the buyout price!)

7. Sirius was originally called Dog Radio, and was founded in 1990. XM was originally called American Mobile Satellite Corp, and was founded in 1988.

8. The elliptical orbit of Sirius's satellites causes trouble for customers who receive their Musak-like business music service through stationary antennas. Sirius is launching a geostationary satellite just for them.

9. Sirius' and XM's press release contained a boilerplate legal disclaimer about "Forward Looking Statements," listing the words "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "will," "should," "may," as ones that predicate statements the reader should take with a pinch of salt.

10. Worldstar serves satellite radio to Europe, Africa and the rest of the world. With about a hundredth of the merged giant's revenues, it doesn't compete in its home market, instead licensing a few select channels to XM.

[Taken from Wired News]

Apple and Cisco End Dispute over iPhone

2007-02-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

See article above. Apparently they are going to SHARE the name iPhone and claim their devices will "work together" in the future. A cell phone and a VOIP phone? Uh, ok. I think Cisco just caved under some serious Apple pressure. Apple had everything riding on the "i" factor. I really can honestly say this isn't how I expected it to play out, I was imagining Apple forking over some major cash since they have been pursuing Cisco about this for a really long time. Maybe someone at Apple has a really incriminating picture of John Chambers (Cisco CEO) or something. :-)

A Message from Steve Jobs via "PC"

2007-02-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

Motorola MOTORIZR Z8

2007-02-14T06:11:00.000-08:00

15.8mm thick, a 2-inch QVGA display, 2.0-megapixel camera, secondary VGA camera, HSDPA, microSD card slot, 90MB of built-in memory, Bluetooth w/A2DP. All it's missing is Windows Mobile 6.0. :-)

Introducing... Windows Mobile 6

2007-02-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Introducing... Windows Mobile 6

So Windows Mobile 6 is out. The biggest deals to me are:

1) Faster
2) Synchs with Outlook Global Address List, so no more needing to download your GAL into your personal contacts to have coworker information available
3) Improved calendar views and meeting attendee tracking

The other things are cool, like Windows Live info, but I really don't use that since Gmail, so no big deal. Windows live Search will be cool, though. Office Mobile got some enhancements, but I can't remember the last time I needed to update a Word Doc with my phone that bad.

T-Mobile Offers Vista Users Free Wi-Fi at Its HotSpots

2007-01-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Watch - Vista - T-Mobile Offers Vista Users Free Wi-Fi at Its HotSpots

T-Mobile has teamed up with Microsoft to offer three months of free wireless hotspot access for those with Vista on their laptops. The offers runs from January 30 to April 30, and includes the company's hot spots in Starbucks, Borders and Kinko's. There are thousands of T-Mobile wi-fi hotspots around the country.

A face from space

2007-01-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

50° 0'38.20"N 110° 6'48.32"W - Google Maps

Click on the link to see a natural face in the landscaping from the aeriel view. It's actually in Canada. Pretty cool.

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Limited Numbered Signature Edition (seriously)

2007-01-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Limited Numbered Signature Edition (seriously) - Engadget

You've got to be kidding me. A limited autographed version of Windows Vista Ultimate? Seriously, who is really THAT into Vista?

Windows Vista Makes Backup and Recovery Simple

2007-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Windows Vista Makes Backup and Recovery Simple

Check out what Microsoft has done in Vista to make Backup and Recovery better...

Windows Home Server Preview

2007-01-25T09:37:00.001-08:00

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows Home Server Preview

At CES 2007, they announced beta testing for Windows Home Server will start in February. The idea is to create a server for home networks that's simple to use and will provide you with a centralized storage place for your documents, videos, photos, music and other files, easily accessible from all the computers in your home. Check the link above for more info.

An Easter Egg found in Hardware

2007-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00


A video of a scanjet playing beethoven's fur elise. You've heard of easter eggs in software and DVDs, but in hardware? Pretty cool find.

Windows Vista Ultimate Extras

2007-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

Extras

Click on "Extras" above to see the recently announced "extras" that Microsoft promised you'd get for free with the Ultimate version of Vista. Ever want to set a video file as your desktop background? You can with AERO and Vista Ultimate. Bitlocker (online backup program) is also included as well as a Texas Hold 'Em game to name a few...

iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth?

2007-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth? - Engadget

So we know the downfalls of the iPhone (trademarked name still in dispute with Cisco), but did you know that the International market already has the LG KE850 which is VERY similar? Oh, and it supports third party apps and Exchange ActiveSync. Um, yeah, I'll take the LG please.

A Closer Look At The iPhone

2007-01-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

A Closer Look At The iPhone

Here's a video of the new Apple iPhone that was announced at CES 2007...

iPhone Demonstration

2007-01-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this announcement was 3 days ago, so I apologize for being late on this. Of course we all know the iPhone was announced at CES 2007 by Steve Jobs. I'm confused as to how they are calling it the iPhone when Cisco has rights to that name, but I'm sure we'll see how that plays out soon. Anyway, here's a hands on look at the iPhone. Some of these features are incredible. Some of the drawbacks include:

Only 2MP camera (why not 5?)
5 hour talk time (although it does have 16 hours for music)
No expansion slot (get the 8GB model and that's as far as you go)
No 3G (They are using Cingular EDGE for some reason, when 3G has been out for months)
No removable battery

Check out the video:

Demonstation of Windows ReadyBoost

2007-01-08T20:26:00.000-08:00


You've heard of Windows ReadyBoost. Does it really help? Check out this video!

Here comes the terabyte hard drive

2007-01-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Here comes the terabyte hard drive | Tech News on ZDNet

Ok, so me the big news isn't that we're going to see a Terabyte hard drive. We all saw that one coming, and honestly, we'll continue to see bigger and bigger each year. The news to me is that the introductary price point is only $399. That just means the lower capacity hard drive prices have to keep falling, which is great news for everyone.

Avis offers Wi-Fi in rental cars

2007-01-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Wi-Fi Is Hitting the Road in Cars From Avis, but Technical and Legal Bumps Lie Ahead - New York Times

$10.95/day for Wi-Fi in your rental car. As expensive as this may sound, it's actually cheaper than many 24 hour Wi-Fi deals at nicer hotels in big cities. I think this has the potential of really taking off if the technology works...

PS3 sells for LESS than MSRP on ebay

2007-01-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

eBay: PS3 PlayStation 3 20GB Console**In-Hand, Ships Fast** (item 170063041823 end time Dec-21-06 11:13:54 PST)

Check it out, this PS3 went for $450. That's $50 less than retail price. You always see the really jacked up priced consoles, but you rarely see the ones that lose people money.

New "Get a Mac" ad from Apple

2006-12-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Yet another one. Holiday themed "Get a Mac" ad titled "Goodwill".

Get a Zune

2006-12-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

Get a Mac Spoof

Here's a spoof of the Get a Mac ads. Get a Zune.

Default Password List

2006-12-19T21:43:00.000-08:00

Default Password List

Looking for the default password for a device? Chances are good that you'll find it here.

Forget iPhone, Think Google Phone

2006-12-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

GigaOM » Forget iPhone, Think Google Phone

Ok, so the first US carrier to bring us a Google phone gets my business. :-) Why do I think this wouldn't be on a Windows Mobile 5 OS?

Chat with Santa

2006-12-18T20:56:00.000-08:00

Santa on Spaces

Now you can chat with Santa if you have Windows Live Messenger. So is this the one case where some older guy can tell a little kid they have been naughty over IM and it's ok?

Vista Feature - People Near Me

2006-12-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

People Near Me is a new feature in Vista whereby other Vista users on the same network are made visible and available for collaboration sessions. Others on the People Near Me list can see and join these sessions if they know the session password (you can also hide sessions from view if you want). The Windows Meeting Space (also known as Windows Shared View) works with the People Near Me feature to allow you to invite others to meetings and give presentations, share handouts and send private notes to participants. For more info on how it works, see http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/8a70907e-9137-4426-a46f-a2d1eeadbd5a1033.mspx?mfr=true

As a side note, I have played with this for about 15 minutes and it seems amazing. Granted, I was testing it with another Vista user on the same LAN, but it was very cool. The features are great and it is very user intuitive and graphically appealing...

Drilling through a laptop display

2006-12-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Drilling through a laptop display

You just have to watch this. :-)

CompTech vs. Geek Squad

2006-12-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

CompTech vs. Geek Squad (Best Buy)

A knock off of Apple's Get a Mac ads, and this is pretty funny.

Computer Repair Fraud

2006-12-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Computer Repair Fraud

This is right up my alley. :-) I'm proud of the guy that didn't charge anything. Sounds like me. :-)

Zune incompatible with Vista

2006-12-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Apparantly the new Zune wasn't made compatible with Vista. I'm sure it will be soon, I just think it's funny that they were so shortsighted...

More Info Here

Microsoft's Ribbon

2006-12-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

Do you like the new Office 2007 ribbon? If you don't, you probably won't like the fact that Microsoft is licensing the UI for the ribbon to third parties!

More Info Here

Apple iPhone Confirmed

2006-12-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

As expected for a long time, the Apple iPod phone (iPhone) is a reality. $249 for a 4GB and $449 for an 8GB.

First Vista Commercial Released

2006-11-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has just released the first “Windows Vista” commercial.

Xerox Canada helps develop 'erasable paper'

2006-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

Xerox Canada helps develop 'erasable paper'

Creating temporary images on paper that will self-erase in 24 hours or less. Wonder when we'll actually start to see it being sold and used!

Apple's latest "Get a Mac" Ads!

2006-11-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, the highlight of my day is when I find that Apple has released a new batch of "Get a Mac" ads. :-)

Gift Exchange

Sales Pitch

Meant for Work

Free Windows Vista Business and Office 2007

2006-11-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Power of Together

This site is offering free copies of Windows Vista Business and Office 2007 for watching webcasts and completing vLabs. It appears legit since the site uses Microsoft DNS servers and authenticates through live.com which is Microsoft owned.

Treo 680 a bit of a let down

2006-11-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

FOXNews.com - Review: Palm's Treo 680 Smartphone Should Cost Less, Do More - Technology News | News On Technology

Check out FOX News review of the Treo 680. You'd think the upgrades would be more in line with today's Smartphones like the BlackJack, Q, and E62. Oh well, what can you do. Wait for the 750 I guess.

Sony PS3 PICTURE sells for $1,075 on ebay

2006-11-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

eBay: Sony PLAYSTATION 3, PS3 game console picture!

Pretty deceiving auction, pretty dumb buyer.

Fight Night Round 3

2006-11-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Fight Night Round 3: Visuals

Ok, THIS is the best reason I've seen so far to get a PS3. Those graphics are incredible!

Samsung BlackJack vs. Motorola Q

2006-11-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

CNET Prizefight: Samsung BlackJack vs. Motorola Q - CNET reviews

CNET does a review comparing the new Cingular BlackJack with the established Verizon Motorola Q. Of course, it really all comes down to the best network in your area, not so much the hardware, but if they are equal on network, you do tend to pick carriers based on hardware sometimes.