Chad Vader Episode 6 & 7

These are the latest installment of the continuing story of Chad Vader, Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother

Episode 6


Episode 7


If you have not yet already watched "Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager" episodes 1-5, you may want to watch them to get the background story. I have included links to these videos below:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5

Video: Porsche 911 vs Yamaha R1

Which is faster a Porsche 911 or Yamaha R1? Watch the video to find out.

Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

"Each item was purchased, taken home, and photographed immediately. Nothing was tampered with, run over by a car, or anything of the sort. It is an accurate representation in every case. Shiny, neon-orange, liquefied pump-cheese, and all."

Warning: after reading this blog post you may lose your desire for certain fast foods. If you're on a diet, please read this you might not desire this stuff so much. ;-)

Video: The Apple iBox Gaming Console

Check out Apple's new gaming console, its called iBox and it doesn't even require a controller.

Video: Novell MAC vs. PC ad spoof

Novell's has gotten in on the MAC/PC ad spoof.

• Episode 1
• Episode 2 (my favorite)
• Episode 3

Video: Code Guardian (Parts 1 and 2)

What happens if WWII had giant fighting robots? Marco Spitoni spent the last five years of his spare time creating a 13-minute CG mini-movie called 'Code Guardian' to answer that question.

Code Guardian (Parts 1)


Code Guardian (Parts 2)


Check out his web site to watch some more of his stuff or find out more about these videos.

Call Any Phone Anywhere with Skype for Free on Mother's Day

Skype is offering a full day of free calling to any phone (land lines and cell phone) anywhere in the world on Mother's Day (that's May 13th for the males out there). :-)

Article: 15 ways stores trick you into spending - MSN Money

MSN Money reports: "Ever notice how you can go to a store to pick up just one thing and then, by the time you get to the check stand, you have five or six things in your cart and a bigger bill than you had anticipated?"

Stores will use an several different techniques to try to get you to buy more stuff then you need. This is great article that explains the psychological factors that are part of just about every store's design to get you spend more money.

Video: Millimeters Matter

This video is just weird... If you are small compared to everyone else - size really is important!

Slideshow: The Most Important Open-Source Apps of All Time - Linux Kernel

eWEEK Labs names the applications that have moved open-source technologies from corporate curiosities to integral enterprise tools.

If you don't know anything about open-source technologies, this is the quickest primer you will ever take. If you're looking for some best open-source applications available this list contains some of the best. Its not complete by any means but its a great start.

Video: Backstroke Of The West

Revenge Of The Sith translated into Chinese and then back into English. If you want to know more about this video, here is some background on it.

Video: Pulp Muppets Trailer

Pulp Fiction mash up trailer with the Muppets.

Article: New 'super-Earth' found in space

BBC NEWS reports: "Astronomers have found the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, a world which could have water running on its surface. ... The planet orbits the faint star Gliese 581, which is 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra."

I wonder how long it would take us to get there from here?

Video: Volkswagen Touareg vs Boeing 747

Tom Ford tests the true power of the VW Touareg by trying to tow a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. If he completes this task it will be a new world record for the heaviest object towed by a production vehicle. In previous Touareg towing challenges they have drag a people carrier driving in the opposite direction, a telegraph pole and a combine harvester. You can watch the video here.

Video: The Monty Hall Problem

The Monty Hall Problem is a famous (or rather infamous) probability puzzle. Ron Clarke takes you through the puzzle and explains the counter-intuitive answer.

Video: Career Builder Ad - Monkeys wtih Pointers

Sorry I can't embed this one. I hope you enjoy it.

Video: (Sperm) Bank Robbery Commercial

Criminals with bad eyesight try to rob a bank. Unfortunately they did not see that it was a SPERM bank. When they finally crack the safe they don't see any money and mistake sperm for yogurt. If you've got a problem with your eyesight see a specialist at Top Charoen Optical.

Article: Big money in little screens

CNET News.com reports: "Searching the Web on a mobile phone has been a lot like getting online via dial-up modem circa 1995: slow, tedious and not terribly useful. Typing on tiny buttons, squinting at a list of links and clicking through to a page that won't display properly is enough to test anyone's patience."

The hype is back, let's see if they can produce decent web experience this time. Last time they were hyping this technology was about 5-7 years back. It was pretty a pretty miserable user experience then, and it seems to have only marginally got better.

Article: Ethanol worst then Gas, and Cell Phone Killing the Planet?

Below are two interesting articles that I came across recently. I will let you draw your own conclusions.

Ethanol Vehicles Pose A Significant Risk To Human Health, Study Finds
"Ethanol is widely touted as an eco-friendly, clean-burning fuel. But if every vehicle in the United States ran on fuel made primarily from ethanol instead of pure gasoline, the number of respiratory-related deaths and hospitalizations would likely increase, according to a new study by Stanford University atmospheric scientist Mark Z. Jacobson. His findings are published in the April 18 online edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T)."

Will Mobile Phones Bee The Death Of Us All?
"It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail. ... They are putting forward the theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other hi-tech gadgets is a possible answer to one of the more bizarre mysteries ever to happen in the natural world - the abrupt disappearance of the bees that pollinate crops."

Video: How Superconducting Levitation Works

An education video describing how the cool technology of superconductors in magnetic levitation works.

Video: How to rip a phonebook in half

Impress your friends. I have to give this trick a try when I find a phonebook laying around.

Researcher: JavaScript Attacks Get Slicker

eWeek reports: "Malicious JavaScript is getting smarter. It's now able to fingerprint victims' Web browsers, vulnerable components and accessible CLSIDs, and deliver custom-tailored exploits, according to Dr. Jose Nazario, senior security engineer for Arbor Networks."

More and more new functionality is constantly being added to JavaScript programming language to make web pages more interactive. This new functionality is being exploited by malicious web sites owner to try to take control over your browser and/or computer.

Article: U.S. favors stealthy anti-satellite strategy

MSNBC.com reports: "For some, the Jan. 11 test revealed China’s increasing military capabilities and an emerging threat to U.S. dominance in military space. For others, the test proved the need for a U.S. anti-satellite capability. The conventional wisdom was that the United States needed to create such a system to deter the Chinese from doing anything rash in an international crisis - in effect, bringing mutually assured destruction to military space operations."

New and creative ways of dealing with satellites. Well to be honest is not new the Russians developed it about 30 years ago.

Article: New Adobe Player Takes Web Video Offline

PC Magazine reports: "Adobe Systems Inc. unveiled on Sunday video-player software that lets consumers play back video online or offline, a move that could help reshape an acrimonious debate over video-sharing."

Wendy's: Soviet Fashion Show

One of the greatest commercials from the 80's...

Related Article:

• Top 10 Best Commercials of All Time
• Best Funny Commercials: The Sequel
• New Mac vs. PC Commercials
• Best Mac Ads, Spoofs and Parodies
• Vintage Computer Commercial Flashbacks

SlideShow: Test Driving the $100 Laptop's Interface

eWeek Reports: "As the One Laptop Per Child project works toward a release this year of what is commonly called the $100 laptop, work has continued on the operating system and the new interface for the radical new laptop design. This interface is called Sugar and is based on a lightweight version of Fedora Linux. "

Video: Turboencabulator

A highly technical video presentation of modern technology from Rockwell Automation Systems. (Background: behind the announcer is a ordinary bank of large circuit breaker panels that can be found in any large building. This video was a joke produced by Rockwell for a sales meeting.)

Video: Best New Science Toy

Carver (Half Car/Half Motorcycle, and All Fun)...

The Carver is half car and half motorcycle, and its all fun. The vehicle can lean up to 45 degree left or right as you turn. Its kind of like a fighter jet for the road. Watch the video to understand. More information, see the Vandenbrink web site.

Universcale (Putting Size in Prospective)

If you want to put the size of different objects into prospective, from the universe (about 13.7 billion light years) to a proton (1 femtometer). This is probably one of the best flash applications that I have seen, its very interactive. Click on the scale at the bottom to change the zoom, or click on the object to get more information about it.

Video: Remove Dents With Dry Ice

Warning: Do not touch dry ice to bare skin it will hurt you, make sure that you use heavy gloves when handling this substance.

I have not personally verified that this trick works, but it looks like it might be worth a try.

Basically what is happening is the dry ice condenses metal and shrinks small dents on your car. To properly perform this trick you need to place the dry ice on the inside of the dent if possible.

Other uses for dry ice include:

• Mosquitoes Repellent (sort of): Mosquitoes are attracted CO2 from humans and animals. Try placing pieces of dry ice in areas away from where people congregate.
  
• Gopher Destroyer: Since dry ice is heavier than air, it will sink to the bottom of a gopher hole. Place 1 to 2 inch pieces of ice as deep as you can into each hole, then fill the top of the hole with dirt. Make sure you do this to all holes, otherwise the process may have to be repeated.

Article: Revolution, flashmobs, and brain chips. A grim vision of the future

Guardian Unlimited reports: "Information chips implanted in the brain. Electromagnetic pulse weapons. The middle classes becoming revolutionary, taking on the role of Marx's proletariat. The population of countries in the Middle East increasing by 132%, while Europe's drops as fertility falls. "Flashmobs" - groups rapidly mobilized by criminal gangs or terrorists groups."

It's a bleak report, but it is interesting from a technological point of view. Everything from middle class upraises to neutron weapons, and everything in between.

Article: Google Tests Directory Assistance for Phones

PC Magazine reports: "Computer Web search leader Google Inc. on Friday stepped up an experiment to use speech recognition on telephones so consumers can ask for local information, in a challenge to directory assistance providers."

This is not the first, last or best free 411 service, but it's now available by calling 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411). This is a U.S. number only for right now. More information, check out the following site.

Video: The Perfect Husband

Video: German Forklift Safty Training

This is an insane video of how to use/not use a forklift. Apparently this is used as a training video in Germany. The whole is in German, and there are no sub-titles, but if you watch until the end its hysterical.

Video: Google's new mashup feature

CNET News.com reporter Elinor Mills finds she can create a My Maps mashup with no coding experience.

Take Google Maps and customize them, then share them with your friends...

Video: Cheotpics360 in Action

Cheotpics360 is a four-sided transparent pyramid that was developed by a Danish team. It can display both video and computer images and scale them from 1.5 to 30-meters. The images in the video were generated by four projectors and mirrors that displays them within the prism-like pyramid.

Video: I/O Brush

Description: "I/O Brush is a new drawing tool to explore colors, textures, and movements found in everyday materials by "picking up" and drawing with ... all » them. I/O Brush looks like a regular physical paintbrush but has a small video camera with lights and touch sensors embedded inside. Outside of the drawing canvas, the brush can pick up color, texture, and movement of a brushed surface. On the canvas, artists can draw with the special "ink" they just picked up from their immediate environment."

Inside the Robot Lab - The iRobot Create at work

eWeek reports: "iRobot developed the Create robot as s development platform for people interested in using the Roomba chassis to create their own robots. This robot consists of the chassis (minus the vacuum cleaner parts) and an interface module. This particular robot was developed in iRobot's lab in India by an engineer who wanted to create sand paintings for use with worship."

iRobot makes more then just the Roomba, see what else they make.

Video: Secret Science Anti-Gravity

Secret Science Anti Gravity Revealed Homemade - The best bloopers are here

Levitation with only a cell phone, 4 AA battery, CD, soda can, 1 playing card, tape and a dime. Watch the video to find out more...

Google: TiSP

Sick of paying for broadband that you have to, well, pay for?

Introducing Google TiSP (BETA), our new FREE in-home wireless broadband service. Sign up today and we'll send you your TiSP self-installation kit, which includes setup guide, fiber-optic cable, spindle, wireless router and installation CD.

TiSP in-home wireless broadband is:
Free, fast and highly reliable
Easy to install -- takes just minutes
Vacuum-sealed to prevent water damage

Interested? You can learn more about TiSP via the links below, or get started now.

(Yes, I know this is an April Fool's Joke. I hope you do as well.)

Google: About Gmail Paper (New Feature)

Introducing Gmail Paper

Everyone loves Gmail. But not everyone loves email, or the digital era. What ever happened to stamps, filing cabinets, and the mailman? Well, you asked for it, and it’s here. We’re bringing it back.

Now in Gmail, you can request a physical copy of any message with the click of a button, and we'll send it to you in the mail.

Simplicity Squared
Google will print all messages instantly and prepare them for delivery. Allow 2-4 business days for a parcel to arrive via post.

Total Control
A stack of Gmail Paper arrives in a box at your doorstep, and it’s yours to keep forever. You can read it, sort it, search it, touch it. Or even move it to the trash—the real trash. (Recycling is encouraged.)

Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe
Google takes privacy very seriously. But once your email is physically in your hands, it's as secure as you want to make it.

(Yes, I know this is an April Fool's Joke. I hope you do as well.)

Video: Secrets of Success

IMHO: If you want to know how to be successful, then watch, learn, and follow the advice that this guy gives.



Background: "Why do people succeed? An unmissable 3-min. talk from the TED Conference on the real secrets of success (Hint: Passion, persistence, and pushy mothers never hurt) Delivered by Richard St. John (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 3:40) More TEDTalks at www.TED.com"

Article: Yahoo to Offer Unlimited Email Storage

PC Magazine reports: "The world's biggest e-mail service is scrapping its free e-mail storage limit of 1 gigabyte, or about a billion bytes of data, responding to explosive growth in attachment sizes as people share ever more photos, music and videos via e-mail."

Article: RIP: Community Linux (1991-2007)

Linux-Watch reports: "The idea that Linux is primarily a community-based project based on the work of thousands of independent, idealist hackers died a quiet death at home on March 27. ... The proximate cause of death was the Linux Foundation's naming of its new board of directors. This leading non-profit Linux organization's board included many Fortune 500 executives from around the world -- but not one representative from a purely community-based Linux organization."

Very interesting article...

Article: Microsoft Announces Elite Xbox 360

1UP.com reports: "'Think about these [the three versions of the Xbox 360] as if they are bundles. The console is the same, we did some neat stuff because a lot of people said they liked black,' Albert Penello, Director of Global Platform Marketing for Xbox, says, while he explains the new Elite version of the Xbox 360. 'We think it's cool to try something interesting. When you're a new customer, what configuration makes sense for you? All three of these consoles are different bundles.'"

Article: AT&T Launching Cell-Phone Banking

PC Magazine reports: "AT&T Inc. said on Tuesday it had taken a step toward the long-promised notion of phones replacing credit cards, checks and cash by signing agreements with Wachovia Corp. and several other banks."

Silverbrook Memjet 60 PPM Inkjet Printer

Here is a video of a new desktop printer that is suppose to print 60 A4 pages per minute, from Silverbrook. This revolutionary printer is suppose to cost about $200. Let's hope its not vaporware.



Here are more videos, and information.

Article: The Google phone revealed

ComputerWorld reports: "You've heard that Google is working on a cell phone everyone is calling the Google Phone. And you've also heard that they're not working on one. Well, which is it?"

To quote again from the article, the sub-headline says "It's real, it's spectacular, but it's not what you think". This sums up the article, but its worth the reading.

Video: The Big Brother State (Privacy Issues)

The Big Brother State is an educational film about what politicians claim to be protection of our freedom but what we refer to as repressive legislation. Since terrorism has become a global threat, especially after 9/11, governments all over the world have started enforcing laws which, so the governments say, should increase national security. These laws obviously aim at another goal: the states gaining more and more control of their citizens at the cost of our privacy and freedom.

Video: The New AT&T

American comedian Stephen Colbert does a great job of explaining the recent merger between SBC and AT&T, and then comparing to the T1000 in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. "No matter how many pieces you break it into, it always comes back together," says Colbert.

First Video: Setting Up Apple TV

Gizmodo shows you what its like to setup and play with the new Apple TV. Personally I am not too impressed with it because all it really is a media extender created by Apple.

Video: Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition

Quote from the site: "The intergalactic gangsta rap now has a whole new flava in this Special Edition! This remake features all new and improved animation that would blow away any Death Star. Check it, yo."

Video: Japanese Land Walker

It is a US$300,000 walking robot suit, you have to see it to believe it. RoboTech its not, but hopefully this will not be the only generation of this technology. Its very rough in its current state, but just the sheer fact that they got it working is kind of cool. Maybe by the 5th or 7th generation they might have a practical product.

Slideshow: Cracking open the Sony PlayStation 3

If you like taking things a part to see how they work, or just look how its made then you will like this article. The site TechRepublic opens a Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), and shows you all the components inside.

They also have a few other slide shows that you might find interesting, such as:

• Cracking open the Nintendo Wii
• Crack open the Xbox 360

Video: What is Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality is good for everyone from individuals to large corporations.

Article: CPU roadmap: 2007 and beyond

CNET.com reports: "Megahertz will take you only so far. Desktop processors topped the 1GHz mark in 2000, 2GHz in 2001, and 3GHz in 2002. Nearly five years later, we've yet to see a chip leave the factory clocked at 4GHz. Power demands and heat concerns meant that AMD and Intel couldn't simply keep ramping up clock speeds with each new CPU generation without running into design obstacles with desktops and especially with laptops."

Find out what features may be ahead in new CPU designs of the near future...

Video: Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes.

Do you understand what Web 2.0 is? Here is a 5 minute tutorial.

Article: One Number That Will Ring All Your Phones

New York Times reports: "If you have only one telephone with one phone number, this column won’t be of any interest to you. Skip to another article, you eccentric you. ... A new service called GrandCentral can unify your cellphone with phones at work and home."

This is an old idea with a new twist. It you think this service could simply your life, then read the following article.

Article; 'Embarrassed' Gun Suspect Sues Microsoft After FBI Finds Sex Videos On His PC

InformationWeek reports: "Michael Alan Crooker, currently in jail in Connecticut, says security features advertised by Microsoft and its business partners should have kept federal agents from accessing the files on his PC. In court papers filed this week in Massachusetts Superior Court, Crooker says he 'suffered great embarrassment' as a result of Microsoft's failure to keep the FBI's prying eyes off his computer."

Quote of the day...

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one."
-- Albert Einstein

Video: Switching Phone Companies (Humor)

The Hole - video powered by Metacafe

Slideshow: Jim Rapoza Picks the Top Web Technologies of All Time -

Its an interesting slide show of technologies that the World Wide Web is build upon. Some of them you may be familiar with, but others you might not be aware of or heard about.

Windows Vista: Understand the Windows Experience Index

When I first install Windows Vista on a computer one of the first things that I like to check is the 'Windows Experience Index' (WEI) score. This feature gives me a good idea of how well the computer will perform with the new operating system.

To understand the WEI score, you may want to read the following article from Microsoft. Here is an excerpt: "When presenting at a user group meeting last week, someone asked me if a low Windows Experience Index (WEI) score of 1 or 2 means that he should not use Windows Vista on that computer. The answer is 'not at all.'

One of my favorite capabilities of Windows Vista is that it scales itself to fit your computer to help give you the best possible performance. For example, if your computer doesn't have the graphics capability to effectively display the new Windows Aero visual effects, Windows Vista won't enable those effects on your computer."

Article; Own an Analog TV? You're Eligible for a Discount

PC Magazine reports: "All U.S. households with televisions that use analog technology will be eligible for $40 discount coupons to buy digital converter boxes, the Commerce Department said on Monday."

By February 17, 2009 all U.S. television stations are required to switch to all digital broadcasts. There is an estimated 20 million households that still rely solely on free over-the-air television broadcasts.

Article: The Web smiley's motto: Grin and bear it

CNET News.com reports: "Author Vladimir Nabokov said in a 1969 New York Times interview that 'there should exist a special typographical sign for a smile--some sort of concave mark, a supine round bracket.' ... Now, nearly four decades later, there is just such a typographical symbol-- :-), or :) for the minimalists, and it'd be tough to find a tech-savvy person who hasn't leaned on it. "

Learn the history of the emoticons...

Side note: Doesn't the word 'emoticons' sound like an emotional Transformer? ;-)

Article: Intel Enters Market for Flash-Based Hard Drives

ExtremeTech reports: "On Monday, the world's leading producer of microprocessors announced it will be entering the hard drive market with new solid-state drives based on NAND flash memory. ... According to Intel, the Z-U130 value solid-state drive (VSSD) will feature standard USB interfaces and offer storage for a wide variety of computing and embedded platforms."

Sandisk was the first to announce this type of drive being commercially. Although, the more competition in the area means higher capacity drives for a lower cost.

Article: HP Launches Energy Star-Compliant PCs

PC Magazine reports: "With the updated Energy Star specification set to go into effect this summer, Hewlett Packard announced on Monday that three of its business-class PCs are now available in Energy Star 4.0 configurations four months ahead of the July deadline."

The personal computer is evolving again, this time its going to be a race for the most energy efficenct PC.

Article: Allegre's second thoughts

A prominent French scientist reverses belief in the global warming theory.

Here is an excerpt from the article: "His break with what he now sees as environmental cant on climate change came in September, in an article entitled "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" in l' Express, the French weekly. His article cited evidence that Antarctica is gaining ice and that Kilimanjaro's retreating snow caps, among other global-warming concerns, come from natural causes. "The cause of this climate change is unknown," he states matter of factly. There is no basis for saying, as most do, that the "science is settled.""

Opinion: India or China--who will prevail?

CNET News.com opinion: "China versus India: which one is destined to rule the 21st century? ... When it comes to divining the future, only a sucker or a veritable oracle would dare handicap that burgeoning geopolitical rivalry. Ignoring my own warning, let me try to give it a shot."

Only time will tell who will be the next superpower of the 21st century...

Video: Principles of Economics, Translated

"Mankiw's 10 principles of economics, translated for the uninitiated", by Yoram Bauman, http://www.standupeconomist.com. Presented at the AAAS humor session, February 16, 2007.

Video: Penn And Teller Get Hippies To Sign Water Baning Petition

Video: Conan and Jim Carrey Talk Quantum Physics

FlightAware: Free Flight Tracker

FlightAware is a free live flight tracker web site that allows you to track most commercials (non-military) flights happening in the U.S. The site allows you to find out information about individual flights, airports, and carriers.

Video: Shift Happens - Globalization and The Information Age

This video was created by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod.

Slide Show: Corel WordPerfect Lightning

eWeek reports: "Corel has released the beta of WordPerfect Lightning, a lightweight collaborative word processor that can be downloaded for free. WordPerfect Lightning includes a Navigator and a Viewer, and has an online component that allows users to synchronize files online. eWEEK Labs Senior Writer Anne Chen takes WordPerfect Lightning through its paces here."

eWeek did a slide show of Corel's new WordPerfect Lightning beta software. The nice thing about this article is it will give you quick preview of what you're going to see before you download and install it.

Article: Two visions for delivering PCs to emerging nations

CNET News.com reports: "In its effort to bring computers to emerging nations, the nonprofit trade organization One Laptop Per Child has linked up with some of the world's largest contract manufacturers and component suppliers to build its low-cost machines. ... Chipmaker Intel, meanwhile, is working with companies like Zinox, a hardware maker from Nigeria you've probably never heard of."

Want to know more about the two laptops that are competing to be the low-cost computer that will be used educate the next generation of children in third world countries?

Video: The Truth about Bottled Water

Article: Record power for military laser

BBC reports: "A laser developed for military use is a few steps away from hitting a power threshold thought necessary to turn it into a battlefield weapon."

This type of technology can change the battle field of tomorrow in ways that are hard to imagine now...

Video: Laser Graffiti

Video: Top Gear builds, launches Space Shuttle car

The folks at Top Gear have completely outdone themselves, building their own Space Shuttle out of a Reliant Robin, roughly the British equivalent of a Pinto or a Gremlin (minus a wheel). As you can see, it all came together quite nicely, complete with an external fuel tank, solid rocket boosters, and a spot-on paint job, although there doesn't seem to have been any room left for passengers, with the whole lot remotely-controlled instead. That proved to have been for the best, however, with the impressive launch followed by a less-than-successful landing, though that was still more than enough to claim the title of the largest rocket flown in the U.K. While it's unclear if they'll ever have another go at it, you can check out the complete rise and fall of this attempt in the video after the break.

This is an amazing video to watch...

Article: How To Unlock Your Phone

PC Magazine reports: "Now that the Copyright Office has given a green light to unlock your GSM or iDen phone, you can save money on a new phone – provided you can find it unlocked, or unlock it yourself. Depending on your phone, you might be able to do that by punching in a code, by buying a cable, or by sending it to a professional unlocking service. This applies to Cingular, T-Mobile and Nextel phones; Sprint, Verizon and Alltel subscribers are out of luck, for reasons I'll explain below."

This is a great article on how to unlock several different types of phones. Some require codes, others cable and software. Some can't be unlocked at all.

Free Stuff For Your Cell Phone

Owning a cell phone can be expensive, so if there is a way of getting free stuff that makes your life easier how great would that be? This article includes several free (and some low cost) cell phone/text message related services that you can use for free.

Notes/Warnings:

• Some of these services require that your cell phone is capable of sending and receiving data, and your phone carrier provides these services.
• Before using any of these services make sure to review your cell phone's contract to understand any related fees that you could be charged for using these services.
• All of these these services will use the your available airtime you have purchased from your cell phone provider.
• Finally, these links are not endorsements of the following: companies, web sites and/or services. Use these services at your risk!
  

Free Directory Assistance Services
Telephone and cell phone provider typically charge a $1.00 (or more) for each directory assistance call that is placed. Approximately 6 billion directory assistance calls are made every year within the United States.

• 1-800-FREE411 (or 1-800-373-3411) This service provides free automated directory assistance services after you listen a commercial. Then after that a computer will assist in finding your number. Other companies that offer similar services are: 1-800-411-SAVE (1-800-411-7283) and 1-877-520-FIND (1-877-520-3463).
• If you're looking for the 800 number for some company there is a free directory assistance at 1-800-555-1212.

Backing Up Your Contact Information
If you need to input your contacts information via your cellphone keypad, its the pits no matter how easy they make it. There are applications available that allow you to synchronize the data on your cell phone with your laptop. Although most of these cost money and/or require you purchase an expensive custom cable.

Here are some free (and low cost) tips for managing the data on your cellphone:

• If your cellphone supports BlueTooth, don't purchase those custom cables buy an inexpensive BlueTooth adapter for your computer or laptop.
• If you own a Nokia phone, the company provides free software that you can use to manage and backup the data on it.
• If your cell phone manufacture doesn't provide free software, check out a free service called ZYB. ZYB is a web-based contact information backup service that supports a variety of cell phone models that have an Internet connection. Check out the company's web site for more information.
• If your cell phone doesn't support ZYB then check out a free phone contact backup program called BitPim. This program allows you to view and manipulate data on many CDMA phones from LG, Samsung, Sanyo and other manufacturers.
  

SMS/Voice Related Message Services
Did you know that you can use the SMS features of your phone to perform different types of searches or other related tasks?

• Search Google from your cellphone using SMS to get addresses, phone numbers, word definitions, numeric conversions, weather, and more. All you have to do to get started is text the word HELP to 46645 (GOOGL).
• Google Send to Phone: Send SMS messages to just about any cell phone in the United States using Google's 'Send to Phone' feature. To use this service it is required that you know the carrier of the cell phone that you're going to send a message too.
• Joopz is a web-based two-way text messaging service to any mobile phone in the U.S. and Canada. Send and receive SMS text messages from the Web to any mobile phone for free.
• Pinger instant voice messages to a mobile phone. With Pinger you send voice messages directly to someone instantly without having to call them. Watch this video to find out more.
• Emergency Notification System: A public service web site that will send you a notification when there is a local, regional or national emergency, to your pager, cell phone or email address. These notifications include: severe weather, homeland security, Amber alerts, and more.
• Internet Search Pro at 1-888-ISP-FOR-U (1-888-477-3678), Basically, they'll look up anything that can be found on the Internet and give you a quick answer (i.e.: businesses location, directions, stock quotes, car appraisals, trivial facts, etc.).
• 1-800-555-TELL (1-800-555-8355), uses voice commands to provide you with the latest news, weather, sports, stock quotes, time, and more. You can even check movies or buy tickets over the phone.

Other Cell Phone Services
Below is a list of other great free cell phone related services:

• Google Mobile, Offers several free cell phone based services. You can use services like: Search, access maps, read your email, and catch up on the latest news.
• Yahoo Mobile, Offers several free cell phone based services. You can use services like: IM, search, alerts, games, and more.
• craigsnumber Create disposable numbers that automatically expire after a predefined amount of time.
• The Popularity Dialer: Using a web interface, you can arrange to have your phone called at a particular time (or several times). You will hear a prerecorded message that's one half of a conversation
• Foonz: Free conference calls, all you have to do is create an account, contact list of the people that you want to talk to, and you will receive a dial-up phone number to hold your conference.

Other cell phone related information and articles:

• The "Unlocked Phones" Ruling: The Facts
• Put Your Cell Phone On the 'The Do Not Call List'
  

'Phishing' Scammers Try New Tactics

NPR reports: "It used to be that phishing attacks, a kind of computer fraud, centered around e-mails that attempted to trick users into giving up passwords. ... But the assaults are getting more sophisticated. In some cases, phishers are employing special software that allows them to persuade users they're dealing with a legitimate Web site."

It seems like there is a unscrupulous company that is now selling generic phishing kits to make it easier for a thief to steal your information.

Video: World's First Help Desk

Change Your Router Password NOW! - AppScout

AppScout reports: "today I heard about a new threat discovered by Symantec and Indiana University that could be a real doozy. It's especially pernicious in that normal security software doesn't detect it. But you don't have to buy anything to protect yourself. That's doubly unusual."

This is a proof of concept phishing attack that can affect you easily, and you would not know about. So as the title says, change your router's password now.

Article: D-Wave Demonstrates First Quantum Computer

ExtremeTech reports: "members of D-Wave Systems, a Vancouver-based hardware firm, gathered at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View to demonstrate what they claimed is the world's first commercially viable quantum computer: the '16-qubit' Orion. ... Touted as a systems-level 'proof-of-concept' machine, the Orion uses a new type of analog processor that taps into quantum mechanics, rather than using the conventional physics associated with today's digital processing, to drive the computation."

I have been hearing the industry talk about quantum computing for almost a decade, it will be nice to see a practical use for it.

Video: Best Visa Commercial Ever

This commercial is called 'Dining out', and it shows what happens when actress Zhang Ziyi says "the soup is too salty" and the French chef hears about it. The commercial is a parody of a scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and was directed by Ang Lee.

Video: Worlds Fastest Production Car

In this video Top Gear Shows off the Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest production car. It's an amazing car to watch, I believe the engine generates about 1000HP, and can go about 253 MPH (or 407 KPM).

Ms. Dewey the Search Engine

Ms. Dewey is a interactive Flash-based search engine from our friends at Microsoft. As you preform a search, Ms. Dewey will make all sorts of sarcastic comments or do some other fun and weird stuff.

Its fun to type in keywords just to see what she will say or do next. I have not seen her really repeat herself. So there must be hundreds of clips that they recorded when they created this site.

If you are wondering who is Ms. Dewey, she is played by Janina Gavankar, who is an actress/model/vocalist.

Article: Wake up to the 'daylight-saving' bug

CNET News.com reports: "This year, daylight saving is starting early -- a change that could cause Y2K-like headaches for IT professionals, and even for consumers. ... Congress decided in 2005 to extend the period of daylight-saving time by three weeks in spring and one in the fall, reasoning that providing more daylight in the early evening would reduce energy use. However, the shift could cause trouble with software set to automatically advance its clock by an hour on the old date, the first Sunday in April, and not on the new date, the second Sunday in March."

Are you ready? To patch Microsoft Windows read the following article.

What is OpenID?

Here is an interesting technology that I came across. Its called OpenID, and it promises an open framework for user digital identification. This technology can benefit web site owners and visitors.

Below is a excerpt from the site:
"OpenID is an open, decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity.

OpenID starts with the concept that anyone can identify themselves on the Internet the same way websites do-with a URI (also called a URL or web address). Since URIs are at the very core of Web architecture, they provide a solid foundation for user-centric identity.

The first piece of the OpenID framework is authentication -- how you prove ownership of a URI. Today, websites require usernames and passwords to login, which means that many people use the same password everywhere. With OpenID Authentication (see specs), your username is your URI, and your password (or other credentials) stays safely stored on your OpenID Provider (which you can run yourself, or use a third-party identity provider)."

Visit the site for more information or to find out how it works.

New Energy Star ratings for PCs on the way | CNET News.com

CNET News.com reports: "Standards for energy-efficient PCs are about to take a step forward for the first time in more than a decade. ... The Energy Star program is set to release the first revision to the specification for PCs since 1992, which was practically the Bronze Age of the PC industry. Energy Star stickers are familiar to those who have shopped for household appliances over the last few years; it designates appliances or electronics that meet certain specifications for energy efficiency."

Even with these new regulations, the US is still lagging behind other countries. I recently read in Europe the 'low-power' modes in most electronics are being banned.

The reason for this is that the low-power modes still consume a lot of electricity. For example, when you turn off your TV it could still be drawing up-to half of the electricity it uses when its on.

IMHO, I would like to see the all low-power modes banned or regulated to consume less power. If you want an alternative, put your electronic on a power strip and turn off the power when you're done using them.

Article: Top 10 Scary Uses for RFID Technology

If you have been following RFID technology, then you might know about how this technology can revolutionize inventory tracking, monitoring animals, etc. The problem is that this technology also carries a privacy nightmare if used wrong. Here is a very interesting article about some scary uses of RFID technology.

New Mac vs. PC Commercials

New PC & Mac Ad: Security (Real Apple Commercial)


PC & Mac Ad: Pie Charts (UK Version)


The PC vs Mac Ads (PC’s Perspective): At Work



The PC vs Mac Ads (PC’s Perspective): Money


The PC vs Mac Ads (PC’s Perspective): The Girl



The PC vs Mac Ads (PC’s Perspective): Music

Article: A History of Microsoft Windows

Wired New reports: "The world's most ubiquitous operating system was not always so. The evolution of Windows was often uncertain and precarious. Its success was symbiotic with advancements in processor speed and memory capacity, and Microsoft relied heavily on third-party software to bridge the gap between concept and consumer. Tour the 23-year history of the Windows OS through these screenshots."

Article: HP Reveals MediaSmart Home Server Details

PC Magazine reports: "The server was designed to be a thin version of the full-fledged Windows Server, which typically uses an Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron server processor as a foundation for enterprise software. According to a preliminary spec sheet released by HP, however, the new MediaSmart server will only require a relatively slow 1.8-GHz Sempron, AMD's version of the low-cost Intel Celeron processor. The spec sheet does not list the amount of DRAM included in the machine."

I need to build one of these servers before I comment on it. The idea for a home server is not new by any means but what Microsoft has done is legitimized it. I believe there is going to be several product that build on this idea and make it better.

Article: Netflix Ups Rental Ante Through Internet Streaming

PC Magazine reports: "LOS GATOS, California (Reuters) - Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc is unveiling its long-awaited online movie delivery service which allows subscribers to watch about 1,000 movies and television shows on their personal computers at no additional charge."

Streaming movies over the Internet is nothing new, but the market is starting to get more competitive now that NetFlix has joined the fray.

Video: How to Increase Your Wi-Fi Signal

The following video is a joke, but its funny. Here is some background: "Do you need a stronger wireless signal or greater network access? I'm Mark Erickson, and this is Infinite Solutions. In this episode, I'll show you a simple hack to extend the range of your wireless card."

Article: 10 Things Your Florist Won't Tell You

With Valentine's Day coming up this is an article that you may want read, its about problems using on-line florists. IMHO: The article almost makes it like the on-line florists industry is a scam or gamble to use.

Remember: Caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware).