Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sony 720p Headwear....Fashion or Flop?

0 comments
Sony has decided to unveil a new product.  It seems somewhat familiar by design.  And I can't help but think Keanu Reeves should make a movie sporting this headset.  It looks like something straight out of the Virtual Reality craze from the 90's.  So what's the deal?

It is called the HMZ-T1, which will create a 720p 3D display inside the glasses.  This will be done by utilizing two OLED displays.  There has to be an effect, right?  Yep.  Seems to be with this setup Sony has managed to simulate a 150 inch 3D TV screen as if viewed from about a 12 foot distance.  There is a bunch of other technical jargon that honestly makes you go almost crosseyed when reading it.  But I bet Sony is placing bets on this device.  However, I expect it to be pretty costly.

In other words, it's as if someone mounted a 3D movie screen right infront of your eyes.  Cool right?  Sure, if you don't get a cramp in your neck while wearing the headset.  Word is Sony is readying it for the end of the year (around the holidays).  If you're looking for a similar offering, albeit cheaper and only 2D checkout MyVu.  They appear to be out of business, but you can still find some of their products floating around on sites like eBay.

It Just Can't Fade Off Into Obscurity...

0 comments
That's right, HP came back to world after pulling the plug on it's entry into the tablet industry by saying they are doing one more limited rollout of HP TouchPad's...What?  Seriously?!

So let's get this straight, the only way they were able to move the existing stock of TouchPad's was to basically kill the production and drop support for the device.  So everyone who had these little devices in stock basically, said "World, buy 'em up!" and firesold what was left.  And we thought that would be it for the TouchPad.  No more new TouchPad's hitting the market.  They were done.

Existing owners can enjoy the device or delve into the modding world and try to exploit Android on the tablet.  Now HP is saying they will make one more run with the TouchPad.  At what point is enough really enough?  I can't say that it is because of the money, because clearly there was a loss on the TouchPad's sold a couple of weeks ago.  Could HP be getting greedy and try to slip a 'reduced' price TouchPad into the market (without it being the $99 low price seen a couple of weekends ago)?

HP hasn't released how much this last run of TouchPad will cost consumers.  But it will be interesting to see what happens.

And to HP, I say: "Maybe as a company you should pick a side of the fence and stay on it.".

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Content Incoming!

0 comments
Be sure to keep an eye on the blog and our Facebook page!  I have some new videos in the pipeline, and the first set I'm working on are going to cover some of the common questions (from a beginner's point of view) about using Ubuntu!

Some of the topics will inlcude covering Unity, basics of Ubuntu, how to get started with Ubuntu, basic software packages every new user should checkout after installing Ubuntu!

Remember, if you have any questions you'd like to make sure get answered during this series, feel free to drop me a line at: help_me@techie.com

I'll certainly do my best to handle the questions and cover them in an upcoming video.

Monday, August 29, 2011

HP TouchPad Gets Working Android!

0 comments
That's right, if you're one of the lucky consumers who decided to pick up one of the orphaned HP TouchPad's, there is good news for you!  CyanogenMod 7 is now on the HP TouchPad.  Here's the catch, right now it works but is pretty unstable and is currently in the alpha stage of developments.  So basically, it boots.  Nothing fancy, yet.

The folks in the CM7 community are saying they hope to roll out increased stability and added features in future releases.  The future is looking a little brighter for the TouchPad folks.

If you're not familiar with CyanogenMod 7 it is a customer ROM for Android based devices that grants user's access to a customized version of the Gingerbread Release of the Android mobile OS.  They have great support for a lot of Android based phones and even a few non-Honeycomb tablets.

Source Article: http://8d42256a.tinylinks.co

We're on Facebook Now!

0 comments
With the increase in traffic we've been getting over the last several months, we wanted to expand our avenues of communication and interaction with our visitors.  So our new Facebook Fan Page is now up on Facebook!  That's right!  Swing by and 'Like' the page for updates to the site and other random posts!  You can click in the upper right corner of the page beside the Facebook Button, or click the link below:

Techie.Smarts Blog on Facebook!

Stop by and visit sometime!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

GNOME 2 Has Been Forked!

0 comments
Yay!  For those of us who have been less than thrilled with Unity and it's inclusion in the latest Ubuntu release, guess what?!  GNOME 2 has been forked into 'Mate'.  Currently it is only packaged for Arch Linux.  But it is out there!

Honeycomb 3.2 Update for the Acer Iconia a500, Delayed

0 comments
This wasn't much of a surprise, but the Honeycomb 3.2 update never rolled out for the Iconia a500.  Now word is Acer had some issues with GPS and 3.2, and the new street date is (drum roll please)...

September 10th...Time will tell, and as far as Acer's previous update history goes I wouldn't exactly hold my breath.

Happy Surfing!

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine Demo

0 comments
Holy crap, I just finished playing through the 'Warhammer 40k: Space Marine' demo for the PS3.  And let me say it's freakin' awesome!  It plays a lot like 'Gears of War' without the cover mechanics.  Maybe because Space Marines don't back down.  Anyways, aside from the game lacking a sort of cover system, the combat is crazy.

As the demo starts out you work your way across the base and disable a crane that is being operated by the Orc's.  They are trying to bust down a gate to get access to the Experimental Weapon and it is your job to keep that from happening.  As you work your way to the lift, you eventually get slammed with a huge fight with several hordes of Orc's.  It's awesome.

The Orc's comments during firefights are hilarious.  They say things like 'Try and shoot me!' or 'Kill the Space Marines!!'.  After listening to their chattering the same lines during each fight it does get a little old.  However, that makes slaying your way through the Orc Hoards all the more entertaining.  Other than the Orc's one liners, I have no other complaints about the demo.

Once you're finished working through the campaign demo, you get to venture in 'The Battlements' portion of the demo.  This portion of the demo grants your character access to a Jump Pack that will let you rocket towards the sky and work the crowd from above.  While free falling back to the ground (or in many cases a ledge) you can perform a Ground Pound as an initial attack to take Orc gunners by surprise.  The flight is handled in short bursts that basically grant a quick boost into the air more than sustained flight.

I would love to see how some of these mechanics work into the multiplayer portion of the game.  Overall, if the single player demo is any insight, than the multiplayer fights should be pretty amazing.  Not to mention in multiplayer you'll have access to different classes of Space Marines.





Just when it starts getting good, the demo ends.  :(  Anyways, if you're not too savy on the Warhammer 40k universe, but love shooters than this demo is definitely for you.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Mortal Kombat Legacy Ep. 9 Review

0 comments
Mortal Kombat Legacy
Ok, so after just about refusing to go back and finish watching the Mortal Kombat Legacy web series; I decided to go back and watch the last episode from the first season.  I know, I'm about a month late.  However, after some of the other liberties with the characters I had just about wrote off this web series.  It started off so strong and seemed to just about die out towards the end of 8 episodes.

Then came along Episode 9: Cyrax & Sektor.  And I must say, it was good.  Probably one of the best episodes.  Why?  Well we get to see two of my favorite fighters in action.  The entire episode skirts around the origin stories of the two Lin Kuei assassins.  The resulting fight at the end is pretty freakin' good. We even get treated to a fatality towards the end of the video.
Mortal Kombat Legacy

Sure, the sequence could have been shot using some fancy Machinima techniques.  But instead they went with a CG Sequence that turned out pretty awesome.  In some spots the fight sequence seemed a little funny with some of the movements and jumps the fighters pulled off, but otherwise no complaints here.
Mortal Kombat Legacy









We even get a glimpse at what the series is refering to as 'Project Hydro' which is a gray/black colored cyborg very similar to Cyborg Smoke.
Mortal Kombat Legacy

As far as my opinion goes, if the rest of the series was up to this quality I'd have no complaints whatsoever.  I understand they are making this series with a very limited budget; while trying to retain some big names for the series to no doubt draw people in.  With the roster touting: Jerri Ryan, Michael Jai White, Ian Anthony Dale and Peter Shinkoda.

But seriously, for anybody to take it at face value we need less of the animated stuff that made up several of the episodes, and a bit of modern makeup/fx (remember their take on Baraka?).  I hope if they are planning a Season 2, that they have learned some lessons from Season 1.  Meanwhile, swing by and watch Episode 9 on YouTubehttp://ff44d589.tinylinks.co

Verdict: 'Portal' Fan Film Is Awesome

0 comments
I know I'm a little late on covering this story, but has anyone else seen the Portal fan film Mr. Dan Trachtenberg released via YouTube on Tuesday?  If not, it's freakin' awesome.  You should all flock and watch it now.  Ok, screw that, watch it below.





From what I've been reading today, there is a lot of buzz that people would love to see a Portal Live Action film.  I wasn't so sure about that idea, until I watched this.  It's awesome.  Maybe if a live action movie isn't in the cards Mr. Trachtenberg could try his hand at a web series live Mortal Kombat Legacy was treated to this summer.  Only, maybe it would fare a little better.

Dan Trachtenberg's YouTube Channel

And if you're looking to play a little free Portal, checkout this pretty cool 2d flash version:
Flash Portal

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Netflix on the ASUS Transformer Tablet

0 comments
Many owner's of the ASUS Transformer Tablet were expecting to get Netflix streaming support with their OTA update of Honeycomb 3.2 the other week.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out that way.  However, on Tuesday ASUS started rolling out an OTA Update that will bring the tablet up to release version 8.6.5.9 and includes Netflix support.  Way to go ASUS!

Now, please give Acer some notes on how to handle their customers.  If the Acer Honeycomb 3.2 OTA Update includes Netflix support I will apologize.  Otherwise, enjoy your movie streaming Transformer fans!

Acer Iconia a500 Tablet OTA Honeycomb 3.2 Update

0 comments
The other week I expressed my frustration with Acer's handling of the Honeycomb 3.2 Update.  Prior to that, I really expressed my frustration with Acer's handling of OTA Updates period and the lack of the ability to manually install the OTA Update from an official source (via a download section on Acer's site, etc.) without having to jump through hoops getting the update files from 'unofficial' sources.  Meanwhile, the Acer Iconia a100 was released recently with Honeycomb 3.2 preloaded.

According to a post on Acer's Malaysian Facebook page a couple of weeks ago, the update was pushed back to August 25th for Iconia a500 owners.  Now whether this means everyone will get it or just those on the other side of the planet will get the update remains to be seen.  I guess we will find out tomorrow (on 8-25-11).  Just to note, the delay wasn't just an Acer problem.  But it was Google enforcing policy changes for Acer to abide by.

The major updates within Honeycomb 3.2 are pointed at devices sporting 7inch displays (including better support and better resolutions for these smaller screens).  So many of us a500 owner's will not experience much (if any) if a change with the update; since the a500 tablets have 10inch screens.  However, my fuss with updating in a quick and timely manner points more towards future updates and support.

With the release of Honeycomb 3.2 we are essentially one step closer to seeing Android's 'Ice Cream Sandwhich' release which is claimed to be a 'unifying' version of Android which will aim to close the gap between Android versions for smartphones/earlier tablets and Honeycomb on the more recent tablets.  And if this is what will actually happen, than some of the fragmentation of apps in the Android Market will get better as well.




Space Station Supply Ship Crashed

0 comments
From FoxNews, a Russian Supply Ship destined for the International Space Station crashed in Siberia today.  It was carrying about 3 tons of supplies for the ISS crew.  See the full article at: http://554959e7.tinylinks.co

Bad Move Gamestop?

0 comments
Apparently, reports have been made to Gamespy about PC retail box copies of the newly released 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' have been basically tampered with.  So who opened them?  Apparently it was staff at Gamestop stores.  Say what?

Yep, appears to be so.  Square Enix and OnLive packaged a Free Game Coupon in the PC retail box copy of 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution'.  So, for those who have the capabilities.  That's a pretty sweet deal.  Because OnLive doesn't cost anything to sign up for if you're using the free OnLive PC Client (then they always run crazy offers where you buy a game get the console for free, or buy the console get a game for free, and not to mention $5 Fridays).  They do have subscription based plans or outright purchases to allow customer's to stream their games from OnLive servers.  So it was pretty nice of Square Enix to include this offer from OnLive, right?  Obviously Gamestop says 'Nope...'.  Customer's who purchased the PC boxed version from Gamestop were reporting that the box has been opened and the coupon is missing.

Ok, let's get beyond the fact that a lot of people may not even decide to use the coupon.  It's the principle of Gamestop opening these units and swiping materials.  What would you say if you bought a Blu-Ray from Walmart and found they had opened the case (i.e.: the seal was broken).  I'd be a little mad.

In Gamestop's defense, I can see how they might be a little overprotective that they are selling a product which contains packing materials that potentially promotes a competitor.  However, from the PC gaming side of it, how many PC games do they actually sell when compared to console games.  I was in our local Gamestop store about a week ago, and they had literally just a handful of titles for the PC.  Enough to fill a small section of wall space no more than 4 foot wide by 4 or 5 feet tall.  Sure should Square Enix have made Gamestop aware of this before shipping the title to the game retailer?  Probably, but what's done is done with the initial batch.  They could have worked around it and had Square Enix exclude the coupon in future shipments.  Bottom line, there are other ways this could have been handled.

What I believe to be the driving force behind this fiasco is the fact that Gamestop announced earlier this week that they are planning on venturing into the games streaming market by mid-2012.  So with them making the corporate push to add a Gamestop Streaming Service why would they think it was a smart move to provide a product that gives a free game from a rival service (even one your not directly competing with right now)?  I can understand that from a business standpoint; however, this should have been addressed between Square Enix and Gamestop prior to them popping game boxes open and tossing out the coupons.  That was shady.

Personally, if I were in the market for buying a retail copy of a PC game; Gamestop is the last place I'd look locally in my area since they don't focus as heavy on PC gaming.  But after this, they will not even be on my list of stores to buy a PC game from in future.  Because who knows what they might have thrown away?

Food for thought.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Deus Ex: Human Revolution released into the wild today!

0 comments
Well, for those of you who have been patiently waiting, today marks the day that 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' was released.  I look forward to checking out reviews as they come in.  So in honor of the games release, checkout one of the many launcher trailers.

Checkout their main site: Deus Ex: Human Revolution.




Happy Surfing!

What does the future hold for webOS?

0 comments
Supposedly, HP's story is now that they will continue using webOS but obviously not in smartphones or tablet devices.  Instead, they will continue to grow the webOS software catalog and use it within printers and PC's.  Ok, I can understand printers...But PC's?

webOS is obviously a little more tied into the web than other offerings.  So would a webOS based PC function more like a cloud based computer like Google's Chromebook?  Or would it basically be like the TouchPad but with a keyboard?

All I can say is "Wow...".  HP has been shaking things up internally a bit as of late.  I just hope they know what they are doing.  And poor webOS has been right in the middle of the crap storm all along.  First from Palm and now HP.  Where will it land?  I honestly think nobody knows.

So you bought a $99 HP TouchPad...What Now?

0 comments
Ok, so you were one of the many people who decided to take the risk and pickup one of the HP TouchPad's that were sold off this past weekend for a rather cheap $99.  What now?  Especially since it no longer has HP's support.  You'll not get any future software updates.  Not to mention app development is pretty much gone too.  And since there currently isn't a working port of Android to use on it, what exactly can you do with it?

Well, here is a short list of things you could do with it:

1- Mobile Web Surfing
You could use the device solely for surfing the web or checking your email.  Not to mention making your social network updates.  All of this can still be done via the tablet minus manufacturer support.  At least until web standards change, flash gets updates, etc.  You'll have a very competent internet tablet.

2- eReader
At $99 the HP TouchPad could be one of the cheapest eReader devices on the market at present.  You could use it to catch up on your reading with little trouble.

3- A Media Player
You can still run media files on it.  So why not slap a digital copy of your favorite movie on it and take with you when you travel (legally of course).

4- A Digital Picture Frame
Remember a couple of Christmas' ago when all the rage seemed to be digital picture frames?  A lot of those little devices are still rather pricey, so why not slap a bunch of your favorite pictures on it and display it on your desk.  And when you want to show off your vacation pictures just snatch it up and take it with you.

5- A Coffee Table Computer
For $99 you can leave it on your coffee table, much like people do with magazines.  If you have a guest over and they need to catch up on their news, or check email, or even schedule their DVR via the internet; just hand them the tablet and let them go.

6- A cheap device for the kids
Let's face it if you have kids around the house, electronics like this can take a lot of abuse (depending on their ages).  So why not give them something to let them play with as opposed to your devices.  They'll love you for it later, I promise.

7- Internet access while traveling
Why not use this solely as your means of being connected while abroad.  Ever need to pull up a confirmation email for your hotel booking?  This would be perfect for that.  And you can leave you laptop, or more expensive tablet at home.

8- Assuming someone gets a decent version of Android running...
You could turn it into a cheap Android tablet.  So far nothing has been released, but supposedly a project is in the works.  Time will tell.

Let's just face it, regardless of the TouchPad's recent boot; if you purchased one, you have a very competent tablet device and you picked it up a lot cheaper than the rest of us did with our tablets.  If you were an early adopter and picked one up when it hit the market, I'm sorry I feel your pain.  You could always offload it on eBay to someone hoping to resell it if an Android ROM hits the web.  But you'd be taking a loss on it.

So, it was an unfortunate death.  But maybe the world can make the best out of the now defunct TouchPad.

Monday, August 22, 2011

HP TouchPad is on Fire...Literally...

0 comments
Saturday HP started selling the 16GB HP TouchPad (yeah, the one that recently had it's plug pulled).  And get this, the 32GB model is listed at $149.  Now that is a heck of a deal for a tablet device.  The downside, HP isn't supporting the device anymore.

What does this mean?  Well for starters, no updates to webOS, no hardware updates for the device itself.  A lack of offerings from 3rd party accessories since the tablet isn't manufacturer supported anymore; just to name a few.  I was hoping either someone would swoop in and buy the rights to the device or a community of developers or device enthusiasts would decide to utilize the hardware in other ways.

So what might be possible in the near future?  Well there appears to be a project ramping up to utilize the TouchPad as an Android device.  That's right!  Suppose this project goes well, the potential for a $99 Android Tablet is looking pretty good especially if you're looking to get your hands a little dirty with the workings of your $99 paperweight.  So the future is looking somewhat brighter for the HP TouchPad, just not as a webOS device.

Checkout the HP TouchPad Android Projects Website at RootzWiki.

Our New Look!

0 comments
Even though our new look isn't quite finished yet, I wanted to go ahead and roll it out because frankly the layout issues I was having seemed to be bugging the crap out of me.  So here we go.

Look for additional features to be coming soon.  There is now a page with contact info so you can submit a question to Techie to answer or blog about and the I have included a new Social bar to the top right of the right side column.

So sit back, and enjoy the site!

Friday, August 19, 2011

HP is doing what? Is the PC Market Approaching Death?

0 comments
So by now you've probably heard that HP is selling of it's Personal Systems Group.  Basically, that includes PC/laptops/smart phones, and that little HP TouchPad tablet that all of the cool people are advertising but nobody is buying.  So what does this mean?

This is obviously a huge turning point for HP as a company.  Until now HP was primarily known as the computer and printer company.  They are one of the 3 leading PC manufacturers in the US.  But suddenly they are getting out of that market?  What are they thinking you may be asking?  It is very obvious that computers are becoming faster, smaller, and in the case of this story cheaper.  As the hardware gets cheaper, of course the profit margin that these manufacturers tap into is of course getting smaller.

Ten years ago, a PC half as powerful (if that) as an average use computer is now, would cost well over $1,000. My first Dell (purchased in 2004) cost me $1,100.  It was a Pentium 4 running 2.4GHz, with 1GB of RAM and an older Nvidia Gforce card (I can't remember it's specs).  My current rig is an Intel Core 2 Duo running a 3.0GHz with 2GB's of RAM with an nVidia 8600 GTS built almost 3 years ago for $400 with parts from Newegg.

The only company that seems to be able to make a rather substantial profit from their hardware sales appears to be Apple.  And they sell quite a few less machines, but make more money on what they sell than any other PC manufacturer in the US.  So, how do they do it?

Not sure, personally I believe it is smart implementation of their peripheral products.  Namely, the iPod brand.  Think about it.  Before Apple released it's very first iPod music player, Apple computers were basically commonly found in graphic design offices.  Applications were pretty scarce for it, and since their computers ran the older Power PC processors they were incompatible with anything else on the market.  Then came along the iPod and a small program called iTunes.

Now people who never thought about Apple were picking up iPod's and using iTunes.  The next step of course would be for a new customer to see what else Apple makes that might interest them.  So they get into the older iMacs or early MacBooks.  Fast forward several years, Apple makes a deal with Intel and replaces the Power PC processor for Intel.  Now you have the ability to pick between Windows or Mac OS X.  You can virtualize Windows using Parallels.  Now that their machines are 'Intel-Based' more software is being developed for their platform.  All the while, they continue to upgrade and build features into their devices that are based around apps like iTunes, easy use with their iPods.  Meanwhile, iPods are getting bigger and better and being turned into phones and tablet devices.  So in my opinion the iPod helped direct a lot of attention back to Apple over an extended period of time.  Instead of being one of these: "Hey, look what we have, shiny new tech" and then a couple years later they fizzle out.  Fast forward to 2011, people who own a Mac computer absolutely adore them.

Does this build up over time explain why Apple can sell a laptop and ask a substantially higher price for it and make more profit off of a single sale?  Maybe, I'm not market analyst but this makes sense to me.

As of late HP hasn't made the best business decisions, but at least they have taken risks other companies may have stayed away from.  For instance, remember when they bought out Palm?  They bought Palm for $1 billion dollars the other year.  Pretty much to strip out the webOS developed by Palm for the smart phone devices (which had a hard time selling) for use in future products.  Fast forward to now, they have released the HP TouchPad which has snazzy commercials being about the only thing going for it.  And in the meantime, will someone decide webOS is still valuable enough to invest in from HP?  Time will tell.





BTW, I love the Russell Brand 'Ostrich Commerical' for the TouchPad.  HP tried to do exactly what RIM did.  Both companies attempted to bring a tablet device into a market completely owned by Apple and Android at the moment.  As RIM found out with the Blackberry PlayBook, other devices are having a difficult time breaking through the crowd of Android devices and iPads.  Sure, they are nice devices.  But let's face it, why not go with the flow and ride the cash train while we can.  And it's at the point now that even Best Buy is trying desperately to be rid of the TouchPad.

So what does this mean for HP as a company?  Well, they are doing pretty much what IBM did years ago.  They are going to be focused more towards enterprise solutions where the sales are typically larger with a larger profit margin.  And for the most part, this has worked pretty well for IBM.

And what does this mean for the home PC market?  Is it dead?  Not quite.  There will always be a need (at least in our foreseeable future) for PC's.  After all, even devices that rely solely on the cloud (looking at you Google Chromebooks) without a PC or Server sitting in a data center somewhere, those devices will not have a reason to access the 'cloud'.  And let's face it, sure mobility is great.  But there comes a time (and some tasks) that a mobile device just can't handle yet.  Would Pixar be able to render another sequel to 'Cars' solely on an iPad?  Not currently.  Would Netflix be able to serve millions of subscribers using a data center of Android Tablets (definitely not at the rate they allow these devices access to their services).   So as far as I can see, PC's are going to be around for a while to come.  This doesn't mean they will be the most popular or most practical form of computing.  But they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Maybe one day a form of cluster computing may emerge that allows the internet to become a thriving, mobile entity as many devices are trying to make it now where everyone's computer serves everyone else's.  But that is a whole other security story in itself.  In the meantime, don't expect to see many TouchPad's floating around and the household HP Pavilion Laptop appears to be going the way of the dodo bird.

New Site Layout is coming very soon!

0 comments
I am aware of the issues with the site layout.  Some of the interface is somewhat broken.  I'm not quite sure what happened.  But the easiest fix at this point is probably to drop this layout altogether and go with a different template.  I am in the process of working on a new template that I can hopefully roll out before the end of the weekend.  Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Windows Tablet Can Run Android Apps?

0 comments
We've heard this one before from Blackberry right before the PlayBook was released into the wild.  And from what I understand the feature was more the undelivered.  Now ViewSonic is saying their latest Windows 7 tablet will employ 'BlueStacks'; which is an emulation layer that would provide a means of running emulated Android apps without rebooting the device.  The device will allow you to run Android 2.3 as well (looks like a vanilla version without any vendor specific UI overlays).

If you desired to run Android on the tablet, you could switch between Windows 7 and Android.  This sounds like a nice feature.  However, I have my concerns.  For one, how well would Android perform in this mode?  Second, how well will the Android Apps perform?  Third, what will happen to Android as we know it if devices start popping up basically turning any Windows 7 device into an Android Compatible device.  Would we start to see Android becoming more of an application which offers a form of sandboxing or would it remain prominent as a mobile operating system.

Of course the repercussions this feature could have probably remains to be seen to due whether or not the device sells.  And whether or not people would decide to buy the device based on this feature.  Time will tell. We'll be keeping our eye on the ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Social Media + Me = Wore Out

0 comments
The other day a friend asked me, "How come you don't post as much on Facebook as you used too?".

I had a simple answer, and it was "I don't know, I guess the new wore off".  And I suppose that's probably right.  I'm starting to see the same thing among other people on my friends list.  These are people who at one point (probably when they first signed up) would post every little detail from their life.  From what their lunch was right down to saying goodnight to their Facebook friends.  Now, we are lucky to get a 'Good Morning' from them without first being spoken too.  This isn't the case for everybody, but for some their online presence isn't nearly as potent as it once was.

Could it be that we (as user's of these social networks) are getting a little tired of it all?  Maybe some people are becoming so overwhelmed that they just decided to withdraw altogether.  Between keeping up with their favorite celebrities on Twitter, to posting their latest picture capture to Instagram, to keeping up with that long lost buddy on Facebook.  Could it be we need a digital vacation?

I'm not saying I don't understand or see the value of all of these different social networks.  Because frankly I use most of them to some extent.  And they are fun, but sometimes we need to turn off the device or unplug for a little while.  For example, not long after my friend from earlier asked why my posts have become scarce.  I simply quite posting altogether for a few days.  To my amazement, a few days later I found myself with something to say and made a post on my wall on Facebook.  And since posts have been somewhat regular, and meaningful.  Not just crap like: "lalalalala...bored" or "txt the cell" (which are both real posts people on my friends list have put up).

So if you find yourself trying to be social with an antisocial attitude take a few days away.  Trust me, Facebook and Twitter will be there when you come back.  And on that note, I need to go deny some Farmville Requests.

Have a great night!

Tablet Price Drops In the Near Future? Very Possible.

0 comments
DigiTimes reported that tablet makers are expected to go through another "Tablet Price War"  probably by the end of September.  This is obviously excluding the iPad.  Apple obviously has no plans on budging on it's pricing.  But other vendors may very well be fixing to make some price cuts in order to minimize damages due to unsold inventory.

Does this mean tablets are going extinct?  Nope, it just means that the current price point for the devices is still too high for the average consumer to digest.  I think Barnes & Noble proved the point when they released the Nook Color.  I know a handful of people who have that devices and purchased it primarily to root it and run a version of CyanogenMod on it and turn it into a full fledged tablet device; and it even came to the point where the Nook Color received an official update with it's own tablet offerings.

Motorola proved that an alternative to the iPad could work (even if sales were modest it sent a message to the 'Big-A', i.e.: Apple).  And other vendor's followed suit by releasing a device similar to Motorola's Xoom but cheaper.  That is the natural progression of the lifecycle of consumer electronics.  Sure it happened fast, but right now vendor's seem to be hard pressed to rollout a device with a decent hardware configuration and keeping the price point under $350 to $400.

Would this upcoming price war bring down the price points even further, it's very possible.  Analysts are expecting some tablets to drop to the $350 price level for the average device, and could experience drops even lower than that (some think possibly $300 could be a future going price for some devices).  And by lowering the price point for these devices, it is very possible that people will feel more comfortable investing in one.

Let's face it, tablets are basically a hybrid between our cell phones and laptops.  For $400 to $600 you can buy a heck of a laptop, and for how many people really pay full retail price for their cell phones?  Not many.  That's right, a lot of those fancy smart phones on the market come with price tags in the $300 to $500 range. However, you're cellphone carrier usually gives you steep discounts on the hardware in order to make that money back on the service charges through the course of your contract.

So why would you pay that kind of price for a similar device?  Makes sense to me, drive the cost down.  Sales may pick up, which means more companies may get into the tablet market and generate competition.  Let's face it, right now if you're looking at tablet you're looking at (aside for the iPad):
-Asus
-Acer
-Motorola
-Samsung or
-Toshiba

There are cheaper tablets, but they come at a cost.  With either an older outdated version of Android, or significantly lesser hardware and resistive touchscreens.  And they often times have a poorer user experience. So I encourage the vendor's to do what they need to help drive the price down.  This can only help their sales, the end user's experience, and a means of further extending the Android (or similar) Operating System. And I see a lot of value for these Android devices and only hope that the market for them doesn't crumble around itself to due to over priced and underused devices.

Read the main article at: http://bb875c41.tinylinks.co

Mobile American's: How mobile are we really?

0 comments
In response to reading an article on eWeek's site this morning entitled 'American's Using Phones to Avoid Talking: Pew Report' I found some rather interesting percentages that actually make sense for a change.  A lot of consumer polls seem to be somewhat exaggerated when they post their findings.  This article basically points out that even though the majority of American's packing 'smart phones' aren't using them to actually talk.

According to the article, "about 90% of smart phone users use their devices for photos and texting.  Approximately 80% use their smart phones for sending pictures and video clips to other people and surfing the web."

What does this mean for "the spoken word"?  It apparently means it isn't being used as often.  Does this mean that our phones aren't actually mediums for communication anymore?  Absolutely not, because in the grand scheme of things if you take a picture and send it to your friend, that is still a means of communication.  If you are surfing the web with your phone, at some point you will probably visit some form of Social Networking site and make a post or comment of some type.  So you're still using it to communicate, just not the way people have traditionally communicated on the mobile phones (even within the last 5 years these 'cell phone norms' have drastically changed).

With everything becoming more mobile, smaller, and faster the 'connected world' is still pretty much in it's infancy.  I'm sure within less than a 5 year time span we'll be able to look back and say "Wow, how did we survive back then without ____________?" (fill in the blank).  I can't tell you how many people I hear ponder how they ever got along without their cell phones.

By the way, remember the days where the computer nerd was considered the 'anti-social outcast' who would stay in his room or basement 'playing with computers'.  And people would poke fun at him.  Well, if you look at things from outside the box a little bit, aren't we all sort of becoming "that computer kid" in some manner?

Something to ponder.
Read the entire article at: http://15ff1bbb.tinylinks.co


*And yes, I have been guilty of faking a phone call to get out of speaking with someone, aren't you guilty of the same?  lol

Monday, August 15, 2011

I would use open source software if...

0 comments
"If there were an open source program that I could use to replace ****  with, I'd give it a try; but there isn't."

This is one of the most popular arguments I hear when it comes to discussing open source software with people.  And I fully agree, I mean; why would you ever decide to stop using a program you know so well but costs an arm and a leg and start using a half designed free program that will only be extremely different than what you already use.  I understand, trust me.

Now, my respomse is usually something along the lines of "Do you know for sure there isn't something free to use out there that is potentially better in any way than your current solution"?  And most of the time, people have no clue.  Another common misconception is Open Source must mean Linux right?  Nope, just because it's an open source program doesn't mean you have to become a Linux user.  Linux is considered open source, and many open source packages or applications do have Linux versions.  But there are numerous projects out there that support at least Linux and Windows (if not Mac in some cases).

If in doubt, I like to visit: http://www.osalt.com
which mean 'Open Source as an Alternative'. It is a great reference if you are tired of forking over cash for software, you can search their site for open source alternatives to commercial software packages. Looking for an alternative to Microsoft's Office check their site and find links to great applications like Libre Office or OpenOffice.Org.

So before shrugging off open source, give it a chance.

Batman: Arkham City- Mr. Freeze Trailer

0 comments
While on the topic of Batman.  Today I saw the latest trailer for the new Batman game 'Batman: Arkham City'.  And it looks pretty freakin' sweet.  This trailer showcases none other than Mr. Freeze.




Previous trailers have shown Catwoman, The Penguin, and a teaser for the Riddler.  Let's just say this game seems to be doing well to be all of what made the first Arkham title awesome, and then some.  This is a game to keep on your radar.


"The Dark Knight Rises" Production Footage

0 comments
As you may know the newest entry in the Batman movie-lineup is currently being filmed, entitled "The Dark Knight Rises".  I am incredibly excited to see the last of the Dark Knight films complete Christopher Nolan's reboot of the caped-crusader.  One thing you typically get when movies are filming (especially in urban settings) is a lot of production footage tends to leak from the sets and shoots.

"The Dark Knight Rises" is no exception, and for whatever reason, seems to have more production footage being revealed than the previous 2 titles combined.  I know a lot of this has caused some backlash, especially with Anne Hathaway's 'Catwoman' costume seems to really be a hot topic among fans as of late.  Personally, I couldn't give a crap what individual characters look like as long as the movie is awesome.  And if the previous entry alone where to be the material to judge from, I hope Nolan has raised the bar with this one.

So, here are some production videos posted on SubaruWRXFan's YouTube Channel.  These are just a few of the clips.  Be sure to swing by his YouTue Channel for a whole bunch more (and I mean a lot more clips).  Great work SubaruWRXFan!













If I lived there, I'd be completely useless at work.  lol  
Seriously, be sure to swing by and show Subaruwrxfan's YouTube Channel some love for bringing the world these great clips.  

*All videos are work of SubaruWRXFan.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Acer Iconia a100 has been released?!

0 comments
As reported from Android Police, the new Acer Iconia a100 has is now available in North America.  That's all good and well.  At least until I looked through the specs for the device.  Seriously Acer, roll out Honeycomb 3.2 on your newest device and let those of us who decided to support your products and get the 10 inch big brother to this device (the a500), just received Honeycomb 3.1?  That's kind of messed up.

With the only hint of Honeycomb 3.2 showing up on the a500 anytime soon is an article over at AndroidCommunity mentioning us a500 users could see the OTA update by the end of August.  Apparently, word on the web is somewhere around August 25th.  It would be nice if the end of next week I was able to report a happy upgrade to 3.2.  However, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Oh well, if you'd like to read more on it see Android Police's article.
And in the meantime, here is a shot of what it looks like:

Happy surfing!

Snowman in August?

0 comments
While playing a little bit of Lord of The Rings Online today, I stumbled upon this cozy snowman stuck up on a mountain top in the Vail of Thrain.  Pretty cool.

Also, if you're into the whole micro-transaction  setup and are playing LOTRO as a free 2 play title.  Best Buy (at least in my area) carries the $10 Turbine point cards.  Everywhere else (Walmart, Gamestop, our local Target, etc.) only carry the $20 cards.  Which is great, since I'd prefer to pickup the $10 cards as opposed to locking down $20 bucks at a time into a free game.  Same damage to the wallet over time, but it seems to appear more budgetable.  lol

So keep your eyes out for them.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Social Networking with Gamer's In Mind

0 comments
Everyone has heard of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.  We know these sites to be some of the better known forms of social networking.  And yes, in some form or another console and PC gamers alike have the functionality to use these services from theor preferred platforms.  But what if you're Facebok friends just don't understand your affinity for gaming?  What if you had a friend post times for a raid in WoW and your non gamer friends start thinking your in a cult with it's own special language?  Where you go to be "understood"?

There is a whole genre of social networking sites dedicated to gamers.So, as if listening to smack talk during a round of CoD isn't enough for you, you can talk about games all the time on these social sites.  So I am going to spend the next 30 days using a couple of these services to see what their deal is.  So,e of the things I am going to look at are practicality (how practical is it to use these services in the first place), is there the capability to match user's up based on what games they play, how open are these communities to new people coming in, and they a fun experience, do they allow you to share videos or pictures on your profile (or equivalent).  Lastly, do them spam you with advertisements and are they user friendly in design.

I'll update with the list of services I'll be trying out tomorrow.  If anybody out there currently uses one of these social services post a comment and let us know.  Remember, these are gaming centric social networking services, so anything but Facebook has to be suggested.

Happy Surfing!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

MMO: Free to Play Showcase!

0 comments

Here is a little lovin' for the MMO fans out there.  If you're looking for a free to play title but seem to be put off by some of the graphics that some of these games use.  Then swing by Massively's site for a great article on "The Best Looking Games In Free to Play".  With the exception of Faxion, the rest of the games are pretty much aimed at a casual audience.  So in the spirit of giving MMO fans some attention, here is my list of a few of the best looking F2P MMO titles.

Lord of The Rings Online



Lord of The Rings Online is a great game, and on top of that it is free to play now.  Turbine, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons Online has done an outstanding job implementing a cash shop that doesn't feel intrusive as you play through Middle-Earth.  This game has captured a lot of my attention as of late, especially since they continue to release new content regularly for this title.  The latest content fixing to be released is the "Rise of Isengard" and it looks very promising (let's just say Saruman is making an appearance this time).

Official Site: http://72315f5f.tinylinks.co/




Dungeon's & Dragons Online





Dungeon's & Dragon's Online is another great title brought to us by Turbine.  With another great implementation of their cash shop and top notch graphics this game is another premium style MMO.  And they constantly update the game.  The latest update (Update 11) brings the Artificer Class.
Official Site: http://385a8082.tinylinks.co


Allods Online
Another great game (not made my Turbine this time) is Allods Online.  Allods Online will remind you of WoW style graphics, but features some unique gameplay aspects.  Later in the game you have the ability to interact with Astral Ships.  Which is pretty awesome.



Offical Site: http://240e9e03.tinylinks.co

Age of Conan: Unchained

Age of Conan is new to the Free to Play genre of games.  Some would argue about the actual free offerings that this title has to offer.  However, as far as graphics go, this game is top notch.

Offical Site: http://fecb79b3.tinylinks.co





This list is for the more mature MMO fan (especially Conan).  So feel free to spend this coming weekend trying out a new game!

Happy surfing!

Reader Question: My Vista Networking Stopped!

0 comments
Another question from a reader:
"Techie,
After removing a minor malware infection from my laptop running Windows Vista Ultimate, my laptop no longer see's any network connections (wired or wireless).  I have tried to reset the network configuration by reset the TCP/IP stack, and that didn't help either.  What has happened?

Painfully Offline"

Dear Painfully Offline,
First, you may want to run the SFC (System File Checker) to make sure there aren't any file corruption issues going on.  In the case I bumped into the SFC scan came back clean.  Here's how to do that:

1-Click the Start orb.
2-In the search box type: CMD and hit Enter.
3-At the command prompt type: sfc /scannow
4-Let it run, it will report any issues found/repaired.

I have seen this once before on a Vista based machine.  What had happened in that situation (and every malware/virus situation can be unique); is that the Services permissions somehow got screwed up.  What I ended up doing was venturing into the Services in the Microsoft Management Console.  Here is how to access that:
1-Click the Start Orb on the task bar.
2-In the text box (where you can search or do "Run" commands) type: Services
3- You should see a "Services" listing appear towards the top of the menu listing.
4-I had to run it as Administrator to get this to work, so right click on Services and choose "Run As Administrator".

Now the Services console will pop up.  BE VERY CAREFUL USING THIS TOOL.  It's easy to screw up other permissions while messing around in here.  The first thing I did was scroll through the list of services until I found the easiest way to start was look for the Networking based services.  I started with WLAN Autoconfig service and click the Dependencies tab.

What you need to do is go through the dependencies for these Services and make sure they are started.  In most of my cases, all of these networking services should have been started and set to automatically startup.  However, most were disabled.  After stepping through these services and checking them (which was a tedious task), both my wired and wireless networking came back to life.  Sure, this took a little while to work through, but it saved the time from doing a Operating System Restore and kept me from loosing any valuable customer data.

Given the fact that there was a malware infection in my case as well; I ran numerous virus/malware scans and ran MalwareBytes scans repeatedly until all came back clean.  Though I can't say for sure what happened in the case of our reader, in my situation the malware messed with Symantec Endpoint Protection.  Which would throw a "Symantec Endpoint Protection is malfunctioning" error.  After removing the Symantec application with Clean Wipe (available from Symantec), the problems seemed to clear up.

Hopefully, this information is able to help you (Painfully Offline), and to other's who may be in dire straits over a similar Vista issue.  Remember, every function your Windows Operating System utilizes has a service attached to it.  If it doesn't register or suddenly stops working, there is a good chance you need to look at whether or not the service is started or disabled.  Not to say this will fix it every time, but it has been my experience that some troubles can be permission based.

Happy Troubleshooting!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

How to Post from Your Website to Twitter or Facebook

1 comments
For those of you who run blogs or websites, you may have a need to be able to update your Twitter or Facebook Feeds all from one source.  And making it an automatic process is even better because then it can "just work" for you.  If you're in need of a service like this, check out Twitterfeed.com.

TwitterFeed makes it extremely easy to pull this off.  The service is free to use, and includes some basic analytics info (basically it will count the links clicked through from the destination: Facebook or Twitter).  So here is how to set it up.

1- Visit http://eda543f2.tinylinks.co and sign up for a free account.
2- After logging into your account, click the "Create New Feed" button at the top right.





3- You'll need to name the feed and have the RSS feed address handy.









4- If you're not sure what you're RSS feed is, you'll need to check into your blog hosting platform.  With Blogger you'll find it on the "Settings" tab, then locate the "Site Feed" header, and scroll down to "Post Feed Redirect URL".  You'll need to burn in the feed using something like Feedburner.  Once your feed has been burned in you can use the RSS address in the feed text box on TwitterFeed.  Go ahead and enter that in the second box (see the screenshot above).

5- Go ahead and click the "Advanced Settings" and you can choose different time intervals for the feed to update, which URL shortening service to use, etc.  Once done there, click the button "Continue to Step 2".

6- You'll get a message saying the update was complete (as long as you're RSS Feed Address is correct).  Now you choose what services to have the feed published to.  Services available are:
-Facebook
-Twitter
-LinkedIn
-Hellotxt
-Statusnet

Simply select the service to publish to (or services as needed) and click the "All Done" button at the bottom of the screen. That's it.  You're done.  Now you're recent posts will be published with links back to the original source to the services of your choice.

Checkout TwitterFeed.com

Happy Surfing!

Monday, August 8, 2011

New Site Widget!!

0 comments
Hey everybody, look to the right hand side of the page and you'll see the new site widget.  I added a small eBay widget to the blog for the purpose of displaying what items/auctions I have running at any given time.  Keep an eye on that portion of the site for any tech related eBay auctions I'll be running in the near future.

One listing I'll usually run on a regular basis are for Live Linux CD's.  I'll list them at $2.50 (USD) and free shipping.  This is more of a service I offer to people who have no means or know how of downloading and ISO file of a Linux Distro and making their own Live CD's.  In the near future, I hope to be able to donate a percentage of the sales back to the respective Linux Distro each month.  Currently, I end up loosing about 15 cents on from the cost of the media to the gas and handling involved to get it shipped out.  If I can get my cost down enough, I'd like to end up donating some back into these open source communities.  See more info to come in the future on this goal.

Happy Surfing!

Google+ Confusion?!

0 comments
Maybe I'm not thinking about it right, but for some strange reason Google+ feels like complete chaos to me.  lol

I had this same feeling when I started a Facebook profile and moved away from MySpace (back in the day).  However, now I have a Google+ account and for the love of me I can't seem to make myself feel comfortable with their layout/interface/site design.  I currently only have two (inactive) friends and am following one other person.  I have had my Google+ account now for several weeks and seem to keep going back to Facebook for any form of real communication.

Is this just my experience, or are others out there finding the same thing?

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Android App Review: Star Legends Beta

0 comments
I've been eagerly anticipating the release of Star Legends for Android devices.  So much in fact, that it's release into Beta slipped right past me.  It wasn't until a couple of days ago I found an article about the game.  So I had to check it out, and I must say that I am hooked.

Star Legends was created by Spacetime Studios.  If the name sounds familiar that is because they also released Pocket Legends for iOS and Android mobile devices.  The both games are mobile MMO titles.  And they are both awesome.  Pocket Legends is a fantasy world MMO where you play as a bipedal animal is a fantasy kingdom.  Whereas Star Legends is a lot of the same, but set on a space station type ship.

From the start of the game you get to pick your character class.  There are three classes: Commando, Operative, and Engineer.  They each have their own unique uses.  Engineers can repair things, Commando players have access to heavy weapons and armor making a great tank class.  And the Operative class can actually dual wield pistols and firearms.  Personally, I went with a Commando class.  After selecting your class you can customize your character appearance somewhat with a limited selection of hair styles/colors and faces.  You can also switch the gender of your character between male and female.

As you play you'll level up, just as with any other MMO style game.  The early missions have you running around the ship learning where things are and doing some simple missions.  I'm up to level 6 now and am able to pretty well hold my own in a fire fight.  Which is a lot of fun.

The controls are simple, there is a "virtual" joystick on the bottom left of the screen and the combat button and skill buttons are on the bottom right side of the screen.  You can loot storage chests for gear and use enhancers to temporarily give you the upper hand during a mission.  Things like vanity gear and enhancers can be bought with Platinum (which can be bought with real world money).  However, the use of these paid items isn't necessary to enjoy the game.  They do give every new player a one time use, free enhancer.

The missions are fun, but do get a little repetitive after playing for a while.  However, when you take into consideration that this is still a mobile game, and it's intent is to be played on the go.  Chances of someone sitting for 3 hours farming a particular instance probably isn't going to happen that much.  More like jumping in and running a mission for 10 minutes here and there was more of the intent.  With that being said, wiping out a mob with a group of other players is pretty gratifying.

Where this game really shines is in the social department.  It is extremely easy to build a friend's list in this game.  I have been playing Guild Wars for several years now and have about a dozen people in my friend's list.  I have played Star Legends for 2 days and already half 6 people in my buddy list.  All of which I have run other missions with since initially meeting with them in game.

The ability for upgrading your character's skills and abilities is extremely easy and well thought out.  Inventory management is a cinch too, since you start out with 50 free slots.  Items you no longer need or want can be sold directly from your inventory screen, eliminating the need to find a vendor or seller to get rid of low level items you'll pickup during a mission.

I'll have to be honest, I played a little bit of Pocket Legends on my iPod Touch quite some time ago and thought it was a good game.  But couldn't get into it (the smaller screen felt small and cramped to me).  However, on a 10 inch tablet screen, the game is great.  Looks great, sounds great and plays smooth.

I would highly recommend this game to RPG fans, MMO fans, and Space Shooter fans.  It has a little something for everybody.  And to beat it all, the app is free of charge.  If this is the bar that is being set of MMO's on mobile devices, the future is looking sweet!

Star Legends Beta: Download from the Android Market!





I give this Star Legends Beta 5 stars out of 5 stars.

"Falling Skies" 2 Hour Season Finale Tonight!

0 comments
Just a quick reminder to everybody.  If you're not going to be home around 9:00p EST be sure to set your DVR or TiVo!  Tonight's episode of "Falling Skies" is the big 2 hour finale!  Be sure to tune in!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Tablet Q&A

0 comments
I have received a couple of questions pertaining to tablets.  So I figured there has to be more than one or two people out there who are curious, so here we go.

1- Can you replace the hard drive in a tablet?
A- Currently and officially, no.  With that being said, I know there are sites out there that do offer some maintenance on tablets and similar devices (like iPod Touches and iPhones).  So chances are you MAY be able to find someone who could do the work, but be forewarned chances are good it will void any kind of waranty or coverage you may have on your device.  Most tablets offer a slot for a MicroSD Card to enhance the amount of storage on your device which is the method of "upgrading storage capacity" for most tablet devices.

2- Can you replace the battery in most tablets?
A- Currently, not in most of the tablets available on the market.  Toshiba recently released the Thrive Tablet line which does feature a User Replaceable battery.  Which in my opinion is an extremely nice feature.  But as far as I am aware, that is the first tablet to offer this feature.  In the past Apple has been known to be able to service iPod's and iPod Touches when it comes to battery replacements, so I am assuming they will offer a similar service for the iPad.  However, they usually charge a handsome sum for this service.

3- Can you print from a tablet?
A- Natively, nope.  However there are apps available both in Apple's App Store and the Android Market that allow printing through a wifi connection to either a printer with Wifi capabilities or through a computer with a shared printer.  One thing I like to do is use DropBox to sync important documents with my PC for printing later.  Or you can even use Google Docs and print from a PC when you get near one.

Now I know out of these three key questions the answer for all 3 happened to be NO.  So what is a tablet good for?  Tablets are designed for computing on the go.  Even more so than a laptop.  Surfing the web, media playback (movies and music), email access, communication, etc.  If you're looking for the ability to replace a failed hard drive, swap battery packs out on the fly, or the stipulation of having the option to print to a local USB based printer, than perhaps a laptop is better suited for your needs.

If you're looking to play games on the go, watch a tv show while sitting in an airport, read a book at lunch, and check your stocks all from the same device.  Than a tablet may be right down you're alley.

Gaming Deals of The Week: OnLive Specials!

0 comments
Though I am not currently a customer of the gaming service known as OnLive.  I do have some friends who use the services (and are extremely happy with it).  I do get their newsletters in my inbox every week.  And this week there are several deals that look pretty awesome if you're in the market.  And with several hours of today still to go, you have plenty of time to swing by and check it out.


Today's Special: Darksiders for $5.00.  If you're looking for a reason to romp around as on of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this is a great reason to take up your sword for only $5.

If you're looking for a pretty freakin' affordable way to play games, you might want to check into the PlayPack subscription through OnLive.  You get unlimited play of over 70 titles for only $10.00 a month.  If my internet was any faster, I'd jump all over this service.

Computer Certification Training

0 comments
This is a little outside of my normal post.  Most of my posts are aimed at your everyday user/gamer/or nerds like me.  However, I'm currently trying to work on some training for the CompTIA A+ certification for work; and thought I'd share a like for other's who may be looking for a good place to start.  Swing by:
Professor Messor's Free Training at: http://da60dbbd.tinylinks.co

His site is chock full of free training videos and materials to help aid in your study time.  I'm currently working through the A Plus information and I have found this site to be an extremely valuable aid to assist with my study time.

Happy Surfing!