More New Content!

Since September has come and (just about gone with only hours left of it).  I wanted to announce that next week we will launch a weekly video feature that will be a short review of alternative (open source) software that can be used in place of commercial offerings.  With a new month will come new things! Our focus will be what is it, how to get access to the software being reviewed, and what the major differences are between it and it's commercial counterpart, and whether or not it's...

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Sims 3 coming to a web browser near you!

Remember that awesome simulation franchise...You know the one, where you would have to make your little digital person cook, clean, get a job, and go to the bathroom?  I think it was called...The Sims?!  If so, then hold on to your hats because you can now try it out in your web browser. To be more specific, EA is bringing The Sims 3 to your web browser in the form of a free trial.  The beauty of it, you don't have to download several gigabytes of game data to play it.  Right...

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Affordable Remote PC Support using Teamviewer

I ran into an issue quite a while back in which I needed to login to someone's computer remotely.  It was a friend and they were having some issues with their computer that they just couldn't convey to me over the phone.  And honestly, I didn't feel like driving half an hour away to their house at 8:30 in the evening.  So, I decided to give Teamviewer a try. It was by far one of the easiest remote clients I have ever used.  In my case, I simply emailed my friend the client listed...

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Newest Version of Android Market Rolling Out to Xoom User's

This week the lastest version of the Android Market rolled out to Motorola Xoom user's.  Sounds like this is in preparation for the latest version of Android dubbed the name: 'Ice Cream Sandwhich'.  I don't have a Xoom, but it sounds like the aim of this update is to offer a little better organization to the current version of the Market for tablets. The update seems to lay things out onscreen in more of a tiled manner, and according to some of the buzz on the web nothing has really changed...

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Why will the Kindle Fire sell like crazy?

Amazon's Tablet Offering: Kindle Fire With all of the rage in the tablet world right now buzzing around the announcement of Amazon's Kindle Fire, I wanted to discuss why Amazon's first attempt at a full fledged tablet will be a crazy success for them.  First up, is the price.  I mean for $200 bucks you get a fully functional tablet.  Now granted, it isn't a crazy powerful device but it is very practical for what it aims to do.  It's rocking a dual-core processor (not...

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Update on the AVG 2012 Errors

As mentioned in a recent post I covered an issue with the latest release of AVG.  It appears that some applications can run into an error message rendering that application useless ("Encountered improper argument").  The wotk around was simple, and only involved disabling the 'Identity Protection' module within the AVG User Interface. I received a response to the article via Twitter today from @AVGCares that read: So hopefully a fix will roll out soon, with one of the next updates....

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Computer Tip of the Day: Speedtesting

You subscribe to internet service by way of an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  And you subscribe for a specific connection speed.  Most of the time, you're actual connection speed may in fact be a little less than what you are paying for and this is to be expected.  A lot of things play in this factor, line quality that the connection runs in on, your networking hardware, and even computer hardware can all screw with your connection speed (the later two will affect your experience...

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Two More Android Games on the Horizon that Look Awesome!

With the last post about Shadowgun, that led me to doing a little more research on other games coming to Android soon.  To see if there were any others that stood out.  Anything that looked unique and looked like something for a guy who is tired of playing with angry birds and cutting ropes.  And I must go on record to say, I am really impressed with what has been accomplished by these developers using the Unity engine.  Both Shadowgun and Bladeslinger are built ontop of Unity...

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Shadowgun released yesterday on iOS...But Not on Android yet?

Yesterday marked the release for Madfinger's Shadowgun.  Why is this game significant?  I can easily answer that question with the obvious.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  The graphics looks outstanding.  The game was built on the Unity 3D engine and is a cover based third person shooter for mobile devices.  Yep, that means it will run on smartphones and tablets equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra chipset (and currently on iDevices). And as of yesterday, it is running on iPhones...

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Free Apps for Mobile Devices!

Everybody who has a smartphone, tablet, iPad, or iPod Touch no undoubtedly loves apps.  Why?  Because they are the center of our mobile ecosystem.  If you have a mobile device you almost always have to have apps! It doesn't matter what platform you are on.  Whether it be an iOS device utilizing the Apple App Store or an Android based device running the Google Android Market. But one of the constant complaints from all sides is that there aren't enough free apps out...

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Acer Iconia a500 Nav/GPS Features

Since the update to Honeycomb 3.2, the only feature I hadn't tested out on my Acer Iconia a500 was the GPS or navigation features of the tablet.  One of the things I have been curious about was how the tablet would go about using the GPS features in conjunction with Google Maps (or equivalent) without having a Wifi signal. In my test this afternoon, not so good.  In fact, I never managed to get the GPS signal to lock.  I tried twice (mostly due to my battery already being low in...

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Acer Iconia a500: It's Not Netflix...But hey, I'll take it!

All of you Acer Iconia a500 tablet owner's out there rejoice!  We have been granted video calling compatibility with the Skype app!  In the recent update the app has increased support for 14 more devices (both phones and tablets). The update will bring video calling to not the Acer Iconia a500; but also for various HTC phones (including the Nexus One), LG Phones and Motorola phones (the Atrix and Bionic inlcuded).  Users of both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Motorola Xoom are included...

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eBayer Gets an Ice Cream Sandwhich?!

Ok, so here is the story.  Man goes visits eBay and buys a Samsung Android based phone.  Phone arrives at man's house; and man is surprised to see the latest unreleased version of Android dubbed 'Ice Cream Sandwhich' installed on his phone... Apparently his next move was to capture video of it and submit it to Engadget?  Ok, first things first, I can't jump on this train thinking that this is real.  If you're up to speed with Android you'll know it is fairly easy to root most...

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Windows 7 for Starters: Tricks with Windows & Controlling the UAC

Our latest video in the Windows 7 for Starters series has gone live!  In this video we will learn a few tricks and shortcuts for managing open windows on our desktop. We will also cover how to take control over the User Access Control feature within Windows 7.  For those of you who migrated from Windows Vista, you will already be familiar with the UAC control.  So why not learn how to tame it before it tries to drive you insane? As always, be sure to visit our YouTube Channel and...

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Upcoming Review for Ubuntu 11.10

Even though it is still in beta, I should have an incoming review based on Ubuntu 11.10.  I'm eager to see what (if much) has changed since the introduction of Unity in Ubuntu 11.04.  Hopefully I should have it up around the weekend or ...

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Windows Help: AVG 2012 Causing Errors?

Last night was kind of a rough one.  I sat down at the computer with the intentions on editing a couple videos when I got a pop up from AVG letting me know it was a good idea to upgrade to AVG 2012.  I had some time, so I decided to give it a shot.  The update seemed to be less painful than previous versions.  It seemed to go fast and smooth.  The only issue I bumped into was when it came time for AVG to prompt me to exit my browser so it could continue installation, it...

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Updating the Acer Iconia A500

If you haven't received the latest OTA Update for the Acer Iconia A500 tablet, you may want to force the device to check the server for you.  If you are still seeing the 'Your device is up to date' box after force checking; keep in mind that Acer apparently rolls out the OTA Updates via serial number.  So it may be that your devices number hasn't been "called" yet.  So, how do we accomplish force checking for updates? Simply tap the 'Apps' icon in the upper left hand corner of the...

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Canonical Brightens the Future of Both Ubuntu and App Developers

Ubuntu is probably considered by most to be the most popular Linux distribution.  As of this writing, if you use Google to search the term 'Linux'; you may not be surprised to see that Ubuntu is the first hit to be returned.  And for good reason.  Ubuntu has been built up with great hardware support, ease of use for new users, and it has a higher chance of 'just working' out of the box. One of the things that it seems like everybody wants more of are apps.  Whether it be on...

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Amazon's New Tablet Dubbed 'Kindle Fire'

Looks as though Amazon's new tablet that has taken the news by storm will be called the 'Kindle Fire' and should retail for $199.  It will feature a 7 inch screen and will be Android based.  If you check the article over on CNET: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20112714-94/amazon-unveils-kindle-fire-tablet-for-$199/?tag=mantle_skin;content You may notice that the device seems to resemble the Nook Color by Barnes & Noble.  The release of the 'Kindle Fire' will be the first...

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A little more from the Windows 8 Secure Boot Front

An article on PCWorld seems to have a little more information concerning the Windows 8 Secure Boot feature.  A feature that may have the potential to prevent user's from installing alternative operating systems like Linux or even older versions of Windows.  And it seems like Microsoft may be leaving some of the decision in the hands of the computer manufacturers as to whether or not their products may have the ability to disable the UEFI key and Secure Boot features.  Secure...

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Google+ Keyboard Shortcuts and Text Tricks

Odds are good you've heard about Google+.  If not, Google+ is a Social Network created by Google where you can keep up with your friends and other people who you may not directly know.  I have mentioned in a previous post that Google+ feels like a mix of Facebook and Twitter. Did you know that there are built in keyboard shortcuts for Google+?  There are, and they are rather simple. Function Shortcut Keys Scroll Down One Post Press J Scroll Up One Post Press...

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Reader Email: Alternatives to Printing

I recently received an email asking about what alternatives there are to printing.  The purpose of this post is to show you some of the alternatives that I use.  After all, printing every single email and multiple page PDF files can cause a lot of unwanted clutter to build up after time. If you are using Windows XP or newer, you already have a free option built into your operating system by way of the Microsoft XPS Document Writer.  You will need to download the XPS Viewer from...

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Firefox 7 and the Rapid Release Schedule

Earlier in the year Mozilla announced that with the release of Firefox 6, they will start aiming at an 18 week development cycle.  Essentially meaning every 18 weeks the next version of Firefox will be released.  So, in the spirit of updating, I finally updated my Firefox to version 6.0.2 just the other day (I use many web browsers, so updating sometimes gets neglected). And today, I decided to jump back into Firefox for a few minutes and guess what?  Yep, a new update is ready that...

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So what is the Honeycomb 3.2 Update for the Acer Iconia a500 good for?

So, as mentioned in a previous post; I received the Honeycomb 3.2 OTA Update last night on my stock Acer Iconia a500.  It weighed in a little over 350MB's, and took four attempts to download before completing successfully. One of the big questions with every Honeycomb Update is: 'What does it do/change/fix?' Apparently, there isn't too much significant included in the update.  It improves SD and USB notifications when attaching these devices, smoother scrolling, and proper stretching/zooming...

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Acer Iconia a500 OTA Honeycomb 3.2 Update rolls out!

Tonight my Acer Iconia a500 tablet pulled down the latest Over The Air update contains Honeycomb 3. It is rather large at a little over 350MB's in download size.  I did bump into a little issue when I downloaded about 250MB worth of the download and it would either mysteriously end the download or it would restart by itself. After four attempts I am finally running Honeycomb 3.2.  I'll do some digging around and see what has changed or been added and will update tomorrow or ...

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Terra Nova...Initial Thoughts

So, tonight FOX aired the two hour premiere.  And yes, it was completey awesome.  The cast is awesome.  The show started off rather fast and ended just as wide open.  So what are the rock markings near the falls?  What happened to Taylor's son?  What other secrets does Terra Nova hold? I look forward to the upcoming episodes!  And highly recommend the sh...

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Mircosoft Pushing to Lock Down Secure Booting in Windows 8

Microsoft is no doubt taking some heat today.  After announcing this weekend that they are pushing for a secure boot feature to be enabled with Windows 8.  What does this mean?  It means user's wouldn't have the option of installing alternate operating systems on the same hard drive.  In short speak, no more Linux installs/dual boots. I will be the first to go on record at this site and say if that is the case, I'll not be upgrading.  I know Microsoft has an audience of...

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Android Security in a Nutshell

A hot topic within the mobile technology world for sometime now has been the topic of malware, virus protection, and security.  If you are an Android user, you've probably seen the anti-virus apps in the Android Market for AVG and Norton (and I think there are a few others as well).  These apps are good and well for some I'm sure. Personally, I installed the AVG mobile app on Acer Iconia a500 and wasn't impressed with the app at all.  It runs in the background (even though I didn't...

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New TV Show: Terra Nova premieres tonight!

Tonight on FOX the premiere of Terra Nova.  I have been eagerly anticipating this show, it looks to be part Jurassic Park, part Star Gate, and part Land that Time Forgot.  The effects and dinosaurs look pretty awesome from the commercials I have seen.  And it seems to have a pretty decent cast of actors. And yes, Mr. Steven Spielberg is one of the executive producers.  So it's got to be good, right?  If any indication of awesomeness can be gleamed from Spielberg's other consecutively produced...

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Facebook Hoax Time!

Seems like every year about this time, Facebook user's buy into a hoax concerning Facebook and subscription fees.  No doubt this weekend has been an active one on Facebook for many users.  At least on my Wall it has been.  I have a couple hundred people in my personal friend's list and it seems like the majority of them fell for this. If you saw posts like: "FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER...

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Android App Review: N.O.V.A. 2 for Android Devices

If you are have at any point been an iOS fan/gamer you may have either seen or even played one of Gameloft's coolest titles: N.O.V.A.: Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance for the Apple's iDevices.  I actually still play this one on my iPod Touch.  It's that awesome.  So, I was more than thrilled to see that it's sequel: N.O.V.A. 2 has an Android port, and that it runs flawlessly on my Acer Iconia a500 Tablet. If you were able to get in on their back to school sale, the game was only 99...

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