I came across the links over at Live Crunch. Personally I paid for the wife's upgrade the day it came out but for those of you that want to save $10 here are a couple of links...
Go check out Live Crunch if you get the time...
There are some pretty cool additions to the software which includes the app store.
Sometimes we don't think about health products as being effected by technology and technological advances but I'll tell you what...Over the last few years, even though it seems like improvement has been slow acne treatment has really improved. There are still the tried and true products out there but some of the stuff we bought my son when he was still in high school was much better than anything I ever used as a teenager. Just saying, that's all.
You don't really think about stuff like that when you are talking about technology but think about it. Other stuff is the same way. For instance, when I was a kid we were all still drinking our soft drinks out of glass bottles. It's difficult sometimes just to find one made out of glass now. Heck, Coke is even selling an aluminum bottle now. I still haven't seen it but it sounds pretty cool.
What are some of the things that have changed in major ways since you guys were kids?
I have spent the last 21 years working for a restaurant company. From 1987 on I have run restaurants for the same company except for a three and a half year period beginning in October '99 through June 2003. During that time I worked in the IT department. I was burned out on my job and ready to quit so they offered me a job in technical services, knowing that I was a geek.
Since that time I have had to start wearing eyeglasses. I never had a problem until I started doing a lot of closeup work with circuit boards and peering into my computer screen. Blogging full time surely doesn't help either.
I should be wearing them when I work on computers now but mainly I only put them on when I am driving so as not to hit anyone :) I am sure they appreciate it too...
Slowly but surely I am reimporting the archives. All of my posts from the last year and a half were lost a couple of months ago in an upgrade but of course my static html pages are still there. I have to copy and paste into posts each and every one.
I have February 2007 finished now and will start on March pretty soon. Hopefully by the end of the year I will have them all finished :)
The biggest problem is time. I never have enough time in the day to finish everything that I want to, particularly with blogging. With all of the sites I run I just barely get everything finished that I want to.
Today has been no exception. After work I had to go to the store and pick up a couple of baby gifts for a friend of ours and then just came home. Originally I had planned on stopping at the gym and working out but I felt terrible so just came home.
There is all different kinds of cheap web hosting out on the Internet looking for your business and personal sites and if you are in the market for a new web host shop around and see what you can find. I have used many over the years and currently use two different ones actually. At one point a few years ago I even ran my own host out of the basement in my house but it got to be too much bandwidth usage and I wanted someone else to do the tech support and handle the heavy issues like downtime and SQL server. It's been much nicer since I have moved to sites elsewhere.
If you are looking for a new web host pay a visit over at Web Hosting Geeks and see what they have to offer. They list all of the top web hosting services as well as comparisons of the features, costs involved and benefits of each host such as space, traffic, some of them offer credits for Yahoo and Google as well. There are reviews of each web host that you can glean much-needed information from as well.
Don't just blindly pick the first web host you run across on the Internet. Check out Web Hosting Reviews and Ratings to find the best web hosting in 2008 now!
After The Dark Knight one of the movies I am really looking forward to seeing the new X-Men movie. The "superhero" genre keeps on getting better and better every year as writers and directors learn that it's not just about "up, up and away".
The Associated Press interviews Hugh Jackman and Stan Lee at Comic-Con 2008 and talked about the film with these guys.
I have been writing a bit about the Caylee Anthony case and am now doing daily updates at Shadowscope
Please come over an join in the discussion if you have an opinion on the case. There are also pertinent links and phone numbers if you have information on the case.
Technorati Tags: Caylee Anthony,Casey Anthony,Cindy Anthony,George Anthony, Lee Anthony,Florida,Kidnapping,Missing Children,Jose Baez,Caylee Anthony Updates,WESH,Orlando Sentinel,Orange County,Mark Fuhrman.
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I got back on the bike and rode on to work. By the time I arrived it had grown light enough to see that I had bent my front rim and forks and really messed up the frame. I'm lucky I made it the rest of the way. I was fine until about half an hour after I made it to work and I just started shaking. I guess I had been in shock or something but it took a while before my body would calm down.
Of course that didn't put me off of riding. I just haven't been able to afford an extra vehicle payment and the wife wants me to get more life insurance before I get a new one :)
Life insurance rates being what they are I haven't taken the plunge yet but if I get this next promotion I am certainly planning on it. Considering what I pay for gas for the car that might be a good thing at $4+ a gallon right now and no end in sight.
Have you seen the 2009 Heritage Softail Classic? They are beautiful. Starting at around $18k they are only slightly more expensive than my last car :) The 2009 Softail Crossbones is pretty sharp too, although I would end up having to get a sidecar for it.
We had a cookout for some of our friends last night. It was a great time. A couple of my blogger friends showed up as did some of our coworkers and friends. We had ribs, burgers, brauts, cake and all kinds of other stuff.
On thing we have been serving at our parties the last few months is a Conch Salad. We got the recipe from a guy that was making it fresh in the Bahamas and while you can't get fresh Conch around here, we've substituted clam in place of conch. It's terrific!
Fresh firm tomatoes, green and yellow bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, clam, lime and orange juice all put together. It's sort of like a slaw only better. Conch Salad is the bomb. I've found several different recipes online but the one we use I much prefer over the other ones.
CNN Technology has a pretty thorough iPhone 3G review online that you need to check out if you are considering getting an iPhone. They have tested it pretty well and I think it's a fair review.
I was very interested initially in getting an iPhone 3G but unfortunately the only network available to me where I live and work is EDGE.
Not only that but the lack of good GPS features, lack of Bluetooth, crappy camera, etc...pretty much were a deal breaker. I think I will just stick with my Blackberry and wait for the touchscreen version to come out which should be available through Verizon later this year.
Have you gotten the new iPhone or are you considering it? Do you think it lives up to all of the hype? I love the touchscreen as well as the browser.
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I used Opera Mini for a while on my Pocket PC phone before I finally got smart and got rid of the darned thing (the Samsung, not Opera) and I really liked the program. Opera Mobile is along the same lines but a bit more robust. Some of the new features include:
Speed tests show Opera Mobile 9.5 beta loads Web pages 2.5 times faster than Internet Explorer Mobile.
Opera Mobile 9.5 defaults to full Web page viewing and allows users to pan and zoom into their desired content in just a few clicks.
Opera has completely renovated its user interface. Cleaner and more intuitive, the new UI is designed for quick and easy navigation.
It's a developer's toolkit right on the mobile phone.
Opera Mobile 9.5 is the most standards compliant browser available. Opera Software remains steadfast in its commitment to make the Web accessible for all.
With a click, simply save your selected content and view it later offline.
Multitask with tabbed browsing, view content in widescreen, and enjoy small-screen rendering.
Browse with the full richness of AJAX.
Save time with address auto-complete, Password Manager and pop-up handler.
Pick up past browsing sessions and bookmark them for next time.
Upload to Web sites such as online mail services or blogs.
Technical problems and some delays have come along with the release of the iPhone this past Friday. CBS news reports.
I have pretty much decided against the iPhone since AT&T doesn't offer 3G access out here where I am but we did update my wife's iPod Touch this evening with the new software. She likes some of the additions and particularly likes the app store.
Image by karitsu via Flickr
What's MobileMe? It is a way to sync and push email, contacts, calender, etc between your iPhone, iPod Touch, PC and Mac. Very nice and one of the things that have been lacking on the iPhone. Thus far the iPhone can't replace my Blackberry but there are some things that the iPhone does much better, such as the web.
I am going to upgrade my wife's iPod software at some point this week and may go ahead and get MobileMe as well if she thinks she can use it. The only downside is that it's $99 a year. Not $99 for the software, $99 a year. Still not a bad option if you love your iPhone but still need to sync with Outlook. It makes the iPhone much more business user friendly.
This year my daughter has decided that she wants to have her birthday party on Halloween. It's pretty close to the day anyway so I think it's a grand idea. I love Halloween. I usually have the best decorations in the neighborhood and generally add to it each year.
In years past I have used Homeseer, my home automation program, to run the sounds and music but this year I think I will go a bit further. I want to automated some of the lights and my fog machine. I should be able to hook everything up to lamp and appliance modules and have it all scripted so that the music and sounds coincide with the lighting as well.
In addition to her birthday we are combining it with a Halloween party as well. I am really starting to look forward to it. Guess it's time to start getting birthday invitations ready!
I've talked a lot lately about how I've been working out and trying to be a little healthier. The thing I have noticed over the last couple of years is that I am starting to gain weight again and it's all in my gut. I hate the middle age spare tire. Working out seems to be slimming me down a bit but I haven't lost any weight. That's mainly because my weight has been shifting from my stomach to my neck and shoulders, not to mention my arms. I still want to lose weight though. I have even tried looking for the best diet pills for a man of my age to take without any side effects.
Up until I hit about 25 I weighed 130 pounds or less. A good weight for me when I am in shape is 150. Right now I am 25-30 pounds heavier than that, which is why I want to lose some weight.
Mostly when I go to the gym I work out on the weight machines although lately I have started using the elliptical. That REALLY sweats the pounds off. I have thought about maybe getting one for the both of us for Christmas. It's certainly something we will use for a long time and I don't have to go to the gym to use it.
Image via Wikipedia
So do you know anyone waiting in line at one of the Apple stores, or perhaps you are planning in camping out tonight?
I can remember camping out for concert tickets as a teenager but I don't think I'm going to be one of the fools doing it for a cell phone, particularly when it will be out of date withing a year.
I do want an iPhone but unfortunately 3G is not available where I am :(
One of my waitresses brought her PC in for me to look at the other day. Just had a virus I believe from the looks of things. I have all but quit working on other people's computers due to time constraints. Between work and blogging I just don't have the time for it anymore. Luckily one of my manager trainees is also a techie and he offered to take her computer home and clean it up. I really wouldn't mind if I had the time. This is one of the waitresses that actually comes in every just to work. Don't have to worry about her laying out, or spending all her money gambling and stuff like that.
She's even been trying to get in shape. She works out, probably more than I do lately, and is taking diet pills and watching what she eats. She'll feel the better for it in the long run and I wish her all the luck in the world.
This is a pretty cool little peripheral. Macally has a little doodad called the Powerlink that they are dubbing a '3-in-1 Battery pack/data sync/flash drive'. It's going to sell for just under $50. There is no announced time for release, only 'coming soon' but this little gadget, while boxy still looks to be a pretty nifty way to get emergency power, sync your iphone, or just have an extra flash drive.
There aren't any kind of specs available yet so I have no idea on how long a charge it holds or anything else about the battery.
Thanks to iPhoneFreak for the link!
If you will remember, one of the things I was doing earlier this year and last was to publish some of the public domain books on here, one chapter at a time. It had been years since I had read either of the Edgar Rice Burroughs stories that I was posting and I certainly enjoyed it even if anyone else didn't.
I still haven't restored 90% of the entries from before the site crash but I will try and get around to restoring some of them in August. All of the pages are still there and accessible, they just aren't listed in my archives any more.
The boy has the same love of gadgets that I do. It wasn't long before he had also bought himself a portable DVD player (which shortly broke from carrying it around in his sea bag) and a Playstation 3. The only problem is that he had been spending too much money and ended up selling the PS3 to one of his Marine buddies. Now that he's been away from the house for 13 months he's starting to learn a little bit about budgeting, although since I had to transfer some money into his account so that he could return to base from his current leave in Texas, he hasn't learned enough.
Memory, that is. A few years back 640k was plenty. I thought I was pretty darn cool when I got 4 megs and then 16! With 16 megs I could run Windows 3.11, surf the internet and listen to music at the same time. I thought I was hot stuff.
I have right around a gig of memory in my current PC. For my HTPC needs 1 or 2 gigs is plenty but for my personal machine I want to upgrade to about four times that. I guess it all depends on what you are doing and how intense the programs are that you use. I use quite a bit of stuff that runs background processes and want to have memory to spare for them.
It's almost that time again. You know, the dreaded time to start Christmas shopping. I have already started some of it but each year it seems like I have more and more people to buy for, plus Christmas cards, etc...
Last year I bought the wife an iPod touch and I was thinking about getting her an iPhone but of course that means setting up an account with AT&T instead of my current provider, Verizon. It's going to be hard to top the iTouch. Another choice might be a flight to Cyprus to visit her friend. Heck, I may just end up getting her some jewelry instead. She's not one for lots of shiny stuff but the occasional nice piece is good. I do know she wants a diamond tennis bracelet so that may be the answer rather than any technological geegaw I might choose.
This is pretty cool. I just came across a news report about Emotiv, a startup that's combining neuroscience and computer engineering to create this headset that lets gamers control play with their minds.
There are a couple of product demo videos at their web site to check out as well as other information. I must say that it looks pretty cool. I would love to eventually play Half-Life using my mind. Of course the games have to be written to support it but still...the possibilities are endless. The next step is control of your PC using only the headset.
I am getting ready to take another plunge and upgrade Movabletype 4.2 release candidate 2 to 3. I made a full backup of the system last night in case anything gets hosed so if the sites go down shortly, they'll be back up eventually.
Still can't get the friendfeed comment importer to work, I am hoping after the upgrade that it might...
After I strangle someone...
A few months back the wife and I cleaned out our garage. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it but we really did. In the process I took over 30 computers to the dump along with a myriad of broken accessories and stuff such as keyboards, mice, old CRTs, hard drives and fried CPUs. I even found a stash of old laptop memory that is pretty much useless now. Some of it I was able to sell at a yard sale we had but most of it was just worthless junk.
I know there are parts in there that might have been salvaged, gold in the chips and stuff but that's more of a pain than it's worth. Let the guys at the local dump go through it make a buck or two. At least it cleared more space to move some of this junk upstairs into. We are both serious packrats and I like being able to simplify things in the house.
I've been looking at some of the wall mounted televisions for the bedroom. The wife really liked it when I had BeyondTV up and running as well as another BTV link box in the bedroom but what she wants now is a wall mounted Plasma or LCD TV hooked up to an HTPC. Expensive tastes...
In addition to the cost of the computer and television I would also have to to a bit of rewiring, look up plasma mount costs and get a decent remote, although the Snapstream Firefly I was using is very cool.
I have two or three computers sitting on my bedroom floor I need to look at anyway, I can most likely piece together a nice running computer from those and then I would just have to purchase the television and mount. I probably have the wiring lying around the basement somewhere as well. I still need to decided on what type of TV to get as well. Just due to the costs I am leaning toward an LCD with DVI input.
Once I get everything together I'll post some photos of it here as well as at my HTPC blog.
Although we spent too much money on vacation in Disney earlier this year we are still going to go ahead with the remodeling later this month but I think we are going to curtail some of our discretionary spending for awhile. I just recently bumped up the amount that I am having taken out of my check for retirement as getting it done sooner than later would please me to no end. I also had to drop the number of dependents I am claiming during the year as they aren't taking enough taxes out. I ended up owing around $2200 this year. My rebate covered all but about $400 but that's still more than I really wanted to pay. Better to keep the money and pay them a little than give the IRS an interest free loan though I suppose.
Originally we were looking at cruises for our next vacation but now I am thinking more along the lines of driving across the country to see the Marine out at Twentynine Palms in March. We might camp although the wife doesn't particularly enjoy camping. I wouldn't mind picking up a used RV if I can find one cheap enough. I do still want to take the wife on a Caribbean cruise though it just may have to wait an extra year or two...
An overhaul in the way we navigate the world wide web has been approved in paris...Currently there are so many domains that can be used for URLs on the web, this will add more flexibility to the system.
ICANN is going to be taking applications for the new domains starting in April and might include such domains as .ebay, .atl, .NYC for example. The suffixes look to be pretty expensive from what I have read about them.
When we start on the rooms at the end of the month we are going to be remodeling the master bath as well as our room. I mentioned earlier that we are tired of the look that we have in there. We are going to re-tile the floor and put in new sinks (two of them), as well as replace the bathroom lighting.
I want something modern but not too ugly. Some of the stuff that I've looked at at the home improvement stores is just awful. I would really like something classy that is very functional as well.
A couple of the things we are going to replace in the kitchen are the lighting fixtures. I like the ceiling fan we have over the dining table but the overhead light leaves something to be desired. Regardless of what we pick I plan on putting in Zwave switches although I may end up going the cheap route and just using X10. It's not quite as reliable as Zwave but it is pretty much tried and true and Homeseer offers support out of the box.
This has been an extremely busy week at work as well as here at the Miles casa. The wife was in San Antonio Texas last weekend for a blogmeet and this week the girls are driving down to Panama City Beach. It's three families, all total about 11 people staying in a pretty decent condo right on the beach.
Ah...the redneck riviera. Back in the '80s I really enjoyed going to PC Beach but it has grown out of control and is so developed with high-rise condos and hotels that it is nothing like it used to be. I can remember when the 'strip' really WAS a strip. It was a blast back then. Now there is no strip, at least not one you can walk down and enjoy hanging out with the locals. I think I would prefer Daytona Beach were it my choice. Since it's not they are going to the Panhandle. That's OK, I have to work this holiday weekend anyway and couldn't go even if I wanted to.
As I mentioned in another post somewhere else I picked up a new restaurant this past week. I spent a bit of time there getting to know some of the people. I've definitely got a job ahead of me cleaning it up. The good thing is that I have a good manager there who has really put a lot of hard work in and they are in a sales increase over last year. Now if my other two stores can keep up the same rhythm I will make some decent money.
We had to stop yesterday afternoon and look at equestrian clothing. One of the families that is going to Florida with my wife has a daughter that rides in shows. Her birthday is coming up and the wife wanted to see if she could find something decent for a gift. We didn't see anything that really stood out, maybe next time.
I was reading a story earlier on CNET which I will link to later. It was talking about the fact that Apple has sent a couple of demo units to CEOs in the cell phone industry that have slideout keyboards. That would just be too cool. Most of the iPhone nazis insist that you don't need a keyboard for an iPhone, the built-in touchscreen should be sufficient but I disagree. Right now I am using a Blackberry but a slider iPhone with a QWERTY keyboard would be great. If they do release one it won't be this year but I am a patient man and can wait to see what they bring out...
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I came across the article Building a Quiet PC by Jeff Atwood recently and there are some pretty good tips in there. Even though I don't game much that doesn't mean I don't enjoy an occasional pleasant evening of F.E.A.R. or Half-Life 2 so whatever I build is going to have to be fairly high-powered as well as dual-boot from Linux to Vista to XP. Triple boot I guess I should have said.
Why Linux? I like it. I used to run Debian when I was doing nothing but web stuff back at the end of the 90's but the more I got into gaming and wanted to expand the more I realized that I needed to be running Windows. Heck, for that matter I wouldn't mind getting a MAC and the Parallels software (I think it's called) and checking that out. Needless to say whatever I start running will have to be powerful and versatile but it doesn't mean that it has to be LOUD.
Cross-Posted at MyHTPC.
