tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89976475293085856702024-02-21T12:12:13.736-05:00A Trapped Teckno tNerd<center>Where Digital and Analog go head to head for the all out rights to my Life and the hilarity that ensues.</center>bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-47879934784827214772009-02-10T01:43:00.004-05:002009-02-10T02:30:24.765-05:00G-Crushing!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUaK0Cxz_Fu5hrLAtnsajKckBVuUX1Bc0-Lg5ogm8gY-uPUiFCPk7AYnS14U-6wny9Ij0PF6J5SrvXAOXPLZeTgPNmtnhENGJsc5nTujiDZoqgqbC00zpEPt7p37iluq62P5eT6h_A00/s1600-h/google-calendar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUaK0Cxz_Fu5hrLAtnsajKckBVuUX1Bc0-Lg5ogm8gY-uPUiFCPk7AYnS14U-6wny9Ij0PF6J5SrvXAOXPLZeTgPNmtnhENGJsc5nTujiDZoqgqbC00zpEPt7p37iluq62P5eT6h_A00/s400/google-calendar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301066722283557554" border="0" /></a><br />Last week Google came out and absolutely crushed their gMail design by changing around the buttons that allow you to send and delete emails by making them completely image less (CSS). They also created the ability to "Move To" which allows you to automatically label a piece of email and archive it in one button. Even though this may not sound like a huge thing, it breaks gMail away from the shackles of images and allows them to be easily 're-skinned' via themes. Google this week, might have one upped itself with something completely crazy for us iPhone users.<br /><br />For the longest time there was only one way syncing between iCal and Google Calendars unless you relied on third party software. Perhaps a month or so ago, Google released the ability to sync both ways between iCal and gCal but since they were considered network servers, you could not sync them to the iPhone...until now. Yesterday, or today they set up an Exchange (email on its way apparently) <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/apple/sync.html">service</a> that allows users of gCal and Google contacts to sync with your iPhone. Unfortunately, if you do this you actually erase all of your calendars or contacts. This is fairly crap-tacular if you relied on all your calendars...however you could boot up iCal, use the collaboration tool to set up your exhisting gCal accounts and drag the local calender items to their corresponding gCal calndar. There really is not a huge work around for the contacts however, I have no need to sync my contacts.<br /><br />Testing the sync over the air was great and pulled down all the needed information from the Google servers. There are a couple hickups, specifically since you can only sync up to 5 calendars and you actually need to log onto the service via your phone to allow the phone to sync even more then one calendar when you first set up the service (I got crazy tripped up on this issue...maybe I should read the full instructions). Besides a couple of minor bugs everything is syncing between gCal, iCal, and my iPhone. Kudos to Google for getting all of this stuff together and making life with calendars just that much easier. Also a huge thanks needs to be given to Apple for creating an amazing phone along with an amazing computing experience.<br /><br />As you all can see I am totally psyched about this along with my pik of the day which is something I got hooked up with on the accident:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/LaCie-301371-All-Terrain-FireWire-Portable/dp/B0018B5CA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1234250702&sr=8-1">Mobile Lacie Rugged 500 Gig hard drive (Triple interface: F400, F800, USB 2.0)</a>bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-7374727443036739722009-02-07T11:32:00.004-05:002009-02-07T12:38:13.190-05:00An Ebook Prize Fight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jIEugNE4d4lKRpaZLPuR5nTpvcQmcPqvdK-5vhny5HDKayL7zvtXqzfCCfdwJMq9no2zONWpwJvEKdCbjlvz4EoPegbMGPvbWi0kqyrmaiRZamV3pp2B3CfFU6uN7R_90jN0yXdcOtE/s1600-h/screen-capture-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jIEugNE4d4lKRpaZLPuR5nTpvcQmcPqvdK-5vhny5HDKayL7zvtXqzfCCfdwJMq9no2zONWpwJvEKdCbjlvz4EoPegbMGPvbWi0kqyrmaiRZamV3pp2B3CfFU6uN7R_90jN0yXdcOtE/s400/screen-capture-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300109580792252066" border="0" /></a><br />Due to a ton of craziness this blog has been left a little on the dormant side of life which makes me a super sad individual. Beyond the regret, last year I produced right around 100 quality(?) posts and this year I am going to one up myself and shoot for the elusive 200. So last year basically came to a halt at 150 meaning that this year will come to a screeching halt around the 350 mark. This is an incredibly ambitious idea with the year that lies ahead but I am going to except the challenge and go at head full speed.<br /><br />On a much greater not, Google has just released a basic ebook <a href="http://books.google.com/m">reader</a> for the G1 and the iPhone which is a direct poke in the eye to Amazon and their upcoming Kindle 2 announcement on the 9th of February. There have been quite a few leaked <a href="http://tkubed.blogspot.com/2009/01/kindle-2um-hear-those-people-cheering-i.html">pictures</a> of what could be the new kindle. However, late last night several other <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/official-looking-kindle-2-pictures-and-pricing-leak-out/">pictures </a> and an other wise recession proof price ($359) was leaked prior to the Feb 9th date. Yes it is a super sexy thin monster with all the ebooks that you can easily purchase and download from Amazon but is it worth the hefty price tag?<br /><br />To start right off, yes I believe that the new Kindle or the 'Kindle 2' is completely worth the price of admissions. This is of course a very premature jump up before you wiped action, but for people who are constantly on the move and love to read this is exactly what the doctor ordered. A great example is a 4'X3' bin that I have to lug with me whenever I move because I do not want to give up the books that are inside. With the kindle, all your books are right there with you in a package that weights under 1 pound...astonishing. Anyway getting back on track, both the Google and Amazon service offer two different perspectives on reading.<br /><br />Google gives you a great ability to read the tomes of yore along with a hefty amount of books that had a limited print availability. This is great if you really get down on the literature with Sense and Sensibility or Faulkner. If you are looking for a recently released title you are otherwise SOL with the Google service and should look towards Amazon's large ebook library. These differences are really the only ones that can be compared since Amazon offers hardware with their service where Google is simply the service. I am super excited to see the new Kindle in action mainly because I have always wanted one but the first iterations got such bad reviews. However, it is too intoxicating to step into a Barnes and Noble and have the new book smell wash over you. Comment up on what you love: Easiness of the ebook revolution or classic paper books?bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-7696279915487262332009-01-30T23:33:00.005-05:002009-01-30T23:57:50.031-05:00The Dark side...or the Black Side, Whatever.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWh5K4XkSb7ZEOB3Ct8NwMWqh4yo9dgLLbBnrWSGvlujKw3DJnMfFn4j18CkMw1N3EnERg0qMFkY5d_Ng2VCYJTTu0dETyHHDuIpb5BjYH7b5pSFnn8KIC8E0bgsHi7n3r9pdx1krRZw/s1600-h/Tx16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWh5K4XkSb7ZEOB3Ct8NwMWqh4yo9dgLLbBnrWSGvlujKw3DJnMfFn4j18CkMw1N3EnERg0qMFkY5d_Ng2VCYJTTu0dETyHHDuIpb5BjYH7b5pSFnn8KIC8E0bgsHi7n3r9pdx1krRZw/s400/Tx16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297316845523982306" border="0" /></a><br />There is always some kind of black side to any business. Be it selling out to someone who has absolutely absurd ethics, being there because you 'need' the money, or simply performing actions (yourself) that is against company policy. <a href="http://www.fanniemae.com/index.jhtml">Fannie Mae</a> almost <a href="http://www.crn.com/security/213000165">felt</a> the sting of what is known as a logic bomb after they let go some of their IT employees. For a lot of people out there the word logic bomb does not set off to many sparks in your head. Because of this we have the internet (we all know my explanations are paltry at best):<br /><br />From the desk of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikipedia</a>:<br /><br />A <b>logic bomb</b> is a piece of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code" title="Code">code</a> intentionally inserted into a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software" title="Software" class="mw-redirect">software</a> system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met.<br /><br />In Fannie's case the specified condition was actually the 31st of the month. Luckily someone found the mischievous piece of code and dropped their balls on it...problem solved right? Well no, because this one action puts to shame the entire IT industry. IT folks usually struggle their freelance or corporate way and really do not need any kind of help when it comes to being unappreciated or taken as goof-offs. Most of us hustle like no tomorrow in order to bring people peace in the complex world of information technology. Corporate entities out there, not all of us are mischievous, insipid fools who are only looking out to screw you. A short rant and the pic is an ode to an phenomenal Lost episode on the 28th.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-24209357161211091512009-01-28T13:02:00.004-05:002009-01-28T13:43:41.801-05:00Inspired<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatNFgI6xpE73Nqh76atYnQmUsawZIwD4akBf2Dfrt3r9EphnYjTMBsmdLyL6aD-PYPOGk_PLUW4cblsz2w2bqaBiRh3KPfwlSKgEmioqIEw4babVAOzbIda8-7pljV9eoRDI1MbDgWTs/s1600-h/egm1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatNFgI6xpE73Nqh76atYnQmUsawZIwD4akBf2Dfrt3r9EphnYjTMBsmdLyL6aD-PYPOGk_PLUW4cblsz2w2bqaBiRh3KPfwlSKgEmioqIEw4babVAOzbIda8-7pljV9eoRDI1MbDgWTs/s400/egm1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296415809704359314" border="0" /></a><br />It is very 'un-often' that something strikes me upside the head in such a way that it actually inspires me to sit down and toot about it. However, since the demise of the 1up show along with Lan Party I have been in a bit of a dump when it comes to gaming podcasts. I had downloaded <a href="http://www.eat-sleep-game.com/">Rebel Fm</a> and the <a href="http://www.geekbox.net/">Geekbox</a> and both of them were easily better then the 1up shows even with horrible audio equipment and limited mics. It was not until Robert Ashley released <a href="http://alifewellwasted.com/">A Life Well Wasted</a> that I truly understood and lamented the loss of such an amazing job that these guys have recently felt.<br /><br />Some of the fondest memories of my childhood (early 90s) were reading through EGM and Computer Gaming World which for some reason just kept coming to my house, month after month regardless of a "known" subscription. Robert put it best in his podcast saying that at that time it was completely uncool to play video games and if you did you were automatically labeled as "one of those people" and ostracized throughout your school. The magazines gave us hope and relief that there were people out there that shared the same kind of passion as us kids did and actually got paid to do it.<br /><br />For a while game Journalism will be a little darker however, we can and should not grieve over the issue at hand. All of these people have gathered an enormous tribe behind them and with that alone they will succeed as long as they themselves want it. Sure it might not be quite the same easy lifestyle enjoyed before, but you must remember that there will always be a market for video games. I say keep writing, podcasting, living and breathing video game journalism and people will be there every step of the way. Keep up the good work all and we will hopefully get to listen to the shananigans that will be every week, peace!<br /><br />In addition: Jeff Green said it best: "Boobs in barrels."bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-64186532223686993132009-01-28T00:12:00.002-05:002009-01-28T00:27:40.583-05:00Kindle 2.....um, hear those people cheering? I don'tThis really would not be much of a tech blog if we did not give Jeff Bezos the kind of props that he deserves for his big keynote next week (Feb 9th) at the famous(?) Morgan Library and Museum in New York. The kindle has been as bad as the Nintendo Wii when it comes to finding one actually "in stock." This could definitely be due to the titanic following spurred by the spur wearing Oprah, or if you are from the south O.f.rah. A lot of heresay has been thrown around the web today mainly from the hands of <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2009/01/27/the-kindle-2-should-you-stop-buying-all-those-iphone-ebooks/">venturebeat</a> and Kevin Rose about the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcjjfoOm73sxhKTHtlbFBxTX1k0lUSu8BghgE-Fv6RDASyMw-pnCNFFvSwuHWb0Hw5ldzBHy93VGBOQQECo4QcCDEUqbc7TDOfe6cjT1qOoxW94LZGHu0Iqte8wWZ0Q5l99vzHm-dQQM/s1600-h/normal_kindle2_11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcjjfoOm73sxhKTHtlbFBxTX1k0lUSu8BghgE-Fv6RDASyMw-pnCNFFvSwuHWb0Hw5ldzBHy93VGBOQQECo4QcCDEUqbc7TDOfe6cjT1qOoxW94LZGHu0Iqte8wWZ0Q5l99vzHm-dQQM/s400/normal_kindle2_11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296211914794713506" border="0" /></a>likelyhood that this will be the Kindle 2 debut.<br /><br />You would kind have to be living under a rock for the past 5 or so years to come out and say that this is not a the new kindle. And if perhaps it is not the new kindle and in fact some kind of other, unknown hardware anoucement then huzzah for Bezos. So since we basically have it down that the new kindle is comming, who believes that it will be anything like the pictures Boy Genius posted a while back? If you actually take the time to read around apparently the big problem on the old kindle was keyboard placement and wonkiness. However, making medicine pill buttons will not solve this problem; nor keeping the fugly if-white color. What the new kindle really needs is the ability to share annotations with your friends who have the same ebook. This annotation sharing could turn into a sort of open forum about certain instances in each ebook and would lead to an amazing community all centered and talking about books. Basically it would allow you to have an infinite amout of people book club which would be so cool that it is almost mind blowing. Oh yeah Bezos, make it affordable huh? Keep the books around 9 bones but cut the cost of hardware. How does 150 sound? Pretty friggin amazing to me, peace all.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-31518031679533630432009-01-25T18:48:00.004-05:002009-01-26T13:37:34.283-05:00PixelSpills<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q8U-XyZpa0zNHV9d5cMiAGEAon7JLEOIBt3rzhXEPIXC8-FqPDiq_mw_bOCffZXwTgBmiXMHIdgrTMDVjzu5iEwSBn_-4Rh1NZIRu5l53ml7yDPgIPKTUdCxhpOhcSuZkge_sJ-XF4k/s1600-h/awesomeness_by_ertunc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 388px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q8U-XyZpa0zNHV9d5cMiAGEAon7JLEOIBt3rzhXEPIXC8-FqPDiq_mw_bOCffZXwTgBmiXMHIdgrTMDVjzu5iEwSBn_-4Rh1NZIRu5l53ml7yDPgIPKTUdCxhpOhcSuZkge_sJ-XF4k/s320/awesomeness_by_ertunc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295673360581454994" border="0" /></a><br />I am potentially psyched to bring the readers of this blog another blog specializing in Web-bey-tastic design at www.pixelspills.com. If you do not already know, Pixel Spills is my business that makes me real world money. Pixel Spills has always been about crushing people's mindsets when it comes to the staunchy world of IT and Social Media Consulting however, now we are going to start (or try) doing what I have always truly held close to my heart, web development. This new blog will be incorporated right into the Pixel Spills web page and will hopefully begin some type of video or podcast about design subjects. All of the video (even the stuff that I post on this site) will be all done through Viddler. In addition to this, and if you read perhaps a couple blogs down I am beginning the process of doing free IT consulting on Sunday afternoons. All of this footage will be Ustreamed as well as being done through a medium called Copilot. So I want you to tell your friends, your family members and everyone! Be there or be square all; oh and do not worry this blog will be kept alive and focus on hilariousness and stupidity found within the world of IT, tech and gadgets. Peace allbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-64399269953216161802009-01-23T19:31:00.005-05:002009-01-23T19:45:38.274-05:00Flying High on 4's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NZp-yxPEPtdEQjriZXii4799Z3mQYQWUzpTljYmKGhO5vX-UUeD37BgWTJnS4c7arrIcdN-bb-6i1qUCPxBAPUI5-QtZMZ-wU8ATNH7CD0ZtdplkTIIZ0LRCDTmh5imS3RWgAaGi-sY/s1600-h/14btyt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NZp-yxPEPtdEQjriZXii4799Z3mQYQWUzpTljYmKGhO5vX-UUeD37BgWTJnS4c7arrIcdN-bb-6i1qUCPxBAPUI5-QtZMZ-wU8ATNH7CD0ZtdplkTIIZ0LRCDTmh5imS3RWgAaGi-sY/s320/14btyt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294654965885819122" border="0" /></a><br />No everyone, the title should not allow you to fly in to a drunken stupor about how one should not drive and drink even though you are actually driving in international waters. For everyone else please feel free to beat the crap out of me due to my lackluster support of this (and for any) blog over the past week. What I have been doing though is an amazing testament to the amazing-ness of the capability to learn...with your brain. The test is to be able to learn 4 different things, each over the course of 1 week and spend 40 hours a week on it. This is all on top of actually working part time running an It and Social Media consulting business and designing web experiences on the side. Oh, and also trying to level myself on the way to the new cap in the 'time be damning' World of Warcraft. So what has my amazing brain absorbed in the way of learning this week? The simple answer is Cocoa and Objective-C development.<br /><br />The complex answer would of course be the total crazyness that is Apple Frameworks and how to develop for a platform that is built on a language that I have really never coded for. All in all the idea was great but things were so complicated that they got changed and re-morphed twice over the span of the week. Happily though, I will be spending the 4th week on re developing my ideas on the entirety of Cocoa programming. The other two weeks will focus on Wordpress development and PHP which should be an equally less daughnting issue. Everyone needs to get totally pumped because it is the weekend and you should have an unlimited amount of time to crush any and all things they love. Continue to be happy all.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-18119571767594956922009-01-16T22:10:00.003-05:002009-01-16T22:28:20.301-05:00FREE IT Consulting!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBexUWo8scJHhMbDok2ZsPL4Pu4-13_MZKC0opxwtdLwpCzK0vHAHRrRlhRHjpxYWVz3GPGjuPAH5YcUyU4PhZZFsGoXOuKAXl1cnTn3_uigQMvVJ8CUpH7TFE7bZ-ByzM_BmAN7Wj6Po/s1600-h/glute-bridge.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBexUWo8scJHhMbDok2ZsPL4Pu4-13_MZKC0opxwtdLwpCzK0vHAHRrRlhRHjpxYWVz3GPGjuPAH5YcUyU4PhZZFsGoXOuKAXl1cnTn3_uigQMvVJ8CUpH7TFE7bZ-ByzM_BmAN7Wj6Po/s320/glute-bridge.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292099328915429186" border="0" /></a><br />Hello all! I am so pumped about this it is not funny. having been an IT consultant for almost 5 years now I have definitely been around the block (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD). Sure there have been great times and nasty times but all in all no one should complain when they love helping people. In addition, I love Seth Godin's <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/">work</a> and believe that there are some truly amazing marketers out there, despite hanging out with some truly horrible ones in my day. In one of Seth's last <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/national-day-of.html">posts</a> he mentioned doing free IT consulting on a site called CoPilot. I had never used CoPilot before and therefore intrigued, I surfed on over and found it to be a very simple, easy to use protocol for assisting people over the web.<br /><br />Taking Seth's advice, I am going to begin doing free IT consulting every Sunday from 11am - 4pm mountain time. So if you are interested or want to have me help out an ailing family member shoot me a twitter @bradendouglass, email me at freeitconsulting@gmail.com, or google chat me up at gmail address. Again get pumped, this will begin this Sunday the 18th. And again, thanks Seth.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-30394411796165849902009-01-16T19:17:00.003-05:002009-01-16T19:39:32.781-05:00It Is Not Really How You Do It...Well actually folks, folks in this regard being huge companies, it does matter how you do it. If you mess up and understand, if only for a moment that it was your fault then it is fully on your hands to take responsibility and correctly apologize to your tribe. Be as real as possible because in the end that is all we, the user care about. One of the best <a href="http://www.hulu.com/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia">letters</a> concerning this dire matter was written by the CEO of Hulu, Jason Kilar.<br /><br />Apparently Hulu axed their entire It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia content making everyone who has ever watched the show through the awesomeness that is the Hulu ser<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR87LDBXWfM5iF6_-wa6S__mcKN4GIUC9U8hItZ-ErfXZ09_1dxBaWJmx1A_EzTAlDe6hrEm4miDP862Z3Cc6Mft9osvwWSw7_6UD67cCY7I04dddVG2DA28r_NYRtgcfuobj8UVaWhd0/s1600-h/art-is-my-hustle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR87LDBXWfM5iF6_-wa6S__mcKN4GIUC9U8hItZ-ErfXZ09_1dxBaWJmx1A_EzTAlDe6hrEm4miDP862Z3Cc6Mft9osvwWSw7_6UD67cCY7I04dddVG2DA28r_NYRtgcfuobj8UVaWhd0/s320/art-is-my-hustle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292055542619443746" border="0" /></a>vice a little po'ed. Hulu did this without a note to the users or a warning that the content would be removed at a set time in the future. People raised a stink and demanded some type of exclamation and who better to deliver it then the CEO. It just seems lie CEOs still love to sit back and bury small holes in their mountains of money in order to hide from their users. Seeing a CEO accomplish a problem with a letter of apology is not only warm and cuddly but it shows that perhaps things are officially changing within the world of CEOs (especially those involved in newer startups). Another man who hits these problems in a refreshing yet still completely professional manner is host of Wine Library TV, Gary Vaynerchuck (I spelled it right on the first try, huzzah). Gary understands, maybe more then all of us why people like to see the real side of human beings.<br /><br />Remember, to be completely true to your tribe and don't for once think that this comes easy. People need to work at it every day, devising ways to implement themselves into their community and how to do it in an effective and pleasing way. Never slack and always hustle, peace y'all!bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-53396385903426927972009-01-11T15:33:00.003-05:002009-01-11T15:54:48.119-05:00A Little Bird Once Said...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmVnPzfdEOtpqWEYsHl6EitQkJKG_G5b7ubHs15lNU74dmQpmW-fu1EhOZjpTZtfazJvc23qh15q9WabvC-zNgKzm5jcTnWleJG6wcyFIWVvFzOK16htF9azmSsUpqtOO0sVDW_08eVs/s1600-h/pinocchio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmVnPzfdEOtpqWEYsHl6EitQkJKG_G5b7ubHs15lNU74dmQpmW-fu1EhOZjpTZtfazJvc23qh15q9WabvC-zNgKzm5jcTnWleJG6wcyFIWVvFzOK16htF9azmSsUpqtOO0sVDW_08eVs/s320/pinocchio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290142493285983922" border="0" /></a><br />How amazingly cool and phenomenally addicting Twitter can be. If you truly have no idea what Twitter is stop on by their homepage <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">here</a> and try them out. For all the rest of us lets take a second of silence to bask in what makes twitter such an amazing channel for thoughts, marketing, fun, and updates........aight. TwitThis is a great new Twitter service that allows you to link through to your twitter or others about what you are doing right now. In this case if you take a chunk of moment out of your day and look at the upper left hand corner of each post there is a new button that reads 'twitthis'. This opens up a whole new world for you all to twit about a post I wrote, that you are reading. This post might inspire you enough or probably just disgust you into twittering to your tribe about how awesomly atrocious of a writer I am. I want all you trolls out there to give it a whirl, especially since you do not need to have anything besides a twitter account.<br /><br />On an even huger twitter moment, it looks like 2008 was a complete blast for them. They apparently grew a wooping 752 percent. That is a truly astounding number for any startup in which all kinds of cool graphs and numbers can be seen here at Mashable. Alright all, have a great weekend and we will see you tomorrow!bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-10233412375654728422009-01-09T21:58:00.002-05:002009-01-09T22:06:09.460-05:00Blog Inspired<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wCjKakqm-EGJiuSKtioaiS3HTqk54owzBVR-LDTetRJpJTOCWg6uY4h7Tm4BOEELcBRyMIfUl-nydArfxV81apDv3Jqh0BJZhzCz4b5Ak274aMzhjQLewCyPlCukgtFmoAjeiCkBWXc/s1600-h/funny-pictures-the-fat-alf-kid-0fP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wCjKakqm-EGJiuSKtioaiS3HTqk54owzBVR-LDTetRJpJTOCWg6uY4h7Tm4BOEELcBRyMIfUl-nydArfxV81apDv3Jqh0BJZhzCz4b5Ak274aMzhjQLewCyPlCukgtFmoAjeiCkBWXc/s320/funny-pictures-the-fat-alf-kid-0fP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289495984931655442" border="0" /></a><br />Maybe it has been the warm air, maybe I have been staring into the eyes of this young child and crying about my childhood, or maybe it is just that work has been dominating my life lately that Tkubed has gone a little to the wayside. Today we breach that with an amazing link up. We all seem to use such great phrases that are beyond understanding to the "old folks" of the day when we are on the inter web. Have any of you wondered, just sat down and wondered where these crazy acronyms originated from? Nope, well neither have I but with a little inter web luck has brought the answer to our feet. The article can be found <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wtf_origins_of_five_popular_terms.php">here</a>, peace.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-64181353730255689382009-01-04T16:39:00.002-05:002009-01-04T16:47:03.329-05:00What will Definitely Be Awesome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2srNpRGtrz5f4eNLiUn_RNssXSvEk65FYqJYO9JHGGmWrLR1s1ZwIoDNAKQbHe9Sm8-csGp-RetLwgVAuPvgzT8LsQ8ORGgUBOjvKW1JIYtc9Vj5eeD-_qh2XHLPJHjUY3Mu-DJkrhQ8/s1600-h/2009+Homebirth+Conference+Logo.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2srNpRGtrz5f4eNLiUn_RNssXSvEk65FYqJYO9JHGGmWrLR1s1ZwIoDNAKQbHe9Sm8-csGp-RetLwgVAuPvgzT8LsQ8ORGgUBOjvKW1JIYtc9Vj5eeD-_qh2XHLPJHjUY3Mu-DJkrhQ8/s320/2009+Homebirth+Conference+Logo.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287558262380836066" border="0" /></a><br />Ok lets face some facts, 2008 was full of changes both hard and fun but...2009 watch out! My prediction is that 2009 will be the year of the blog both mine and the unconquerable amount that plague the 'interweb.' Blogs in 2009 will be the main media source for people who are looking for any kind of information (although most of the stuff out there is inherentely incorrect or rife with personal ideas that are downright hilarious). By main, I mean main; forget watching the nightly news and reading the New York Times everyone will be reading their own favorite blog. Ok now that I threw down a fairly easy resolution for the world, what do you all think is going to be an incredible dynamic shift for the 2009 year? Forget about the economy and all the depression or recession malarky and focus on something fun and different. Oh, and comment up you trolls and lurkers out there, google analytics knows about you.<br /><br />In addition, what is your most rediculous picture of the 2009 new year?bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-89837455048732518882008-12-24T01:13:00.003-05:002008-12-24T01:29:15.067-05:00A Merry Drinking Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpyb4GWBLCYcSgJIyoTRURg-9J-wrAb9hzCw912YRTEtK8WOIm7K_hcDTfJDuG8_VclhXRuyfVJN6sr5-H_PBXP-ub3PeUTCgxRhDiVyBC8O8NVidBkpGZ6wP_M6RJlAAxSKSPFdg1ew/s1600-h/2490242985_c9bd03fe5d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpyb4GWBLCYcSgJIyoTRURg-9J-wrAb9hzCw912YRTEtK8WOIm7K_hcDTfJDuG8_VclhXRuyfVJN6sr5-H_PBXP-ub3PeUTCgxRhDiVyBC8O8NVidBkpGZ6wP_M6RJlAAxSKSPFdg1ew/s320/2490242985_c9bd03fe5d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283238046063682578" border="0" /></a><br />Welcome to yet another holiday approved inebriation fest. Expect items of concern to worsen throughout the new year. Alcohol consumption seems to be off the charts during the winter festivities named 'Christmas' and 'New Years.' But not too worry because this blog will put all of that swaying fun to work with a great drinking game for everyone with an inner geek (and really who does not have a little inner geek somewhere in them). The <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wisest%20Wizard">wisest wizard</a> is a role playing game where you and your mates attempt to level up and build a staff out of used beer cans (as one should know, each staff's powers manifest themselves in different ways; apparently the staff in the picture can conjure up stuffed cows). Besides being possibly the greatest reason to drink until you drop, who would say no to a wizard staff built from PBR cans. So everyone get up and go down to your local "Bud's east *insert town name here* liquor store" and pick up a 30+ rack of your favorite watered down excuse for beer and have a merry good time.<br /><br />On a lighter note, and I mean what could be lighter then playing drinking games that involve medieval weaponry, everyone needs to have a wonderful Christmas. These are the times to drop the design and coding work (unless you are way behind) and be with the loved ones in your life. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and peace be with allbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-19691063984378397152008-12-21T22:57:00.004-05:002008-12-21T23:27:32.817-05:00Exciting Changes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV5khanuKm4r_EhvN-XP2LYAJEwF2LfYXzy_imJDacBk954v-MgAnwC_rp6VsW-Mw_7Myh1BUoo9csq5Wc3QpN7F0kIhQzQXPErzXeNgojp06h54KZ1aELykgPnDt4bZZckpv7LJLfgI/s1600-h/Jazz_collins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV5khanuKm4r_EhvN-XP2LYAJEwF2LfYXzy_imJDacBk954v-MgAnwC_rp6VsW-Mw_7Myh1BUoo9csq5Wc3QpN7F0kIhQzQXPErzXeNgojp06h54KZ1aELykgPnDt4bZZckpv7LJLfgI/s400/Jazz_collins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282463800057627874" border="0" /></a><br />Yello all! I have not been around too much lately and it is mainly due to my crazy schedule that just got a lot less hectic. Moreover, I have been doing a ton of research on the blogging software in the world and have come up with a great design for a new blog through Wordpress. This new blog will be a much more focused effort to keep people in the loop of design and mainly web freelancers and the lives that we live. However, this blog will still remain around mainly due to the fact we just went through a redesign a month ago as well as a great opportunity to play with Blogger's amazing and fun technology.<br /><br />As per usual I will keep you all in a daunting and an imaginative loop of of darkness about our location and simply say it is snowing. Lots of snow actually and none of which is at all appreciated. So God, listen here friend, how about we sacrifice the ski season (another hint) and just say we leave it to pot and lets have some blessed sun. Worth a try right? Besides the snow the other humongous fail of the week goes to loosing another job to what could have been the fault of this blogger or the general stupidity of the user...who knows (or cares). What this does mean is there will be WAY more time spent caressing the huge user base on Tkubed.<br /><br />Returning is an old favorite on this blog is the weird "what Braden is into this week" reviews. Follow after the drop<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MailPlane</span>: This app has an amazing amount of integration with Gmail right on your dock. Most designers out there have a pretty long number of Gmail accounts and this app makes it a trifle effort to control them all. In addition, it gives you some robust controls over gTalk, some nifty, still in gLabs functions, growl notifications, and iPhoto integration for sending great pics. Not too sure about the price they are asking but well worth the download and try period. Maybe the folks over there will throw me some promo codes for you all.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Mint iPhone App</span>: Who knew anyone out there could really live without an iPhone. I hounded it for a long time (check some posts from last year) but now it is completely natural to check stocks, play games, find directions, or be depressed with the weather forecast all within the reach of your pocket. <a href="http://www.mint.com/">Moreover, Mint</a> is a wonderful "webby" way of managing money and now they have an app to watch your little assets over your phone. It is not the most secure thing in the world but if you really are having a hernia about this niggly issue simply log out of your account. Props peeps at Mint, keep it up you all are amazing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WoW Miniatures</span>: Anyone who is a geek remembers the pain that came with Warhammer minis. You had to have a steady hand like a crack whore with trimmed fingernails just to be able to pain the little things. Blizzard and Upper Deck have solve this problem with pre painted minis that actually look amazing and an interesting game that goes along with it. The game, just like the card game appears to have a great amount of promise and should be a staple to any nerds stocking this Christmas. Check them out <a href="http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wowminis/en/">here</a>.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-12816803586170360332008-12-18T16:34:00.003-05:002008-12-18T16:55:53.731-05:00Facebook Soars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOT4I6Lpy418ipWi74S_00PcKGFXFVwscsODMjxekvBMa5BtGB5rTouU3OtNpYOGbwHewzQhFROO-izml6LxGo9LtkzUhfS5z5SaH64CkzxQvf1nsMIjIkVHQKbhQVe8npgL6uQa4RQU/s1600-h/15597.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOT4I6Lpy418ipWi74S_00PcKGFXFVwscsODMjxekvBMa5BtGB5rTouU3OtNpYOGbwHewzQhFROO-izml6LxGo9LtkzUhfS5z5SaH64CkzxQvf1nsMIjIkVHQKbhQVe8npgL6uQa4RQU/s400/15597.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281252128011493298" border="0" /></a><br />During this nice downturn of jobs, generally due to <a href="http://tkubed.blogspot.com/2008/12/cutting-corners.html">stupidity</a> we are seeing a steep rise in boredom. Bring on the likes of the homework steamroller known only as "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>." <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10126411-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5">Apparently</a> the user base of Facebook is growing at a rate of 600,000 to 700,000 users a day. This is a phenomenal number of people, or if you crave some closure on the word phenomenal; there are around 700,000 on the waiting list for affordable housing or around 700,000 people on the national terrorist watch. Who knew a little network way back in 2004 that at the time only appealed to college students would grow to the behemoth it is today. This just shows each and every one of us that taking risks and trying something new is not always an automatic fail. Although I am sad that you can not down Facebook ads for being pornographic (this function I felt disappeared after this tweet(this tweet not found)) but we should all regale at Facebook's success. Oh yeah, and props all to understand the picture.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-87693844644537349882008-12-18T11:51:00.004-05:002008-12-18T12:30:41.567-05:00Cutting Corners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXpVi9J3iYiQzG7hLH-a6w1D05J_0UVgUPWe0j3yIconXKeZhZH7RnV6ZPaA08gVI8H_sDQBAWn61AqgSgC6gQZ6gN4FHuhgJxR6bvJSnB8M9Ox5epijEmAh20MfI5AIU2_tdg4lZfv0/s1600-h/zcTqHiK8cd783rtv7I7R2WJm_400.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXpVi9J3iYiQzG7hLH-a6w1D05J_0UVgUPWe0j3yIconXKeZhZH7RnV6ZPaA08gVI8H_sDQBAWn61AqgSgC6gQZ6gN4FHuhgJxR6bvJSnB8M9Ox5epijEmAh20MfI5AIU2_tdg4lZfv0/s400/zcTqHiK8cd783rtv7I7R2WJm_400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281183826009415058" border="0" /></a><br />Getting "let go" is always a bad thing. Most of the times it is due to downsizing issues or other random reasons that frankly are nonsensical reasons. However, getting laid off a week before Christmas is a huge slap in the face. Here is the issue at hand: You work for an employer that has already laid off plenty of people simply because they can not find enough "expensive work" for them to do. Lets start by defining "expensive work." This type of ideal is found in high functioning businesses that only choose to do the projects that they want to. Often times these projects are for multi-millionaires or simply done to raise the firms self image. This creates a problem especially now when the credit crunch is putting these millionaires back into their portfolios and off buying new homes. The problem already is visible, you have walled yourself into a community of people who are not buying and you have removed extra workers from being able to find business in other areas via research.<br /><br />Stepping back yet again, lets look at what this firm wants to be thought of. They want to be open and building a community among themselves but none of them talk to each other unless they absolutely have to and although the entirety of the studio is open it is dead silent. In addition to all this basic shit, you have two people in charge who have no idea the first thing about running a business or basically anything that starts with the letter B. After working with these people as a part time gig for half a year I realize all these little problems but they, like any problems with a company should not deter an employee from attempting to better the overall firm. However, betterment seems to have been cut off for these folks which is shame because they could have done some truly great stuff. Good luck all in your separate endeavors because lets face it, it is going to end up like it really quickly.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-86247040784894331502008-12-11T13:48:00.001-05:002008-12-11T14:06:12.021-05:00Vacation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7XgkX5PMfOHXfRfFVATRb58b0OMZnas6Prs9Psbwf8ZJp4V4gnKuzYxI5KE4b_JCXKisHWPfAZin5jh7gFTLDCBDNFQreGRYe0uqHkxL1aiG035NN32ZZQWWwbxsiLlOiALbmc3WjMA/s1600-h/UNKNOWN_PARAMETER_VALUE_jpg-aclean_house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7XgkX5PMfOHXfRfFVATRb58b0OMZnas6Prs9Psbwf8ZJp4V4gnKuzYxI5KE4b_JCXKisHWPfAZin5jh7gFTLDCBDNFQreGRYe0uqHkxL1aiG035NN32ZZQWWwbxsiLlOiALbmc3WjMA/s400/UNKNOWN_PARAMETER_VALUE_jpg-aclean_house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278610861102382930" border="0" /></a><br />Hello all those readers out in the internet. This week I am technically OOF or out of the office for all you unhip type. HOWEVER, going from somewhere completely remote to a place where you can find absolutely whatever you want whenever you want it should yield better connectivity. What a slap in the face I had when this was completely wrong. Having lived with little connectivity and cell phone service before this was not too hard except when it comes to missing out on great blogging abilities and random bills. All will return to normal next Tuesday when I somehow get back to civilization / leave it far far behind for the remainder of the winter. Lots of things have happened and everything will be updated in due time. Peace all.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-74143588783626644212008-12-04T21:02:00.003-05:002008-12-04T21:39:06.326-05:00Top 10 Geek Picks (2008)Having mentioned several ways to save money and help make people more happy during the holiday season, as well as getting the gift picks right, I present a top 10 gift ideas for your local (or lovable ) geek. <br /><br />1./ <a href="http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mini1000/alt.html">HP Mini 100</a>0: The best netbook out there right now (399-500$)<br />2./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crank-Brothers-Multi-19-Bicycle-Aluminum/dp/B000S6HZBS">Crank Bros 19 Too</a>l: All Geeks love Fixie's so help em out with this great pocket tool (20-30$)<br />3./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_pc?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=drobo&x=0&y=0">Drobo FW80</a>0: Unlimited storage for..well, everything (500-1000$)<br />4./ <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120281">Canon G1</a>0: By far the best point and shoot camera out there (450$)<br />5./ <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/giftcards/itunes/gallery?mco=MjIzMDY3Ng">iTunes Car</a>d: Good for music, videos, apps, etc (starting at15$)<br />6./ <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/">Apple In Ear Headphon</a>e: Great sound and soon to work great with the iPhone (80$)<br />7./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Video-Camcorder-Minutes-Black/dp/B0016BXRB6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228444100&sr=8-1">Flip Video Min</a>o: For easy access for the video blogger (159.99$)<br />8./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Holiday-Bundle-2008-Drive/dp/B001FPBZ3U/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1228444274&sr=8-1">Xbox 360 60G</a>B: Amazing console, great games, just classic and worth it (300$)<br />9./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-OCZUSBATV16G-16GB-Flash-Drive/dp/B00121UWLI/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1228444434&sr=1-20">OCZ 16gb ATV USB Driv</a>e: Great padded casing, lots of room, and fast (30$)<br />10./ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Cisco-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broadband-Compatible/dp/B000BTL0OA/ref=pd_ts_pc_3?ie=UTF8&s=pc#">WRT45Gl Wifi Route</a>r: Great basic router that is open to Linux Firmware (60-80$)bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-34286048454613907902008-12-04T18:26:00.004-05:002008-12-04T18:48:25.167-05:00iPhone 3g Vaja Limited Case ReviewIphones are absolutely saturating the smart phone market and causing some serious <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/137317/2008/12/iphonemarketshare.html">gains</a>. The phone itself is a well crafted piece of sexiness and I should know, waiting in line on launch day for a long time always makes one appreciate something much longer. Even though the iPhone is a fairly sweet piece of kit which includes a consistent bit of durability. However, just like all ipods, one should look into purchasing some kind of protective film or case to cover the expensive and shiny investment. If you have any idea about the world of "DAP cases" then you have heard of a company called Vaja.<br /><br />Vaja makes leather cases from only the most premium dead cows from Argentina. They incorporate great colors and patte<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyMofWL1NQkBvtWvEmmQWjxtbf6jwLUHqPQ9lyZwm499amIRw4ldmZ3qxCymvPZvetzZpdkFS0xFWlc2VbEOYEfI3mgrNjY4phKriIz0XYJgP0-DdBMc07Xth8jWHQCe8qEQJ7ZlaGfw/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyMofWL1NQkBvtWvEmmQWjxtbf6jwLUHqPQ9lyZwm499amIRw4ldmZ3qxCymvPZvetzZpdkFS0xFWlc2VbEOYEfI3mgrNjY4phKriIz0XYJgP0-DdBMc07Xth8jWHQCe8qEQJ7ZlaGfw/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276085965741846978" border="0" /></a>rns to compliment any digital item (even laptop cases). By knowing this I was one of the first people to jump on their original iPhone 3g Limited Edition Red and Black Case. Since then they have released one in an all brown color and an all white color. The outside leather is called "Floater" which is actually a fairly dumb name for some leather that is very coarse and seems to be very strong. The interior of the case is lined with Caterina leather which is very svelt and quite a contrast from the exterior. This allows the iPhone to have a classy ride encapsuled in something that will not easily scuff like most leather.<br /><br />Overall this case is amazing. It gives complete access to the top of the case and all the side functions without having to flip open the screen cover (a lot of people do not like this idea however, it works extremelly well and you can flip it open very easily with your thumb). The outside floater leather always seems to look new although I never hold anything else in my front right pocket besides the phone. Before I finish the review you all need to give me a scale on how to rate the items that I do. Who likes the 1-10 or whatever, give me something cool cause if you don't I will come up with something and it will be simply odd. Give me an idea and I will give you some ups on the blog and my twitter. Ciao!bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-54157114560655018962008-12-04T16:54:00.004-05:002008-12-04T17:05:45.947-05:00Nip Tastic Temps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFlZ02lqU27ofaj3GzjDkrRxGcL7-cWzaKY-OERy1ruFqVbZ_dj8_qW0RhRa0_yEKkRr6A8OOhNs5qfHfSPgCfi1QjjiMIDNZkVh2PWk-bT4Gx6iQAGzxoNm2KE422LaT9pRcig_ERHc/s1600-h/04019-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFlZ02lqU27ofaj3GzjDkrRxGcL7-cWzaKY-OERy1ruFqVbZ_dj8_qW0RhRa0_yEKkRr6A8OOhNs5qfHfSPgCfi1QjjiMIDNZkVh2PWk-bT4Gx6iQAGzxoNm2KE422LaT9pRcig_ERHc/s400/04019-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276059505676978866" border="0" /></a><br />Yep, you guessed it, it is freezing cold here (here is classified due to the generous amount of fans who would absolutely hound the crap out of me if they found out my location). Beyond the dimming light, shrouded in an impregnable veil of money is the Christmas season and boy is it coming up fast. So what might you ask should you do about all those hard to buy for people in your household? Well how about ask them? Christmas becomes this bonkers time where you spend money to show off your economic status on presents that you "think" will be well received. Well never fear, a solution is here and it is called Google documents. By setting up a simple two column document and sharing it with the fiancee we both can share links to great things we would enjoy way more then a guess for Christmas.<br /><br />Sure this is not the "correct" or timeless way of doing things but Christmas is really about being with each other, help people out and taking a day away from your usual binge drinking routine (especially before new years hits). So take the time to be smart this season even if you have to play the game a little different.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-39425189398751358052008-12-02T13:43:00.005-05:002008-12-02T14:36:59.020-05:00Educationaliss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcda1ETjxBFjDMX___t95aOXeMxmT1r8AiEb6Q9we0_x5liBllYiK2KQVIHPg36gk1hzdS4eCUJRxcE3K_I1techK6jz7LFb6iea-hej9akjZgjohphVjcISiDU3aOwv6x420S6rXiZJY/s1600-h/President-Bush-Eats-Kitten-1259.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcda1ETjxBFjDMX___t95aOXeMxmT1r8AiEb6Q9we0_x5liBllYiK2KQVIHPg36gk1hzdS4eCUJRxcE3K_I1techK6jz7LFb6iea-hej9akjZgjohphVjcISiDU3aOwv6x420S6rXiZJY/s400/President-Bush-Eats-Kitten-1259.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275279013199859010" border="0" /></a><br />Pownce friends, pownce on someone and then shed a tear for a truly great platform for sharing links / mp3s / videos with friends in a Twitter like environment. Pownce was recently acquired by Six Apart and will close their doors soon. However, there will undoubtadle be another web 2.0 app, perhaps by the same people that mimic Pownce's great functionality. Anyway, there is a short ode to the death of yet another great web app caught up in all of this financial malarkey; jou will be missed.<br /><br />The real intention of this post was something that I was realizing the other day (refrain from worrying since it is not that big). How many of you out there love to listen to podcasts? You were exstatic when you were given the ability to download them directly to your iPhone and they happen to be one of the prodominant ways you aquire your news? But have you ever thought how hard it was to begin to like new ones? Personally, it took me a long time to like and love the ones that I pine for week by week. It all began with Diggnation (episode 3, 4 or something) and I did not really like it. But it ended up a weekly thing, it was a struggle at first but once I got to know Kevin and Alexis's personality it was all uphill. Does this mean that we internalize podcasting or netcasting much like we read books? You start with a character that you know nothing about and you usually need to slosh through a good 100 pages to truly know if you are going to enjoy it or not.<br /><br />Now I am a podcast freak but, I never started that way. I sat down day by day and week by week and eventually saw the magic behind the curtain and I do not regret a bit of it. A lot of things would be way better in this world if we actually took the time to fight through stuff instead of giving up on it on the outside. Podcasts are cool and they are a start but there is a whole world we throw over our shoulders because we do not want to take the time to understand it. Pony up folks!bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-12193970038967652912008-12-01T15:23:00.004-05:002008-12-01T16:35:56.455-05:00Steel Baby, StainlessGoogle Chrome is a spectacular browser, no matter what anyone says. It is mind bendingly fast, works very well with Google Docs/Gmail/etc, and against all the hater's ideas, Google did remove the clause in their ULA that claimed anything you posted on the internet through Chrome was property of Google. Of course this is all well and good for the folks who still run a Windows PC as an every day machine and not just for games but, for the people who use Mac OS X or Linux on a daily basis are a little up the river.<div><br /></div><div>We could use the Crossover Cromium <a href="http://www.codeweavers.com/services/ports/chromium/">port</a> but it really just looks like what you get on Windows XP. So it looks like we are stuck w<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9fNpqnADT7ZN3Cz8W3PIjt4auIbLhRwKSpwf6vTRkp6HLk8yJfZ35Q1_SRVlJgqbtfyNdns5iQx3bM6JEzkI1Z4E622rR8Q7mYgeWuoLAfk1kJ_LdNLZfajP_CoUy8k_83qurm4eIpY/s1600-h/2889646264_553b025d26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9fNpqnADT7ZN3Cz8W3PIjt4auIbLhRwKSpwf6vTRkp6HLk8yJfZ35Q1_SRVlJgqbtfyNdns5iQx3bM6JEzkI1Z4E622rR8Q7mYgeWuoLAfk1kJ_LdNLZfajP_CoUy8k_83qurm4eIpY/s320/2889646264_553b025d26.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274924327979584690" border="0" /></a>aiting it out until the end of the year (MAYBE!)...or you could check out Stainless. Stainless' simplicity is an almost identical match to that of Chrome; with it's single search and url bar (brilliant), extreme light weight, and how it actually looks like it belongs on the Mac. Personally, I have been using it for a couple of days now and it is blazingly fast and very lightweight (compared to firefox with 1 extension). Of course there are some problems due to it being very early in its development phase.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes it is so lightweight that OSX does not realize you have jumped from one window to Stainless. The options literally get stuck to say finder or iTunes. This can be solved by simply minimizing and bring the Stainless window back into view. It also does not show you a view of all of your visited sites, like Firefox and Chrome have on their smart bars (which both work very well in my mind). Overall these issues can be overlooked because of the speed and horsepower that the browser brings to the desktop. Check it out <a href="http://www.stainlessapp.com/">here</a> (Leopard Only..segway into previous post) and give me some feedback on what you all think, ciao. Oh, also give share the browsers that you have in your dock, or on your desktop (quick launch). Currently I am rocking 4: Safari, Cruz, Stainless, Firefox. </div>bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-30477317712544584002008-11-29T17:27:00.003-05:002008-12-01T15:44:26.850-05:00A Rant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2C_ueijNalySl-d4z8On1k4huKF8Z__cyRNpRxYN4veK5r2DRBH1qpVq9Oc7v63Noqp5SpbZm5HkubxrqKaU7flv3iiFv2Bf6mj3xuwU3DcPPGt5Jqm5B3bn6yup-g2Zo-stBvrCtoI/s1600-h/i_hate_my_job_rant_job_sucks_crap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2C_ueijNalySl-d4z8On1k4huKF8Z__cyRNpRxYN4veK5r2DRBH1qpVq9Oc7v63Noqp5SpbZm5HkubxrqKaU7flv3iiFv2Bf6mj3xuwU3DcPPGt5Jqm5B3bn6yup-g2Zo-stBvrCtoI/s320/i_hate_my_job_rant_job_sucks_crap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274924949532789170" border="0" /></a>What year is it folks? Last time I checked it was almost banging on a new decade. Not to seem mean but if you have a computer that you bought in say 2002 (especially a laptop), yeah go a head and throw it away. Treat yourself to a new and shineyer netbook or just save some money and pick up a very nice macbook. You probably do not know it but that old, slow, molasses running clunker is doing two really bad things to your life.<div><br /></div><div>1) It is sucking a lot of energy and unlike the laptops and desktops of today it does not care how much it sucks, it just keeps on going and going and so does your electric bill.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) It decreases productivity by slowing down what you do during the day. It also breaks frequently and requires you to pay someone who charges 100+ dollars an hour to fix it. </div><div><br /></div><div>What I am trying to get across to you folks is, pack it up, sell it or simply be a good citizen and recycle your old and bogged down computer. You, of course could throw a version of Linux on the slow juice drinker like <a href="http://www.puppylinux.org/">puppy Linux</a> or my favorite being <a href="http://opengeu.intilinux.com/Home.html">OpenGeu</a>. If you do not want to use the Linux desktop then by all means go out and buy yourself a new computer. Quit hanging on to stuff you know slows your life down, aight? Peace. Sorry for the rant all but it is getting rediculous.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-33760157470695063132008-11-26T15:17:00.003-05:002008-11-26T15:41:10.424-05:00Wisteria WednesdayFor everyone who does not know what "wisteria" is it is a pale violet color that is reminiscent of the plant (and its color) it is named after. In addition, the hex code for this is supposedly #C9A0DC and was introduced into the Crayola coloring box in 1993.<br /><br />We all dislike getting up around 5 a.m on Black Friday so that is why you are definitely here and looking for some solid deals today. Starting out <a href="http://www.hp.com/">HP</a> is offering huge deals on all of their laptops either through deals on ram and solid state drives or through percentages off the entire systems. <a href="http://www.tigerdirect.com/">Tiger Direct</a> has great deals on some Acer laptops (almost 100 dollars off from the Aspire One). Perhaps you are looking for a Desktop, an external hard drive or a great Samsung monitor then stop off at <a href="http://www.buy.com/">Buy.com</a> and look at their plethora of deals. All of these deals usually last until around Friday where, <a href="http://www.apple.com/">Apple</a> is supposed to release some mean Black Friday deals on their website as well as in Best Buy stores.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-73NU65ZxDdnEPG5fKAcg86bfyCGaKO4eqTMgloeRuglC4rDgZp1kdQMT6WSwp1GqkPvYdl5PSlcJTnfQ2DzZSLwm51yd1MzsttXUUq_HYDJSEAtE18aluVrPjlLcRd1e1Y_Fh-zcWg/s1600-h/0,1425,sz%3D1%26i%3D196413,00.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-73NU65ZxDdnEPG5fKAcg86bfyCGaKO4eqTMgloeRuglC4rDgZp1kdQMT6WSwp1GqkPvYdl5PSlcJTnfQ2DzZSLwm51yd1MzsttXUUq_HYDJSEAtE18aluVrPjlLcRd1e1Y_Fh-zcWg/s320/0,1425,sz%3D1%26i%3D196413,00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273068726278788978" border="0" /></a><br />Perhaps the best deal out there is the inception of a new, and potentially awesome Nintendo DS. It appears that Friday will mark the appearance of two new DS packs. One will be sky blue with a custom carrying case and brain age, the second will be an amazing Mario Red with the M stamp in the shell (along with the new mario game). By far the Mario DS is going to go like hotcakes and will definitely be on my travel wish list for the Christmas season. Hope some of these deals help cull people from sitting out in the bitter cold and waiting to punch a coked out soccer mom in the boobs for that last Mario DS (unfortunatly you get to since these are only available in store). Good luck all, ciao.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8997647529308585670.post-52191570964360057562008-11-25T13:17:00.004-05:002008-11-25T14:02:00.476-05:00Let's Light Some Stuff Up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r7bkgAp9TnWIkfnj7e0ku4h0BXOWsGDFEuV-wC3vVT2iMTYdwL_v5TWgrCgvtqgvWqv7mzIxXbsChTgvD6LSnczdeqePTMuVFIeni6RZMvz_DjuQzFMqYLIjSfWmow1Dsge0DdO5S-c/s1600-h/kindle-BGR-leaked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r7bkgAp9TnWIkfnj7e0ku4h0BXOWsGDFEuV-wC3vVT2iMTYdwL_v5TWgrCgvtqgvWqv7mzIxXbsChTgvD6LSnczdeqePTMuVFIeni6RZMvz_DjuQzFMqYLIjSfWmow1Dsge0DdO5S-c/s320/kindle-BGR-leaked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272672315956824242" border="0" /></a><br />First off, please raise your hand if you afforded and kept your original Amazon Kindle. The Kindle was Amazon's start into the whole paperless book business and was far from a complete fail (except for the price, 400, WTF mate). There had been a lot of rumors and wants tailored toward the Kindle 2 which was rumored to come out for the Christmas season, then not again. The first rumor was propogated with some photos of the new player which apparently ARE the photos of the real Kindle 2 (pic in this post is on of those said "photos"). I know this all seems a bit confusing but, there seems to be some love at the end of the tunnel.<br /><br />The Kindle 2.0 will be released in 2009 and it will look like the picture to the right. Apparently, there will also be a student version with a bigger screen and lighter price tag. I say bring it on Amazon, make it able to share bookmarks, underlining, and notes with other Kindles and you have sold me...oh and maybe a smaller price tag.bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17331349084237600387noreply@blogger.com0