Bring Me Up: The Geek

TrueCrypt and Privacy

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:57:00 +0000

No, I'm not iPhone crazy, so hop over to Engadget for their play by play of today's launch.

I'm more interested in the happenings over at Techdirt. Today they have an article about the whole privacy debacle in regards to internet realms.

Does Comcast believe the FCC has authority over its traffic shaping efforts? Well, it may just depend on who's asking. When the FCC asserted that it did have a say in regulating Comcast's traffic shaping efforts, Comcast emphatically stated that the FCC's authority does not extend that far. And, technically, Comcast is probably correct that it would be an overreach of the FCC's mandate -- though the FCC clearly disagrees.

Still, when defending itself against a lawsuit in California over the very same traffic shaping, Comcast has convinced a judge to suspend the lawsuit by noting that the FCC has clear authority over these matters:

This issue "i.e., the reasonableness of a broadband provider's network management practices" has, however, been firmly placed within the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), an administrative agency whose authority to regulate internet broadband access companies' services is well-established.

And then of course there is a neat piece of software I recently stumbled upon which I thought I'd quickly brief. It's called "TrueCrypt" and it's software for the top secret agent identity in all of us. When you encrypt files on your hard disk, not only do you want to scramble the files, but sometimes you want to prevent others from discovering that the files even exist, a sleight-of-hand known as steganography.

Best thing about this...it's freeware. =o)

Facebook video IM

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:22:00 +0000

TokBox is a web-based video chat tool that is free for users. The service works out by the user signing up and it generates a link that you can forward to any of your friend and enjoy a live video conversation.

Here's how it works: you sign up and are then given a link. When you want to talk with anyone, just give them the link - they click and you chat.

Once this plug-in is installed, the user is given a link beneath your friend's name. you are at fill liberty to decide which one of them has the rights to have a video conversation with you.

That's not it, you have the option of having multiple video conversations at one instant; the windows open up separately.

AND

TokBox is embeddable on all websites and social networks.

Recently, TokBox drummed up some rad PR. CNBC-TV aired a segment called "One Cool Thing" which shows off...you guessed it, TokBox and all the ins and outs of the project. They interviewed Jawed and the founder and CTO, Ron Hose.

Keep climbing! Oh and look into hiring more girls! The testosterone in that place must be overwhelming. =o)

Performance Clicks

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

If you are a web guru or programming fiend you are most likely not a stranger to Network Solutions. Many huge companies depend on them and I used them to resolve some domain issues in the past.

Well, now they have something else for me to dabble in on the web front.

Much like other advertising agencies, Network Solutions is now offering a pay per click program.

Since they are a company who is used to dealing with businesses on a larger scale and also individuals, like myself who just like working on the web, they understand we all want traffic and unique visitors but can't all afford the same packages.

So, they offer a myriad of options from custom search landing pages to ads localized for specific regions and fully manged extended programs. So there is a wide price range available and you're not stuck to any fixed plan.

No matter who you are they will do some leg work for you when it comes to analyzing your traffic. Which means they will be identifying keywords and search phrases used to search the Internet for your site exclusively. Then they purchase listings and ad placements for you across Google, Yahoo and other more localized engines. This means only needing one entity to optimize your site. No more logging into five different panels and then trying to merge the data to find out how you are doing.

Excellent!

Page rank no more

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:19:00 +0000

So is Google's answer to what became page rank chaos?

Google Labs has released and new layer for in their "Google Trends" it will show sites related to the domain name that is entered, along with that it will display searches in relation to the domain name and if you are signed in; also display an estimated traffic. Not just that but it will also plot line graphs by letting you enter up to five domain names at once.

The idea used here is that Google has grabbed its numbers by combining sources like search traffic, anonymous Google Analytics figures and third party marketing day giving it an extensive usability.

This brings Google into a direct competition with the already existing public traffic services namely; Alexa.

Something needed to be done. Google has had this site ranked with a big fat ZERO for over a year. At one point it was ranked 4, without my changing anything at all it dropped from 4 to 0. Of course I pestered and e-mailed and asked WHY? but I never received a response from anyone at Google. They are like those surgeons who lack bedside manner. Well, except they didn't repair scrink.com either.

In checking out scrink.com at the labs I found NOTHING. See for yourself.

So they get a big fat ZERO from me, too.

Bluetooth Lawnmower Robot

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:07:00 +0000

LB3500, the most sophisticated lawnmower robot in the world. I'm sorry, is there any unsophisticated robot mower?

Through Bluetooth, the homeowner can program which days of the week and what hours of the day the LawnBott needs to come out of its charging base and cut the grass. At the end of its work cycle, the LawnBott will go back to its charging station and take a nap while it recharges, ready to come out again for the next cycle.

The less expensive LB1200, due this fall at $1,300, senses when it's near flowers or sidewalk.

I don't consider myself lazy by any means, but this is just awesome. I mean we have like 9 feet of grass in our backyard and would never need something like this to handle it, but I love the idea. And since I have horrendous allergies it would probably take a robot to ever get me excited about mowing the lawn.

Of course it is far too expensive for me to continue drooling, but definitely worth sharing for those of you who have an extra couple thousand to spend.

SOURCE

Geeky sheep

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:39:00 +0000

This is a Sheep Phone sculpture that is a life-sized toy sheep made of telephone cords that looks just like the farm animal except of course it has an old-fashioned telephone for a face.

It looks like the legs and hoof area are made of the hand set, but it is broken so as to make the sheep stand.

Oh the cleverness.

The new iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:26:00 +0000

Apple will soon be releasing their new iPhone and with all new releases the rumors and speculations are spreading like wildfire. There are screenshots floating around the web of what the product supposedly looks like.

If you were to go to Engadget they will tell you the screenshots are fake. However, TechCrunch is claiming the very same photo is most likely real. Who knows the truth? Probably only Apple and you know they are having a field day with all this free publicity.

I have no clue what it will really look like, but I do know some of the specs.

Apple recently applied for a patent that lists new features that include built-in instant-messaging, video-chat capabilities, support for voice-activated commands and a GPS module.

The new phone is also expected to be 22 percent thinner than the current version with more memory and longer-lasting batteries.

So what do you think? Any idea what it will look like? Or better yet, why all the hype?

Yahoo on the blog again

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:12:00 +0000

It wasn't too long ago I was writing about the Yahoo webtop. Well, now they're putting themselves out there for 3rd party developers in regards to their address book capabilities.

Yahoo is releasing an Address Book API today that will give 3rd-party developers access Yahoo users' contact lists without the traditional, but primitive, method of page scraping.

Chris Yeh, the head of the Yahoo developer network, considers this release the second major "proof point" of Yahoo's Open Services (YOS) campaign, which kicked off at the Web 2.0 Expo in March.

"With Yahoo! Address Book, individuals not only have the ability to update, access and store their contact information from anywhere in the world, but they can also take advantage of value-added services integrated into Yahoo! Address Book, such as Yahoo! Maps and Yahoo! Mail."

Say it with me, YA-HOOOOOOOO!

We Will NOT Stand Down

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:16:00 +0000

Experian has picked a fight with a company called Lifelock, alleging "credit laws do not provide for a third party to place fraud alerts on behalf of a consumer."

Funny they should say that because Lifelock only does it when another consumer has requested their services. If someone is in danger of some sort of identity theft why would any credit company want to thwart the efforts of keeping them safe?

CNN posted a video recently which discusses this top.

Lifelock is dealing with many different law suits right now because they are unable to secure their customers as promised because of the road blocks they are hitting fro other financial institutions.

Companies like LifeLock can help guard against only certain types of financial fraud by helping consumers set up alerts with credit bureaus, which inform them when someone tries to open a new line of credit or boost their credit limit.

I suppose it is only fair to tell both sides of the story which is what I am attempting to do. It is completely up to the consumer whether or not they wish to have a small amount of protection or none at all.

fbCal birthday updater

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:18:00 +0000

One of the best side effects of using Facebook is knowing when your contacts' birthdays are - but you only see them if you log in. The Facebook application fbCal is out to fix that. Once you install it on Facebook, fbCal creates an iCal file for your Facebook contacts' birthdays as well as Facebook events.

And in another fun geeky news:

As Web and desktop applications merge, Yahoo doesn't want to be left out of the Webtop party. That's especially true as Adobe Air and Google Gears apps begin to gain some traction. It turns out that for the past year Yahoo has been working on BrowserPlus, a browser plugin that lets developers add desktop-like features to the browser, including the ability to drag-and-drop items from the desktop onto the browser, manipulate Web images (crop, rotate, etc.), and receive desktop notifications. It works with Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer, on both Windows and Mac OS X.

Better GReader

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:58:00 +0000

I just downloaded and installed the fancy Google Reader add-on via Lifehacker.com and I love it. It only works from within Firefox, but everyone should be using Firefox anyway.

Greasemonkey scripters have come up with a few Google Reader user scripts that make some welcome GReader tweaks like maximizing the viewing area, skipping Google's default subscribe mechanism, and adding keyboard shortcuts. The add-on is cleverly called Better GReader.

I highly recommend checking it out, I am enjoying the maximize reading area skin, it's makes things easier for me.

Find the add-on here >>

Movie Cowboy

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:09:00 +0000

Wasn't HD media sort of on the way out? Or am I mistaken?

Today Digital Cowboy released a new 2.5" HDD Media player kit, the DC-MC25U2. This kit features an enclosure for 2.5" SATA HDD, and a cradle equipped with HDMI/Coaxial/Optical/Composite outputs.

Movie Cowboy, comically titled as such by manufacturer Digital Cowboy, this portable HD multimedia hard drive comes ready to accept whatever 2.5-inch SATA drive you want to toss within, and after you've loaded it up with material via the USB port, you can slam it down in the bundled cradle for big screen enjoyment.

The device can read WMV HD/MPEG-1/2/4(DivX/XviD)/DVD video files, and MP3/WMA/WAVE/AAC/OGG audio files.

SOURCE

Biometric security mouse?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 10 May 2008 08:02:00 +0000

Really? Is it really necessary to have a mouse which locks files based on the finger print fondling to find the non-existent optical wheel?

From the product page, "according to experts, in the near future most private, confidential transactions will be authenticated not with passwords or PINs but with biology - retinal scanning, voice or face recognition, and fingerprint identification."

The Sequiam Biometrics ScanQ Fingerprint Authentication Scanner and Software, works as security system especially to open/use specific files, to login into Windows, and other functions as well.

Wow.

You know they should totally use this in movies. I mean what if Pepper had to deal with this technology when trying to download the information for Tony Stark? What would she have done?

It's $70 at the moment and was $100 when first released, maybe next year it will be even cheaper and you'll be buying it as a stocking stuffer.

Cloudworks sounds dreamy

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Cloudworks has just launched its "webtops" product line that enables employees to work virtually anywhere, as long as their computer is able to access the service.

No wonder it's called Cloudworks, it's a virtual dream for any mobile employee or freelance contractor.

Webtops will be able to access all of a company's applications, data and emails with lightning speed through nearly any browser from a secure, managed data center.

The "webtops" solutions for small businesses can be priced from as low as $595 monthly for five users or $995 with a dedicated server, while rnterprise-level packages for companies with over 100 employees are completely customized.

Seeing is believing.

AT&T TV ... abc, easy as 123

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:37:00 +0000

May 5 is a very crucial date for AT&T, as the company will begin offering their mobile TV service to 58 markets in the US, which include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, DC and more.

Acronyms galore!

AT&T will be offering TV programs produced by leading US news and entertainment brands including CBS Mobile, ESPN Mobile, Fox Mobile, NBC 2Go among others.

A $15 per month Basic package will give customers unlimited access to Mobile TV and AT&T’s exclusive special concert channel, CNCRT. In addition, there is a limited basic package which costs $13 a month, this package will give you access to only four channels though - CBS Mobile, FOX Mobile, NBC 2Go and NBC News 2Go.

If they're all about expanding and have the money to do so, then I suggest they have better training programs for their customer service reps.

Cassette MP3 Player

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:13:00 +0000

All you need to do is pop in an SD card loaded with your favorite tracks, and you're ready to go. It may seem like just a novel case for an otherwise boring MP3 player, however, it does have one trick hidden up its sleeve. If your car still has an old tape deck in the dash, just pop this little device in and it will play music just like any other tape.

Now, I don't have a cassette player anywhere, but I think this is such a great idea. I really would love an MP3 player in my Jeep. I had one before, it broke after about a week but that was in my last Jeep I bought used from the owner. Anywho.

This nifty little gadget is definitely onto something. I wonder if there is a way to turn a CD player into an MP3 player?

An underwater disco

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:45:00 +0000

GeekSugar has an article about things you can use to help add the geek staple to your wedding if you choose to do so. One idea I liked was to give Rubik cubes as favors. That's all I have to say about that. If you got crazty with it you could personalize those bad boys with your last name and wedding date.

I also came across some ubergeek disco lights. Not just any disco lights mind you, oh no, these are UNDERWATER lights for your bathtub. Waterproof and battery operated you can select different lightshow patterns depending on your mood.

The only thing better would be if it could do its lightshow thing while attached to your iPod along with some music. I mean, imagine all the moods you could get if you could work the lights and the music together.

I think it would cost more than $13 if it could get that fancy though. So for under $15 this is a pretty snazzy gift if you ask me. Ohhh and it would be a fantastic stocking suffer come Christmas time. =o)

Attack on CNN

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:46:00 +0000

PCWorld is reporting that chinese hackers appear to be preparing for an attack on CNN scheduled for April 19. The attack is being spurred by the recent pro-Tibet coverage in the media. A Chinese site called Anti-CNN is protesting what it considers anti-Chinese propaganda and is calling for protests in several countries including Germany, France and the UK. The hackers, believed to be members of The Red Hat Alliance, are calling for a DDos (Distributed Denial of Service Attack) against CNN to coincide with the protests. It is not yet known if the group is capable of backing up its attack threats, but security firms and media outlets will be watching closely to find out.

SOURCE

Late Friday, leaders of the Revenge of the Flame called off a planned denial-of-service attack on CNN.com, according to The Dark Vistor, a Web site that follows Chinese computer hacker activity.

"Our original plan for 19 April has been canceled because too many people are aware of it, and the situation is chaotic," cyberprotest organizers said in a statement. "At an unspecified date in the near future, we will launch the attack. We ask that everyone remain ready."

Oh the drama.

Tommy Hilfiger TV?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:11:00 +0000

Tommy Hilfiger continues to bring music and fashion together with the global launch of TommyTV, an online evolution of the Hilfiger Sessions music series, staged in creative collaboration with Sony BMG Europe, that brings the excitement of live music to audiences around the globe.

TommyTV, which goes live today, builds on the existing success of The Hilfiger Sessions, a series of established and successful music events. The Hilfiger Sessions feature high profile artists playing with new and upcoming talent in intimate gigs in cities around the world, with recent Sessions taking place in Madrid, Berlin and Amsterdam hosted by artists such as Wyclef Jean and Kelly Rowland.

The live recordings of The Hilfiger Sessions form the centrepiece of TommyTV, allowing music fans to enjoy exclusive content and experience the thrill of live musical performances via unprecented online video presentation. TommyTV features:

- Exclusive content from the global Hilfiger Sessions concerts.

- Exclusive artist interviews and backstage footage.

- The chance to discover new music talent or for new artists to be discovered through the Hilfiger Auditions.

Really? Must they do this? I'm all about surfing the web and know I spend far too much time doing just that but I would never dream of watching TommyTV. Sorry.

Kelly's bags

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Some people find Kelly Ripa hard to handle. I'm not one of those people. I think she's bubbly, witty and charming though far too skinny. Anyway, she's the topic of a new online game so geek girls everywhere read on!

Attention handbag lovers ... want to get your fashion fix without spending a dime? Starting April 14, Electrolux, Europe's leading premium appliance brand, is inviting women everywhere to play "Kelly's Bags," a fun and fast-paced on-line game where Kelly Ripa's collection of designer handbags is the key to winning a new collection of designer kitchen appliances from Electrolux. Those who register to play will also be supporting The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, a cause that's important to Ripa and women everywhere.

The game runs through May 18 at electroluxappliances.com. Tapping into women's penchant for up-to-the minute style, "Kelly's Bags" is a first-of-its-kind virtual scavenger hunt where dozens of bags from Kelly Ripa's private collection have been hidden all over the Internet. Players get clues, find the bags and build a virtual collection. Then, they use their personal fashion sense to tell Kelly which bag she should take along to specific events (e.g., parties, premieres and more). Make the right match and players score points. Plus, just for registering and "putting a bag in play," players are automatically entered to win one of 10 suites of premium kitchen appliances from Electrolux.

Check it out >>

Oh and also I received a release about this awesome site for parents. BabyChapters.com today announced general availability of BabyChapters(TM) Online Baby Book. This free, easy- to-use service enables parents to create an online baby book. Parents can store their baby's precious moments and share them privately with family and friends. BabyChapters(TM) also includes an option to have your content professionally produced into a high-quality paper book. I'm not sure how long something like this will be free because it just seems like it would be a fantastic money maker. Maybe they are counting on the people who will want their online book turned into a tangible copy. Either way it's pretty cool. =o)

Saturday Rules of Thumb

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:56:00 +0000

BUYING A TABLE

A rectangular table is most efficient but a round table is more friendly. On the other hand, round tables take up more space and their linens are more costly.

INCLINE OF STAIRS

For commercial buildings in the United States, assume the slope of stairs to be an incline of 32 degrees or slightly less.

WINNING AT BLACKJACK

When you're playing blackjack, assume that any unseen card is an 8.

Find more here >>

Siteseeing in New York and win a GPS

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:14:00 +0000

My memory fails me sometimes, okay a lot of times, but there are certain things which remain vividly filed. When I was in middle school I played the flute and the band went on a school trip to Canada. Sure Canada is fine, but it was out stay in New York which I remember most.

Walking down 5th Avenue and checking out the stores was great. In fact, the stores on the off streets were even better! This was the first time I ever met Rainbow. Yep. The Rainbow in New York is a two story shop filled with funky and vintage clothes all priced under $20. I am sure you can imagine how a pre-teen girl could have fallen in love with such a place.

The biggest and fondest memory however was when we saw The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I remember seeing it on the itinerary and thinking it would be a complete bore. Why in the world would a group of twelve year old kids want to see something like that? Looking back I don't think any of us had ever been so enthralled. The show was amazing. I can still hear the music in my memory. I can see the shadows bouncing off the walls in the room.

And of course we made time to see Niagara Falls, in fact, we took our instruments off the bus and played for a bit.

I wish we had time to stay longer and could even have had an official tour. I have been looking up tour options because I would love to plan a family trip there soon so Braeden can see it all as a child. He loves to take pictures and what better way for a child to get greats shots than on sightseeing tours.

Trusted Tours and Attractions offers discounted tickets to the best sightseeing tours in 23 cities across America. And right now they are hosting an opportunity to win a handheld GPS system by signing up for their newsletter. Me being directionally challenged could definitely benefit from that little promotion which is why I'm now getting the newsletter. =o) And that is also why I now know Things to do in Las Vegas if ever I plan on going there.

Snap My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:10:00 +0000

SnapMyLife.com, a mobile social media site where people can instantly share photos taken with a camera phone, was launched today by Mobicious, Inc.

The site is made for viewing directly on cell phones and allows anybody with a camera phone to snap and share photos instantly with friends. It allows the option for instant alerts when there's new friend activity just like any other social network. It is kind of like Flickr and Twitter combined and there is a web interface, but the whole point of this application is for you to use it while on the go and not while sitting at your desktop in the office.

Except if you decide to do this you end up having to pay for text and/or data messages with your cell phone provider and I know it's not cheap. I recently completely shut off that feature on my phone because I am trying to save money and $10 adds up quickly when times are tough.

I do like the concept and I bet there are a million teenagers out there taking pictures with their phones and sending them to each other as I sit here and type this so more power to 'em.

Disable flash for faster load

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Simple Help is a site which does exactly what it says; it simply helps.

Today they have a post about Toggle Flash which is a free application that allows you to enable and disable Flash with the click of a button.

There are two reasons why this is a great tool. One being you can stop flash loading on a page whenever you feel the need. So if you go somewhere and are immediately faced with an oh-so-slow preloader you can stop it and get on with the rest of your information hunt.

Secondly, in testing sometimes it is nice to be able to easily test how your new web page will work in a setting where Flash in disabled. Especially if you are using a Flash navigation menu. You'll be able to see exactly what that user would see.

Makes sense, right?

Why? Just, why?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:49:00 +0000

New cell phones are a dime a dozen. They all take pictures, play music, record video, and well ya know, allow you to talk to someone as is their original purpose.

However, this one also can store cigarettes. Just in case you wanted everything you own to smell like your habit and further publically display that you are foolish enough to light a cancer stick and take years of your life...

Anyway here is a cell phone/cigarette box for you stupid geeks...