11.29.2006

Mac OS X is not Bulletproof

No one is above vulnerabilities when it comes to operating systems. Mac OS X has proven that.

"Of the twenty two vulnerabilities fixed by the updated --which is labeled Security Update 2006-007 -- twelve are related to flaws that could lead to arbitrary code execution."
- AppleInsider

[via Digg]

Anshe Chung - Virtual Millionaire

Anshe Chung is a virtual millionaire in the game Second Life. She is a virtual real estate developer.

"Unlike other online worlds, Second Life has no monthly subscriptions– instead, if you want to own virtual land for a home, a business, or other project, you pay Linden a monthly land use fee, based on the amount of acreage in your account (from $5/month up). For the most ambitious subscribers, Linden also sells private islands of 16 acres each, which they can buy outright from the company for about $1600, while paying a monthly land use “maintenence” fee of several hundred dollars. (Each island is actually a single server; in fact, think of Second Life land as analogous to renting out server space for a website or file storage or whatever– it’s just that in SL, the data is represented in 3D.)"
- Gizmodo

[via Gigaom]

Spy vs. Spy Wannabe

Ever wanted to go undercover or play spy? An @CIA.com email address at CIA.com will help you achieve this fantasy.

[via Digg]

Premium Mobile Device Accessories

Gomadic is a mobile device accessory site with about any accessory you can think of for PDAs, mobile phones, iPods, etc.

"High quality, convenient and upgradeable accessories to hold, connect, power and protect your mobile device. Lifetime warranty and satisfaction guaranteed."
- Gomadic

[via GearDiary]

11.28.2006

iFixit for the iPod, iNano, iMac or iWhatever

So your Apple product is broken and you know it's not covered under warranty, what do you do? Well, iFixit has all of the parts and manuals to help you DIY repair for iProducts.

[via CrunchGear]

Presto, Email for the Elderly

Presto is a service that will allow you to email or send photos to a special HP printer attached to a telephone line. It's kinda like a fax, but not really. I would love to get this for my Grandma.

"How Presto Works
After signing up for the Presto Service, simply plug the HP Printing Mailbox into an existing phone line and AC power outlet, and you’re ready to go. No new phone line required.
Step 1. Family and friends send email and digital photos like they usually do from their computers and mobile phones.
Step 2. The Presto Service converts these messages into beautiful, ready-to-print layouts from the HP Printing Mailbox.
Step 3. The HP Printing Mailbox automatically prints messages when you want, on your schedule—several times a day."
- Presto

[via TechCrunch]

Photo Stamps

Create stamps with your own photos. Stamps.com make this to be a reality.

[via CoolTools]

Cables are an Unavoidable Expense

When buying high-end electronics or computer hardware, the devil is in the cables. You can research best prices for these electronic components, but cables are always the expensive part of the purchase. MonoPrice gives us a chance to shop for generic cables at a reasonable price.

[via Dethroner]

Coffee at an Acceptable Temperature

Brugo is a coffee mug that helps regulate the temperature of your coffee. You will have a steady temperature of coffee instead of going from scolding hot to warm to cold. Life is good with coffee. ;-)

[via Digg]

TV and Video Entertainment

How do you watch video entertainment? Do you watch standard TV, Internet TV, online videos or video-on-demand? Nowadays if I miss an episode of Survivor, then I can watch that episode on the Internet. The BBC has a cool article on how standard television viewing is decreasing due to the many options available for video entertainment. TVOver.net has a cool article as well on television and the Internet.

[via SlashDot]

National Wildlife's 35th Photo Competition

Nature is amazing!

"MORE THAN 4,000 images were submitted during the past year to National Wildlife’s 35th annual photo contest. Selected by the editors on the basis of originality and execution, the winners appear here."
- National Wildlife Federation

[via Digg]

11.27.2006

Give a Germaphobe a Hand

Have you ever had to stop and use the bathroom at a truck stop? If you have, then you know what peace of mind can be achieved from the Handler.

"The handler not only keeps germs off your hands, it keeps germs off itself. The handler is made with Nano Silvers that instantly kill the most common types of germs that can cause illnesses and infections."
- HandlerUSA

[via Gizmodo]

Hello, Newman!

Not sure how to handle the many facets of email? ITSecurity has 99 tips for email security and productivity.

[via Digg]

The Computer Guy

I love helping friends and/or family fix a computer that is running slow or not at all. I use AdAware, SpyBot S&D, CCleaner and an antivirus and have had no problemos. I also use these products to clean infected computers as well. If these peeps don't want to pay for antivirus software, then I always install either AVG or Avast. I also install the latest and greatest Windows updates as well. When I leave that computer, I have auto-updates running for both Windows and the antivirus. Check out my past blog entries on free spyware removal and antivirus software.

The bottom line is to use common sense when surfing the Internet or reading email. If your operating system and antivirus are up-to-date, then you should be able to keep your computer out of harm's way.

dabombdgd = cl4I3()^^I3cl6cl

cl4I3()^^I3cl6cl is leet or l337 for dabombdgd. As internet chat evolves, the codes such as LOL, LMAO, IMHO, etc. will become normal computer lingo norms. Check out this l337 translator.

"Leet (1337) is a sociolect variety used primarily on the Internet, particularly in online games. The term itself is derived from the word Elite, meaning “better than the rest,” and generally has the same meaning when referring to the hacking skills of another person.

Leet can be defined as the perturbation or modification of written text. For example, the term leet itself is often written l33t, or 1337, and many other variations.[1] Such perturbations are frequently referred to as “Leetspeak."
- Wikipedia

[via Digg]

11.21.2006

Turkey Day and the Perfect Turkey

So when I got my first job out of college, the employer gave a holiday bonus voucher for a 40 lb. turkey. About the same time, a buddy and I cut some birch firewood. I then smoked a 40 lb. turkey for 72 hours. I suggest that no one use birch firewood to smoke anything because it will smell and taste like dung. The next year I used hickory and ALL was good. Choosing a good turkey is important and SoundMoneyTips has some advice for buying that special bird.

[via LifeHacker]

PIMP My Bus or at Least Rent One

To have a mobile LAN party is dabombdgd. Now I just need to find sixteen other geeks peeps to invite.

"What, exactly, is the GamerBUS?
The GamerBUS is a 37 foot customized RV. It's equipped with 16 system-linked video gamer stations, each of which has it's own X-Box 360 and 23 inch HiDef widescreen TV. The GamerBUS is essentially a mobile Local Area Network."
- GamerBus

[via Gizmodo]

Are You a Regifter?

So I got a gift and I want to regift it. Well ReGiftable.com has made my regift dream possible.

"Is the gift regiftable? Never regift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Signed books and monogrammed items are off-limits. Do you have to be told not to regift free promotional items? Some gifts that are good candidates for regifting include good (unopened!) bottles of wine, new household items and inexpensive jewelry. "
- ReGiftable.com

[via LifeHacker]

Organize that Collection in the Flic of an Eye

Have a book, cd or dvd collection that would makea library jealous? Well the Flic scanner and software will allow you to create, index and sort your collection with ease.

[via Gizmodo]

11.20.2006

Crayon Sculptures

Deim Chau has carved crayon figurines. The detail is pretty intense. There is even a sculpture in the lead of a pencil.

[via Make Magazine]

Cooking Thesaurus

The Cook's Thesaurus can help amateur cook's with ingredients and kitchen tools.

"Use this simple website to to find substitutes for cooking ingredients. Say a recipe calls for buckwheat flour, which you most likely don't have on hand; what do you use? Type in the term and presto, the links take you to an entry which will suggest alternatives."
- CoolTools

[via CoolTools]

Da New Style Nursery Rhyme from an Old School Rap

A Horse Named Paul Revere, a children's book by The Beastie Boys is out for your viewing pleasure. The Flickr slide show of the book.

[via Digg]

Oh Snap!

A search engine with a preview of a result page is a snap with Snap.com. Snap to it and git-er-done.

"...it gives a large preview screen of every search result. The idea is that users can save time by seeing the site before they click to it."
- TechCrunch

[via TechCrunch]

What Do You Get for the Person Who has Everything

The TechZone has some high end gift ideas if you just HAVE to get someone, who has everything, something for the holidays. TechZone also has The Ultimate Techie Christmas Gift Guide and The Under $100 Christmas Gift Guide For Techies to help a broader audience with holiday shopping.

[via Digg]

11.18.2006

Beer Goggles = Fatal Attraction

How many times have you heard or said that a not so attractive woman or man looked better after downing a few beers aka BEER GOGGLES? Well this site will allow you to really mean it...LMAO.

"Made by reusing empty beer bottles, these goggles are a playful take on eyewear. Pick out your favorite beer, or even make the selection based upon and interesting glass (think Delirium), then either drink it down or send it to me and I'll take care of it, and the construction of Beer Goggles will begin. Then I will fit any prescription or tint of lenses into the frames and they will be ready to wear out to your local pub."
- UrbanSpectacles

[via Make Magazine]

11.17.2006

/* Weekly Twisted Recap */

GOW and school are still affecting my blogging, so bare with me. ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GTD for Snowboarding Trip

Getting to Done (GTD) for my 2006-2007 snowboard trip is going to be interesting this year. I am planning a trip and plan on having some gadgets and utilizing online services to make life easier. I will update as I find and use more gear and online services.

Gadgets/Gear:

Online Services:

11.16.2006

Toys for Rich Kids

What are the rich kids getting for XMAS? CNN Money has a list of the top 10 spoiled kid toys.

[via Digg]

Black Friday Ads

Dealspl.us as quite a few items being listed for sale on Black Friday. Check out BlackFriday.info as well.

[via Digg]

Croque-madame

Croque-madame is a ham, egg and cheese with a little bit of quail egg per bite. This looks sooo freakin good. I am seriously going to try and make this before the year end. Dethroner comes across some crazy arse recipes, but I like them...I like them a lot. Turducken is still on my list TODO as well.

[via Dethroner]

11.15.2006

Security from A to Z

Antivirus, Botnets, CMA to Zero-day...Silicon.com has links for security issues ranging from A to Z.

"Security is by its nature ever-evolving. Just as one threat is apparently locked down, another springs up to take its place - or an old one rears its head in a new form. Grappling with this malicious hydra it's no wonder the security space spawns new terms and phrases at a rate of knots - and you're supposed to keep up with them all."
- Silicon.com

[via Slashdot]

Mo Monitors Better?

I use multiple monitors at work and at home. I don't know how I ever got by with just a single monitor. I would love three monitors, but frugal living is not achieved through this means of computing. TechARP has a cool article on multiple monitors and why or why not you should use them.

[via Digg]

11.14.2006

The ThumbAround Normal

Pen tricks are cool. Pentrix has instructional videos on howto achieve this coolness with instructional videos on howto do the ThumbAround Normal, the Sonic Normal or the FingerPass Normal.

"The mission of Pentix (and Pentrix as well) is to teach people how to spin their pens."
- Pentrix

[via Digg]

11.13.2006

Fitness Myths

Sometimes what we think is common knowledge about a subject can actually be just the opposite. Some of the myths or lies that Raphael Calzadilla discusses in the article, EXPOSED! The Top 10 Fitness Lies, address some common lies about fitness.

[via Digg]

11.12.2006

Customer Service - Good and Bad

Who is is the top 10 for good or bad customer service? The CRMLowdown gives some insight into who is doing well and who isn't in the realm of customer service.

"...we have sifted through customer surveys and studies as well as some real-life experiences of customers, to come up with a list of the 10 best and the 10 worst companies for customer service."
- CRMLowdown

[via Digg]

11.10.2006

/* Weekly Twisted Recap */

As you may or may not know, Gears of War (GOW) was released earlier this week. With GOW and school, I am kinda light on the blog posts this week. Such is life. ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

Make the Most of a Night Out at the Movies

LifeHacker has a good article on how to maximize your movie viewing experience. It talks about getting tickets early to post movie follow up.

USB Bootable Windows XP

I would love to be able to carry around my PC on a bootable USB drive. With the size of USB drives getting bigger and cheaper, then this option is even more plausible.

[via DownloadSquad]

Movies & TV Shows on the XBOX 360

So if Gears of War doesn't bring you over to the XBOX 360, then maybe watching downloaded movies and TV shows will.

"On November 6, Microsoft Corp. announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of more than 1,000 hours of hit television shows and movies to Xbox 360™ consoles in the U.S. by the end of the year. Additionally, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and HD TV shows and movies to the customer via digital distribution over the Internet."
- XBOXLive

[via DownloadSquad]

ZoneAlarm and Routers

I use ZoneAlarm Pro and have been very satisfied with it over the years. I am very tempted to take the router security to another level with ZoneAlarm's Secure Wireless Router Z100G.

"This solution starts with a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall technology that dynamically filters packets of information all the way down to the most deeply embedded data high-level filters miss. By integrating Web filtering/parental controls, anti-spam, and monthly security reports with secure remote access to your network devices, the ZoneAlarm Secure Wireless Router Z100G provides the definitive and comprehensive security solution."
- ZoneAlarm

[via Engadget]

11.09.2006

OMG, GOW is DABOMBDGD!

If this game doesn't convince you of how great the XBOX360 is, then you should just buy a playstation3, a Mac and a tshirt that says I am a HATER. Sorry if this is too harsh and that my blogging is suffering, but this games rocks!










IGN ranked it a 9.4 out of 10.

1UP ranked it a 9.6 out of 10.

c|net ranked it a 9.6 out of 10.

GameSpot ranked it a 9.6 out of 10.

Yahoo! Games ranked it a 4.5 out of 5.

Amazon Reviews ranked it a 5 out of 5.

11.08.2006

Window XP's Secret Users

Want a user within Windows XP that isn't accessible from the XP login screen? IntelliAdmin has the hack from way back to achieve this nice little security feat.

[via Digg]

5 Deadly Sins of Blogging

So I am only breaking one of the 5 deadly blog sins, which is to not use a template blog layout. Well I suck at CSS and haven't had the time to do anything about it.

[via Digg]

Homemade Gatorade

Learn howto make your own energy drink. Yaniverse has a home grown recipe.

[via LifeHacker]

Live Miniature XMAS Tree

Magic Growing Christmas Tree is a "chia pet" type XMAS tree for the office.

"These winter wonders are the latest in zero maintenance festive trimmings, you just add the magic water then stand back and watch like a rabbit in the headlights as the tree expands from nothing into a flurry of furry fluffiness. Your tree will grow, like its been fed a mountain of Miracle grow, into a miraculous display of foliage."
- CrazyAboutGadgets

[via CrunchGear]

Shopping Online

XMAS shopping is soon upon us. For the past 7 years I have shooped online for a majority of the presents. It is hassle free and they usually gift wrap. PCWorld has an article about online shopping without the hassles.

[via LifeHacker]

11.07.2006

Season Shot Just Makes Sense

It's time to get ready for Thanksgiving, so what to do about a turkey. Well if you are hunting for one, then seasonshot is the way to go. Shoot, season and cook...It's just that easy. ;-)

[via Digg]

Smart Gadget Charger

With all of the gadgets that most people carry around, the number of chargers is getting a little ridiculous. The SynCh hopes to simplify the issue.

[via Gizmodo]

11.06.2006

Keep the Mold Out of the Water Bottle

HealthBolt has a quick and easy tip on howto avoid mold in a water bottle.

[via LifeHacker]