This week on popSiren, I got the chance to combine my two loves together–snow and technology. It was a great opportunity for me to check out some great products that I could definitely use on the slopes.
If you have any questions about any of the gear that isn’t answered by our show notes, comment below and I will get back to you—promise!
Hey Tekzillaites!
In this episode of Tekzilla, Tech guru Patrick Norton baptized me into Nerdom: I can proudly say that I now know how to build a PC!
This project has been something that I have been passionate about attempting for a while. My ultimate dream is to build a bad ass gaming PC– building a basic $500 is definitely a step in the right direction. The biggest thing to get over is that you gotta use force. Not quite the Force, but a PC builder shouldn’t be afraid of using a bit of muscle when snapping all the components into place. That was my biggest struggle [knowing that everything won’t break, and requires you to push it good!].
Check it out!
:) your “Stage 3 Nerd,” Nt
I am pretty proud to say that this Black Friday, I picked up a load of brand new toys. As I was growing to be rapidly disenchanted by the amount of sold out items online on Thanksgiving, I realized that I would have to go into guerrilla attack mode if I wanted to get anything the following day. The original plan was to wake up at an ungodly hour to get to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. to acquire everything I needed. I hit snooze on that idea, and was lucky enough to still pick up mostly everything I wanted.
Here’s what I got, with anecdotes.
Gaming
GPS
For most tech-heads, Christmas usually comes a little early. That’s right–while the rest of your family is polishing up the last bits of turkey and crans’, you are at the laptop looking up steals.
I follow this same ritual almost every year, yet I never really make any huge purchases. This year, that all changes!
For once, I actually have a lot of tech that I need to acquire. Ya, that’s right need. For starters, I need to buy my parents an inexpensive digital camera [for traveling], as well as a camcorder. I used to think that I would hold-out to see whether HD or DVD cams would come out on top, however, I feel that neither did. I basically think that when it comes to a video camera that is going to be used chiefly for home videos, Mini DV is the way to go. I’ve used Panasonic and JVC in the past, but have had the best experience with Sony.
I also need a kick-ass pair of headphones for the job. I know Patrick did a whole segment on inexpensive headphones, and I am thinking of finding some Sennheisers. I like Grado Labs as they give me the “purchasing from mom n’ pop” feel, but the pair I have seem to leak out a lot of noise when I use them. I highly doubt that Sarah and Heather are interested in hearing me edit, thus making Grado’s unsuitable for the work environment. I also am looking into an external hard drive, always love collecting USB flash drives, and may pick up a snazzy new backpack.
I am already planning my Modus Operandi as efficiently as possible, and have found great use of this link, sent to me by Patrick Norton. I’ll also be checking out FatWallet, GottaDeal, and BFads.net. Also, If you aren’t out shopping already, check out this weeks Tekzilla for more Black Friday tips.
Tivo and most DVR technologies have been around for many years, but I have yet to indulge in this functional piece of equipment.
This is a big admission considering that I am relatively tech savvy and do fancy gizmos. I really don’t mind spending a good amount of cash when it comes to gadgetry, and know that DVRs plus the service isn’t that much more then I currently pay for cable. But now, I’m questioning whether or not to take the leap…
First off, to get a DVR, it seems that you have to have digital cable. Believe it or not, I don’t even have that. My family and I have had the same cable service for years now and have never really felt the need to upgrade. My father still records his weekend cultural programs on VHS, and I continue to rush home to watch a number of programs. We have had no problem living in the dark ages of television thus far.
In the busy lives that we all lead, I still think it’s fun to have a show to look forward to and not on demand.
While I was out for tea this last weekend, a friend of mine asked me if I had a Friendster account. Ah Friendster, the poor predecessor of Myspace and Facebook that got left in the dust. The site boasts of having “over 50 million profiles,” which is not much compared to Tom on Myspace’s 203 million friends. No offense to Tom, but not even everyone is his friend [some people choose to delete him…I’ve been nice and kept the fellow Cal alum]. After opening their doors to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet, I am sure that Facebook has a sizable community as well. For some reason, I think that Friendster might be doing okay overseas, but is really tanking in the States. Even their dorky Jansport backpack backgrounds can’t save them now.
Why all the bitter blood over Friendster, you ask? Well here’s a little story on my recent user experience. I logged on after approximately 3 months to add my aforementioned chai-going pal. I had a number of changes to make as I realized that most of my pictures were outdated, my favorite tastes had changed, and my “about me” section sounded uber-dorky. I also saw that they had swiped the personalized URL idea from Myspace, and the “It’s complicated” relationship status from Facebook. Way to go, wannabe copycats. I submitted my fancy URL like 4 times, and it kept leading back to my old page without the modifications.
After that, I decided to edit the text and photos. After making my grand total of photos on the site a lucky number 13, I was told that I could post 980+ more photos of myself. Do the internets really need like 1,000 pictures of me being a total dumbass? I think not, thus making this an unnecessary feature. Revising the photos and amending the text took several attempts, despite the “changes successful” message that I received after every update. In addition, I checked out their media section with videos from You Tube, and presumably, music. I eventually gave up because of the lack of direction on how to insert a different video on the profile page, or embed a music player. The only item that was really easy to update was the new “Featured friends” section. Think of it as the “Top 8″ on Myspace, but a tad less seamless. Finally, I tried to alter the background to something more me, which for some reason didn’t stick. Most likely because it was an indirect message–Friendster is so NOT me anymore.
Usually when one thinks of the word “shiny”, positive thoughts come to mind. A shiny car, a shiny new penny, and the rad indie-punk band, Shiny Toy Guns. The word and aforementioned things are nice, but there are a few situations where we shouldn’t all shine on; noses, bald heads, and finally, laptop/desktop LCD screens.
The good news is that shiny noses and heads can be dabbed down with powder foundation. The bad news: the treatment for an LCD screen is not as simple. While visiting my Uncle up north, I was wowed by his new HP widescreen laptop for its multimedia displays [via Windows Vista], along with sleek design. I was not, however, impressed by the uber shiny screen.
Pownce recently rolled out some new features, taking the next step into social-network file and information sharing.
With personal experience, I have found that many of my messages get buried. There have been a number of times where I have received private pings and have no clue. I only come to discover them if I am, A. re-pinged; or B. I go Pownce raking [look through the last few pages when I have some time to spare]. The updated Preference tab attempts to address this issue. Basically, you can set filters so you can view replies to your posts or private to you. The only problem is that you have to go into the Preferences page every time you want to switch from filter to filter. I would prefer some differentiating color/text font coding or tab option instead.
In addition, Pownce is making sure that I never miss a clam bake again. The events are now singled out in the top right column, making it easier to view events posted by others. Broadening the social network from Pownce has also been simplified. Links to your Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin, and even Twitter [to name a few] pages now appear on the left column for all your fellow Powncers to stalk…ahem…”check out.”
I have been the proud owner of a Blackberry Pearl for a few months now. I love the lustrous design, and my fingers have even become accustomed to the teeny tiny qwerty keyboard.
Despite it’s user friendly interface and mad organization skills, the Blackberry folks really missed a beat with one minute detail. A singular piece of metal which has made this Pearl user want to chuck it out the window. It is nothing more than the flimsy sim card clip.
You would think a phone that cost a couple hundred dollars would be made with quality materials. So far, my buttons have not faded despite abundant texting, plus the color-vivid screen has minimal wear and tear. The battery life is commendable for a smart phone, and the edge feature is top notch. But why couldn’t they invest some time and effort in something as simple as a sim card clip?
At least one to two times a day, I get an error message on my Pearl. In the corner, there is a red “SOS” and a message that I can only make emergency calls as I have a sim card error. Seeing as how my parents and friends are not local 911 dispatchers, this poses a problem. I then have to shut my phone off, or do a hard reset.
Finding a laptop bag is not meant to be hard; there are more obscure pieces of technology that take an entire scavenger hunt to locate. Take for example, my laptop keyboard’s control button. That puppy popped off and I thought I would never hear the happy tap of my “Ctrl” button again. But, thanks to some friendly powncers, I acquired a new one on eBay.
As I have discovered in the past few days in Seattle, finding a case which holds a fresh flashy laptop can be difficult. My uncle has a spanking new 17″ widescreen HP which requires a bag that can protect a laptop of that size, preferably with wheels, lightweight, and under $50. I looked at online retailers, as well as on foot at Fry’s, Circuit City and Office Depot. A few bad salesmen later, no luck.
The search finally ended at Best Buy. I found a lightweight Targus messenger bag for $25.99, on sale for half price. The compartment for the laptop has a good amount of padding, though the shoulder strap could use a little more. The bag also features an accessory organizer and cell phone case. No wheels, but it’s still not a bad buy for 25 bucks!
Big screen laptops are here to stay. I think it’s time that bag makers get with it and provide more wide-load friendly gear with a smaller price tag.
