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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

RIP Geocities

'Tis a sad day, indeed... I'm not sure that I'll miss the egregious use of flashing text that was the trademark of Geocities sites, but it is definitely the end of an era.. RIP, Geocities..

GeoCities (1995-2009) is finally put out of our misery


Sunday, October 11, 2009

U.S. Mint Online Product Catalog

U.S. Mint Online Product Catalog"Due to the continued, sustained demand for American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins, 2009-dated American Eagle Silver Proof Coins will not be produced."

Monday, July 13, 2009

Microsoft Office 2010 Web Apps to be Free; Testing Starts Today - Microsoft Office - Gizmodo

Microsoft Office 2010 Web Apps to be Free; Testing Starts Today - Microsoft Office - Gizmodo
I can hear the screaming Office fans now... AHHH ! another version?!! And it's FREE now?? I can't wait for the latest release of some of Office 2007's most useless applications, like Microsoft OneNote - what is that anyway?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Chevy Cobalt.. Why I hate thee....

You know, I don't say that I "hate" many thing.. But the sight of my rental car today, the much coveted Chevrolet Cobalt elicited just such a reaction.  It gave me the urge to create a list of things that are tragically wrong with this car and why it's reflection on GM is dire, to say the least..

  1. This car is ugly.  Not just "a face only a mother could love" ugly, but "hit so many times with ugly stick that they broke the stick" ugly.  If I were a line worker for GM and was asked to build this car, I think I would quit. Every ounce of pride I would have in my work would cease at the site of this thing.
  2. The car is unsafe.  The side view mirrors are not only hideously ugly, but they also do an excellent job of helping you see as little as possible behind the vehicle.  Always nice when you are on I-95 and need to change 3 lanes at a time. This thing has a blindspot the size of a city bus and these mirrors do an amazingly good job of making sure that you'll hit something if your don't do a shoulder check.
  3. The engine has less pickup than my lawn mower.  Seriously, cranking cars manually went out with the Model-A. I realize that the idea was good fuel economy, but I've seen lawn equipment with more torque.
  4. Did I mention that it bares a striking resemblance to the south end of a northbound mule?
I'm sure I could go on and on, but that is enough for the moment.. I realize that GM felt the need to compete with the likes of the Civic and Corolla, but if this was the best they could do, it does not bode well for this company.  Honestly, if bankruptcy is the worst punishment we have for an abomination like this, then the grand experiment that is capitalism has failed. Miserably..

</gripe>

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Hey SRC Members!!! Where have you been?!!

OK, I know everyone is busy with getting married and such, but I feel like I am blogging with myself! Does anyone have anything interesting to share with me? Is anybody reading my posts? Let me know that I am still loved, please!

Buy Silver Bullion | Chinese Pandas (2008 & Prior)

Buy Silver Bullion | Chinese Pandas (2008 & Prior)
Chris, I forgot if I ever sent you this link... I bought my 2009 silver Chinese Pandas from this link, and also one each from 2001 through 2008 from here: http://www.goldeneaglecoin.com/Silver/Silver_Chinese_Pandas

Monday, April 27, 2009

FastStone Image Viewer, Screen Capture, Photo Resizer ...

FastStone Image Viewer, Screen Capture, Photo Resizer ...
You guys should check out FastStone - it's my photo resizer and renamer of choice. Free, powerful, and simple - did I mention free?

Gizmodo - IBM Prepping 'Watson' Computer to Compete on Jeopardy! - supercomputers

Gizmodo - IBM Prepping 'Watson' Computer to Compete on Jeopardy! - supercomputers
IBM had a choice - either design a supercomputer to stop Global Warming -OR- a supercomputer to play the game show Jeopardy! It went with the game show.

Gizmodo - ContourHD Films Your Extreme Escapades In HD - Countourhd

Gizmodo - ContourHD Films Your Extreme Escapades In HD - Countourhd
Here is the next evolution of Facebook and personal blogs - strap a camera to your head and stream your life to the web. Anyone who wants to live life through your eyes can actually do so. That concept is a little freaky, but I guarantee there is someone out there who will do it or is already doing so!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Red2Blu - Upgrade Your Warner Bros. HD-DVDs for New Blu-Ray Discs - Product Listing

Red2Blu - Upgrade Your Warner Bros. HD-DVDs for New Blu-Ray Discs - Product Listing
And here I was just collecting my HD-DVDs are artifacts for the Smithsonian! I'm mailing the cover art in - I can't wait to have a new set of unopened, shrink-wrapped movies for Sandra to yell at me about!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

Palladium Bars - Golden Eagle Coins

Palladium Bars - Golden Eagle Coins
Daus, I've bought from these guys and they are very good. Palladium 1oz and 10oz bars are in stock.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Monster "HDMI Difference" scam still kickin' in Fry's Electronics

Monster "HDMI Difference" scam still kickin' in Fry's Electronics
Did I ever tell you guys that I hate to be upsold a Monster brand cable? I suppose the speed of light travels faster on this particular model!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Contact List of orthopedics surgeons and 34 more specialties

Licensed Medical Doctors in the United States

788,917 in total <> 17,139 emails

Many different medical specialties

Sort by over a dozen different fields

Cost just slashed - $397


!!!!!!! IF YOU ORDER THIS WEEK YOU GET THESE AS A BO NUS !!!!!!!

==> Contact List of American Pharma Companies
Names and email addresses of 47,000 employees in high-ranking positions

==> American Hospital Database
23,000 Admins in more than 7,000 hospitals {a $399 value]

==> American Dentists
A complete Directory or dentists and related services (valued at $399)

==> Directory of US Chiropractors
100,000 Chiropractors in the USA (worth $250 alone)

Email us at: Childers@thebestdatamed.com

this offer is only valid until March 06 09


to get off please email xyz@thebestdatamed.com

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Kindle for iPhone!

This might be the best app for the iPhone/iPod Touch in a while.. I want a Kindle, but not really because of the Kindle.. I want the content delivery method.. I'm going to play with this today and see if it is what I think it is.. If so, this will rock.. Full issue of the WSJ on my iPod? Oh yeah..

Amazon's Kindle for iPhone hits the App Store


Monday, March 2, 2009

YouTube - Sony Releases Stupid Piece of $#%!

YouTube - Sony Releases Stupid Piece of $#%!
Man, I can't wait to buy one of these!! 800GB version of this stupid piece of $#%! is do out by the end of the year. I was sold with the billboards.

$3.1 Million Dollar Gold Coin

The current gold value of this coin alone is over 3.1 million dollars... I'm buying five of them.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Digital Short: Doogie Howser Theme

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Digital Short: Doogie Howser Theme
This was so funny, on SNL last night. Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser!) hosted... check out his dream sequence trip down Doogie Howser lane... wait for it at the end.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Obama Proposes $3 Trillion-Plus Budget | Page 2 of 2 | Bonds/Economy

Obama Proposes $3 Trillion-Plus Budget | Page 2 of 2 | Bonds/Economy | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com
One thing that has always been clear to me without a doubt... you can find supporting material for whatever you believe out on the web. Anything. Search hard enough and you can convince yourself about anything. At some point, you have to take all of these so-called expert's opinions and make an educated guess for yourself. Until we have time machines, nobody can predict the future with absolute certainty. Any expert who says, "this is how it will be", is probably writing from his 1-bedroom apartment in the Bronx, eating out of a box of Cheerios for lunch. Where were all of the experts when the Market crashed back in late 2008? They were on the unemployment line, probably giving advice to each other. I joked about doing the opposite about what I say to do (financially speaking!). But there is something to be said about doing whatever is unpopular. I think it's Warren Buffett (another over-hyped guru who got lucky) who said, "buy sweaters in the summer, and shorts in the winter." Or something like that. I am going to buy ice, as global warming is coming!

Moneynews - Cramer: Buy Gold As A Hedge Against Obama

Moneynews - Cramer: Buy Gold As A Hedge Against Obama

Thursday, February 26, 2009

American Buffalo 24-K Gold Coin Program

American Buffalo 24-K Gold Coin Program
Daus, I gotta say that I like the American Buffalo 24k coins a lot!!! They are .999 24k, whereas the Eagles are .90%, which really ticks me off. These Buffalos are really expensive now and sell for significantly over Spot, but if Gold really does tank to $700/oz, it'll be time to buy some BUFFALO!!!!!

$500 for 5 cents???

2005 D WESTWARD JOURNEY NICKEL for ONLY $500!!
One thing I know for sure... Gold and Silver will always be worth more than an encapsulated 2005 nickel... funny part about this auction is that the nickel is grade Mint State 64, which is pretty awful... you probably have three of these in your pocket in better condition. These are rare in the sense that the Denver mint did not make many of these, whereas the Philadelphia mint pumped out millions. But I think there needs to be a distinction between a collectible that's rare, versus a collectible which actually has value and is desirable by the many, not by just some nickel-saving weirdo. Thoughts?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Biometric Lock

OK, so over the weekend, I changed the locks of my house. A couple of reasons why. First, my garage door was broken and I was actually going in and out of the house through the front door more. Second, I needed to beef up the security of my door....more on that.

So what did I do? I went for full biometrics on my front door and door in the garage! Let me tell you, this system is great! Imagine not having to fumble for keys anymore, you swipe your finger and the door opens for you based on your fingerprint. It is very secure from what I have read, plus you can use a key as a backup. I changed three locks but have only one key for all three. The reason is because you can re-key all of the locks. BTW, the locks are Kwikset with the "Smartkey" function.

So the other reason? One word..."BUMPKEY". Yes, I reported about this threat earlier. Search on youtube, you will be shocked. Kwikset has bumpkey protection and seem to be the only people in Home Depot or Lowes that have it.

I added a metal door stiffener to deadbolt and also beefed up the metal latch that the deadbolt slides into. Its a $4.00 part at home depot for a part that has 4 screws. Look at your door, you will see that it has only TWO screws to hold the door in. Again, youtube searches will show how burgluries take place, by kicking in the door or using a crowbar. Those doors with two screws on the latch are easily kicked in.

I remember in back episodes of "It takes a thief" that you always want to lock the door leading to your garage as the garage door is pretty easy to break into. I also installed a deadbolt that locks on both sides for entrance into the backyard from my garage. That way if someone got into the garage, they can't get into the backyard without trying really hard before that trying to break through the sliding glass window in the backyard.

Anyway, nothing is foolproof, but slowing down the time for someone to break in can make a difference.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Contact List of orthopedics surgeons etc..

Fully Licensed MDs in America

788,917 in total <> 17,525 emails

Featuring coverage for more than 30 specialties like Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Opthalmology, Anesthesiologists, Cardiologists and more

16 different sortable fields

Now priced at: $394


~~~~~ ITEMS BELOW ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEAL AT NO EXTRA COST ~~~~~

-> US Pharmaceutical Company Executives List
47,000 personal emails and names of decision makers

-> Listing of US Hospitals
23,000 Admins in more than 7,000 hospitals {a $399 value]

-> Complete and Accurate Listing for Dental Service Providers
A complete List or dentists and related services (valued at $399)

-> American Chiropractors Database
100k Chiropractors offices with full contact data including email, postal address, phone and fax

email to: Blackburn@qualitymedlists.com

valid thru February 20


Send email to nomail@qualitymedlists.com to ensure no further communication

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Money Bank and the Federal Reserve...finally a explaination!!!

I FINALLY found a video that details the real reason why we are in this economic mess. After 6 books on the subject, my head has been dizzy. This video does a GREAT job explaining the real cuase of the economic mess.....the federal reserve!

http://silverbearcafe.com/private/mises.html

Of course, you could go for this explaination in the form of a rap music video - F*CK THE FED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYXSbxj4lfc

Pool Video Game becomes reality?

Freakin' sweet... :-)

Games: A Glass Pool Table [via Gizmodo]

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Database of infectious disease specialists etc..

Currently in Practice: Doctors in the United States

788,947 in total <> 17,761 emails

Doctors in many different specialties

Can easily be sorted by 16 different fields

This week's special price = $396


!!!!!!! Get These Fr EE with every order this week !!!!!!!

Pharmaceutical Companies in America
47,000 personal emails and names of decision makers

Hospital Facilities in the USA
Full data for all the major positions in more than 7k facilities

Extensive Listing of Dentists in the USA
597,000 dentists and dental services ( a $350 value!)

Chiropractors in the USA
100k Chiropractors offices with full contact data including email, postal address, phone and fax

send and email to: Massey@listamaze.com

above expires on January 30


to stop this email in future email us at discontinue@listamaze.com

Monday, January 26, 2009

Beware of the bumpkey

Check out this video. It shows how easy it is to break into homes with a universal bumpkey. Kwikset claims to have a device that prevents this, but a quick search finds that even this can be tampered with. Medeco seems to make the best locks. If you have windows near your door handle, you should have a lock that can be locked on both sides.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Fullscreen Gigapan Viewer

Fullscreen Gigapan Viewer: Obama gets sworn in
Pretty darn cool piece of photography! And look Chris, it wasn't taken at a 45-degree angle on purpose!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Confirmed: Obama gets his BlackBerry

Confirmed: Obama gets his BlackBerry
I would've pegged Obama as an iPhone type of guy. I wonder who his close circle of friends is? "Yo Barry, WTF is going on with the economy? -McC. "

Monday, January 19, 2009

Circuit City

Circuit City is closing down
Goodbye, old friend. While it has been years since I actually bought anything in your store, your website treated me very well this past year! Thanks for the website blunders, including my Samsung 24" LCD for $279 and my $1,200 camcorder that I bought for $699. Oh the memories!

2009 1 oz Gold Chinese Panda's - (Sealed)

2009 1 oz Gold Chinese Panda's - (Sealed)
Daus, how much are you paying for the 1oz Gold Eagles? They are $899.45 (per 1oz Gold Eagle coin) on APMEX.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009

MountainMods.com

MountainMods.com
You design the PC case (within reason!), they send you the cut plastic, metal, transparent aluminum (strong enough to hold a Humpback Whale!), etc, and then you have one unique and totally kickass case... for under $400, that's actually not too bad. Maybe my next PC, which I figure I will launch around the same time as Windows 7, will finally be ridonculous enough for Chris's approval.

Flight Status according to USScareways


Flight Status according to USAirways
So if you haven't heard, USAirways flight 1549 has crashed into the Hudson River in New York. According to USAirway's website, the flight is simply delayed from landing in Charlotte, NC. It's scheduled to land at 4:50pm, but because of this unplanned stop in the Hudson, it has now been delayed until 5:16PM.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Buy Silver Bullion | 1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf

Buy Silver Bullion | 1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf
$14.14 per 1oz, not bad at all. This place APMEX has treated me very good, and they seem to have great prices (relative to elsewhere). 20 of these for ~$285.00 is way better than ebay.

Suicide bomber and his 72 Virgins waiting for him in heaven

Only the Family Guy could pull this off...

Monday, January 12, 2009

Silver Eagles (1986 to Date)

Silver Eagles (1986 to Date)
PCGS price guide - all you need!

Paying a High Price for Bad Advice

I think things are changing in the market. Robert talks about increasing your financial IQ to avoid bad investment advice. He is also against diversifying, if you know what you are doing. As mentioned in a Dilbert, "Diversifying is like investing all of your money in diseased livestock. It would be unwise to invest in just one sick cow. But if you aggregate a bunch of them together, the risk goes away. Its called Math. "

Friday, January 9, 2009

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II Processors - Fusing technology with rapid fire

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II Processors - Fusing technology with rapid fire
Chris... here you go!

Pressured by I.R.S., UBS Is Closing Secret Accounts

Published: January 8, 2009

Under pressure from federal authorities, the Swiss bank UBS is closing the hidden offshore accounts of its well-heeled American clients, potentially allowing their secrets to spill into the open.

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In a step that would have once been unthinkable in the rarefied world of Swiss banking, UBS will shut about 19,000 accounts that prosecutors suspect have gone undeclared to the Internal Revenue Service.

UBS will transfer the assets to other banks or other divisions within UBS, or will mail checks directly to the account holders, creating paper trails for federal prosecutors who are examining whether UBS clients used such accounts to evade taxes.

The clients now face stark choices: they can cash their checks, and thereby alert the authorities to any potential wrongdoing, or not cash them, effectively losing their money.

Or they can transfer the money to new banks, a procedure which, in the case of foreign banks, requires depositors of more than $10,000 to report the new account to the Treasury Department.

“You can either take that check and throw it in the woods, or deposit it somewhere and get busted,” said a UBS client, who asked not to be named because of the investigations into UBS and its clients. “There’s nowhere to hide.”

Americans can use offshore accounts, provided they disclose them and pay taxes on their holdings. UBS, the world’s largest private bank, said in July that it would stop offering to American clients offshore private banking services that are not declared to the I.R.S. Prosecutors contend that UBS helped wealthy Americans hide about $18 billion, thereby evading taxes of $300 million each year.

UBS clients who open new accounts at other foreign banks must disclose those accounts’ assets to the Treasury Department.

But because prosecutors claim that some UBS clients failed to make adequate disclosures in the past or lied on their tax returns about holding offshore accounts, the authorities may view the new disclosures as criminal evidence, not just of tax evasion but also of money laundering, a more serious offense.

Some tax lawyers, citing recent conversations with the Justice Department, argue that UBS clients who transfer their assets to new accounts at United States banks could also be seen as engaged in money laundering.

“Any movement of money from UBS somewhere else can be a violation of U.S. money laundering laws,” said Bruce Zagaris, a tax lawyer who represents several UBS clients.

UBS is struggling to maintain its centuries-old tradition of Swiss banking secrecy amid mounting legal pressure from the Justice Department to turn over client records.

It began handing over some records last summer, causing consternation in the Swiss banking community. The checks and transfers will create paper trails because they move through bank clearing systems.

Karina Byrne, a UBS spokeswoman, declined to comment on Thursday on whether UBS would turn over facsimiles of documents recording transfers. “UBS is progressing with the closings in an orderly fashion,” she said.

Some American clients who have approached the I.R.S. about disclosing hidden UBS accounts have discovered that the bank has temporarily delayed closing their accounts by up to three months.

The delay could help the clients because the I.R.S. is more likely to become suspicious if offshore money is moved just as account holders come forward.

William M. Sharp Sr., a tax lawyer who represents several UBS clients, said, “UBS has been very supportive of their American clients who have chosen to undergo disclosure.”

Still, he added that “our view is that if the account is closed and funds are moved to another institution, here or abroad, it could make the case tougher for the clients before the I.R.S., because it could be new violations of money-laundering controls.”

Welcome to Windows 7

Welcome to Windows 7
Are you feeling lucky, punk? If so, download Windows 7 beta!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Amazon.com: 3M Performance Plus 8979N Nuclear Grade 48-Millimeter-by-54.8-Meter Duct Tape, Slate Blue: Home Improvement

Amazon.com: 3M Performance Plus 8979N Nuclear Grade 48-Millimeter-by-54.8-Meter Duct Tape, Slate Blue: Home Improvement
I don't know what's funnier here: the fact that this duct tape is made for nuclear power plants, or that 57% of customers who view this item end up buying a Rubik's Cube? My guess on who the customers are: The Russians!!! Or should I say, the USSR !!!

Obama fighting to keep his Blackberry

You know.. I might not agree with, well, most anything that our new President-elect stands for, but I have to give him credit for sharing my addiction.. I can just hear Charlton Heston's voice coming from the podium now :  "They'll have to pry my Blackberry from my cold, dead hands!!"  :-)

Obama fighting to keep his BlackBerry | BlackBerry Cool

Financial education is key..

So I posted a previous entry about the gold prices perhaps rising in 2009...I admit that it may not be the safe haven that investors are saying should be flocked to against a falling dollar. I think most of the speculators concluded that since the government was going to be printing money, and gold should rise. However, the forces of deflation have caused the price of most commodities to go down...including gold. Furthermore, I've been learning about the Elliott Wave method and gold is set to go down....apparently to the $600-$650 mark.


That being said, if prices are going down in a deflationary period and if we are supposed to see another big crash in March 2009, I gather cash is king??


Daus

Marketwatch's David Callaway believes the real fireworks show is about to start, and he links recovery prospects in large measure to oil values:

"Everybody should have known the holidays would only delay it. The freight train of job cuts, plunging earnings and massive spending cutbacks set to hit the economy was, thankfully, pushed back a few weeks while stunned investors and workers across the globe caught their breath after the worst fourth quarter in decades.

But now the great dying has begun, and I'm not talking about German billionaires throwing themselves in front of trains or French aristocrats slitting their wrists, as alarming as these incidents have been. No, earnings season, the time for companies to 'fess up just how bad it's been for them in the last three months, is here.

A rally since late November in the markets gave hope that equity investors, a forward-looking indicator, may see the bottom for the economy in the first half of this year.

That may still be true, but we still have to get there. And the next few weeks of earnings warnings and then actual earnings, along with outlooks for the next three months, are expected to be littered with bad news. It's not just layoffs and plant closings, which are bad enough on hard-working folks and the surrounding economy. And it's not just bank failures, or collapsing investment banks and hedge funds.

Companies will start going completely out of business, including retail firms, biotech companies, and many, many mom-and-pops out there in everything from auto parts to bars and restaurants. Much of it will be tied to consumers pulling in their horns. They were willing to buy the Christmas tree or the holiday trip to grandma's house. But now that we're in January, getting more exercise is no longer on the top of the annual resolutions list.

Investors won't be safe either, especially with time bombs like Wednesday's fraud at India's Satyam Computer Services going off with alarming frequency, causing its shares to fall almost 80%. This is the time in the cycle where all the frauds come out -- Enron, Worldcom, Madoff. They're all exposed when the tide goes out.

You think Ken Lay isn't chuckling on some cloud somewhere about all this? Is it a coincidence that Jeff Skilling was back in the news this week? Already somebody is calling Satyam India's Enron. There will be more to come. So what will signal the turning point? Could it come during the worst of earnings season? Perhaps. But I expect it will come afterward, and that it will be tied to oil prices.

The collapse of the oil bubble was stunning in its ferocity, equally if not more stunning than the rapid inflation of the bubble itself. Likewise, crude is now oversold and while it looks set to fall below $40 a barrel and maybe well into the 30s, investors will flock back to it at the first sign of an economic rebound. That will in turn spark energy stocks, and probably financial stocks, and we'll be off to the races again.

Obama's inauguration and the swift passage of his economic stimulus package will provide some gauze for the wounded markets, but there is still too much to work through to think the passing of the torch will be the catalyst.

In the meantime, financial advisers will continue to recommend the old saw that the best position for investors is indeed the fetal position, and asset managers sitting on cash and low-yielding bonds will be awaiting any sort of signal that the worst of the actual economic pain is over. When the economy does get ready to turn, the markets will react quickly. But it isn't there yet."

Monday, January 5, 2009

Newegg.com - Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Black 10 MP 2.5" 230K LCD 20X Optical Zoom 28mm Wide Angle Digital Camera

Newegg.com - Canon PowerShot SX10 IS Black 10 MP 2.5" 230K LCD 20X Optical Zoom 28mm Wide Angle Digital Camera
Chris, for $339.99, you'll probably be very happy with this Canon with a 20x optical zoom. Be sure to check out both www.dpreviews.com and www.steves-digicams.com for hundreds of camera reviews.

Breaking: Steve Jobs Skips Macworld Because of His Health

Breaking: Steve Jobs Skips Macworld Because of His Health
Wow, when I miss work because I'm sick, nobody notices! When Steves misses work, the stock plummits 15%!!! This article is GOOD news, that Steve's weight loss is due to a "hormonal imbalance" - not cancer as many had speculated. Reading between the lines, it is now clear to me that two iPod Nano new colors - "Tootie Fruity Green" and "Silly Me Pink" - are also linked to Steve's hormonal imbalance.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Now Hiring: Omaha Steaks Mathematician

Apparently, the more you buy, the more expensive these steaks get! 4 Prime Ribs for $34.99, or 8 for $89.00! What's the price if I buy two 4-counts? I'm filing this post under "Duh... seriously?"

The Manipulation of Gold Prices

I've gathered that the Feds have suppressed the impact of the bailouts on the economy through creative ways of creating the cash as slowly redistributing it. But based on the fundamentals, I gather you can bet on one thing, our dollar will drop.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Gold in 2008 and the exciting 2009

It could be wrong, but how can you ignore the fundamentals of what is going on in the economy?

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Foreign Policy: 10 Worst predictions from 2008

I love the part about Bear Sterns...

Ironkey

So I found my solution to carrying two laptops with me on every trip. I bought an 8gb IronKey. Seriously, what do I use my personal computer for? -> Email, websurfing, skype, word documents, image editing, finance, password storage, multimedia. That's about it. With programs from portableapps.com, I can safely maintain my personal life on the road on any computer with a USB 2.0 port. Works on windows, mac and linux. I found programs that do everything I needed to do in the above requirements. Eventually, I may find a remote desktop software to access my files at home. But for now, gmail offers gigabytes of storage.

The best part?? Hardware encrypted web surfing to a secure TOR network at Ironkey. My ip address shows me in Poland, Germany, Canada, wherever in the world. That is then hidden through 7 layers of other ip addresses. On top of that, data from the Ironkey to the Ironkey service is hardware encrypted. Plus, all surfing activity is confined to the Ironkey. It makes the internet truly anonymous and leaves no trace of your surfing on your host computer.

Its also fast enough to not notice the difference in speed most of the time. I've tried the Tor network and privoxy software and it is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW...

So why did I get it? I read about a top level CEO for a network company (Cisco?? can't remember) that personally used it. I knew someone very close to me that recently lost their luggage. I would be devastated if I lost my laptop. I have financial information, addresses, emails and personal records that be compromised. If I get robbed or the ironkey is stolen, I have a secured backup at home and can put it on a new ironkey. Also, I can safely use the most unsecured public wifi networks out there for all web surfing without worrying about email/passwords being intercepted or even a list generated of the sites visited.

Anyway, my back will be thanking me for years to come with one less laptop!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Newegg.com - ION TTUSB05 USB Turntable / Vinyl Archiver With Line Output - Musical Instruments & Accessories

Newegg.com - ION TTUSB05 USB Turntable / Vinyl Archiver With Line Output - Musical Instruments & Accessories
Daus, you should add this to your wedding registry... they profiled this unit on History Channel's "Modern Marvels" - it'll give you a digital rip of all of your vinyl, keeping about 99.9% of it's authenticity for an audio nut like yourself.

Sony Ericsson's 8.1 megapixel C905 breaks free - Engadget Mobile

Sony Ericsson's 8.1 megapixel C905 breaks free - Engadget Mobile
Ha! True... soon our cellphones will have decent sensors for sure. My SLR, flash, and tripod now weigh a combined ~50lbs, and there's something primal and cool about all of that aluminum. Check out this link of Sony's latest cellphone - or is it a camera?? (Both pictures are of the same object, btw)

Lenses for a cellphone camera? SLR? We don't need no steenkin' SLR!

I mean, for real.. Who needs to carry around $1000 in hardware when you can pay $17 to make my awesome 2.1 MP Blackberry cam this functional.. For real.............

[Via Engadget Mobile]

Monday, December 22, 2008

Dan's new bandwidth - 15Mbps download / 2Mbps upload !


Can you top this? I upgraded my Internet today for an extra $10.00 per month, which is actually cheaper than my previous bills, because of a new promotional package (all of this competition for cable and Internet combos is great for the consumer!) Anyway, the upgrade takes me from 6.5Mbps download / 0.4Mbps upload to a whopping 15Mbps download / 2Mbps (!!!) upload! That's pretty much on par with Sandra's Dad's Verizon FIOS, which is Fiber. I did not believe I'd actually get 15/2, but I just tested my new bandwidth on Speedtest.net, and low and behold, it's true! 2Mbps upload will open up a world of new opportunities... and hey, 15Mbps download is pretty sweet! I'm a LONG way from a 14.4k modem where it all started for me about 14 years ago...

Friday, December 19, 2008

How to make cheap wine taste like a fine vintage

They pumped the wine through a pipe that ran between two titanium electrodes, fed with a mains-frequency alternating supply boosted to a higher voltage. For the test wine, the team selected a 3-month-old cabernet sauvignon from the Suntime Winery, China's largest producer. Batches of wine spent 1, 3 or 8 minutes in various electric fields (see diagram). The team then analysed the treated wine for chemical changes that might alter its "mouth feel" and quality, and passed it to a panel of 12 experienced wine tasters who assessed it in a blind tasting (Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, vol 9, p 463).

The results were striking. With the gentlest treatment, the harsh, astringent wine grew softer. Longer exposure saw some of the hallmarks of ageing emerge- a more mature "nose", better balance and greater complexity. The improvements reached their peak after 3minutes at 600 volts per centimetre: this left the wine well balanced and harmonious, with a nose of an aged wine and, importantly, still recognisably a cabernet sauvignon.

He Saw the Crash Coming: What Gary Shilling Sees for 2009

"These Wall Street jokers didn't see the crash coming so why should we listen to them now?"

That, in a nutshell, is the response of many Tech Ticker viewers to the 2009 prognostications of any/all guests (sometimes including the ones who did get it right).

One economist who did "see it coming" was Gary Shilling, president of A. Gary Shilling & Co. Consider these forecasts Shilling put out at the beginning of 2008:

  • 1. Sell or sell short homebuilder stocks and bonds.
  • 2. If you plan to sell your home, do so yesterday.
  • 3. Sell short subprime mortgages.
  • 4. Sell or sell short housing-related stocks.
  • 5. Sell or sell short consumer discretionary spending companies.
  • 6. Sell low-grade fixed-income securities.
  • 7. Sell or avoid most commercial real estate.
  • 8. Short commodities.
  • 9. Sell or sell short emerging market equities.
  • 10. Sell emerging country bonds.
  • 11. Buy the dollar before long.
  • 12. Sell or sell short U.S. stocks in general.
  • 13. Buy long Treasury bonds.

Now, wouldn't you like to know what Shilling is predicting for next year?

Check the accompanying video for details on his views on stocks, bonds and commodities.

Music Industry to Abandon Mass Suits@!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Buying silver bullion for survival purposes

Buying silver: buying silver bullion, buy silver coins, buy silver bullion
Where will you stand when our paper currency becomes worthless and used to keep your fireplace burning??

Apple CEO Jobs absent from Macworld lineup: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Apple CEO Jobs absent from Macworld lineup: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
I was just telling Daus a few minutes ago that I have two Dec $95 Apple PUTs that expire this Friday. I bought them at $3.00 each and they closed today at $2.10 with Apple's stock price at $95.43. Apple is now trading at $92.63 in after-market... this could be a 4x bagger for me! I'm sorry for Stevie, but this news is just what my portfolio needed!

Market Losses, Now Faster with less keystrokes!

Sweet!! A way to lose money on the market faster than before! I can't wait until this goes on sale!

TraderTools' keyboard for traders -- all that's missing is the panic button - Engadget

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Wireless Problems No More!

Newegg.com - TRENDnet TEW-633GR 802.11n Wireless Gigabit Router
I was a little bit hesitant to buy this Wireless N Gigabit (yes, Gigabit) router from Amazon.com for $51.99 last week... I mean, $51.99? TRENDnet? Wireless-N 300Mbps? Sounds too good to be true... well, as it turns out, Christmas miracles do happen! This little black box is 'da bomb, and TRENDnet is my new favorite networking gear brand! The price is back up to $84.99 on both Amazon and Newegg, but it is a STEAL for $51.99 when it goes on-sale again.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Rapid Fire Multiple Kill Vehicle in Action

Wow.. So THIS is what happens when you get really, really smart people to make robots that shoot stuff... Sweeeet..  Make sure to check out the video.. This thing is unreal..

FOXNews.com - Rapid-Fire Killer Robot Passes Flight Test

Video on YouTube

Monday, December 8, 2008

Silver and Gold, a gun, bottled water, and some canned beans... are you ready for inflation?

Daus, here are some of the Precious Metal sites that George and I were looking at. In no particular order...

Bullion Direct - http://www.bulliondirect.com

APMEX - http://www.apmex.com

Nucleo Exchange - http://www.bulliondirect.com/nucleo

Kitco - http://www.kitco.com

Blanchard and Company - http://www.blanchardonline.com

Littleton Coin Company - http://www.littletoncoin.com

$99 Apple iPhone at Wal-Mart

$99 Apple iPhone at Wal-Mart
All hail Mr. Steve Jobs, King of the Universe! Master of White Aluminum! Destroyer of all things without an "i" in front of it!

I now get the DSLR thing....

After reading this guys blog for a little while, I now understand the DSLR thing and why it is so cool.. It isn't that I didn't see it before, it is just now I see what you can do with some of these pictures and I want to be able to put that kind of life into pictures that I take.. I was playing with a friends DSLR last week and was really having a good time with it. It is amazing what you can do when you have that fast a shutter response.. I guess I'll be in the market for a new camera at some point in the new year.. :-)

Stuck in Customs

Zuca Bag

http://www.zuca.com/

I want one....

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Financial Peace University

http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/

Joel and I have been through this program. I started it two years ago before this mess. Now you hear everyone preaching about cash being king, eliminating debt, saving your money, etc... I am convinced the majority of Americans are financial idiots when it comes to common sense financial advice. I admit that I was one two years ago. I don't know everything and not enough now, but a lot more than two years ago! We learn about calculus, english, history, humanities, etc.. in high school. Yet, how many financial classes have we taken? Who gave us out financial advice? You probably learned it through others and by what others and god forbid by the credit card companies... Dave Ramsey is the man and I am starting to hear more of him now. His course, for $99, is the single best $99 I have ever spent on myself. The best thing is to do the course with your significant other, if you have one. That way, you both are on the same page. You also help ensure the strangth of your relationship by getting the financial part in order.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Florida's Lost Tourist Attractions

http://www.lostparks.com/

Ever wonder what happened to those Florida tourist traps like Splendid China, King Henry's Feast, Boardwalk and Baseball and even Xanada the House of the Future? Find out here at the link above.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Linux Adventure Part 3

Chris, you would be proud. I am typing this message from my linux HP laptop. So far.....a success!!!!! Xubuntu seems workon this laptop. I even managed to get the wireless to work. I had to select the wireless connection and voila...it worked. The built in programs are pretty slick. Even with 256 megs on a Pentium 1ghz, its pretty fast. Extra memory would probably reduce the hardrive access.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Black Friday Deals - Apple Store (U.S.)

Black Friday Deals - Apple Store (U.S.)
What's on Sale at Apple this Black Friday?? From what I can tell ... NOTHING!!! But they do have a cool new graphic with a red bow, so DON'T MISS THIS SALE and click on the above link!!! And free shipping, which was always the case. If you can find a Mac or ipod or iphone on sale ANYWHERE ... then blog it here. (I can hear the crickets chirping now)

The Ultimate Black Friday Survival Guide

Prof. Dealzmodo: The Ultimate Black Friday Survival Guide

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Linux Adventure Part 2

Continuing on the Linux Laptop adventure...

Xubuntu - Works! ...so far

Yes, I got a desktop to show up and it is fast on a PIII with 256 Megs of ram. However, PCMCIA, Wifi and Sound does not seem to be working. More to follow..

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

High-Tech: Future Military Uniform to Have HUD, Mini-Missile System

High-Tech: Future Military Uniform to Have HUD, Mini-Missile System
I'm surprised Gizmodo missed this... this suit looks amazingly similar to Halo's "Master Chief" ... read the article first, then click here!

PC for Al Gore

Dip your PC in some Oil and save power and the environment simultaneoulsy!
This takes liquid-cooling to a ridonculous extreme... not sure I really like this concept on my primary PC. Be careful not to light a cigarette next to this! KA-BOOOM!

V7 Series D22W12 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor at Staples�

V7 Series D22W12 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor at Staples�
These are going to continue to go down in price before Christmas... just watch and see! $150 for a 22" widescreen LCD ain't too bad, but I think even better deals are on the way.

'Pregnant man' and wife: We're a normal couple - CNN.com

'Pregnant man' and wife: We're a normal couple - CNN.com
Three cheers (again) for Obama - we're saved!!! He's going to bring back family values by his extraordinary example. God Bless the USA! Hmm... what would our Founding Fathers think of this only-in-America-or-maybe-Indonesia story? (on Larry King, no less)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Lex Loci Linux!

This is a website that I've been reading for a while.. It is the blog of a new lawyer in Nashville that is in the early stages of a new law firm and he is using Linux to do the whole thing.. It's a very interesting read to get some perspective from someone trying to use Linux to run a business..

Daus :  You might want to share this with your brother.. He might find some of the experiences that this guy has helpful

Law Office Linux

NVIDIA Makes First 4GB Graphics Card

Do you think this would get my desktop up to a 5.9 on Vista?

Slashdot | NVIDIA Makes First 4GB Graphics Card

Newegg.com - GRIFFIN PowerJolt SE Vehicle Charger for iPod & iPhone Model 9776-PJLTSECLB

Newegg.com - GRIFFIN PowerJolt SE Vehicle Charger for iPod & iPhone Model 9776-PJLTSECLB
Chris, I finally found a car charger for my 3G iphone. This will work with your iTouch as well. I checked out Griffin's site to be 100% sure.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Like with Linux on an HP Laptop Part 1

I obtained an old HP Pavilion laptop from my father, model N5445. I've toyed with the idea of running linux since it is free and is supposed to be the best thing because of the freedom programmers have for customizing it. Plus, it has all the great free support from enthusiasts on the message boards. Bear in mind, this is honestly my fifth attempt at giving it a try over 5 years. Power users talk about how great it is....but is it?

Here's my progress so far.

Ubuntu: FAIL - system locks up in installation
Mint: FAIL - system locks up in installation
OpenSUSE: Runs, however PCMICA D-link card does not work. System VERY slow...

Now installing Gentoo to hopefully optimize the Pentium 1.0Ghz, 256 megs..

In my opinion, linux is still geek territory for those in the know. I could be wrong. Suggestions??

Newegg.com - core i7

Newegg.com - core i7
Wow, these showed up much quicker (and cheaper) than I expected!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Star Wars Trumpet Solo

Ahhh....the internet never ceases to amaze me. Behold...the "Masterpiece"

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Epic Android bug interprets your typing as system commands - Engadget

Epic Android bug interprets your typing as system commands - Engadget
I think my IT guy was a beta test for the Android ... read this! Still very happy with my iPhone ... although 3G speeds are not what they are cracked up to be, IMHO.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Newegg.com - Surveillance Cameras, Security & Surveillance

Newegg.com - Surveillance Cameras, Security & Surveillance
Daus, take a look... I sorted these by highest rating ... some are under $100. I like the Panasonic cameras based upon the reviews I've read...

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test
Daus, you've probably seen this site - and if not, you'll love it. I recently used it to troubleshoot my three wireless networks in my house. Why do I have three wireless (b, g, and N) networks in my house? I don't know, because I can and for kicks and troubleshooting. But anyway, let me know what you are pulling down. I average 6.6Mbps both wired or wireless - and N doesn't make a lick of difference when I can only pull down 6.6Mbps. With Verizon's FIOS at Sandra's parent's house, I can pull down 20+Mbps. I can pay another $10 a month for a 10Mbps down, but it doesn't seem worth it to me as most torrent sites can't even upload a fraction of that speed.

WPA cracked in 15 minutes or less, or your next router's free - Engadget

WPA cracked in 15 minutes or less, or your next router's free - Engadget
Looks like running WPA2 on my wireless home network was a wise move ... but then again, I doubt I'm the easiest target on my block. There's three totally open Wi-Fi home networks that I can get a signal from within my living room.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on - Engadget

Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on - Engadget
This is the next-gen Intel chip, which will replace the Core 2 series, both Quad and Dual Core chips. No more Front Side Bus, and the chips come with Intel-approved overclocking ability - go figure! Talk about a change of heart from Intel!! The chip is actually MUCH more similar to an AMD Phenom Quad than an Intel Quad Core 2. Go figure!

CC: Options for CIRCUIT CITY STRS - Yahoo! Finance

CC: Options for CIRCUIT CITY STRS - Yahoo! Finance
Do you think Circuit City is going out of business? If you think not, take a look at these 2010 Calls. Can you spare a nickel?

BlackBerry Bold AT&T Release Confirmed: November 4, $299

BlackBerry Bold AT&T Release Confirmed: November 4, $299

Video - CNBC.com

Video - CNBC.com
Video on the Blackberry Bold and why RIMM is the stock to own...

Core i7 Dissected and Benchmarked! Does Intel’s Next-Generation Chip Live Up to the Hype? Hell Yeah! | Maximum PC

Core i7 Dissected and Benchmarked! Does Intel’s Next-Generation Chip Live Up to the Hype? Hell Yeah! | Maximum PC
Your next PC ...

Friday, October 31, 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Google Chrome

Google Chrome
I downloaded Google Chrome today, which is their new web browser trying to steal marketshare away from Internet Explorer and Firefox.  So far, so good ... it has a minimalist, streamlined look and is blazing fast.  Much faster than IE, and about the same as Firefox.  Of course, if you use a lot of Google Apps, there are many tricks this browser can do which the others cannot.  Gmail is a piece of cake here.

Windows 7: Windows 7 Walkthrough, Boot Video and Impressions

Windows 7: Windows 7 Walkthrough, Boot Video and Impressions

Microsoft Delivers Pre-Beta Release of Windows 7 to Developers and Previews New Web Applications Based on Office Software

Microsoft Delivers Pre-Beta Release of Windows 7 to Developers and Previews New Web Applications Based on Office Software
Microsoft's next OS after Vista... it looks like most businesses get to leapfrog the Vista bandwagon and go straight to Windows 7.

DealExtreme: $345.00 N70 Mini Video Projector 2.4" Touch LCD Dualband GSM Cell Phone * EMS

DealExtreme: $345.00 N70 Mini Video Projector 2.4" Touch LCD Dualband GSM Cell Phone * EMS
HA HA HA! Look at this phone (of course from the Chinese) ... they basically ripped off the entire iPhone OS ... looks nearly exactly the same. Have they no shame?!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

PLEASE WE NEED YOUR ASISTANCE

FROM OSSY AND LINDA  WILLIAMS.
Avenu 12 Reu 47 ABIDJAN
DANANI REFUGEE CAMP, ABIDJAN
REPUBLIC OF COTE-D'IVOIRE

Dearest One,

My name is OSSY WILLIAMS and my Sister's name LINDA we are the children of Late General BENSON WILLIAMS the former Director of military inteligence and special acting General Manager of Sieria Leone Diamond mining coperation( SLDMC ). I am contacting you to seek your good assistance to transfer and invest Five million seven hundred and twenty thousand united state dollars ($5,720,000.00) belonging to my late father which is deposited in a bank here in Abidjan. This money is revenues from solid minirals and dimonds sale which were under my fathers possession before the civil war broke out. Following the break out of the war, almost all government offices,coperations and parastatals were attacked and vandalized.

The SLDMC was loothed and burnt down to ashes, and diamonds worth millions of dollars was stolen by the rebel military forces who attacked my fathers office. Many top government officials and senior army officers were assasinated and my father was a key target because of his very sensitive military possition and appointment in the SLDMC.Regreatably, my father was captured and murdered along with half brother in cool blood during a mid-night rebel shoot-out when our official residence in freetown was armbushed by Fordey Sanko the notorious rebel leader.  My mother  sustainded very sever bullet injuries which resulted to her untimely and painful death in a private hospital here in Ivory Coast.

Now we are alone in a totally strange country without parents, relatives or any body to care for us at our tender ages. Before our mother died, she told us that our father deposited some money which he made from diamond sales and deposited it in a  bank here in Ivory Coast and that we should pray and find a trust worthy  foreign business partner who will help us to transfer and invest this money in profitable business venture overseas.

She told us to do this quickly so that we can leave Ivory Coast with our cousin brother-Arthur who is here in the camp with us and, then settle down abroad. She gave us the  bank document to prove the deposit and then told us that my father used my name as the only son to deposit the money in the bank. She told us that this is the reason why we came to Ivory Coast. My mother died after wards. May her spirit rest in perfect peace.

I have gone to the bank to make inquires about this money and I spoke with the Manager of International remittance who assured me that everything is intact and promised to help me transfer this money to my foreign partners bank account as soon as I provide my partners foreign bank account for them. However, the  manager is very concerned because of my age. I am 19 years old and as such advised that I should look for a matured person that will represent me at the bank.

If you are willing to assist us, please let us know immediately so that you will arrange the transfer of the money to your account with the bank.Please note that we will offer you 20% of the total money as compensation for your noble assistance in accodiance with my mothers advise. We are interested in any profitable commercial  venture which you consider very good in your country and you would also get a school for me and my little sister and cousin so that we can finish our college education in your country.

Please there is urgent need for the money to be transferred to your account and I am hoping to hear your urgent response so that I can not look for another foreign partner.

Thank you and may God bless you and your dear family.

Yours sincerely

OSSY / LINDA WILLIAMS.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Offer mold,molding and related services

 Nicety Mould Co.,Ltd(http://www.nicety-mould.com/ )

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Glad to contact you! have a nice day! 

 

My name is Jet,I got your information from the website, and I would like to ask if your company has mould, injection molding or related manufacturing requirements? if it does, I am glad to introduce 'Nicety Mould' to you, maybe 'Nicety Mould' will be your one good choice.

 

Nicety Mould is a professional manufacturer in China, we offer mould making, injection moulding and related services. the advanced machines and abundant creative human resource are our advantage. so we can offer the moulds, plastic products with very competitive price and excellent quality.

 

Nicety Mould is an OEM factory which have specialized in mold making and injection molding around two decades. our company equipped with an array of precise injection machines and advanced tooling machines. many machines were imported from Japan, Germany, Switzerland etc, and we adopt international advanced system-CAE /CAD/CAM in mould design and manufacture processes. we have a strong and professional technology team, they have many years of experience in mould design, tooling,molding technology and quality control. we are capable of handling moulds in an impressive variety of sizes and precision levels.our engineering and quality assurance system will guarantee your satisfaction. for more information, please visit our website http://www.nicety-mould.com/ .


We are pleased to tell you about any of the above! we look forward to build the mutual benefit cooperation with your company for long term in the future, if you are interested, please contact us, we will be glad to discuss your interest or requirements.

 

 

Jet Xie  (Operation Manager)  

Nicety Mould Co., Ltd

*****************************************************************************

Office Address: D416, Hong Tai Fu Building, 34 District, Bao An, Shenzhen City, China.

Factory Address: Block 1, Fu Hua Industrial Zone, Tang Wei Village, Fu Yong Town, Bao An, Shenzhen City, China

URL: http://www.nicety-mould.com/

Email: jetxie@nicety-mould.com

TEL: +86-0755 27853810

FAX: +86-0755 27853910

*****************************************************************************

 

 

 

Mozilla CEO: First Firefox Mobile Alpha Release "In a Few Weeks"

Mozilla CEO: First Firefox Mobile Alpha Release "In a Few Weeks"

'Star Trek' First Look Photos - Photo Gallery on Yahoo! Movies

'Star Trek' First Look Photos - Photo Gallery on Yahoo! Movies

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Gametrailers.com - Far Cry 2 - GC 2008: Map Editor Trailer HD

Gametrailers.com - Far Cry 2 - GC 2008: Map Editor Trailer HD
OK, I work for CAE ... we build 3D virtual environments for our military to train in. This is basically in a nutshell how these games are built ... this video is freakin' amazing. Watch the wind physics. I'm surprised the XBOX 360 has enough horsepower for this.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The Timmy Lens!!


I gotta buy me one of these lenses! - DE

New from Sony: The "Timmy Lens" by Carl Zeiss, the world leader in camera optics ... a lens that does the hard work for you! There is NO need to focus (Timmy!!!), adjust for low-light conditions, or even apply post-processing Photoshop filters... the Timmy Lens does it all for you! Timmy!!! And don't worry anymore about bringing a tripod; the Timmy Lens will blur ANY photo automatically, and even turn those troublesome in-focus pictures upside-down and cut off your subject's head! Timmy!!! With the Timmy Lens, there's no need to memorize ridiclous f/stops and shutter speeds that require knowledge arcane symbols like f3.5 or of fractions such as "1/60" (really, are you a human calculator?!). In fact, there's only one setting you need to know: "Timmy Priority" or Tp. Tp Mode will set your shutter and aperture at random, changing to a new Tp after each picture is taken.

Now available for all dSLR cameras at a retailer near you... And if you don't have a Sony dSLR camera, don't worry: you can hold this lens in Standalone Mode and make a "clicking" noise with your tongue and pretend you have a real camera! Timmy!!!! The Timmy Lens will take the "pro" out of your professional photography.

Suggested MSRP: $1,199.99.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Pirates surrounded by U.S. Navy ships - UPI.com

Pirates surrounded by U.S. Navy ships - UPI.com

SpaceX Falcon 1 Finally Gets Into Orbit, Makes History

After three failed attempts, one scattering of Scotty's ashes over the Pacific Ocean, and a few mid-air explosions, the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket has finally reached orbit. The achievement marks a major milestone for Elon Musk, whose visions of a privately-funded rocket program appeared just out of reach until today's success.

At the SpaceX web site, the feat was documented in a kind of flipbook format, with a series of photos showing the rocket launch from an on board camera from launch to orbit.

"Fourth time's a charm," Musk said in a statement. No kidding, but congratulations on this 100% private effort nonetheless.

Noted Slashdot contributor dbullard, "This was a completely new vehicle — it's not using any previously developed hardware. All developed from scratch. No government supplied hardware, Russian engines, or old ICBM motors. My hat's off to the employees of Space X — all 550 of them. (Note — no 'cast of thousands,' just 550)."

The next Falcon 1 launch will carry RazakSat into orbit for Malaysia. If that launch is successful, the larger Falcon 9 rocket will take flight for the first time sometime in Q2 2009. [SpaceX via Slashdot]

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Remanufactured Dyson DC14 Full-Kit Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Believe the hype.... I ordered remanufactured Dyson....$300.00 for the full kit. It's an engineer's vacuum cleaner. It was designed to do two things. Rid your house of dirt and dust, and do it effectively. It will do a dirt assault on your carpets, clean your tile floors and the attachments works wonders on your curtains, stairs and furniture. Yes, this thing makes short work of pet hair. Get one now.

Buy the iTouchless Silver Bio-Matic Fingerprint Door Lock and other Home security & safety at circuitcity.com

Buy the iTouchless Silver Bio-Matic Fingerprint Door Lock and other Home security & safety at circuitcity.com
Nice... I need a couple of these for my house.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Fujifilm to develop 3D digital photography system: Digital Photography Review

Fujifilm to develop 3D digital photography system: Digital Photography Review
Daus called this breakthrough technology on my wedding video! He said, "this isn't even 3D?" or something like that. Anyway, here's a 3D pocket camera. It was only a matter of time.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Newegg.com - OCZ Core Series OCZSSD2-1C64G 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Solid State Disks

Newegg.com - OCZ Core Series OCZSSD2-1C64G 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Solid State Disks
This technology still has to mature a bit, but many of the $5,000+ gaming machines are coming with these solid state harddrives in a RAID 0 configuration, which is faster than my Western Digital 10,000rpm RAID 0. It'll boot Windows in less than 30 seconds... but write speeds are not nearly as impressive as the read.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Friday, September 5, 2008

10 hardest jobs to fill

Look at #1. Who knew?!?!

Hands-on jobs like these are where some of the the worst U.S. talent shortages exist, according to Manpower Inc., which recently surveyed more than 42,500 employers worldwide. In a weakened job market, the overall percentage of U.S. employers struggling to find talented workers dropped by nearly half to 22% from 2007.

But companies are wrestling with how to fill the ranks of technical and trade careers–particularly when it comes to enticing young professionals as baby boomers transition out of the work force. Another problem: As people live longer, flattening or declining birth rates mean there aren’t enough people to work and sustain the retired.

Here’s the full top 10 Most Wanted:
1. Engineers
2. Machinists/Machine Operators
3. Skilled Manual Trades
4. Technicians
5. Sales Representatives
6. Accounting & Finance Staff
7. Mechanics
8. Laborers
9. IT Staff
10. Production Operators

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Is Windows Vista Really That Bad? - Opinions by ExtremeTech

Is Windows Vista Really That Bad? - Opinions by ExtremeTech
At least there's two people (ME and this author) who thinks Vista is a better OS than a Mac or Ubuntu... all you need is decent and average (Quad-Core 3.25GHz, RAID 0 10,000rpm disks, 4GB RAM) PC like me!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Canon HF10: The National Mall at Twilight on Vimeo

Canon HF10: The National Mall at Twilight on Vimeo
I can hardly wait to try out my new HD camcorder in Las Vegas. One of the reasons I went with this camcorder over a comparable Sony was the low-light features on the Canon. Look at these sample videos. Dang. I am bringing my "old" Sony MiniDV camcorder with me to Vegas, too. Why not? But the HD camcorder will fit nicely in my pocket - it's that small!

This might push the system over the ridonkulous level...

Dan... This would probably succeed in making your system officially ridonkulous... :-)



danamics_2.jpg

Pump Cools Chips with Liquid Metal | Gadget Lab from Wired.com [via Gadget Lab]

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Canon HF10 HD Camcorder

Canon HF10 HD Camcorder
My new HD camcorder... I just bought it today for the wedding. Circuit City is having a great sale on it, like $400 off. This thing is so small and less than 1 lb. I didn't want to regret not having the wedding (and bachelor party?) in HD. HD is already the standard. Daus, I'll film your wedding for just $800 if you'd like!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Rockbox - Open Source Jukebox Firmware

Rockbox - Open Source Jukebox Firmware

This may be old news...but I recently started rediscovering the handy firmware replacement for your ipod, RockBox. Its a dream come true for playing all the FLAC and OGG files I have. The "crossfeed" sound setting makes stereo recordings with extreme left and right sound sources sound much more natural, like speakers (great for Beatles recordings). For some reason, Rockbox sounds BETTER than the ipod firmware?!?

Best part, the apple firmware remains, you can't choose what you want booted up and every song in your ipod is accessible. So if you want to go back to itunes and the apple firmware, jsut press a button on your ipod, and you are there!

FLAC is one of the best formats to come around. It is completlely lossless and open source. Turn your CDs into FLAC with EAC (http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/) and you will wonder why you haven't made a lossless exact copy of your entire music collection.

Rock on.