Why I don't do Social Media!

Social Media Cafe (Photo credit: Cristiano Betta)

Social media is in!

I know I am probably the only one who isn't using social media to best possible out come.  You've probably even seen post from other blogs about how to use Social Media to the Fullest!  I don't always get what it is about social media and blogging. I'm sure there are always going be blogs posting about how great Social Media is, but I JUST don't get it.   Nothing I've seen yet makes me understand why people are so worried about being a Social Media giant.

Not everything is for Popularity!

I don't say that lightly because obviously, I started this blog to have a community.   I however am not interested in what people are saying on the social media front, I'm more interested in community and getting to know my readers than to just use social media.  I'm not against the idea of using it for it's purpose but I have very few hours in a day,  I don't have time to keep up with what is going on in Twitter, Facebook, and other media outlets.  I've even heard about this new social media website pinterest but haven't used it.   It however does look interesting but yet another why to be more Social.

I have twitter accounts and such!

I still have a twitter account for the one reason to let people know when I post a new article and such for other services like Facebook.   I just don't keep track of what is going on in the tech world by using social media.   I occasionally do look around the media circuit but I'm not going to sit there for hours on end to see what everyone is saying.  It isn't how I find the information, it is when I find the information.   With social media, you're really just getting it just a little bit more faster than the people who are using social media to find the information.

Do you use Social Media?

I'm Curious to see how much people use Social Media, so I have created a Poll and would like to here how much you use Social Media!

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• Be social: Why does your business need social media? (marketing.yell.com)


• Be social: How to prevent social media issues arising - part two (marketing.yell.com)


• Social Media Shorts: Who's Your Audience? (literarygadabout.wordpress.com)


• Social Media Is Here To Stay... (socialmediaimpactsyou2.wordpress.com)


• Social Media Spotlight: Jahmar Amani Photography (progressivemediaconcepts.com)


• How to Balance Your Personal and Professional Life Using Social Media (lockergnome.com)

Four Reasons why Labor Ready should be avoided!

The Back story!

I've been unemployed for the last few weeks and thought I should have some kind of income come in while I look around for a job. I've been working at a local branch for quite some time and I thought I should point out why you should go somewhere else to find a job. I will say in a pinch if you need money then it will do but don't expect any long term commitments. If you don't get anything else from this post then here it is "Labor Ready is a joke most of the time!"

Waiting there for Hours!

This is one of those reasons why working for Labor Ready should be avoided. You are basically getting up at 5:30 am in the morning and sitting around at the branch until they have work available for you to go to. Some of these locations that they sent me out at were OK but I will talk about the other points in the reason why. Just because you show up doesn't mean there will be a job and that you will work you full 8 hours. Some jobs are a 2 hours but you get paid for 4 hours, so you never really know what to plan on each day you go in. It isn't anything like I am the only one complaining because you can read all about it on the Indeed forums.

Minimum Wage is the normal for them!

Now not to say that is a good thing but to remind people that they COULD be paying there workers even more. I have yet to see a job that I went out to do that was more than 8 dollars an hour. They advertise they have 9 to 12 dollar jobs but yet have done any of them. You could say I have very little reasons for people to take these assignments professionally. Nothing I have seen of this place has made me believe they will ever be anything but a stop gap. I also know that there are some people who also just get Minimum wage and that is. I've read forums about what people get paid and they also get Minimum wage.

Customer Services Reps!

The Customer Service Reps or CSR's are constantly sending people out they like and some times not others. It doesn't mean if you don't have transportation that you will automatically not work but you will have to hope they want you. If they don't they will go for someone else because they have their favorites. I know sometimes they don't want to walk out side to ask people who are smoking or talking waiting for a job. They would rather pick someone who is already inside the building waiting for a job then outside.

Work Ethics!

Now I know I am hard worker but that doesn't mean that others are. I've seen people sent out who had no such work ethic and would not really that hard and still get paid for the job. I guess it is because of the Minimum wage attitude towards the work they are doing. They get what they pay for, and that means they will get poor quality of works and poor quality of customers. I know that some of this isn't the company's fault but I have to believe if they would take a stand there would ultimately get better quality by paying more.

I've pretty much said what I will say but I encourage others who have worked for them to comment and tell me your experiences. I'd like to know if anyone actually get hired, or what you story is and let's chat.

Have a Good work week!

Paul Sylvester

Why do I need to pay for recruitment!

Being recruited doesn't mean you need to pay!

I recently got an email from a recruiter. Here is what they email me:

I was forwarded your resume from my VP, and based upon your background we would like to extend you an offer to interview with us. We've recently expanded our National Healthcare Division and need individuals capable of working Full-Time and/or Part-Time for Marketing, Recruitment, and Business Development. Experience not required, although HR, Marketing, Sales, Recruitment, and Customer Service is a plus.

{Extra stuff}

Thank you,

Chelsea Cader

HR/Employment Generalist

HRP Staffing

(877) 636-4067 ext 310

After the initial email, I was really skeptical about this being a legitimate or not because of how vague this was. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to do this Webinar and find out more information about this supposedly job. I listened and and everything seem just to good to be true.

If it sounds to good to be true then probably it isn't!

This is one of those well known phrases that you have heard about in the past. It basically means that this one is supposedly job and they would say we were "Executive Recruiters Representatives" and after doing my research this isn't something that you should even consider paying for. After doing some more research this company has very little information on the Better Business Bureau, which means this is a new site and they did try to tell me they have been doing this for quite some time.

Some more links to look at to find out more about this possible scam is:

• Yahoo Answers -- http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110801112012AAbNuEQ
• 800 Notes -- http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-484-589-1011
• Piotrkrzyzek -- http://www.piotrkrzyzek.com/mcsourcer-scam-or-not-employment-recruitment-scam-phishing/

After reading all these I have to agree everything that I thought is TRUE. They want to get like 199$ from you to train you but yet they are getting people to pay them this stupid fee. I could easily do this without there help. If you do your job and search about this company you will find out a lot about how they will try to make you pay for something that should be free and these jobs probably don't pay you anything that can possibility be real. This company is dodgy and I wouldn't give them any money and so should you!!

Keep it safe

Paul Sylvester

Some Other Names that popped up are:

• Joe Vetucci
• Joy Stevenson
• Devon Barrett

These are just a few that I have found that would like to make sure people know about these people so please post more names if it changes!!

Big Changes are a Coming!

Where Have I been?

Some of you have been asking that question and I really didn't have time to answer them all. So I thought it would be better to post this and answer those questions. I know I haven't been around the last few weeks to be truthful, I have been working really hard at getting ready to move. The apartment was a mess and there was only one person who would do it. That being me, I really didn't get any major help on cleaning the apartment besides a friend helping moving two couches for me to the curb. I have been putting all my effort into cleaning that by the time I did get a chance to rest, I fell asleep most of the time. This has been a really big challenge for me because I have a 3 bedroom apartment that I am moving from and going into a really small complex where I am moving to so I had to decide what I must throw out and what I must keep.

Why Haven't I posted lately?

Well if you read the first question it basically tells you what I have been doing. I do have to say It isn't the only reason because as I am getting ready to move, I do not have a stable internet connection so that is the other reason why I haven't posted. I am planning on doing the complete moving of my stuff this Saturday, so Hopefully starting next week when I am in my new place I will be able to post more frequently but as you can tell, it has been nothing short of a miracle that I got this far in the move. No help from anyone local but when I move to the new area, I will at least have more family support.

Don't forget to use my Amazon Link!

I haven't been on lately but anytime you use my Amazon Link, you will help me keep this blog running and be able to give out more gift certificates. So please don't forget to bookmark my link and use it anytime you are going to go buy something from Amazon. This is going to be a short post but I should have more in the future once I get on my feet at my new location. Only time will tell and I hope you all had a great July 4th Weekend.

Keep it Real

Paul Sylvester

Testing out a VPN that works with Ubuntu/Kubuntu

Sometimes Paying is better!

I've been playing around with the Free PPTP services but thought it would be nice to check out a paid version. I never like the idea of getting something for free because you never really know who might be doing it for nefarious reasons. Now that doesn't mean that these free services are bad but they are better than not using anything. That being said, I came across a possible site that may be something that I will recommend in the future. The Idea is a simple, being able to use a VPN that can be used with Kubuntu and Ubuntu. They support Linux by helping people keep secure in today’s ever changing world.

I won't know more until I test it!

This isn't going to be a long post, because they seem to want me verify that I am a blogger. So in order to test this service I have to provide them with a link and you can see:

http://www.usaip.eu

I will also be having a how to for those of you who might want to connect to this service and actually have more security then PPTP. I like having more security while browsing and also hiding my IP from those people who are watching. All I can say is this is looking like a better service than anything that could be free. I'll be reviewing their speeds and everything in the coming weeks but for the time being. I will being giving people an How To set up the service on your Kubuntu System.

What is Tech Talk and What does it mean in day to day life??

Image via Wikipedia

When I say I want to talk about Technology what does that mean to you?

This is one of those really good questions that I've come to see is something that needs to be explained.   Technology to me is anything that revolves around anything electronic from a car radio to an IPAD but that doesn't mean that if you talk about a Blackberry that you aren't doing talking about technology.     To me tech talk is something that is yet undefined but yet always in the lime light.

Technology presumes there's just one right way to do things and there never is.  ~Robert M. Pirsig

This is something that has always been a problem when do we assume we know what technology is.   Although, I am sure others will say technology is the usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or serve some purpose. It just means they are quoting from Wikipedia but that doesn't necessary mean a lot does it?

Technology as small as a nanite!

When I say Nanites, I am really talking about nanorobotics or in simple terms these are robots that are small and could fit several thousand on a head of a pin and you would never see them.   That is how small these guys are.   These little guys are basically a research vessel and are not being made to the public just yet but we've come a long way.

So Tech Talk is Anything?

I won't say that it isn't everything but it could be anything.   If you like computers, you could come to talk about what might be going on in a couple of months to years.   Just like I talked about the Amazon Android Tablet that might be coming, you just never know what will be around the corner.   It just depends on if you want to talk about XBOX 360 games or the latest controls for console games.   This is what it means to tech talk in my opinion, basically to speculate what is coming down the road or what I like about a certain product or idea.

What do you consider Tech Talk in todays societies?  I'd like to hear!   Is it something that you don't understand?

Paul Sylvester

Related articles

• It Doesn't Have to Always Be Tech (businessinsider.com)


• Love & Tech Give a Jazzman an Eternal Voice (nytimes.com)


• The Internet of Things Vs. Not Having to Visit Tech Forums For Hours (businessinsider.com)


• Tech Savvy Tikes (kenekaplan.wordpress.com)


• Can Consumer Tech And Security Co-Exist? (informationweek.com)


• AuthenWare Corporation Announced as Finalist for TechAmerica Foundation's American Technology Awards (prweb.com)

Reviewing Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1 TB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA1000100

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1 TB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA1000100 $129

Product Features:

• USB 2.0 plug-and-play drive


• Easy-to-use preloaded backup and encryption software


• Upgradable to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA or access content over the network and on TV

Technical Details:

• Brand Name: Seagate


• Model: STAA1000100


• Hard Disk Size: 1 TB


• Warranty: 2 years warranty


• Hardware Platform: PC, Mac


• Hard Disk Description: External hard drive


• Width: 3.5 inches


• Depth: 4.7 inches


• Height: 0.9 inches


• Weight: 9.9 Ounces

On My Laptop:

I did a quick speed test to see how fast this Hard drive was using my USB and If you had a eSATA input with the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Upgrade Cable Powered eSATA – STAE103 the transfer rate would be faster but I only had a USB 2.0 port!



As you can see I only got 32.7 MB/S transfer rate on the Hard drive but I am sure if I did get the eSata cable it would be much faster.

Pro’s:

• A lot of Space — Enough space to backup you files on your computer and still have Video files on it, like Podcasts and Personal Movies.


• This hard Drive can be used in conjunction with Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex TV STAJ100.


• Very Portable but still a little heavier than others I have USED.


• You can still use it in conjunction with Paramount Shop Movies which comes on the Hard drive already.


• Can put a lot of Video or Music files on the hard drive


• Run’s Silently without a problem

Cons:

• Slightly Larger than the the Freeagent 500 Gb Hard Drive.


• Glossy black is a Fingerprint magnet!


• It can get Warm to the Touch!

I have been using this for a few weeks using the Acer Backup program to keep my files safe and also putting all my major video files that I don’t want to loose on it. I must say I am quite happy with the drive it has work flawlessly keeping my files backuped. I have also used Allway Sync to keep my files Synced with my Video files and that seems to work really well. If you don’t have back up program then you can use Allway Sync. I didn’t like using the pre-loaded software for the drive because it took up some of my computer resources. Allway Sync was a less resource hog then the software on the drive.

A Powerful Hard Drive

This is a wonderful Hard drive for those who has a lot of stuff they need to keep safe. I recommend Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1 TB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA1000100who might need a way to keep your multi-systems backed up. I have 2 laptops that I need to keep backed up and don’t want to have multiple Hard drives. This hard drive is a great resource for those who need portability and reliability. I recommend this to anyone who might need this or want it!


I get my glasses from GlassesUSA. They have a Satisfaction Guarantee and even Prescription Sunglasess for when your out doors. Give them a try, and I know you'll like them!

How to Watch Hulu and Other streaming Media on your Roku!

Over the past few months, We have heard about Hulu Plus and how Everyone wants to be able to watch Hulu on your Television Cheaply.   Now it is possible with the use of Dyyno a new company that has joined forces with Roku to be able to Stream anything to the Roku with very little experience or training.

What is Dyyno??

I am unsure how to describe them but I will quote from Crunchbase Profile:

Dyyno provides the breakthrough online video distribution platform that allows anyone to instantly share live video and rich media with an audience ranging from small groups to massive numbers of viewers. Dyyno’s reliable and brandable online video platform enables individuals, small and medium businesses (SMBs), communities, and large businesses to instantly share video and multimedia without IT involvement and for 10 times less cost than traditional solutions. Founded in 2007 and backed by Artiman Ventures and Startup Capital Ventures, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company has a world-class technical team with video and networking expertise in Stanford P2P multicast.

[Via Crunchbase Profiles]

As you can read, this company allows you share your desktop or video’s instantly with others without any understanding about the mechanics behind the scenes.   I expect this company to become widely used in the next coming months or years.   You have a Video Podcast and you want people who don’t have computers to be able to watch, this would be one way to share your video for others who might not have the time to sit down and watch on the computer.  Want to teach a wide variety of people around the world, without having them on line at a certain this would become the next way to teach people without needing to worry about schedules.   They can watch on their own time, when it is convenient for them.

What is needed to watch Hulu on my Television with the Roku Box??

Very Simple, You would download a program called “Dyynosetup.exe” from their main website and install on it on your computer.   Something to consider before doing this though are:

 

• Connection Speed (Bandwidth) — I have tried this with my cable broadband(3 mb up/7mb  down) and it is very choppy.   So it would work better with Fiber optic broadband.  You see you have to have 2 streams downloading and one stream uploading to be view the video on the Roku.   If you have this then you will have no problems.   I haven’t tried to record it then watch it on Roku, that would only require one stream to view the video.   This might be the way I would have to do it to watch it on the Roku.  I also Suggest you have a wired connection to receive the best possible speed on both upstream and downstream.


• Speed of the Computer –  Since you will be decoding and encoding the video, you will need a fast system.   I would recommend something with dual or quad cores and at least 1.7 mhz for each core.  This also will help keep the video smooth when you are wanting to use this service.   Although this shouldn’t be a problem because most people have really fast systems, this could be an issue for slower systems and the video on the Roku.


• Make the Channel Private –  Keeping the channel private by having a password will greatly decrease the chances someone complains to the Hulu about this and keep you from any lawsuits.   If someone guesses the password this can be bad also, so make sure to create a password no one could possibly guess to protect yourself from lawsuits.   Unless your a Podcaster then I would recommend you make it available to the public.

After all this all you would need to use this is the program and to sign up with Dyyno.  You will see just how easy this program is to broadcast anything and everything to the Roku.   I want to test out other ideas and see how well they work.  If you want to try out Dyyno, Just use your Roku box to find this little channel store.  Once done you will then add your account to the Dyyno Channel.  Usually it will be (http://www.dyyno.com/[username]).   All you will need to do is search for the [username] and add that to your favorites.   That’s it.   You will now be able to stream to your Roku!!


I get my glasses from GlassesUSA. They have a Satisfaction Guarantee and even Prescription Sunglasess for when your out doors. Give them a try, and I know you'll like them!

*Anything talked about is not intended to encourage or force people to use this product.   This is a how to and in such should be used in accordance with Laws in your country.   If you feel like this is illegal in your country then the best practice is don’t do it.  Remember that we still have copyrighted videos and such, and each case should be considered before making public.  You use this at your own risk, and you can not hold me responsible for anything incurred to you. *

*UPDATE*

It looks like Hulu will be coming to Roku later this Year.   Click [Here] For information!

“The cake is a lie!” — Valve’s game “Portal”

I have been playing a lot Valve‘s games like Half Life 2 and then I also got the chance to play Portal. I thought I would talk about this because of how Steam is giving it away for free until May 24. I had my chance this weekend to play around with the game and I was most impressed with how Valve has incorporated logic into most of their games.

What do I like about Valve’s Games?

I will say I like how they make most of their games use logic but that isn’t all.   I also like how they make it a First Person Shooter but that is just me.   I am sure others like these types of games for their own reasons.   I do know that the development teams work hard at these games and I like how they add commentary to Portal.  I don’t know if they planned that during development or afterwards.  Jusst Like Portal, Half Life 2 has a commentary but the game developers did do it a little differently because of how long the game is to complete.   They put their own level in to talk about the challenges and other such video or audio rendering problems.  I do like to hear how they had troubles with levels in the games and how they got around some of them.   If you want to be agame developer this would be on game to look at and listen to the commentaries to find out if you want to be one.

Who can play Portal or Half Life 2?

Since both of these games are using the Half Life engine, you can play these are almost any system as long as you use my cheat to change the Direct Xrequirements.   If you use those instructions that I have provided on my previous post you can play both games easily with less requirements than expected.  Although to be truthful, you should have the minimum requirements which you can find out if you can play this game successfully by going to Can you run itwebsite. I do know with my new laptop that I bought this year, that I had no problems running Portal or Half Life 2 at the highest settings possible. So I am really happy with this laptop.

What else can you do with Portal?

What I did was go to Portalgamemaps.com and downloaded even more maps to play with portal.   You can add more complex or more easier maps to get even more achievements for your steam account.  You can search the web for more Portal Maps if you want to but I figure I could have hours of fun trying new maps and probably never really get board with this game.    I will recommend this game to anyone who might want to challenge there minds to a new puzzle or a way to just to relax.   This is really a good game just to sit back and relax to!!

Have a Good Monday, See you Wednesday!!

Reviewing the Seagate 500 Gb FreeAgent Go Ultra-Portable HD (ST905003FGA2E1-RK): Special Star Trek Edition

I recently got to test out a new Seagate FreeAgent Go Ultra-Portable Hard Drive with movies pre-loaded onto it.    I wanted to talk about it and let everyone who might be interested to find out more about it.

Product Features

• 5,400 RPM Spin Speed, 8 MB Cache Buffer


• USB 2.0: up to 480 Mb/s


• Sync and back up quickly at your desktop without having to search for cables.


• Guard the privacy of important files and folders.


• Get your storage solution up and running quickly.

System Requirements:

To create and activate a Paramount account for your FreeAgent Theater+ media player you will need a
system with:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer


• Microsoft Windows XP operating system (any version, including MCE) with Service Pack 2


• installed, Windows Vista or Windows 7


• 1.5 GHz CPU or faster (minimum of 600 MHz)


• 512MB or more memory (minimum of 10GB)


• At least 20GB or more, free hard disk space on your computer and drive


• Windows Media Player 10+

For the best viewing experience of the films on your computer we recommend you have a screen
resolution of 1024 x 768 (minimum of 800 x 600) and speakers or other audio output. Internet access is
also required.

 

A choice of up to 20 popular Paramount titles can be unlocked for a fee including:

 

• Star Trek (2009) (Free when you buy the Special Edition Hard Drive)


• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


• GI Joe


• Shooter


• The Hunt for Red October


• The Italian Job (2003)


• Ghost


• Patriot Games


• Beowulf


• Enemy at the Gates


• The Spiderwick Chronicles


• The Love Guru


• Coach Carter


• The Manchurian Candidate (2004)


• Nacho Libre


• Jackass 2.5


• A Plumm Summer


• Carriers


• Dance Flick


• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius


• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

I had a chance to test out this hard drive and I wanted to tell you about my experiences with the software and with the Star Trek (2009) movie.   I must say after playing the movie, I was impressed with the High Definition.   My computer can support High Definition and I was quite shocked that it wasn’t Standard Definition.   While playing the movie, you will notice the Hard Drive will get warm but it isn’t a problem.

In order to view these movies on your laptop or computer your will need to acquire the license from the Paramount store to make the movie you choice available to be watched from your computer or if you have the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+1080P HD Media Player STCEA201-RK. This is good for those who might want to view this on your High Definition Television sets. It is just as cheap as the Roku. After your get the rights to watch the movie on that computer, you no longer need to have Internet Access to watch it. Great for when you are traveling and can’t get internet access. You only can give three systems the rights to view that particular movie that you bought through the Paramount store, but the prices are comparable to those you get from Amazon Video on demand. The only drawback is that you will need to use Internet Explorer 8 or Higher to buy or acquire a license from the store. You have to make Internet Explorer your default browser when you want to buy a new license for a movie off the hard drive.

I never heard a sound out of the hard drive while it was running. I could tell they made sure to keep it quite when they made the hard drive. The other nice thing about the FreeAgent Hard drive is that you only need to have one USB port to use this, and no power cords are required either. I must say that is also nice to have when you are on the go, no need to find an extra power outlet.

Seagate FreeAgent Ultra Portable

Amazon: $99.99 (Silver / Black)

Mwave: $107.44 (black)

Mwave: $107.44 (Blue)

Freeagent Go Special Edition(movie)

Seagate: No links available.

Amazon: No links available

NewEgg: No links available

Seagate Docking Station

Amazon: $16.99

No links available

If your backing up a lot of GB’s of data, the drive does get warm but that is also normal. It was never hot enough to burn me or hurt anything. I find the small size to be quite nice to have when traveling and going places with it. Not bulky or overweight, only about 1/2 pound of weight when you pick it up. The only drawback that I can see is the way they use the lights to show you when the hard drive is being used, a few small holes will dim and light up and unless you are really watching those lights you won’t know!

The Programs that come with this are quite powerful. Great Backup tools and Syncing tools for keeping your important data backed up. There is even aCarbonite trial on the Hard drive to encourage your to keep your data backed up off site. I do recommend people trying Carbonite because you never know what will happen to your home or your computer.

Would I recommend this to My Science Fiction Friends?

I most certainly would recommend this to any one who might need to have a way to backup their files and also have a way to have portable movies on the go. I can say that this idea of having media on a portable device like this is a great way to watch movies offline.

I’ve also asked them some questions that I am waiting for a response but when I do find out, I will update this post for those who might have the same questions. I will also update the links so you can buy these hard drives online!

Reviewing the Acer Aspire 5739G

System Specs:

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit


• Core 2 Duo T6600 / 2.2 GHz (Bus Speed : 800)


• RAM 4 GB


• HDD 320 GB


• DVD+RW (R DL) / DVD-RAM


• WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft)


• GF GT 130M


• Gigabit Ethernet


• Fingerprint reader


• Virtual Surround Sound

Ports:

• SATA Port


• HDMI Video Port


• SVGA Video Port


• 3 USB Ports


• Fax/Modem

This is absolutely the best laptop that I have bought in a couple years. It was a deal at $649.99 from Newegg. I do what to talk about this laptop a little for those who would like to know my opinions on it!!

When I got the laptop, I expected to have the GT 130M video card but after getting the laptop up and running. I found that it was a GT 240M instead. This is a better video card and it actually runs the graphics very well. I have tried demos of the really video intensive games and it has run those game flawlessly. The Games that I have run or tried on this laptop are:

• The Sims 2: Double Deluxe


• The Sims 3


• Half Life 2


• Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War Game of the Year The Demo version thanks to Steam.


• Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Terriitory


• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter FULL version!


• War Rock


• BioShock Demo Version thanks to Steam!

See the Games you can play with this laptop.

Acer Aspire 5739G-6959 15.6-Inch Widescreen (Crystal)

Price: $949.60

Price: Unknown

Now I could tell you every game that I tried but that would just be long list and I don’t want to make you not want to read what I have to say. So after a week or two of just checking out Windows 7 and seeing how it handles 32 bit programs, I am quite impressed with it. The system handles flawlessly with the 4 gigabytes of memory and 320 gigabytes of drive space but you only really get 289 gigabytes due to system restore partition and system protected partitions. The Screen is crisp and any video I have played in HD, makes me wish I had a High Definition Television Set. The touch pad for the laptop comes with gesture controls which can be good and bad in the same process, you have to learn how to use the gestures to fine tune the screen. The Finger Printer reader isn’t really useless but not all that well designed. It would from time to time without me even touching show that I had placed my finger on the scanner. The Outside of the case is a finger print magnet and after a couple times of touch the glossy surface you will see fingerprints.

Although if you buy laptop skins this might be a way around seeing fingerprints over the glossy surface. I haven’t decided if I will do that but I use Premoistened Antistatic Cleaning Wipes for Electronics to clean the finger prints off the case and keyboard from time to time. I do use the MX mousewith keyboard at home to help prevent some of these things from happening. This is a good Gaming laptop and I got a great deal for this. The laptop can be used for a lot of graphic intensive operations and should be good for graphics editing. I like the portability of the laptop and being able to game with friends by having the laptop with me. The laptop hasn’t gotten hot yet and I am really loving this laptop. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a cheaper version of Alienware that will run most games. If you think I am joking about the laptop you can check out the comments from Newegg from very happy customers.

I hope you enjoyed this review and encourage you to tell your friends and family to check this out. I want to say Thank you for reading this review and hope you subscribe to my blog and come back often.

Reviewing the Logitech Anywhere MX Mouse

I recently purchased the Logitech Anywhere MX mouse, and I must say it is quite impressive. I wanted to talk about it some for those who are curious on how well it works.

Technical Details

• Device Type: Wireless Mouse with Receiver


• Connection Type: USB


• Hand Orientation: Right


• Tracking Method: Laser


• Scrolling Capability: Yes


• Colors: Black


• Special Features: Blackfield Laser Tracking


• Special Features: Unifying receiver

I’ve put this through a series of test and I must make a comment “WOW“. I don’t say this often and I don’t say this enough from everything I have done with this mouse it still works magnificently. So let’s talk about:

Who can use this mouse?

Anyone can use this as far as I can tell. The size is just right for small, medium, and large hands. I am a large handed person and it still fits me comfortably. It weighs around one pound and can easily be taken anywhere you go with little or no effort.

Battery life?

I’ve tried leaving it on 7 days straight without turning it off and right now it has two Duracell Batteries, AA Size, in it when I started testing it. According to my meter it still has 85% of battery life on it and it has been 2 weeks. I would say the mouse battery life would last for several weeks 5 to 7 weeks is my estimate.

Unifying receiver stub?

The receiver for the mouse takes up one usb port and can be removed and stored in the leather case that comes with mouse. Although I just keep it to the laptop and it works when I need it to.  It takes so little room on the laptop that it is not going to be a big bother when I take the laptop with me.

 What surfaces does it work on?

Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX
Amazon: $79.99 [Affiliate Link]
Logitech Performance Mouse MX
Amazon: $99.99 [Affiliate Link]

Every surface I tried it worked on. It claims to work on the glass surfaces but I haven’t tried it. I have however tried my leg, my couch, and my floor and it works without a problem. I tried some restaurants and it works just fine their too. It slides on surfaces easily and works flawlessly. I’ve not had any trouble with this mouse since I got it.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who travels a lot or go places a lot with their laptop. It is also very good with playing games with. The sensitivity of the mouse makes it a good gaming mouse for those who like to play LAN parties or just wants a wireless option. I have been really impressed with this mouse and expect to buy another one when the time comes. This is great buy for me and I don’t regret buying this mouse for home and travel!

Hulu’s misses out of Roku, Not so wise!!

Photo by : Bonnaf

In 1926 we started to have a way to see moving images in our living room.    Although it didn't really take off until 1930′s, we started to gather around the television on it schedule.   We go 80 years in the future and now we can have access to any television program old and new that is being stored on the internet.On March 28, 2008, Hulu launches a service that lets you stream programs to your personal computer.  We can watch programs without having to worry about the television schedule.We have started to come of age to such that we are streaming podcasts, Movies, Music, and television shows on the internet.  Now we know Hulu doesn’t have a lot of control on their content.   I even talked about ways to watch Hulu on your television for cheap. We have advertisers who we like and don’t like but that can change.     I say it is the advertisers who has more control of where Hulu goes and not Hulu but that is just speculation.   I blogged a little about the Roku and my impressions of it.

I’ve been playing the Roku box all weekend long and I find that it would make more sense to have Hulu on it.   Which makes me quite disappointed in Hulu and I shoot off an email to a friend at Hulu.   She tells me they don’t have any plans for Roku but are focusing in on the PC experience.   I was dumb struck because I can see the potential for revenue for Hulu or any others.   How do I know?  That is easy because everyone I know has a TV set and broadband access.   They could double or triple their revenue in under a year if they were to be on the Roku box.

I don’t know the stats on how many people have Roku boxes but I can definitely see how easy it is to use it.  I can see just how easy this would be to set for people who don’t understand technology and still be able to to see Hulu and their ads.    I just don’t understand why they don’t jump on this.   I will say sometime in the near future Hulu will be kicking themselves in the butt because they didn’t join sooner.  I simply love the idea of VOD anytime I want day or night and not have to watch it on my computer.

Hulu I will be waiting to see you on the Roku.

*UPDATE*

Looks like Hulu will be coming to The Roku – - – Click [HERE]

List of Fake Antivirus Sites for Sept 6, 2009

Seems these fake antivirus people have done some major domain adding and here the are, in no particular order. Hope this helps
[intlink id="4217" type="post"]Internet Antivirus Pro Scareware[/intlink] sites:

• voided.info


• vagrom.info


• unroot.info


• towton.info


• tenshy.info


• slatch.info


• searce.info


• sallat.info


• polear.info


• grumio.info


• froday.info


• erpeer.info


• apalet.info


• goeachscan.com

[intlink id="4403" type="post"]Personal Antivirus -- Download SUPERAntiSpyware[/intlink] (Database Version 4047):[ad]

• advancedpcscanner3.com


• antivirusquickscan3.com


• antivirusquickscan5.com


• bestantivirusscanv8.com

[intlink id="1837" type="post"]Antivirus System Pro Scareware Sites[/intlink]: (SuperAntiSpyware removes it with Database Version 4053 or later)

• awareremover.com

[intlink id="3977" type="post"]Rogue Antivirus scareware sites[/intlink]:

• windowsguardpro.com


• ultimaguard.com


• homepersonalantivirus.com


• av-scan-2009.com (Fake Scanner page)


• av-scanner-2009.com (Fake Scanner Page)


• av-scan-2009-up.com (fake scanner Page)


• online-software-check.com (Fake Scanner Page)


• malware-stop.com (fake Scanner Page)

[ad#Scarewaresitesrecommend]

[rating:4/5]

[ad#Scarewaresitesrecommend1]

[ad#SUPERAntiSpyware]

Another Scareware Adviser Site : browsersecurityinfo.com

It looks like "[intlink id="3607" type="post"]Personal Antivirus[/intlink]" Scareware has [intlink id="3872" type="post"]another Scareware adviser[/intlink] on the same iP: "83.133.123.113"

[ad]It is Hosted on "http://browsersecurityinfo.com/" and Does the same thing the [intlink id="3872" type="post"]other Scareware Adviser[/intlink] does and sponsors "http://ieprotectionlist.com/1/"  Which is also [intlink id="3607" type="post"]Personal Antivirus Scareware site[/intlink] that is host to a few dozen places on other sites.

These Sites try to look like legitimate sites and make you believe these are real but My Advise is that you [intlink id="3884" type="post"]run SUPERAntiSpyware[/intlink] and Remove these scareware virus and other Trojans on your system.  These do nothing but slow your system down and stop you from using the system.  Some of these Fake Antiviruses have also been known to [intlink id="3876" type="post"]not allow you to use real antivirus software[/intlink] so you may have to do it from safe mode.

If you need help removing these spyware manually you can check this article to remove it manually.   Please check out my [intlink id="2205" type="page"]Malware resources[/intlink] to better help you protect your system in the future.   I have a few recommendations on my [intlink id="2205" type="page"]Malware resources[/intlink] to help remove these viruses, trojans, and Malware off your system.

Fake Scareware Sites Popup after the Pifts.EXE Conspiracy

There Seems to Be a Fake site that are popping up today right after what happened with PIFTS.EXE. I just happen to Google it to see what people are talking about and this appears on the front page.



As you can see this leads to a server in Poland and once you go to it you see:

I will be reporting this to Phishtank. This is scareware which means  there is no real VIRUS because and you
Should never believe the screens when you see something like this. According to Wikipedia:

[ad#ad2-right]Some websites display pop-up advertisement windows or banners with text such as: "Your computer may be infected with harmful spyware programs. Immediate removal may be required. To scan, click 'Yes' below." These websites go as far as saying that a user's job, career, or marriage would be at risk. Products using advertisements such as these are often considered scareware. serious scareware applications qualify as Rogue software.
[Via Wikipedia]

So if you are worried you have a virus or think you have a virus I would advise you to download one of the free Many anti-virus software and firewall. This is nothing new with the companies who are doing this but don't buy anything because people are trying to scare you into thinking you have a virus. That rarely is a valid software and you should use the ones that you trust. If you find a site like that please report them to Phishtank and other sites that way we can protect everyone who goes there.

Website is good to go for 5 years

Just a little note I recently updated my website and I changed the renewal for 5 years, thanks to Adsense.  I also Verified my domain:


So Now you don't have to worry about this being a fake website. I also renewed my hosting for another year. Thanks to Geeknewscentral Promo codes, I saved 20% off of a shared hosting plan. This should make even more Google juice. I am so glad the Google advertising helped pay for this website. If you've found this site through google, site and stay a while. This domain will most definitely hit the 5 year mark without much problems. Hope to see you in 10 years!!

Microsoft to Cut 5,000 Jobs Starting Today:

There are reports that Microsoft will start laying people off starting Today Jan 22, 2009.
[ad#ad2-right]

Microsoft said it will cut up to 5,000 jobs in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources and IT over the next 18 months. The first 1,400 jobs will be cut Thursday.

[ViaPcWorld]

I really hate to see this happen but I did suspect this to happen.   I get a feeling this isn't the last we will see of Microsoft doing something like this.   I would suspect it will become even more than 5,000 jobs.  I will take a guess and say 16,000 will be the total or close to it. If you want to see the other layoffs I've talked here are few:

• Google Search


• Largest Employer : University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is planning layoffs!!


• Mahalo Lay’s off around 10% of it’s workforce!!


• Viacom and ATT layoff some people. (12,850 People)

I have several differnent articles about the layoffs but I did speculate they will lay off 16,000 people so I am sure it will happen in the next few months.  Only time will tell!!!

Admins are shaking in there boots due to the Ms 09-001 Patch

I have to talk about this because this is a big deal.   According to Techworld and I'll quote:

"This one scares me - a lot," says Eric Schultze, CTO of Shavlik Technologies. "It is a lot like Blaster and Sasser. It is the same exploit vector. If I am an attacker and I can touch NetBios then I can execute code with no credentials."

[via Techworld]

[ad]Now This is due to the fact of what is happening with an update that came a few months ago the MS 08 - 067 that still people haven't patched their systems.  According to F-secure the Downadup/Conflicker has grown overnight by a million computers being infected.

Now why are they scared of the recent patch (MS 09-001), because of so many vectors of infection, you don't need any credentials.  The virus  does not  need to know any passwords or user names to gain access.  Just like the Downadup variant that is hitting the internet right now, this virus tries to access accounts by guessing weak passwords or even putting itself on flash drives or other mobile media to get other systems infected.

So why are admins scared over this new patch?

Most  companies don't patch there system as quickly as Microsoft would like them to.   You see most companies have quite a few computers depending on the size of the company it could be quite a lot.  So many in fact that it would have several IT personal just to keep the system going.
[ad]

So why don't they just put the new patches on the systems?

Depending on the size of the company and what they do has a lot to do with them updating there systems.  Some use really special programs or have a network going that is vital.  Even the smallest update to the system could bring the network or the program down.  Most companies liketo test it out on test machine for a while to make sure that the patch doesn't  prevent the business from doing business.   Here are a few articles that prove why companies do not want to just install patches automatically:

• Windows patch is flawed (Dated March 31, 2005 8:31 AM PST)


• Stealth Windows update prevents XP repair (Dated Sept 27, 2007)


• Patch Tuesday security update causes problems with IE for some (Dated Dec 18, 2007)

Some companies are using older systems like Windows ME or some older Windows Operating systesm.   Although there isn't anything we can do about those because Microsoft has stopped supporting them with updates and all.  I know we are all thinking thesame question?

Is there a way to fix the problem with Windows Updates?

I personally don't have an answer but I am sure hackers will find ways to exploit codes so they can get on your system so way.  I've recently read a story about Adware Author and now I understand even more about why people do all of this.

This is one of the questions every admin has to ask themselves?  How do we update all of the systems we are responsible for?  There are no easy answers to this.

Removing Win32/Bagle.HE worm

Here is another virus that seems to be spreading lately.   From the looks of it, it sees to be another email worm.  Here is what eset says:

Aliases

Email-Worm.Win32.Bagle.gt (Kaspersky), W32/Bagle.gen (McAfee), Trojan.Tooso!gen (Symantec)

[ad#ad2-right]Win32/Bagle.HE is a worm that spreads via e-mail. The size of its executable is 40565 B .

When executed the worm copies itself in the following locations:

• Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\hidn\
  hldrrr.exe


• Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\hidn\
  hidn2.exe

In order to be executed on every system start, the worm sets the following Registry entry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\drv_st_key

[ad#ad2-left]It seems to have a manual removal process, Unless you pay for the other software but according to the 411 on PC Security:

Win32/Bagle.HE worm is a “threat” that appears in security scans by fake antispyware WinDefender 2008.

The danger of Win32/Bagle.HE worm is supposed to scare you into wasting $49.95 on WinDefender 2008.

Unless you like getting ripped off, don’t download the software the Win32/Bagle.HE worm popup links to. You’re not really infected with Win32/Bagle.HE worm — you’re infected with scamware that you need to remove.

I’ll show you how to get rid of Win32/Bagle.HE worm and WinDefender 2008, for free.

[via 411 on PC Security]

According to this site you can remove it by doing some steps.  I think Kaspersky has an easier way to remove it and it looks like most anti-virus software will remove this.   You need to remember that only you can prevent this from the future.   You should also update your windows update and make sure your system is up to date.