Computer Geek Stuff

Uses Of Medical Software

2009-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Every electronic medical system has different strengths and limitations. To choose which one to purchase, a medical practice might start by considering how to measure the difference between systems. Electronic medical record systems may have different elements in their software packages, as well as those for patient medical records, appointment scheduling, billing or patient education. Because patient medical records are a important part, it is best to understand the software used to implement electronic medical records.

Whereas electronic medical records remove the necessity for paper-based files entry, data still has to be entered electronically. Some systems use keyboards, whereas others provide data entry options via touchscreens or verbally, with the use of voice recognition software. A key objective in installing an electronic medical record system is to scale back paper-primarily based records. However, the need to print patient medical records mostly arises. As nearly all electronic medical records have a fancy layout, printing a complete record can be a challenge, as not each one systems are compatible with every one printers.

It is inevitable that ‘difficult copies’ of patient reports, such as x-ray reports or laboratory reports, can have to be imported into an electronic database. To carry out this, a observe needs equally a scanner and compatible optical recognition software that may or can not be designed into the electronic medical record system. Optical recognition software, in turn, may purely recognize sure files or text entry formats.

Electronic medical record systems may offer choices to import pictures, like x-rays or CT scans, in one or more formats. A few systems do not offer any image importing options. When considering such options, it is best to opt for the the majority of versatile program that permits the importation of images in a range of different formats. Certain formats take up much more space on a hard drive than others, but can offer enhanced images.

USB Pen Drives Not Just For Data Storage

2009-11-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

As USB Pen Drives decrease in price, numerous people are now thinking up inventive ways in order to exploit this ingenious technology.
You know that you are able use USB pen drives for a number of things, including data storage. If you wish alternative artistic uses for applying your USB pen drives, you may look at some of options.

Business Cards

If you're, entrepreneur or business owner, USB business cards are a great way to introduce yourself to prospective customers. Not solely does it allow for you to get an outer presence and set of info that someone could want, but can also allow you to put together a presentation that people might use to become more information or to enroll with one of your products or services.

Sales

USB pen drives aren't only getting used as business cards, but also as choices for promoting sales of unusual types. Several companies are currently specializing in promotionals for USB pen drives with choices like USB pen drives for trade shows, company gifts, special events, promotions, direct response and to market new products. This mix of sales features that may be used with USB pen drives is helping to take the front position for a hot way to present information to prospective clients.

Presentations

Powerpoint presentations can be a great use for USB pen drives. USB pen drives are a amazing way to save your Powerpoint Presentations for the reason that it is a medium that can work in almost any kind of technology. However, if you wish to get creative, you can produce duplicates of your presentation and notes to give out at your meeting.

Imagery or Audio

USB pen drives are a wonderful place to save your raw data for imagery or audio programs. The significant storage capacity of USB pen drives makes it idyllic to make backups of your key raw imagery or audio data. It is also a great way to share data with other artists, for example, If you have got a certain project that you are working on, USB Pen drives can be used to share that data with other artists. This is an perfect way of taking the music or images with you as opposed to having everybody involved in your project coming to you.

USB Pen pen drives To Store Your Operating System and Other Software

USB Pen pen drives are trendy with PC techs because it is a convenient place to save a great amount of software and files. Many Computer Technicians use Pen Drives to save software such as an entire Operating System like Linux. Alternatively, you may store many of your Computer troubleshooting tools in your USB drive in which will permit you to troubleshoot Computer issues much more expediently.

These are only some of several choices for applying USB pen drives. The only limit to the usage of a USB Pen pen drives is your imagination.

Hard Drive Overheating and Data Loss

2009-11-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

For quite a lot of diverse issues, hard hard disk storage is a incredibly important component of a PC. These days, computers do much more than they ever have in the past. From businesses to family photo’s, storage space is the ideal way to keep information on your PC. The most accepted means of storage space is the hard disk drive .

Even though the hard hard disk stores information, it isn’t flawless. Hard drive breakdown is incrediblyprevalent with all PCs, with no real way to avoid it. Though there are a number of diverseissues why a hard drive can break down, the most prevalent is hard drive overheating problems.

The hard drives we use nowadays, have speeds exceeding 7,200 RPM, indicating that they mightget rather hot when they begin working. Computers have fans to keep components cool, with most hard drives including heat sensors as well, so you can keep track of just how hot your hard drive gets.

With hard drives today, overheating is a extremely} commonplace subject. The faster hard can make the heat increase above 70 degrees F. The mechanics on the interior are engineered to endure the high temperature, though if things become too hot, you’ll run into problems. If a hard drive becomes too hot and ends up losing the information, it canbe next to unattainable to rescue the info - no matter how superior your data retrieval specialists may be.

One section that suffers from the drive overheating is the platters, that are magnetic media. Platters are what carry the data throughout the hard drive . Platters are constructed from optical glass, aluminum, or ceramic and usually layered with a coating of magnetic substance. Once the hard drive commences to high temperature up, the platters will begin to expand, that alters their dimension. When this happens, the magnetic surface on the platters will get destroyed, which results in a loss of data. If the physical area of the platters are damaged, it will result in unreadable sectors.

Further regions of the hard drive that maybe damaged due to overheating are the read and write heads, head actuator, and the controller chip. Hard drives are quite} complex pieces of machinery, and can’t deal with overheating. The read and write heads are a commonplace example, as they can easily render the drive useless if they become damaged. If they get too hot, they don’t make any contact with media, that pretty much stops the flow of transfer from information to the PC.

To thwart your hard hard drive from overheating, you shouldcontinually make sure that it is cooled correctly and well ventilated. You can always get extra fans and coolers, which will expand both aeration and the flow of air in your computer. You can acquire fans and coolers at fairly} reasonable prices, which makes them an ideal asset for keeping your hard hard disk or hard drives cool.

You can also find software that checks the temperature of your hard drive as well. Whether it’s software, or additional fans, you ought to at all times make certain that your hard drives are kept cool. By keeping them cool, you’ll really reduce the amount of crashes. You’ll also enhance the stability of your hard hard drive as well, that will make your entire computer perform much better.

Your Computer Operating System

2009-11-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Most new pcs that are sold today have an operating system put in. But what the majority of new computer users do not realize, is that without an operating system, that computer would be a simple shell, useless for the most part. A pc missing a operating system would not display anything more than a bunch of perplexing text messages that describe the pc's boot process.

Earlier computers didn't have an operating system and if you have experience with the computers of the early eighties, you may remember that the majority of of them did not even have a hard drive. These old pcs booted an MS-DOS type operating system from drivers saved onto a floppy disk. To make matters worse, in order to run programs, you needed to remove the boot floppy and then insert a new floppy that contained the software application. The floppy not only stored the application such as a (word processor, spreadsheet, etc.), it also stored the drivers that the program required to connect with the pc's hardware. As you are able imagine, the awkward process of switching from floppy to floppy prompted the birth of the OS.

An operating system is, for the most part, a software program that controls how the pc's hardware and software works. It manages the activity of every element and then displays that activity as a user-friendly interface known as a Graphical User Interface(GUI). It keeps track of where things exist on a computer's hard drive as well. But perhaps the most importantly for the end-user, the operating system is accountable for translating commands issued with a keyboard,mouse or any other user input device and translate it into computer language known as binary code (010110101 stuff) that can communicate with a set of speakers, a printer, a scanner and so on.

With an operating system put in onto a pc's hard disk, users no longer have to boot a computer together with a floppy disk, nor do they have to run programs from a floppy disk. All of the drivers of a program are saved onto the computer and used whenever a application is started.

Apple's Macintosh computer was among the first of a couple systems to establish a user-to-hardware connection through a user-friendly interface. Nowadays, we| have quite a few operating systems available, many of them free. A number of the more well-liked ones are Windows Vista, Mac OS X, IBM, Unix, Linux among others. But even still, operating systems have extended onto to non-computer devices such as game consoles, portable music players, and PDAs. Regardless of the device, the OS installed onto it serves the identical reason across the board, to enable user-to-hardware interaction.

Nowadays, you don't often need to concern yourself with how Computer Operating Systems work, because for the most part, they have become very hands off. That said, it is always a excellent initiative to get familiar with your OS, so that if something were to go wrong, you will be better proficient at resolving your computer Operating System Issues. Once you have familiarized yourself with this cool technology, you'll see that it is easier to fix your own PC issues, and therefore save money.

All About Information Retrievel

2009-11-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hard Disk crash is inevitable, and at particular instant in time, many people undergo it to some degree. The reasons behind Data Corruption differ, and can involve anything from a human mistake to damages ensuing from floods. Viruses may be a feature as well, alongside with a lot of other possible issues. For many persons, the need to retrieve information which has been lost or destroyed has made information recovery such a very priceless benefit.

Nearly all hard drives may be recovered. By and large, if the drive is making a ticking or a scratching sound, you can use specific software programs to retrieve the data. On occasion, due to age or inferior parts, the aperture arm in the hard Disk may break down, or the hard disk plates may become dented and suffer the loss of the information which they store. If you can’t salvage the information with software, you’ll have to to send off the hard drive to have it either reconstructed or have data recovery technicians recover your data.

Data retrieval is always an alternative, from hard drives that are 2 GB in size to the biggest hard-drives with terabytes of data. Regardless of what size hard drive you have, the data can generally be retrieved. Keep in mind which if you’ve had a PC crash, you’ll want to send out the hard drive to have the information salvageed by technicians.

One of the key benefits of information recovery is the fact which information may also be retrieved from the recycle bin as well. Partition recovery, and even information which has been lost somewhere on the hard disk may be recovered also. Even though it might appear like your information is disappeared forever - the technicians that specialize in information retrieval may retrieve it.

Whether you are using a Windows to Mac or Linux, almost everything may be salvaged. There are different filing structures and formats, including NTFS and FAT32 which are conventional Windows filing structures, and contain all of the information for your hard.

Those of you who possess many hard drives in your PC, may rest assured that RAID configurations may too be recovered.

Anytime your hard drive crashes, data recovery is there to aid you getting back your files. Whether they are personal files or very significant files which are needed for your job, you can put your faith in data retrieval and appreciate that you’ll acquire most of the information back.

Recovering missing data from your hard drive is might frequently be done through the help of a data retrieval lab, but the greatest choice is for you to backup your files regularly. Backing up your data onto DVD's or using an online service like Carbonite's online data backup is by far the best way to keep your files secure.

10 benefits and reasons for using Bluetooth technology

2009-07-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

1. Wireless
As you possibly by now know, there are numerous benefits
and advantages to using wireless devices. Along with
improving safety as a result of eliminating wires
you don't require, wireless also offers you lots of
additional advantages. When traveling with your laptop
or added wireless devices, you'll no longer have to
agonize about bringing link upion cables.

2. Bluetooth is really cheap
The technology of Bluetooth is cheap for corporations
to apply, which consequences in reduced expenses for the
company. These savings are then passed from the
corporation on to you.

3. Bluetooth is automated
Bluetooth doesn't encompass you set up a link or
push any buttons. At what time two or more devices go into
a span of up to 30 feet of each extra, they will
automatically begin to interconnect exclusive of you
needing to do anything.

4. Standardized protocol
Bluetooth is standardized wireless, meaning that
a high degree of compatibility among devices is
assured. Bluetooth will link up devices to
each additional, even if they aren't the same model.

5. Low interference
Bluetooth devices virtually always avoid interference
from other wireless devices. Bluetooth utilizes a
technique known as frequency hopping, and also
low power wireless signals.

6. Low energy consumption
As a consequence of Bluetooth using low power signals,
the technology needs incredibly tiny power and will
use a smaller amount battery or electrical power as a result.
This is an outstanding benefit for mobile devices,
as Bluetooth won't drain the battery.

7. Sharing voice and data
The standard for Bluetooth will allow well-matched
devices to distribute data and voice communications.
This is great for mobile phones and headsets, as
Bluetooth simplifies driving and chatting on your
cell phone.

8. Instant PAN (Personal Area Network)
You can connect up to seven Bluetooth devices to
each extra in a span of up to 30 feet, creating
a piconet or PAN. For a single room, you can
also set up various piconets.

9. Upgradeable
Upgradeable is the typical for Bluetooth. There
are newer versions of Bluetooth in the workings,
that offer numerous new advantages and backward
congruent with older versions.

10. The technology Remains
Bluetooth technology is a world wide, universal
wireless standard. With it being as popular as
it is, you can regard on it being about for years
to come. As more devices begin to use
Bluetooth technology, more manufacturers will be
eager to make their products congruent. A chain
reaction will occur, making Bluetooth the standard

Keep Your Data Backed Up With Cool Software

2009-06-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's extremely important to keep your data backed up, and there are a lot of cool software on the market that will help you do that.

Although most people do not need backup space for their data every day, how often or how much you need to backup things however, all depends on how you use your computer. If your data is very important or if you use your computer for work, you may need to create a backup of your software on a daily basis, possibly even hourly for some people.

There are many devices and equipment to help backup your data, including DVDs and CD burners, tapes, external hard drives, offsite servers on the Internet like the carbonite backup servers, and so on and so forth. Although each one has pros and cons, you should always use more than one backup method if your data is extremely important to you, just to be on the safe side.

When it comes to backing up your data using software, there are five different methods you can use:
1. Full backup - A full backup will create a mirror of your hard drive, every file and folder that you currently have on your computer.
2. Differential backup - A differential backup creates the backup only for files that have been changed or upgraded.
3. Disk image - This will give you the choice of backing up your entire hard drive or just the files that you select.
4. Unattended backup - Using this method, you can set the software that will create the backup to do all of the work, even if you aren’t around.
5. Snapshot backup - A snapshot backup will mirror your hard drive, backing up the images of your files.

When you decide to get a software program to assist you with backing up your files, you should always get a program that best fits your needs. Price is also an important factor, although ease of use and overall reliability should always be the most important factors when it comes to your data.

Most programs are easy to use, so even if you have never backed up your data before, you’ll be able to do it without any problems. All you’ll need to do is load the software then follow the instructions that come up on the screen.

Software backup is very important to help save yourself much grief when your computer's harddrive fails and using the right data backup software can go a long way to helping you avoid data disasters.

Medical Alert Jewelery, Fashionable and Practical

2009-05-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

For many people, Medical Alert Jewellery is a great way to stay safe while not standing out. Medical Alert Jewelery can be both electronic or not, and it's function is to help others identify your medical needs during a medical crisis. It is especially useful for people with Diabetes, Asthma, Alzheimers, Heart Conditions as well as hundreds of other possibly fatal medical issues.

The problem with traditional jewelery is that it often stands out in a negative way, and for kids who are trying to fit in, medical jewelery can make kids feel different. Let's face it, in today's society kids who stick out can often suffer many forms of negative peer situations. Kids don't want the whole world to know about their medical ailments. to know that they have a medical issue that may turn into an emergency, and therefore prefer not to wear medical alert bracelets.

The great thing about medical alert jewelry is that they can be fashionable and trendy. Take for example very cool medical alert shoe-tags for young children, these are not only fashionable but practical. And then you've got the way cool medical alert charms, these charms are preferred by young girls who don't want the world to know they've got a medical issue. Charms can be worn on a chain along with other charms. There are so many other choices available to teens like, medical alert pendants, which can be concealed and medical alert tags, which can be attached to your shoes or belt.

The point is that Medical Alert Jewelery doesn't have to be ugly to work, and kids love them because it doesn't make them feel like they are different but can still help save lives when the need arises.

Find Internet Explorer Passwords

2009-02-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

If you are like most people, you have probably forgotten most of your Internet Explorer or Firefox passwords by now, and rely like crazy on the auto-form password fill that both these browsers as well as a plethora of other Internet browsers provide. If you weren't so lazy, you would have kept your passwords in a secure, yet easily accessible to you location, but you're not like that. Instead, you wait till your computer crashes for the last time before you realize that you are completely and utterly screwed. Ok, let's not delay this, you need to get the ball rolling on this right away. It's time for you to find those Internet Explorer passwords, go and do that now and come back to this post.

Ok, I fooled you, I really geeked you out, led you around like something awful. Don't get angry at me, unlike Firefox, that let's you easily access your passowrds (This isn't such a good thing btw), Internet Explorer hides them in a file that is easily retrievable with the correct tools.

In order to retrieve your Internet Explorer Passwords, you'll need a program called IE PassView, you can download it here. Once you've downloaded the program, and installed it on your system, like magic IE PassView will Geek out all your Internet Explorer Passwords for you.

cool your laptoop

2009-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

For those of you who keep your laptop on all the time, it's important to keep it cool. Unlike Desktops, Laptops have all of the components squeezed into a very tight space and it get very very hot. If you're laptop overheats, you may find your laptop shutting down on you, causing you to lose all of your unsaved data. This is not good, especially if your boss is expecting your work in the morning and you are now hours behind.

The first rule of thumb in keeping your laptop cool is to keep it off a blank or any other material that stores heat or that can block the vents. I can't stress enough at how important a simple thing like this can be. Your Laptop hardware will not work correctly after a certain temperature and your computer's cpu needs to run under a certain temperature to avoid data errors and computer failures.

The best option, for those of you who really need to work on your beds, is to purchase a laptop cooler. A laptop cooler is, in essence, a laptop stand with fans that will help cool the laptop. They are very inexpensive, I've seen them as low as $20.00 but they will help preserve the life-span of your laptop and more importantly, help prevent hardware failures and unexpected freeze ups and shut-downs.

The choice is yours, I mean, if your data means nothing to you then keep doing what you're doing, otherwise, get a laptop cooler and safe yourself the added stress when your boss gives you a one way ticket out the back door.

Hard Drive Crash Repair

2009-01-19T21:47:00.000-08:00

If you are like most people, you've probably got most of your personal data stored in your PC. But what do you do if your Hard Drive Crashes? Can the data be recovered?

Before we talk about data recovery, let's talk about data backup first, it's a great tool in data loss prevention. I know what you're thinking, 'how boring, I don't want to talk about my crashed hard drive, and I don't care about prevention because I'm a careless and lazy person'. I hear ya, and the fraternity of careless and lazy people is alive and well, I can assure you. But seriously, If your data is precious to you, you need to back it up. The best way is by copying the data onto DVDs, and storing your data in a safe place, preferably a fireproof safe. If all this sounds like a lot of work, then the question you need to ask yourself is 'Is the data that I lost, the family photos and all my work important to me?' If you answer yes, then you know what you've got to do.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about recovery of your data after your hard drive crash. Data recovery can be a very simple matter, or very complicated, and it all depends on what has gone wrong. If you're simply fixing a Windows Melt-Down where your OS doesn't boot any more, then a great piece of free software that works well in data recovery called File Recovery by PC Inspector will save you a lot of grief. This nifty piece of software recovery will recover files and partitions for you, it's free and it does a very good job and getting your precious files back.

If on the other hand, your hard drive crash is a direct consequence of your hard drive itself being pooched, and a physical problem is responsible for loss of your data, then you need to stop and take that hard-drive to a data recovery lab immediately. But data recovery services labs aren't cheap and you can expect to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Let's face it, a family photo album with all your precious history is worth the money and you'll probably end up paying for the data recovery.

This leads us back to my first point. If you had backed up your data to begin with, you wouldn't be paying forking out all your hard earned money to recover your Crashed Hard Drive.

Careful With Firefox Extensions

2009-01-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Firefox Extensions because they make browsing the Internet so much easier. Having the option to make one's Internet Browser your own is what Firefox Extensions are all about. It's really all about making your Internet Session as smooth and pleasant as possible, and having top firefox extensions makes all the difference in the world. That said, you need to take care that you don't go crazy on installing too many extensions. The reason is that Firefox can start doing bad things, like crashing, and Firefox Extensions are often the culprit. Unless you want you Internet Browser to crash on you all the time, don't install too many Firefox Extensions.

The rule of the thumb for me is to install an extension and work with it over a period of a couple of days to a week, in this way, I can monitor Firefox behavior. If I notice anything unusual with my Browsing Sessions, I will then uninstall the extension and see if that fixes the problem. If there is no problem after installing a Firefox Extension, and Firefox seems to be running smoothly, then I'll go ahead and install the next extension. To me this is the best way to keep your browser healthy, but don't take my word for it, go nuts if that is what does it for you.

In the end, it really is a personal choice, and for those of you who love your Firefox Extensions, well who am I to stand in your way of instant gratification.

The Future Of Learning & Technology

2009-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

Where did most of you learn how to use a computer? Did you take a night-course, or was it part of your daily curriculum at school? Or if you are like a lot of people out there, you just purchased a computer and figured it out as you went?

Learning about computers isn't as straight-forward as it once was. Technology is always changing and the knowledge that you had 5 years ago is most likely obsolete by today's standards. So it stands to reason that you can't keep going back to school, constantly, that would make no sense. Furthermore, the real world changes faster than schools can keep pace with, so if you did go back to school to learn new things, chances are you are learning things that are completely obsolete.

That leaves only one other option in keeping yourself up-to-date on the latest technology. I'm talking about Tech Articles. When I say Tech Articles, I'm referring to information that is posted by like-minded individuals on their websites, forums or other places where information can be exchanged, usually for free. This is important, because it means that technology has now transcended into the realm of information exchange between individuals and not the trickle-down effect of information as it applies to learning institutions. This is important because we as a society are now headed into a new age where information is always within our grasp, and this in turn creates new ideas and concepts that push the envelope forward, challenging the methods of traditional learning institutions.

Does that mean that I find no value in traditional learning methods, like Colleges and Universities? Of course not! There is a place for learning institutions that are still vital to our learning process. But my view is that these learning institutions are only necessary in a preparatory form as opposed to it serving as a full education. This is important because it means that we as a people, globally, are now the true custodians of information, effectively superseding the roles of learning institutions. This wasn't so 10 or 20 years ago. And anyone who desires to learn, can do so without the restrictions of time or space.

This means that information is now formless, it can no longer be contained within a pre-digested format as dictated by those who call themselves are intellectual superiors. Professors are no longer the containers of information, but to a large extent, seekers of information themselves and often students of the students they profess to instruct. This is a real paradigm shift that promises to catapult technology forward, and as it gains momentum it will radically change our ideas of how education should be applied and will result in new technologies faster than we ever expected.

Is IT Training Worth IT Anymore?

2009-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

I was looking through the job search sites the other day and realized that I need to get back to school. It appears that everything that I studied 10 years ago is basically out-of-date and useless. I'm not surprised, the computer industry has always been a dynamic one, changing and morphing with every new hardware and software update, this is what makes it exciting and frustrating. Gone are the days of automatic employment. Regardless of how smart you think you are, there is always someone smarter, applying for the same jobs as you. If this sounds scary, then I've done my job, you should be afraid and use fear leverage in seeking out a career. Remember, it's best to get informed now rather than later. There are many college graduates heading straight into unemployment and their parents basement so choosing a career wisely is half the battle of education, regardless of what your out-of-touch guidance or career councilor may tell you.

That said, I asked myself whether it's even worth training for a career in this industry anymore. It seems that by the time you graduate, what you've learned is obsolete, and now you are faced with a never ending continuous education. This isn't like learning a trade or some other basic business course where things are relatively unchanged, the IT industry is a continuously changing, and you need to know if it's worth getting IT Training. If you've got your heart set in IT, then you need to ask yourself some serious questions.

The key to getting into the IT industry is get in with what's in demand today and tomorrow. You need to adapt to what the industry is demanding, and not expect the industry to adapt to you. So before you put your hard earned money into someone elses hands I suggest doing a thorough search through job search websites to get an idea on what hiring company's are looking for. Once you've got a clear understanding on what is in demand, go out and learn a little about those in demand skills. Figure out what other prerequisite skills are needed in order to learn this new skill, find out what the history and future of this new skill is. Learn who the competitors are. Find out which skills people are talking about. Which company's are hiring and what the pay-bracket is. You need to fully research everything there is to know about your chosen career, everything.

If this seems like a lot of work, then ask yourself what the consequences are of not getting all the specifics on your chosen field and finding yourself in the unemployment queue. The choice is clear, so make an educated decision on your IT Training, otherwise you may find yourself frustrated and unemployed.

Do I Need GPS?

2009-01-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as I was grazing with the rest of the sheep, looking for so-called tech bargains at the local mark-up tech shop, my attention closed in on a nifty little Magellan GPS. I felt the immediate, lower gut feeling that I needed this. I was blinded by the dazzling light that seemed to emanate from the enticing packaging, I needed it and didn't understand why.

Was it because I often got lost while driving and found myself in strange places that I did not want to be in? The answer is NO, I never get lost because I don't often drive very far, excluding the occasional trip somewhere south, and I usually over-plan for those trips anyway. So what was it about this electronic GPS Navigation System device that had me mesmerized, as if I was under its spell? I didn't know, and so I did what I always do when I don't quite understand a need for something. I put the box down and headed to another isle, hoping to forget all about it.

This small example makes the big difference because I've been fooled in the past into buying things I did not need. I'm sure most of you have been fooled too. That's not to say that I feel that a GPS isn't valuable or needed, but only that it is offering something that most of us can do without. And let's face it, a road map is often much more useful than a GPS. So let's take a fresh look at the most hated things about marketing. The fact that most of us end up owning useless stuff that just piles up on our shelves is an indication that marketing companies are earning their pay. If you've ever purchased something only to bring it home and not open it for a day or more, then you'll know what I'm talking about, you've just blown your hard earned cash on an item you probably don't need. It is this very mindset that has led me to take a similar with GPS and that is why I decided to forgo the purchase of the Magellan GPS.

So the next time you find yourself staring at something, internally debating on its practicality and usefulness in your life, do what I did. Put it back on the shelf and move on.

World's First Hard-Disk Drive

2008-12-27T18:33:00.000-08:00

Computer geeks the world over can thank the people at IBM for today's Hard-Disk Technology was introduced about half a century and revolutionized our lives. The first Hard-Disk was called the IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit and it was huge, I mean it was man-sized dude. It was revealed to the world on September 4 1956 and it changed the way Computer Geeks stored their info. Before the IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit storage unit was created, Technology Geeks used storage drums to store information.

The IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit had a 24" diameter disks and could only store about five megs of data, about the size an average MP3 file. This is actually pretty amazing considering that today, there are companies that offer data warehouse solutions, incorporating thousands of terabytes of storage space for their customers.

The IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit weighed about one ton and required special shipping and handling, see image. Today, you will only find this peice machinery in a museum but it is amazing how Computer Geeks have transformed this hunk of metal into the sleek and powerful hard-drives that we use today.

What Cool Stuff Are You Getting This Christmas

2008-12-24T04:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas is around the corner and many of you last minute shoppers are putting your game face on and heading out to graze. Whether you're looking for the latest cell-phone technology or LCD flat screen TV you've always dreamed of, there is someone out there hoping to sell it to you. There are many Cool Technology stores out there but only a few of them are worth visiting. If you are like most people out there, technology is on your shopping list. However, there are gadgets & gizmos businesses closing every day due to lower demand for technology, is society finally getting sick of it? or are we just choosing different places to purchase from, like online shopping?

Digressing, I am sometimes inclined to think about Cool Technology as a lifeline. It may sound odd but I have found that electronic technology is by far the easiest thing for most people digest if it is a necessity for life. Awesome technology increase its effectiveness considerably when it is part of your job. You could do this with it but it would take forever. With Cool Technology, the efforts will benefit both sides. From my own personal experience and experiments I have seen many a Cool Technological toys and equipment. With more companies getting into the tech gadgets business, the demand for unusual technology has never been higher, but sometimes I feel that we as a society are merely catering to gadgets and gizmos.

That said, Cool Technology is particularly important to me. I love Spy gadgets, which in my opinion blows any other Cool Technology out of the water, but there aren't many of us who think this about Cool Technology. That is, if you know what you're doing it can be the most fun and doesn't always have to be hi-tech.

So, let's check into the Cool Technology hotel and check out this fascinating lo-tech gadget called brief safe. “Brief Safe” is designed for the traveler, with the hope of deterring the cleaning ladies and gents from running away with your valuable stuff. They are very realistic and as nasty looking as can be, noticed the streak of fake dung. “Brief Safe” comes with “fly-accessed 4″ x 10″ secret compartment with Velcro closure” and unless the cleaning lady or gent has a nasty fetish, then your money will stay safe, and I think its one of those great gift ideas for those hard to please people.

Google's I'm Feeling Lucky Search

2008-12-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here's some cool shit to try if you are bored and don't know what to do with yourself. Bring up big G and type in the following as specified below, after you type each word, press the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button. That's all there is to it.

Type: ‘google santa’

Type: “Find Chuck Norris”

Type: ‘elgoog’

Type: ‘g00g13′

Type: ‘google klingon’

Type: ‘google bork’

Type: ‘easter feature’

Type: ‘google valentine’

Type: ‘google doodle’

Type: 'google gothic'

Type: 'elmer fudd'

That's it for the cool Google stuff, hope you enjoyed it and if you think of any more feel free to leave it in the comments. Cheerio!

Are Gadgets Good Or Bad?

2008-12-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't advocate cogitating on what my fellow psycho geeks will say when they read what I've got to say about technology, but I think its important to say it anyway.

It turns out that there are common patterns that underlie Technology. What happens when Technology does not serve society anymore? Yes, technology lets you run away from it all but is it a productive way of living?

I am often reminded of all the gadgets we purchase, if useful, they can make us more productive, but often they are just pieces of junk filling our cupboards, like the dozens of kitchen gadgets that I'll never use. In theory, cool technology would have contributed to our standard of living, if done in moderation, but we don't do moderation do we? As most likely happens, we often get bogged down in technology that it has become a detriment in many cases. Take for instance, email. Most of us can't live without it, but consider how much easier it would be if at your place of work you would forgo email for a face to face chat with your co-worker. The point is that I'm passionate about really cool stuff, but when Technology takes up all our time, then it's time to reconsider its place in our society.

As I have said before, Technology means more than a lot to me, its my life, but it is also my curse. I'm like a lot of you, if a gadget exists, I've probably have given it a try. And I really do love technology, for the wide variety of uses that help create a whole new way of understanding things. But I wanted to look deeper into Technology, into the social ramifications of this cursed enchanting junk. There are many factors involved with cool things that need to be digested thoroughly. Let's face it, Technology can still cost you many hours of lost productivity if used incorrectly. As I've mentioned, email is a great example of this.

I do want to partially defend the essence of technology, because it is important to modern society. But if you spend all your time with cool downloads instead of working or talking with your co-workers, it isn't at all to your benefit. I think you'll find this great advice to think about for your Technology.

Lastly, I think that Technology is a forgotten path to increase the power of productivity. Will it eventually control us is still to be seen.

The Day the Earth Stood Still: Cool Firefox Easter Egg

2008-12-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

Like the previous releases of Firefox, Firefox 3.0 is also hiding a cool Easter egg surprise.

Follow the following steps to see this cool Easter egg:

In the Firefox Address Bar type the following: about:robots
Press Enter.
Behold, a great Easter Egg will appear on your screen. It is a message from Gort the Robot from the movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and reads as follows:

Welcome Humans! We have come to visit you in peace and with goodwill! * Robots may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. * Robots have seen things you people wouldn’t believe. * Robots are Your Plastic Pal Who’s Fun To Be With. * Robots have shiny metal posteriors which should not be bitten. And they have a plan.

As many of you know, the updated version of the 1951 classic ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ featuring Keanu Reeves' as Klaatu will soon be at a theater near you. And with virtual visionary insight, the people at Mozilla seemed to be on the ball that this would be the year of the retelling of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, fascinating indeed.

Cool Stuff To Do To Make Windows Run Good

2008-12-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

If your PC is starting to sputter out, then it's time for an action plan. Regular PC maintenance is vital to keeping that ugly beast called Windows running better longer and Mr. Gates will love you too, I swear it. Are you cool? Cool, here are cool Tech Tips on how to keep that Windows OS purring like a pussy.

1. Clean Out the Temp Files:

Go ahead and amaze yourself, honest, go do it right now with some cool house cleaning. You'll be surprised how much junk Bill gates and the Internet puts in you computer. So get cool and get rid of that crap, do it now YO!, just do it and be cool, it's all good.

2. Defragment Your HardDrive:

Defragmenting the hard drive(s) at least once a month is vital to keeping things cool. Remember, large downloads and everyday computer use puts a hard demand on your hard drives, and a good long defragment will keep that biotch happy.

3. Update that Anti-Virus File And Run It Often:

Look it, if you want your PC running good, then you need to do this. Stop whining that you can't, just be cool and do it. Run that Anti-virus at least one time a week.

4. Get A Firewall:

A Firewall is not what it used to be, granted, but it will still help keep that effing geek cracker jack from prying open your PC like a can of sardines.

5. Turn System Restore On:

System Restore is a Windows way of covering its proverbial ass when things get messed up in your PC. System Restore keeps snapshots of your system settings and when the BS hits the fan, no sweat, you can restore you PC to a place in time, it will save your pathetic life.

6. Disable Those Startup Progs:

I know you don't know it yet, but right now as we speak, there are programs loading up with your Windows OS that you don't know about. That's right, someone has decided to make their program run without you knowing and it's taking up space in your RAM memory and goofing all that shit up. When you disable these progs, your system will load faster.

7. Windows Updates Is Your Friend, So Install All Security Updates:

The title speaks for itself, just do it.

8. Get Spyware Checker:

Spyware, these days are taking over. Your computer is probably infected with that crap, sending all sorts of nasty crap your way. You know, like porn and shit. And it pops up at all the wrong times, like when your Spinster Aunt Clarrisse, pays a visit. Download anti-spyware progs and use them all the time.

9. Download From Reputable Websites Only:

If you download garbage from any old site, man, you're asking for it, hard. Don't get stupid, use only sites like download.com and other well knows sites. These guys scan their offered downloads, it's wise to scan yours too.

10. Uninstall Progs You Don't use:

OK, this goes out to all you sniveling pack-rats out there, you know who you are. You download and install all sorts of garbage on your machine and wonder what the hell happened when things slow down. Do yourself a favor, if you don't use a program uninstall it.

That's all for today Ladies, It's all good and it's all cool stuff.

Cool Stuff

2008-11-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

Where Does The Term Computer Bug Come From?

Have you ever heard the term ‘there’s a bug in the software?’ or ‘this software needs debugging?’.

In September 9, 1945, Harvard, computer computer geeks found moth trapped in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator that they had been working on. Those geeks took the moth and taped it to a computer log, which you can see in the image. After that incident, word got out someone had ‘debugged’ the system, and so the popular term, 'debugging' was popularized.

There are people who state that the word ‘bug’ is actually much older, and being used by Thomas Edison. That may or may not be true, but we can state with certainty that actual popularization occurred back in 1945.

Cool Stuff First Mouse

2008-11-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

What the heck is this crazy cool stuff in that picture? It looks more like a chopping board not a gadget, but this little wooden block was at the forefront of technology in the sixties. It was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1964 at Stanford Research Institute. Beautifully shellacked, square and cumbersome this puppy ushered in a new age in technological sophistication

Unlike the mouse we use today, that uses either a ball or light to move your screen pointer, this mouse had two wheels perpendicular to angle that allowed the mouse to move up or down on the screen. So now you know my little techno-noobs, you'll get more cool stuff later.

Remember the Sony Walkman?

2008-11-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Remember the original Sony Walkman TPS-L2? No? Go ask your older brother or sister, they probably had one. That old clunker was made by the Sony Corporation in 1979, and it ushered in a new age for music. Man, being able to carry your music with you, anywhere, that was priceless. Oh, yeah, you're probably thinking, "What about the Ghetto Blaster?, that was portable". I say get real dude, the Ghetto blaster was too 'in your face' and unsophisticated. You couldn't get away with it if you were high-broughing it with high society and all that.

The idea behind the Sony Walkman was simple, ‘Shrink tape player, add headphones, make lotsa dolla’. Music was now in the domain of the individual and not the group, it was a private thing, your thing, no one could guess that even though you looked like a gorilla, you were listening to Beethoven 9th in B flat-ulence. Walkman users and abusers could go everywhere, tuning it all in and tuning the world out.

Oh yeah, the Walkman was also a great way to meet chicks. Basically, the girls knew that you had two things going for you, one, you had the music and two, you had the money. Not just any Joe Shmoe could afford the hefty price, don't ask me what the price was cause I forget things, but it was up there with up-town hookers and the clap. What I really liked about the Walkman, you ask? 'Public singing'... which was often the domain of crazy people now a non-exclusive club for all. Gotta love those good old days, man good times bubba, gooooood times.....

Cool Stuff Privacy Policy

2008-11-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

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