I made it on the Channel 5 CBS Eyewitness news

So I was at Best Buy one day and looking at a 10" HP netbook when all of a sudden a CBS News reporter snuck up behind me and asked me if I wanted to be interviewed. I thought to myself that it would be fun to see myself on TV. I've always had a bad habit of sneaking in front of new cameramen to try to get myself on TV. But this was an actual speaking role! In any case, I was too nervous and mumbled dumb things to the reported and they didnt air my interview. But they did get my face and my hands. I believe it aired on the 6pm news, but I missed it. But found it of course on the Internet.

You will see me at 1:09 minutes into the video.
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=42871@kpix.dayport.com

Black Friday 2008

Im definitely seeing an increase in deals this week. Stay on top of it by going to my aggregated deals site - fealdeals.com
It looks like the retailers have already posted their Black Friday ads directly on their websites or you can go to bfads.net where they have a compiled list for easy access.

Program your Tivo on your cell phone

Finally, Tivo created a mobile web app specifically to schedule and record TV shows. I've been waiting for an iphone app, but I guess this browser-based web app will do. Keep in mind that this app might not even be officially live yet as Tivo has not made an announcement. Also, you need to have a network connected Tivo, a Tivo account, and an internet-enabled cell phone.

Source: Mobile Crunch

Canada Dry Ginger Ale with Green Tea

My favorite new soda now is Canada Dry's new Ginger Ale with Green Tea. It has the same Ginger Ale taste but with a subtle Green Tea kick. Its available at major supermarkets. Yum!

Free AT&T Wi-Fi for iPhone Users at Starbucks

Here are the instructions from the AT&T website:

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

Windows Automatic Restart

Dear Microsoft,

I understand that there are many security issues with Windows. I understand that because of the security issues, you have auto installed the necessary patches to plug up those security holes. I understand that in order for those patches to take effect, it requires Windows to restart.

But please, please dont force an automatic Windows restart without my permission. Please dont give me a 5 minute countdown every 5 minutes. Sometimes, I need to go to the bathroom for 5 minutes and I dont want all of my open programs to end abruptly. I have already allowed you to download and install the updates automatically and whenever you want, so what more do you want from me? Nevermind, go ahead! Take control of my computer. Install whatever you want. Reboot my computer whenever you want. I dont care anymore. You use it.

But at least consider this. How about putting a tiny button on the 5 minute countdown dialog box that says, "Do not restart and do not remind me anymore. I solemnly swear that I will restart my computer the next chance I get".

Your extremely annoyed user,
Roger

Tivo + iPhone = :)

Time is a luxury these days, especially with 2 needy boys. No more time to sit on my couch and watch my HD shows on my Tivo. But now I have a solution - watch my Tivo recorded shows on my iPhone during my weekday commutes to work.

Setup

1. Tivo Series 3 - to record TV shows.


2. Tivo Wireless Adapter - to send shows wirelessly to my computer.


3. Wireless router - to receive shows wirelessly.


4. Tivo Desktop Plus - to manage/transfer and convert shows to compatible iPhone format.


5. iTunes - to sync shows to iPhone.


6. iPhone - to watch shows.

Now you might think this is a big hassle, but I already had most of this set up already. The only new thing I added was the Tivo Desktop Plus Software to make this entire process complete. The software unfortunately is not free ($24.95) but is well worth it as it does practically everything automatically. Believe it or not, the only manual thing I do is sync my iPhone. Dont believe me? Well, let me explain.

First of all, I just configure Tivo Desktop Plus to download to my computer any TV show on my Tivo ie. Heroes, Prison Break, Terminator. These are .TIVO files. Secondly, I tell it to convert the .TIVO files into the iPhone format .mp4. Lastly, it adds the shows into my iTunes library. Keep in mind that all of the above is only a one time set up. So now, whenever a new episode of Heroes has been recorded on my Tivo, it will also be waiting for me in my iTunes library in which I just have to sync my iPhone. Major kudos for Tivo for simplifying such a complex process. The Tivo software doesnt work 100% of the time. Sometimes, it doesnt transfer over the recording automatically. Or it transfered the recording, but didnt convert it to mp4. Had some issues with some Heroes episodes. But maybe its because NBC adds some DRM into its shows. Who knows.

Not only can I transfer my Tivo recorded shows, but I can also transfer Caden's as well. ie. Teletubbies, Wiggles. Now Caden can watch his TV shows when we're on vacation like when we're on an airplane OR in the hotel room. Huh? Yes, Apple sells an iPhone AV cable in which you can hook your iPhone up to a TV. But Im still debating whether or not to spend $49 on it. Yes, Apple is charging $49 for that stinkin' cable! What a ripoff.

Web 4.0

Here is my prediction of the Internet in the future.

Internet Software (Web 2.0)



Today we are seeing a huge growth in rich internet applications. The web no longer consists of pages for just viewing. Instead, we are seeing pages that interact with the user, communicate with other services, and process information. So I call it, "Internet Software". Many businesses are creating and selling Internet Software instead of the traditional shrink wrapped software that you install on a home computer. For example, Microsoft creates software such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. But Google has created an almost identical set of software on the web called Google Docs. Why is software moving to the web?

1. Inexpensive - No manufacturing or shipping costs. Hosting/traffic fees are insignifcant.
   


2. Easy Upgrades/Fixes - Updating Internet Software can be quick and easy. For example, let's say there is a huge security bug in the product. For Internet Software, you just have to perform the fix to the 1 application. As soon as that is done, the millions of people who use the application will be instantly using the fixed version . For shrink wrapped software, millions of customers would have take the initiative and seek (download) out the fix (patch). And we all know how often companies try to force those updates onto us with their annoying updaters that secretly run in the background of our computers.
   


3. Reach - Practically anyone can use Internet Software regardless of OS or platform.
   

The line between Internet Software and boxed software is starting to blur. We see plenty of sites that allow you to edit video, edit images, play music, do your taxes, manage your finances, play games, and the list goes on. So I dare you readers to try to answer this one question, "Can you name something that you can do on your local computer that you cannot do using a particular website?"


Bye Bye Computers
Say goodbye to computers as they will be replaced by "terminals". I can envision just a thin touchscreen LCD display. That's it. All it does is connect to the Internet wirelessly. And of course, there will be other portable terminals as well ie. cell phone, tablets, etc. I wanted to point out that these "windows" to the Internet will not need much processing power whatsoever. They just need to be capable of displaying the Internet. So where does all of the processing and heavy lifting take place? The Cloud of course.


The Cloud


Remember Internet Software? So all software will be running on the Internet by now. All processing will be performed and handled by the Internet servers. So what else does that mean? That means that you wont be spending your money on a computer with the latest Intel CPU processor chip along with gigs of RAM and a high end graphics card. Instead, you will be purchasing to rent/own an Internet computer (dedicated or shared) that will process all of your Internet Software applications. So the more you spend, the faster processing speed you will get or the more server space to store files/information or the more Internet Software applications you get. So just think of it like buying a computer that is not physically placed at your home, but instead exists somewhere in Internet Cloud. Your terminal will be able to connect to your Internet computer so that you'll be able to perform or execute commands.

A good example of the Cloud is Apple's MobileMe. With this online service, you can store and manage your contacts, calendars, email, and files in one central place. After you set everything up, it can automatically synchronize with any of your devices such as your PC, Mac, or iPhone. So the Cloud stores everything and pushes the information to your devices. The concept of the Cloud pushing information to your device is a very important concept. All the work is done via the Cloud instead of your device. Your device just acts like a receiver.


Terminals
We are already seeing the trend today from the largest manufacturers like Apple, Dell, and Lenovo. They are creating mini laptops aka. "netbooks" and computers which dont have much horsepower but good enough to surf the internet on the go.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9





Lenovo Idea S10




Apple MacBook Air




Dell Studio Hybrid



Mac Mini



Apple iPhone

Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4)

It has arrived! Learn more.

iPhone Review

I just got the new iPhone 3G from work. I never had a "smart" phone before, so I wont do much comparison with other smart/pda phones such as the treo or blackberry as I have no experience with them whatsoever.

Pros

• Email/MS Exchange
  I can check all of my email (work and personal) anytime, anywhere. Love the integration/sync of MS Exchange. All of my work contacts and calendar appointments are only a tap away.
  
  
• Touch Screen
  Apple did an excellent job of matching what feels natural to us with its gestures ie. swiping left to right as if Im turning a page of a book or zooming in or enlarging.
  
  
• Browser
  Viewing the Internet on a phone using a "real" browser is great. I dont like phones that use some custom internet viewer and web pages that are slimmed down to support them. I want to view web pages exactly as they are as if I was using my computer.
  
  
• Apps
  I like the wide variety of useful apps that I can download directly to my iPhone ie. Weather, Notes, To do lists, Tip Calculator, Games, etc.
  
  
• Voicemail
  Listening to voicemail with 1 click. No more will I have to dial my own phone number, press #, type in my password, and press 1 to listen to my messages.
  
  
• Camera
  When taking a photo, the entire screen is used making it very easy. I can also turn the iPhone sideways for wider coverage.
  
  
• Graphics
  2 words...Eye Candy. The graphics look so crisp and clear especially on a black background. I just want to eat those little application "pills".
  
  
• Earphone Headset
  Not only can you listen to your music, but you can also answer phone calls with it. The earphones have a small microphone on the wire. Dual purpose. I like it.
  

Cons

• 3G
  What 3G? I dont see it. Where is it? They should rename the phone to 3E (E stands for the slow Edge network) because I never get 3G. I cant even get it in San Francisco of all places. Not sure on where to put the blame, but there are only 2 choices - Apple or AT&T.
  
  
• Battery life
  Your lucky if it lasts a full day without charging. In otherwords, you will need to carry around a charging cable where ever you go. Here are some battery saving tips from Apple.
  
  
• No filesystem
  Cant store any files on an iPhone except for music (mp3s) of course. Yes, that means I cant store any word, excel, or pdf files. I can only view them when they are attachments in my email. I wanted to store a Caltrain pdf schedule on my iPhone, but cant even do that. Yes, I can go directly to Caltrain's website every single time to open the pdf, but then that would take too long especially when I dont get 3G.
  
  
• Keyboard
  Typing on the iPhone takes some getting use to, since the keyboard is on the screen itself. So you definitely wont type as fast as the Blackberry or Treo, but then again, the iPhone looks better. The on screen keyboard does get larger when you turn the iphone sideways, but it doesnt work for emailing or texting. Eh? What's up with that? Also, the iPhone has an auto complete feature where it tries to complete the word that you are typing. It does not work well and is sometimes really annoying. There are times where I want to misspell a word or use an acronym on purpose, but it will obtrusively auto complete it for me no matter what I do.
  
  
• Crashes
  Sometimes, when you are displaying a web page or using an application, the iPhone can all of a sudden crash. Usually, the browser or application just quits. But in some cases, you have to restart the iPhone itself.
  
  
• Pricey Accessories
  For example, the USB charging cable costs $19 and the outlet power adapter which is sold separately costs $29. So that means if I wanted an extra charger, I will have to fork over an extra $48 just to charge my iPhone over a plug outlet? Ridiculous. Talk about Monopoly.
  
  
• No Picture Messages
  You can send text messages, but you cant send picture messages. Weak. Instead, you can only send pictures as email attachments.
  
  
• No Software
  Does not come with or work well with any software except for iTunes. I wish you could use Outlook or something to be able to sync contacts or notes or something. I only use iTunes to sync music or to update the firmware. But I guess that's what MobileMe (paid subscription) is for syncing with the "cloud" vs. a local desktop.
  
  
• No Copy and Paste
  

Conclusion
The iPhone is only halfway there.

The "Ultimate" Keyboard Shortcut

I know a keyboard shortcut that will save you 9 keystrokes every time you navigate to a website. So let's say you visit 10 websites per day. That's 90 keystrokes! Once you use this shortcut a couple of times, you will never go back. Trust me. It works across all browsers and even on both Windows and Macs.

When you type in a URL, most likely you would type in "www." and ".com" which equals 9 characters. What a waste. Why not use a keyboard shortcut that fills those characters automatically for you so that all you need to do is to type in the website's name. So what's the magic keyboard shortcut? It's CTRL + Enter. For example, let's say you wanted to visit Google's website. You would just type in "google" then CTRL + Enter. That's it! If you dont normally use any keyboard shortcuts, give this one a try. Its easy to remember and will save you lots of time.

simplebookmarks.com is live!

A while back, I said I was working on an online bookmarking application. Today, I would like to announce that it has been completed (beta version) and is called simplebookmarks.com. I created this site so that I can easily save bookmarks online. I hope you like it. Internet Explorer is still giving me problems because of its aggressive pop up blocker. But it will work if you hold down the CTRL button and then click on the bookmarklet.

Check out the demo!

New California Hands Free Cell Phone Laws

As of today, July 1st, the new California Driving Cell Phone Law is in effect. Basically, its saying that you cant talk on your cell phone while driving without using some type of hands free device. What I didnt know was that if you are under 18, you cant talk on the cell phone, even with a hands free device...period! I think thats a good thing. In any case, if you are over 18, what will exactly prompt a police officer to pull you over. You can dial on a cell phone and you can use speaker phone, so my guess is that you cannot put your cell phone next to your ear. That will be the key indicator for an officer to cite you. Here are some of my recommendations to avoid getting a cell phone ticket:

1. Car Bluetooth - If your car has it, use it. Its simple and easy. Sound will come through your car speakers. You can even manage your calls using the stereo system or using the GPS touchscreen.
   
   
2. Portable GPS - If you have a portable GPS, it might support your bluetooth phone. Once you connect your phone to the GPS unit, it will act like a speakerphone. But I would only use this option if you use your portable GPS in your car all the time. If you only use your GPS unit sometimes, then I dont think it would be worth it to always have to mount your GPS every single time you want to use it to answer/make phone calls.
   
   
3. Bluetooth Hands Free speaker - Motorola makes this nice hands-free speaker that you strap to your car's visor.
   
   
4. Bluetooth Hands Free earpiece - This is most common nowadays. I tried using one, but mine didnt work very well.
   
   
5. Cell phone speaker - Most cell phones have a speakerphone option, but it doesnt work very well in the car because of surrounding noise.
   
   
6. Keep it simple - Last but certainly not the least. Whichever method you decide, choose one that works best for you. Technology should work for you and not against you. If you find yourself fidgeting around and leaning over to grab the earpiece from your glove compartment everytime someone calls you, it might not be worth it. Let's try to remember why these laws have been passed in the first place. SAFETY! Talking on the cell phone in your car is a convenience. But by talking on the phone, you are sacrificing safety, not only for yourself but others around you.

Official DMV announcement

All About HD

I just got a killer deal on a new 50" plasma HDTV. Its all set up now and just wanted to share some things I learned about HD.

1. 720p vs. 1080p
   I am sick and tired of people complaining about 720p HDTV's as opposed to 1080p. Every time there is a good deal on a 720p HDTV, the great debate over the 2 resolutions starts, but never ends. Well, the plasma I got is 720p and I have no regrets. Take that haters! First of all, the 1080p's are almost double the cost of 720p's. Secondly, you wont notice a difference unless you are closer 7 ft. away from the TV. Thirdly, the only way to get your picture in 1080p is by using a Blu-ray player (or PS3 which has a built-in Blu-ray player). Lastly, Im not going to convert my entire DVD collection into a Blu-ray collection. So for me, 1080p is totally not worth it. But for those of you who want to shell out twice as much $$$ and will sit closer than 7ft away from the TV and owns a Blu-ray player and has a Blu-ray collection and can tell the difference in quality...good luck to you. Just leave the 720p owners alone.



2. Break in
   Did you know that you should break in your HDTV? Yeah, I didnt know that either until recently. Here's the scoop. The HDTV's by default have their color, contrast, and other settings set really high. That's because when stores display the TV's, consumers are attracted to the brighter and more colorful ones even though that is totally the wrong things to look at when buying an HDTV (more on that later). In any case, those extreme settings are too high especially during the first 100 hours of the TV. Its like when you buy a new car, dealers will often say not to drive the car too rough for the first 1000 miles. This is all to help prevent "burn-in" on your TV. Burn-in occurs most often by having static images on the screen for long periods of time. For example, when you watch TV, you will notice that most stations have their logo on the bottom right corner. Well, if that image stays their for a really long time it can leave an imprint. Or if you play video games, there can be many static images that dont move. So to break in your HDTV, people suggest lowering the settings and playing a special DVD (or SVCD) for at least the first 100 hours. I've been doing this for my TV and even though I dont know if its really helping, it doesnt do any harm. Im sure if people are posting specific TV settings and if someone went through all the trouble of creating a break in DVD, there has to be some truth in it.
   
   
3. HD Quality
   "Wow". I say that everytime Im viewing HD. Once you see and taste HD, there is no going back. Food never looked so delicious on the HD Food channel. Tivo Series 3 does an excellent job recording HD shows. It is so amazing clear that I cant believe it is a recording.



4. Cable Cards
   Because Im using my Tivo Series 3, in order for me to get HD, Im using 2 cable cards that I picked up from Comcast. It was fairly easy to set up myself, but I wasnt getting all the channels that I was supposed to, so a Comcast technician had to come by my house. Turns out it was just some wrong data set up on their end. So what is this cable card and what does it do? The cable card takes the place of a Digital or HD receiver because it does all of the unscrambling of the channels. So instead of getting a clunky HD or Digital receiver from comcast, you can just get a cable card and stick it directly into your HDTV. But not all HDTV's have cable card slots, so you will have to check. Its a lot cleaner this way because you dont have to plug the receiver and you dont have to use their ugly remote. But keep in mind that my set up is different because Im using Tivo. But can you imagine if my Tivo did not have cable card slots? Then I would have Tivo talk to the clunky receiver which then talks to my HDTV. Anyways, cable cards are a good thing. I would do anything to avoid those clunky comcast receivers and their nasty remote control.
   
   
5. HD Channels (Comcast)
   Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I have Comcast cable (non digital) in the SF Bay Area, so Ill be writing about my experience under those conditions. If you have Comcast and use a receiver that they gave you, then this wont apply to you.
   
   
   If you recently bought an HDTV, most likely it will have QAM tuner and ATSC tuner. An ATSC tuner, will allow you to get "over the air" (OTA) local HD channels (ie. 2, 5, 7) . Although, I couldnt get any channels whatsoever in my area. A QAM tuner will also allow you to get local HD channels, but by using the coaxial cable. Now I thought that to get local HD channels, I would not only need an HDTV to view it, but I figured I would also have to pay extra for it. But currently, Im not. As long as you have a QAM tuner, you should be able to pick up local HD channels merely by sticking the coxial cable directly into your HDTV. But recently, the local HD channels on only one of my HDTV's have been disappearing. In otherwords, I cant view them anymore. The weird thing is that my other HDTV still gets it. But I heard that its because Comcast is gradually taking away those local HD channels. I guess you arent really suppose to get local HD channels for free so Comcast is trying to filter those out and make you pay for it. The Comcast cable packages are confusing, but I believe I have the Standard Cable package. It includes local channels plus the other popular channels like MTV. So with the addition of my cable cards in my Tivo, Im now getting all the channels that I use to get with the addition of non-local HD channels (ie. Discovery, TNT, etc). Comcast only charges me an extra $2 per month. Now to get the non-local HD channels on my other HDTV's, I would have to get a Comcast HD receiver and pay an extra $8 per month for each one. Am I confusing you yet?
   
   
6. Upscaling DVD Player
   If you plan to watch DVDs on your HDTV, do not hook up your old DVD player to it. You can, but it wont look that good. You need to get what's called an "upscaling" DVD player. These players will upscale the DVD video to fit and conform nicely to your HDTV. I think if you use a regular DVD player, you will get the black bars on the side. Costing around $50, these players arent that expensive. Or you can altogether skip that and get a Blu-ray player. But those are very expensive, not to mention the cost of Blu-ray discs.
   

Free Tech Support Part 2

Do you have questions about computers, software, networking, or the Internet? Any current problems or issues? Need recommendations? Let me help. You can ask a question by posting a comment to this post. Try to be as specific as possible. The more details the better. Ask away!

ANSWERED 5/7/08

Question:
John asked, "I formatted my computer because it was slow (going to 100% CPU usage constantly for no reason), sometimes everything would just freeze. After formatting, the computer seemed ok for a bit but then started being slow again. I just had 2 1-gigabytes of RAM put in, replacing the 2 512s I had. It SEEMS to be faster but when I start Windows, the sound is distorted like it's struggling. A diagnosis done by Best Buy confirmed everything is ok and working. Even with 2 gigabytes, it is still slow. I have a 1.73 ghz Pentium M running on Windows XP with 60 gigabytes hard disk My question is: is it possible my hard drive might need to be replaced?To be more specific, my computer is the Sony Vaio FS980"

Answer:
Thank you John for including all of the details. The details you provided makes it easier to diagnose the problem. First of all, I guess you bought your Sony laptop before reading my post about how Sony products suck. In any case, if you do a clean install of Windows XP and you are still experiencing the same issues that is not a good sign because it looks to me like a hardware problem. But before we go on, are you sure that after the clean install of Windows XP, you didnt install anything else? I just want to eliminate the fact that maybe some software programs you are installing are causing the issue. So if its a laptop hardware issue, I would say that it's either the memory (RAM) or the hard drive. You said that you changed out the memory, so that eliminates that. So it might well be the hard drive. But before you go and throw more money at it, Im not sure if its really worth it. You took it over to best buy and had them check it out. You bought 2GB of laptop memory, which aint cheap. And next you might "try" to fix it by replacing the hard drive? Here is my advice:

1. Try Googling and see if anyone else is having similar issues.
2. Call Sony support to see if they have anything useful to say.
3. You can try installing some programs that specifically test out the different parts of the computer (ie. Memory, Video Card, Hard Drive) to figure out which part is having problems.
4. You can try swapping out parts, but that might be difficult and expensive.
5. Sell your laptop.
6. Get a Dell laptop instead. I can help you find one :)
   

Free WiFi at Starbucks

"Free at last". I've always been jealous of people surfing the Internet at local cofee shops like Starbucks on their laptops. Its not like I dont have free wifi at home or drink coffee. But there's just something about surfing the Internet in a public location and doing it for free which makes it fun. For the longest time, Starbucks had wifi, but you had to pay for it with T-Mobile. But now, they are offering free wifi. The catch? None really. You just have to have an ATT DSL account which Im sure many people do. Just login using your ATT DSL account (ie. joesmith@sbcglobal.net) According to the sfgate article, it starts today. Happy surfing!


SF gate article
Official Starbucks site article

Get Cash Back When Shopping Online

Did you know that you can earn cash back for many of your online purchases? Whenever I purchase something online, I always check 3 Cash Back sites (ebates, fatwallet, upromise) that pays me back 1-5% (sometimes 10%) of my total purchase. So the next time you buy something online, here is what you do (after signing up for an account on each of the sites).

1. Search for the online store on the Cash Back sites above to see if they offer cash back.
   


2. Of the sites, choose the one that gives the most % cash back (as it may differ).
   
   
3. Click on their special link that redirects to the participating store.

That's it. You just shop as you would normally and these Cash Back sites will automatically know how much you spent at the participating shopping site. In a few days, you will receive cash in your account. Then you can have them send you a check or transfer the amount to your bank account or even paypal it to you.

Right now, Ebates is having a referral promotion where if you sign up and make a qualifying purchase before May 31, 2008, we both get $10. Click here to take advantage of this offer.

My Favorite Steak Sandwich

This my friend is my favorite steak sandwich. What is it you might ask? Its a Steak Portebello Mushroom Sandwich w/ Provolone Cheese and Garlic Aioli on a Ciabatta Roll. You can find it the Nordstrom Cafe in the Stonestown Galleria Mall. I've been to other Nordstrom Cafe's in the Bay Area (ie. Valley Fair Mall and Standford Mall) but none of them seem to have this particular sandwich on their menu. Click on the image above to zoom in on the juicyness. *drool*

Free Google Phone Number

A while back I posted the ability to create disposable phone numbers in order to protect the privacy of your existing phone number. I found a similar service with many features by GrandCentral which was recently aquired by Google. There are many cool features, but I will touch upon a few.

1. Permanent Local Phone Number - There is a subtle but important difference between the Numbr and GrandCentral phone number. For the Numbr phone number, you have to dial an extension which does require a little more work for the user. Not only that, I think that users might be a little weary of dialing a phone number with an extension. Users are more used to dialing extensions when calling companies. So its a bit weird to call a craigslist person with an extension in my opinion.



2. Ring Multiple Phones - So you can add multiple phones to your one GrandCentral phone number. For example, when someone calls your GrandCentral number, your cell phone AND home phone can ring. Therefore, you can answer the call by either phone.



3. Listen to Voicemails Online - This is probably my most favorite feature. Voicemails are recorded and can be played online in your GrandCentral account. I wish Verizon Wireless had this feature. I would love to listen to my voicemails online instead of always having to dial and punch in my password. Not to mention wasting valuable peak time minutes just for listening to my voicemails. This can also help you to screen your calls. Sometimes, you just want people to leave you a voicemail especially from uknown callers. Recently, I just used my GrandCentral number to sell something on craiglist. Usually, in terms of fairness, its first come first serve. But I found it to be more beneficial for me to sell it to one person over another. For example, I sold my desk on craiglist today. I wanted to sell it to someone who had a truck or van because I didnt want to disemble the desk. If I answered my first phone call, then I would be obliged to sell it to that person. But I intentionally did not answer calls from my GrandCentral number and just let my voicemail inbox fill up. Then I just chose the person who had a van and "sounded" the most reliable.
   

Feel free to leave me a voicemail by clicking on the button below.

4/2/08 Update: Someone just told me that they could not immediately sign up for the service since they are in private beta. Looks like you can just "reserve" a number (whatever that means). I wouldnt be surprised if they ran out of local phone numbers to give out. It also says on the site that a current user would be able to invite others, but I dont see that option in my account. They might have temporarily removed that as well.

Remote control a PC anytime...anywhere

Sometimes, I need to troubleshoot my parents computer when something goes wrong. The best way to do that is to remotely control the computer. Im going to show you the most effective way to remote control another PC for free. Keep in mind that this method is only for circumstances in which you would like take total control and have instant access to the host computer whenever and wherever you want.

Requirements:

1. Both computers need to be connected to the Internet...duh.


2. DSL or higher internet connection

Instructions:

Host PC (computer you wish to control)

1. Sign up for a free no-ip.com account



2. Click Add under Hosts/Redirects.



3. Enter a hostname and choose any domain name. For example, mydadscomputer.no-ip.org.
   Choose something easy to remember as this will be part of your login.



4. Install the Dynamic Update Client.
   This software ensures that the host computer ip address is always current and updated for the mydadscomputer.no-ip.org host.



5. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the server version.
   Run VNC and in the options, specify a password.
   
6. Turn off Windows Firewall in the Control Panel.



7. That's it. Both the Dynamic Update Client and the VNC server should automatically run in the background from now on.

Controller PC

1. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the client only version.



2. Launch VNC.



3. Enter "mydadscomputer.no-ip.org" for the server name and the password that you set in step 5 above.

Voila! Now I can control my dads computer wherever and whenever I want with a click of a button. My dad doesnt even need to be at the computer when I take control as long as the computer is on.

Now you might ask, why not just use something like crossloop to remote control another persons computer. The big difference is that I wanted full control of the host computer without having to call my dad every time I wanted to do so. With crossloop and most other remote controlling software, there has to be physically someone sitting at the host computer.

Elmo Live

Time to stock up on this one for this Christmas. Let the hunting begin...

AT&T jacks up DSL price $5 per month

Looks like for California, they are raising the prices this month. For me, its Feb 15 (that's tomorrow!) Currently, Im paying $19.99 per month for DSL Express. So tomorrow they are raising it to $24.99.

So there are a couple of things you can do. Since you are going to pay $24.99 for DSL Express, you might as well upgrade now to DSL Pro for $24.99 and lock that price in for a year before they raise the price. Too bad they dont offer DSL Pro in my area :( But I found an even better deal that was mentioned in the forums. Go to the online ATT upgrade tool and it will offer you a yearly renewal of your current rate.

You can also try calling the retention department and see what they can offer you (1-877-722-3755). They offered me a credit for $10 per month for the next 6 months which was weak. But YMMV (Your mileage may vary). I just purchased the renewal using the online ATT upgrade tool and it looks like it worked. Good Luck!

Y! Live Webcam streaming

Yahoo came out with live webcam streaming and Im testing it out by streaming my webcam....

If Im online, click here to chat with me.

cornerstonetrinity.org launches!

My church has recently launched its new web site. There's not much there now, but we (web ministry group) plan to add lots of new content and exciting features throughout the year.