A personal update, and Starting a new Pest Control Business

It has been way to long since I posted last, such is life. Things have been crazy in my life and house. Just a bit of an update. I have moved once, Daughter has graduated, and son will be graduating in 2013. Moved back to WV from florida, and now settled into new projects. I have essentially taken a permenant hiatus from Technology, oh I still tinker. I have been focused on my first hobby and true passion, herpetology. Now on to my day job. By trade I have been in the pest control industry since 1998, and now taking the biggest step, and on that has been a dream of mine for many years. I am going to be starting up Xterminators, a eco friendly green pest control service aimed at both residential and commercial customers. I am sending a shout out to my readers. I have am asking that you lend me a hand in this new chapter of my life.

 I have started a campaign on Indiegogo to raise my initial round of funding, In this industry it does not take millions of dollars in startup capital to be successful. Starting small and basically a one man show is very affordable. That said I still need help, and really do not want to go the loan route, where most of my revenue will be tied up in paying back loans. So visit the link below, contribute what you can. If you cannot contribute monitarily please share across your social networking platforms.

Thank you
enjoy the link below.

http://indiegogo.com/xterminators

My thoughts on DoubleTwist

I thought I would just give a brief word about my thoughts on Doubletwist. For those that do not know what Doubletwist is I will try to explain it the short and sweet way.

Essentially Doubletwist is a replacement for iTunes, you may be asking yourself why would anyone what to replace iTunes! The answer is simple, for those of that do not own an Ipod, or Iphone we needed a replacement. I am one of the millions of Android Phone users in the world, and in reality our lack of sync was well pretty much non-existent. Doubletwist fills this need, and makes syncing your music, photos, podcast, and videos to your Android device easy and seamless.

Upon install which you can get free here, Doubletwist will automatically scan your iTunes folder, you picture folder, and video folder. Once this is complete you simply attach your Android device via USB (make sure you choose mount SD card on your device) Doubletwist will automatically detect your device, simple huh? Once this is complete you simply choose the items you want to sync, and presto Doubletwist start's syncing your device.

It does not stop there, this program is not just a piece of software that sync's your wanted data. You have access to all of your favorite Podcast, just as in iTunes, you can also purchase music, and audio books right in Doubletwist using your Amazon account. Giving you the chance to purchase DRM free music from Amazon MP3 store, so you can play music on your PC, Android Device, or any MP3 player.

I was not sure if I wanted to use a sync program, since all my info pretty much sync's to the cloud. Through my obsession to podcast, and not really finding a podcast app that I really liked. I chose to give Doubletwist a shot, I am glad I did. It has made my whole syncing process much more streamlined. Since before adding MP3's was really kind of a pain.

Best of all Doubletwist is 100% free to download and install, check out Doubletwist today.

HP mini 1150nr Review

With the onslaught of Mini notebook computers, and being an owner of a Mini notebook. I decided to take a look at the new HP Mini 1150nr Mobile Broadband Edition. I currently use an Acer Aspire One 160 gb netbook, only problem is I have to hack a way at it to be able to use 3G. Since the new HP mini 1150nr is through ATT, and I am an ATT customer. I set out to see if this new netbook meets my needs.

Specs:
Processor: 1.60ghz Atom Intel Processor w/ 512kb L2 Cache
Memory: 1024 MB DDR2
Max Memory: 1024 MB
Video Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Video Memory: Up to 128MB
Network Card: Intergrated 10/100 Ethernet
Wireless: 802.11 B/G
Sound: HD Audio
Keyboard: 82 Key (92% the size of a regular laptop keyboard)
Touch pad: Touch pad mouse with Vertical and Horizontal scroll
External Ports:

• 2-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards & Multimedia cards
• 2 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
• 1 Headphone out/Microphone-in combo jack (iphone compatible)
• 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
• 1 notebook expansion port

Dimensions: 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (D) x 0.99 in (H)
Weight: 2.45 lbs
Power: 3 cell lithium-Ion Battery
OS: Windows XP pre-installed


One of the coolest features I noticed while playing with one of these at my local big box electronics store was the keyboard. Don't get me wrong I love my Acer but with 97% the size of a full size laptop keyboard, I don't think you can go wrong. There are a few features that are lacking in my opinion.

The restriction on 1024 MB memory is a bummer, I know I know. I am saying that you need massive amounts of RAM but 2048 MB limit would have been nice. The 80 GB Hard Drive is a bit lacking, with the Acer and many other models coming with 160 GB HD's. The only version available is pre-installed with Windows XP.

The overall design is nice, and the larger keyboard is a plus. The biggest sell for me is the fact that it is 3G capable through ATT network. Allowing me to have Internet access anywhere I go. With out having to hack away at my netbook to get 3G capability.

Tetris Free Game play all you want.

Being as today is the 25th Anniversary of Tetris. I thought I would show it some love not to mention everyone loves Tetris. I know I have spent many hours of my life ligning up many little blocks. I set out on a mission to find some cool versions of this classic puzzle game. There are so many different varieties of this game it is down right amazing. Below you will find some links to some great Tetris versions. So if you are looking for Tetris Free Game, then you have come to the right place.

The first link has to be one of the coolest versions of Tetris online. You can play single games, or battle other users for free. You can even share pieces with other players in head to head competition.

FreeTetris.org

Classic version, if you want to play the game you loved when you were a kid with out all the fancy bells and whistles this version of Tetris Free is for you.

TetrisFree.com

I hope you all enjoy these Tetris Free Game. I would love to see everyone's score, feel free to post your score in your comments.

Land of the Lost tv show

With the onset of the new movie Land Of The Lost. One of my favorite sites for TV shows and more have started listing Land Of The Lost Tv Show's. Right now they only have one listing for episode one, if you know of more you can submit the links to them and they will update their sources.

You can check them out at Tvduck.com

I hope everyone enjoys the Land Of The Lost Episodes.

History behind the Oreck Vacuum

Essentially started in 1963. David Oreck had obtained the rights to an abandoned design for an upright vacuum cleaner from Whirlpool, as well as a distribution facility of RCA that was on its way down. The design he had received was for a machine that only weighed 8lbs this was a third of the weight of the average vacuum of the time. Given many years of hard work David Oreck's dream evolved to include many quality products. Learn more about David Oreck, and Oreck Corporation here.

Oreck Products
Oreck XL Upright Vacuums

• Classic
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Halo

Canister Vacuum Cleaners

• DutchTech Full Size 1400 Series
• DutchTech Mid Size 1200 Series
• Ironman Handheld
• Housekeeper Ultimate Handheld
• Deluxe Handheld

Floor Machines

• Orbiter Ultra Multi-Purpose
• Orbiter Multi-Purpose
• Rinse-A-Matic Steemer Ultra
• XL Shield Power Scrubber

Air Purifiers

• XL Tabletop Professional
• XL Tower Professional

Small Appliances

• Cordless Electrik Broom
• Restaurateur Floor Sweeper-12.5
• Restaurateur Floor Sweeper-9.5
• Deluxe Electric Fabric Shaver
• Refrigerator Air Purifier
• Cordless Zip Vac
• Cordless Speed Iron
• Car Vac
• Verilux 3-in-1 Lamp

Playing Your Most Coveted Games On An LCD Flat Screen

Gamers around the world want the best television possible in order to play their games. Think about it for a bit. Most new gaming systems such as the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and the Playstation 3 cost well over three hundred dollars. Why would you pay that much money for a gaming system only to have to play it on a small television? Especially a small television that has a distorted picture and cloudy color. A LCD flat screen is the way to go when looking for a new television set on which to play your video games.

A huge flat screen television is a great way to enjoy the gaming experience. Most new LCD flat screen TVs offer a decided advantage when compared to older televisions. When plugging in DVD players, VCRs or gaming systems, you must have AV cords that come with the equipment. The AV cords plug into the AV inputs. Stereo televisions have three of these inputs that combine to allow the sound and picture signals to travel from the gaming device to the television. Some older models, specifically the non-stereo versions, may only have one set of ports.

New LCD flat screen TVs offer AV ports in the rear and on the sides of the screen. This allows for more electronic equipment to be run through the television. For gamers, this is absolutely essential. Game AV cables take up one set of AV ports and there are still ports available for surround sound, DVD players and another gaming system. Every gamer knows that one gaming system is never enough.

The size of the flat screen television used is entirely up to you. A larger screen does impress the friends. It is not going to impress your wallet. You are looking at paying over $4000 for a 52 inch flat screen television. Is it worth it? Should you go with the LCD flat screen over a standard big screen television? Without a doubt you should always go for the LCD over the big screen. Big screen televisions distort the picture and are not worth the price. A further disadvantage is that they take up a huge amount of floor space. If you can afford the LCD, then go for it. You will not regret the gaming experience it offers.

Plasma TV Buying Guides - Making The Right Informed Buying Decision

Depending on the people that you talk to, there are specific aspects of plasma TV's that need to be checked out before coming to a final buying decision. One of the common mistakes that numerous potential purchasers end up making is in researching and reading through various plasma TV buying guides and then coming to a decision as to what they want. A good starting point is for you to list all the things you are looking for in your new television set and at that point you should take that information that is available in the plasma TV buying guides to locate the one that matches your list.

To start with, you are going to need to know the amount that you can afford to spend because there are numerous different types of models out there with functions that are similar that also vary in their prices. In some instances, one or two features might need to be overlooked in exchange for a better priced unit. Even then, wait to go through the plasma TV buying guides, you have other considerations to dwell on prior looking at your options.

Another important factor is the type of input that your television has as there are some plasmas that do not have the right connection for your needs. Even though a set-top box will enable you to get cable hooked up, by getting a cable ready set with your plasma TV you will save an extra monthly fee on the box from the cable company. Also take a look at the types and quantity of the inputs that are available on the different types of models that are within your price range for CD players, DVD players, games and even an old VCR if you happen to have one.

Make No Assumption That Prices Equals Quality

It is basically understood that plasma television costs are higher than the majority of other types of monitors. Even though this might be true to a certain extent, the prices have come down substantially in recent years and some now equal the costs of LCD televisions. In the majority of cases, a unit that is priced higher might have additional features, but the plasma TV buying guides can furnish you with the right information in regards to what is available with newer plasma monitors.

Does the plasma unit come with back light capability, normally found with LCD televisions or does it have the capacity to connect up to your newer surround sound system, are some of the considerations that you will want to check out in the plasma TV buying guides. In addition, are there mounting brackets for both ceiling or wall mounts incorporated or do they have to be bought as an addition separately?

Once you have gone through your plasma TV buying guides and have purchased the unit that has all the options bells and whistles etc., that you were looking for in a new television, and the cost is around your price point to your budget, you can start to look for an outlet for your new monitor.

To learn more go to Panasonic Plasma Tv and at Plasma Tv Buying Guides

Preventing Computer Security Attacks

Coming up with online sources for her law school thesis on money laundering was a task that was made simpler for a certain student with the help of Google. As you can imagine, this was definitely a great tool to her in the process of writing her thesis. Soon, she began to have the problem of her search terms taking her to pages completely unrelated to money laundering.

Her hopes of it being an easy to repair problem with the internet or the search engine were dashed as the glitch refused to go away, and she was forced to concede that she had likely been bugged. We all hate bugging people us but people we can fend of. What this law student is confronted with is a computer bug that she cannot fend off: she had been infected with adware and spyware. The student does not have advanced technology training and like most average students, she uses her laptop only for basic research and the writing of her papers.

The case above is eerily similar to that of an increasing number of individuals who find their computers malfunctioning after being infected with spyware and adware. In 1995, 'spyware' premiered as a phrase to describe an especially nasty type of computer infection, and that term gained increased popularity in 2000. Unbeknownst to many users, these software programs and scripts that comprise this particular computer bug allow access to personal information about the computer user.

Keystrokes, browsing history, and the contents of a hard drive all provide this valuable information. With the advent of spyware, infiltration moved off the big screen of Hollywood movies and into the homes of millions of unsuspecting individuals that can be taken advantage of at any time. Infiltrations such as these are basic privacy violations and the people targeted are indeed innocent victims. Spying on criminals with spyware makes sense because it can help society for the greater good, but too often this program is used to track sensitive personal information, such as credit card information. Because of the hostile nature of these potential infiltrations, every computer should have an updated anti-spyware program.

In attempting to protect yourself, you should block not only spyware, but adware and malware, which are similar programs, as well. Online adware and spyware blocker programs are easily available to help in this endeavor. By not only eliminating the current infiltration programs on a computer system, but by preventing any future ones to be unknowingly installed, these blockers live up to their name. Both the individual programs and the computer itself can experience a drastic decline in speed after the computer has been infected with these programs.

Sadly, many times spyware is such a good 'spy' that it can evade detection as the root of the crime. The best step is always a good offense, in this case a blocker, to prevent your system from becoming infected with the malicious programs.

Sony Vaio Notebook Computer

Information On The Sony Vaio Notebook Computer

Sony has always made news when they introduce a new product. When they first came out with the Sony Vaio notebook computer they were again making headlines. This notebook computer was and still is considered the best in the notebook computer world.

Even with top of the line technology the Sony Vaio notebook computer remains easy to use and yet still powerful. One is able to perform intricate tasks as easily as they can read their e-mail.

The Sony Vaio notebook computer, with all its high quality features, is consistent with other trusted Sony products. The power and features keep it at the top of the list in notebook computers.


The Sony Vaio notebook computer has always prided itself on its features and its ability to stay up with whatever state of the art components are being offered for notebook computers. One of the things that Sony was the first company to integrate into their Sony Vaio notebook computer was wireless networking without adding an extra card or using a separate interface device. Now the wireless networking connection is standard as the rest of the field tries to keep up with Sony.

Sony was also one of the first companies to offer CD-ROM drives in their notebook computers which made transferring data from one machine to another that much easier. They continue to stay ahead of the curve with state of the art security features for their new line of notebook computers.

Customize Your notebook computer With Color

The fashion forward Sony company stays on top with custom colors for your notebook computer. The sorority girl can have her pink notebook computer, the football player can have his team's colors, and the visionary company can have their logo on the top of their notebook computer.

It is just another way that Sony makes the customer feel like they are just as much a part of the design process of their own notebook computer as the company building it is and it is something that customers have readily responded to.

With the stronger carbon fiber casing the new Sony notebook computers are able to travel to and from work or the office without a concern of damage. They can withstand and occasional bump or other contact.

Sony is always trying to stay ahead of the curve. By owning one of these great machines you will also be ahead of the rest.

Is your Wii ready for Homebrew?

Is your Wii ready for Homebrew?

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Well things are back on track

Well I think things are back on track for now. I am all healed up from my sinus surgery and been feeling pretty good. I still have a headache here and there but nothing like before. But I am back on the boat and it is time to get up some more daily post. So check back everyday as I will be pretty busy posting up news and tech stories. Tomorrow my focus will be on the technology behind this years Olympic events.

Posting will be slow here the next couple of weeks

I will not be making many post over the next couple of weeks, due to my sinus surgery. I had the Surgery yesterday Saturday May 31st. I have created a new blog to document my healing process, and to give some information to other individuals looking to have Sinus Surgery. Be sure to visit my new blog and leave me comments, especially if you have had this type of surgery.

www.postsinussurgery.blogspot.com

Just a quick note

Just wanted to let all my readers know I have (well my son has) a new flash arcade site that is free to play and there are some great games there. He adds new games everyday so be sure to subscribe to the feed at the bottom of the page.

Play free flash games at Throttlegames.com

Sony HandyCam c31.23 , 31.23 error easy fix

Ok this might be old knowledge but I just found out about it and wanted to share this bit of knowledge with someone that may have had the same problem as me. Here is the scenrio, I was at my son's first Motocross race. I decided it would be cool to video tape his first race, since the way my nerves were that day it might have been his last race. Anyway I proceded to video tape his holeshot with my Sony DCR-TRV250 I have had this camera a while but really only used it a couple of times. All of a sudden I got a small arrow type icon similar to the eject icon, and the error code c31.23. What a crappy thing to have happen while it was a milestone of my sons racing career.

Well I manage to find a quick fix, the technical tap or rather smack. In my frustrations I smacked the camera pretty hard and low and behold it worked. Well it was a big pain to wack my camera all the time, so it pretty much retired to its bag. Where I did not pull it out very often except to see if it by some miracle was working normal again.

Today I decided to throw it on the charger and try to see if I could find a fix, and I found this Thread after alot of reading about how everyone wacks their handycam, I found a post from a user named Meredith. The suggestion was to open the tape deck of the camera and look to the right. Below are the steps to follow.

Open tape deck, make sure there is not a tape in it....

About midway back there is a black rubber roller in the middle of 2 metal guides.

In the center of this black roller you should see a white plastic tube, this is a bushing to allow the roller to move with out wobbling.

If you do not see this white tube yours has fallen out, so the search for a new one begins. Don't freak out a straw for a can of compressed air will work, or from a can of WD-40 will aswell. Simply push the new straw firmly into the center of the black roller.

If you see the straw take a small flat head screwdriver and press down on the top of the bushing firmly, I heard a click but you may not it just depends. Anyway this should fix the problem it did mine, and I am happy one my camera works and two I am smarter than Sony :)

Note if this does not fix the problem your bushing may be cracked find a pair of needle nose pliers and pull out the old bushing and replace it using the straw from a can of compressed air.

I hope this fixed your Sony Handycam 31.23 error code, now you are free to archive your lifes great adventures.

My thoughts on Ubuntu 8.04

Well I installed 8.04 today, and I thought I would share some of my first impressions with you. First off my hardware, it is a out of the box Compaq Presario v6000 Running Amd Turion 64 processor with 1gb ram (yea I know I need more)

I chose to install 64bit version and since I have always had trouble with the live cd, I downloaded the alternate install disk. I am running a Windows free Laptop so I decided to just install Ubuntu on the whole disk. I popped in the install disk and let it work its magic. Installation was smooth, it took about 20 mins. First booting into Ubuntu I had to run a couple of restricted drivers one for my video card, the other for my Broadcom wireless adapter.

After a quick reboot, I have full wifi and full use of my video card. I tweaked a few settings in Compiz after installing Compizmanager ( I always wondered why that is not installed out of the box). I ran through and installed what was about 60 updates for various software etc.. Then installed my favorite apps like Thunderbird, Deluge, the new Gtwitter, and a few more.

Well everything is great, I have to say I really enjoy Ubuntu and always have. There appears to be less bugs with the display than there was in Gutsy. So I highly recommend that you download Ubuntu 8.04 and install it. Liberate your desktop, run opensource.

PSP Custom Firmware 3.93 ** warning ** Use at your own risk

This just recently popped on the scene, by an anonomous party. It appears to be based off of Dark Alex's m33 firmware, I am basing this solely on the implementation of the recovery menu with some extras and some other cues. I have not personally tried out this release yet (no charger for my psp thanks dog), but many have and said it works, but there are some complaints of bricking so I must insist use this at your own risk.

Here is an awesome new feature

VSH Recovery

The principal innovation of this Custom Firmware is the VSH Recovery. This tool is formidable is. It enables you to launch the Recovery instantaneously, to make the changes, and to return to the VSH as if nothing were not.

• No reboot is necessary, the changes are made "one the fly" (except for activation/deactivation of the plugin of the VSH.TXT, which requires a reboot).
  
  
• To start the VSH Recovery since the VSH, support simply on Select. To leave it, choose exit to VSH or press on R.

You can even hide your MAC address on the system information screen.

To be able to change the MAC address, it is necessary that the plugin Sysconf is changed. For that, go in your parameters systems (for example), that will change it plug-in, and thus will allow you to activate, or not, MAC protection. If you do not do it, that will not function (but will not make plant the PSP).

Note: this warning has come from PSP-Hacks.com

!WARNING! Press “X” when the official updater finishes; if not, you will have a brick.

You can learn more here (note: Language is French)
You can get all the files over at psp-hacks.com

Getting a Beta Test Invite

Becoming a Beta tester for video games, software and even hardware is not as difficult as you might think. There are a few things that you need to know before you will even be in the running to beta test the latest video games or software.

First you need to know what a beta is, it is really the second release of the software but it is not the official final release. This is for example a game designer creates a video game, but his first draft would be considered the Alpha release. Most developers will not release the Alpha due to the multitude of bugs. When the developer decides that his or her release is stable enough for testers, this is named Beta.

Most beta releases are either Open or Private. To join in a private beta you have to be chosen. This can be as easy as putting your name on a mailing list, or as difficult as being a major player in the gaming or software industry. But start with the easiest, put your name on the list. Go to the sign-up page of the software or gaming company and sign up. If you are wanting to be part of the more difficult version. Try to participate in forums, and other communities. This will help build your reputation as an individual who is reliable to test their software and give your trusted opinion of the game or software you are testing.

Psystar Selling Not so Mac's OpenMac

Looks like a rather creative vendor was discovered selling a desktop computer that it labeled open Mac. Though it is not an Apple endorsed machine. The site was down shortly after the discovery. Lets take a look at what you would have gotten if you purchased and Open Mac.

Psystar Corp

• Intel 2.2 Ghz Core 2 Processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 250 GB HardDrive
• Nvidia Gforce 8600
  
• DVD +/- R
  
• Copy of OS X Leopard (already installed)
  

All that for only $714.99 (what a deal right)

Quote from their site:

Options You can buy it in black without having to pay more. You can buy it with Firewire. You can buy it with a GeForce 8600, if you like. Psystar gives you options that Apple does not. If you want something different then let us know and we'll work it out for you.

There are some problems with this company and what they are doing. For starters it is against Apples TOS to install OS X on any hardware other than Apples. So what the company is doing is borderline illegal. They can sell you all of the hardware, and even sell you a copy of OS X, but they are not allowed to sell you all the hardware with OS X already installed. According to their site you can get it already installed.

If you are not familiar with the OSX86 Project it is where users run OS X on software that is not supported by apple, with a couple of patches and trial and error it is very possible to intall OS X on an Intel, and even some AMD based machines. Why Apple has not acted on what is obviously a cry for help from the PC community?

If apple won't offer affordable computers that users want, then we will have to find other ways to get our OS X fix.

Enjoy this little video of OS X Leopard running on a PC

Are we ever going to see 3.95 m33?

With the release of Sony PSP firmware version 3.95 the m33 team has been absent with the a m33 version of the last update. Does this mean that Dark Alex and the team are finished? I doubt that, if you have notice that the recent updates have not been anything spectacular to warrant DA from spending his precious time working to liberate the latest release.

As I have mentioned in a previous post I believe that Sony still has a few tricks up it's sleeve for firmware version 4.00 I just hope that they do not leave us fatty owners out. Then again my dog ate my PSP charger so have not been able to charge my PSP for about a month, the battery is dead. I had better get this fixed soon before some cool new features pop up.