Personal Technology Tips in Plain English
Archive for October, 2007
Abracadabra!
Oct 12th
Abracadabra! Make my computer do things without me there!
One of the best services I have used online and I actually used every single week is remote control desktop services.
You can control another computer from anywhere on the Internet globally without even being there, its like magic! Everyone is heard of www.gotomypc.com, but I use the competetor, which is actually better and free. www.logmein.com, check it out and you’ll be hooked.
For a couple of extra bucks per month, you can get file transfer/sync features too which I personally use to sync my laptop to my desktop a lot.
Click here to listen
The check was not in mail…
Oct 9th
The check was not in the mail, but today I received my green prepaid debit master card from Obopay –preloaded with the $10 cash that was completely free. Now I can spend the $10 today I received free without any other fees or strings attached.
This one added feature to the service make it real convenient. . .
How Google Helps Keep Me Sane In The Car
Oct 8th
When you’re on the road, there are so many times where you just want to scream!
Sometimes, it’s this sinking feeling of “Give Me A BREAK!” Because everyone is hitting the BRAKES. Traffic jams are the worst.
We drive our own cars vs. mass transt becuase we want control of where we’re going and how to get there…quickly. We’re a on-the-move-society. But snarls on the highway can just dampen the mood or bring the day to a screeching halt. It’s the worst feeling, isn’t it? There’s a couple of ways to help guage what’s ahead on the highways before you have to hit the breaks yourself. Read the rest of this entry »
How To Pay Someone Using Your Cell Phone
Oct 3rd
Back in the good old days, I loved PayPal because I could BEAM someone money from my Palm Pilot (remember those!). You could pay anyone any amount on the spot instantly electronically. It was the digital future.
But PayPal pulled that feature as they grew and finally became part of eBay. Now cell phones are more pervasive and a new company is trying to bring micropayments to cell phones with a neat new service with a twist.
Using Shopping Comparison Sites To Find The Best Deals
Oct 3rd
I recently wrote about how I use various price comparison sites on the net to find the best deals once I know I want to buy a given product.
One thing that seems apparent, but not always so clear is that these shopping comparison services work the best for things like magazines, books, and video games — because they are all products where you don’t need to touch and feel the item before you buy it. You know exactly what you’re getting and it all comes down to a matter of price and delivery. That’s where the power of the internet comes into play.
For example, Shopping.com offers listings of up to 20 different retailers for any given Playstation 3 video game. Whether it be Metal Gear Solid 4, NBA 2K8 or Heavenly Sword or even the widly popular Guitar Hero III game, you can quickly find the best deals for each game you want to buy.
Becuase thousands and thousands of customers actually use sites like shopping.com, you’re also more apt to find constructive reviews of the games before you buy, making that average purchase price or $60-80 for a new video game a lower risk to you.
How To Watch TV for 12 1/2 Days Straight WIthout Commercials
Oct 3rd
I have a friend that has been eyeing a Tivo for his HDTV set at home, and is trying to learn about all the features and benefits of the Tivo before pulling out the credit card.
Sometimes you just have to give in. Join the bandwagon. Hop on the happy express. . .but there’s actually one unbelievable reason that trumps all the other features and makes it worth the money – you can literally sit down to watch TV for over 12 days straight and never watch a commercial if you had a Tivo. Talk about Ultimate Couch Potato
Your brain would be fried, but it’s just comforting to know sometimes that you can do it if you want to.
Ok, here’s some more rational reasons to break down and get the Tivo — kill 2 birds with 1 stone:
1) Finally get that Tivo that you’ve always thought about getting
2) Save $389.99 doing it so that you can use it to get something else for yourself!
Here’s one way to get it all, and be wallet-wise about it:
First, if you’re getting a Tivo, although they come with a 30-day Money-Back Guarantee, opt for the pay-in-advance option for the service fees. You’ll save on something that you’re going to spend money on anyway. Why waste it. Pre-paying gets you 12 months of service for $155. The 30-day guarantee applies to the service fees as well, so there’s no risk/lock-in that you should be worried about. You just call 877-367-8486 within 30 days of activating and they’ll take care of the refund.
Second, consider buying from the online Tivo Clearance Store and get a substantial discount. In fact, you’ll get Free Shipping plus Free Wifi-G Network Adapters when you buy certain models, like the 300-hour HD Series-3 Tivo box that are factory-renewed. They come with the standard warranty + the 30-day money back guarantee, this is a great opportunity to get a HD Tivo in your house for almost $400 off retail prices.
One of the best features of the 300-Hour HD Tivo Series 3 system – dual channel recording! Here’s some more reasons if you need to rationalize the purchase:
· It’s the world’s only DVR with THX®-certification
· You can control live HDTV and record 2 digital cable shows all at the same time
· 300 hours of recording time in standard mode or up to 32 in HD
· Backlit, programmable TiVo® remote can replace your current one
· Supports digital antennas
· Supports basic cable (non-HD) and analog antenna (non-HD)
· With the TiVo Wireless G USB Network Adapter you can easily connect your TiVo DVR to your 802.11g or 802.11b wireless home network to sync scheduling
· You can hear/view music and photos that are on your computer in the other room!
· Need more reasons? You can read more at the Tivo website for details
Whether you get a HD-enabled Tivo or not, whether you buy a 300-hour version or a 40-hour version, whether you get one that supports satellite or not, just get a Tivo. There’s a reason why Tivo customers are fanatics similar to the throngs of loyal Apple customers.
Do you have a reason to help my friend get that Tivo? Leave a comment below and share a rave or rant about Tivo or it’s service. Let us know which model you have too.
I love tech, gadgets and the web. Hope you pick-up a useful tip or two here today that helps you use technology to your advantage! Better yet, why not share your own expertise in a comment on a post today to help the other readers that land here for answers!