Online TV and Movies

So You like TV and Movies? Well I do to, however I don't like most of the stuff on cable, and I don't want to waste money paying for cable TV if there is an alternative. Luckily there is. For the last 3-4 years I have not payed for TV however I watch all the shows that I am interested in when I want to. (in the little spare time I have) You may ask how do I do it? Well, thats what I will be sharing with you today.

There are many places on the web where you can legally watch TV and movies. There are also some more questionable ways to watch TV and movies however we aren't going to go into that today. The different ways that you can watch stuff online are as follows, Website (Flash), Website (plugin), or program (bittorrent or streaming client). A couple examples of Flash websites that have plenty of content are Hulu.com and Joost.com. I have use both of these extensively and they offer good quality TV and movies for free.

If you are a Netflix subscriber you also have access to view  many movies and TV shows instantly. This does however require a plugin. If you are a firefox person you will have to run this through ietab, however as we speack I am watching the original episodes of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy full screened on my second monitor. "Don't Panic"  Netflix has done a great job of ensuring qulity, and smoothness.

If you would like to watch TV and Movies else where you can Check out Hulu.com and Joost.com both of witch offer a wide selection of TV shows and Movies. If you make a account with them (which is free) you can save things to a queue and be notified when there are new shows etc. This is a nice option for TV on the web because there are ussually options for hi quality and low quality, and you can pause any of these videos and watch them at your leisure. For people sponsored tv you can also turn to Democracynow.org.

Last of all are the programs. There are a few programs that will let you watch video streams, Winamp , TVUplayer , Miro, and Vuze. The first two do exactly that they play streams of video, and the pause feature is extrememly limited and ill advised. However the last two Vuze and Miro, are quite different. Vuze is a bit torrent client that recently has started making it easy for poople to release their video and other creations. You can choose to download them or play them. Miro on the other hand is still a video client, however it downloads videos or podcasts that you subscribe to (for free) and allows you yet again to play them when ever you choose. Unlike the other options for watching TV and Movies these last two can use up alot of space, however with space being so affordable nowdays, that really shouldn't really be a big concern. If you have questions or would like me to look over a program that you use, let me know by leaving a comment or contacting me.

Vista's Winsxs Folder

Well many of you Vista owners out there probably have from time to time looked to increase your free space on your machine, and you have found that the Winsxs folder seems to be taking up a lot of space. You wonder what is Winsxs and why does it need so much space.

Well WinSxS stands for "Windows Side-by-Side" in really simple terms windows creates a Hardlink to files here, however because hardlinks look like regular files to windows explorer, It seems that this folder is taking up a ton of space when really they are just glorified shortcuts. Windows uses these shortcuts to keep track of important system files, so deleting them could be disasterous.

There is one tool that can up slim it down slightly removing the out of date non performing hardlinks. You have to run the tool in administrator mode, here is the file. C:\Windows\System32\vsp1cln.exe remember after you have run this you will be unable to ever uninstall SP1 should you need to. Not that you ever would however I have to include that disclaimer. Run this program at your own risk, it made by Microsoft and I have no connection to it, however that being said it slimmed my WinSxS folder down a few Gb. 

Post comments here letting others know how this tool worked for you. As a side know if you have a Vista where Sp1 was slipstreamed into it already when you installed it, this tool will probably not help you much.

EA connection issues fix

After getting a couple EA games that I couldn't play because of " network/DRM  issues " I was really upset. It seemed that because I have Vista x64 Sp1 I couldn't play the games. After alot of searching I found the answer. Its the new network settings in Vista, so I figured out the network settings, and was going to write a batch file to fix them, when I found one on the internet. It was written by Marluxia Kyoshu I modified it slightly so that it explained better what it did, and I am putting it here for you all on the internet seeking answers. 

Games I know it works for:

• Spore
  
• NFS:Undercover
  

I believe it will also fix the EA Downloader issues (though not tested)

Also if you like my blog tell your friends...

Remember you need to run the file in administrator mode.

Link to the file.

The code incase you want to look over it without downloading it

@ECHO off 

ECHO Welcome to Marluxia.Kyoshu's EA Server/General Network Connectivity for Vista!

ECHO This tool will fix the problems that cause error messages like the one below,

ECHO Or similar network error messages. Bat Optimized by D4RK_4NG3L

ECHO ---------------------------------------------------------

ECHO 'The game can not start'

ECHO.

ECHO 'The game needs access to the internet in order to verify 

ECHO 'ownership of this game. Please ensure that your computer 

ECHO 'is online and try again.'

ECHO ---------------------------------------------------------

ECHO.

netsh interface tcp show global

ECHO. You may want to write down these settings incase you want

ECHO  to revert to your original settings.

ECHO.

ECHO Please press the 'ANY' key to begin the tool.

PAUSE > NUL

netsh interface tcp set global rss=disabled

netsh interface tcp set global chimney=disabled

netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

netsh interface tcp set global congestionprovider=none

netsh interface tcp set global ecncapability=disabled

netsh interface tcp set global timestamps=disabled

netsh interface tcp show global

ECHO.

ECHO The above and below tables should be exactly the same.

ECHO.

ECHO TCP Global Paramaters

ECHO ----------------------------------------------

ECHO Receive-Side Scaling State          : disabled

ECHO Chimney Offload State               : disabled

ECHO Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level    : normal

ECHO Add-On Congestion Control Provider  : none

ECHO ECN Capability                      : disabled

ECHO RFC 1323 Timestamps                 : disabled

ECHO.

ECHO.

CHOICE /N /M "Are they the same? Type Y for yes, N for no."

IF ERRORLEVEL ==2 GOTO NO

IF ERRORLEVEL ==1 GOTO YES

:YES

ECHO.

ECHO Just start up the EA Game now and it should work now.

ECHO Enjoy the game!

ECHO.

ECHO Press the 'ANY' key to exit.

PAUSE > NUL

GOTO END

:NO

ECHO.

ECHO Once the program is terminated, right-click NETFIX.BAT and click 

ECHO 'Run as Administrator...'

ECHO.

ECHO If you have already done this, try running twice more at both

ECHO Administrator and User level.

ECHO.

ECHO.

ECHO Press the 'ANY' key to exit.

PAUSE > NUL

GOTO END

:END

EXIT

A more in depth look at the file.

BSOD while pumping gas?

This is actually a gas pump running windows that shows TV while you pump gas. The only problem is that since it runs windows, it also BSODs lol I thought this was humorous so I took a short video, which I will update and place on here when I upload it to YouTube.

Find where your suppost to vote. (the easy way)

I am really suprised that it is kinda hard to find your place to vote (also called polling place). You would think that just like knowing where the library, or police station is, it would be easy to find your voting place. After I had gone through the old school way to track down your polling place, I found that yet again Google had a way to make my life easier. If you know the home address that you are registered with, just go here and input your address. It will then tell you where you are supposed to vote at, and even give you directions if you want. 

Have fun excersizing your right to vote.

Crash Last Night

Jolted out of a deep sleep by a satisfyingly huge crunch followed by a few bangs, some les satisfying crunches, a peel out and finally quiet. After making sure my apartment was secure and talking to my girlfriend, I hit the road to take pictures and try to get an idea of what happened!

Sleepily I stumbled towards where I thought the crunches came from, and I see debris in a lot of the street, some extremely long skid marks and a few cars that are definitely miserable with the recent events.

As I follow the skid marks back to their begginning, it seems a big vehicle decided to have a violent violation visit with a parked truck, violating it from the rear, violently.

From the debris and skid marks, I can see the big vihicle wasn't satisfied and decided to visit a few more cars and a curb before giving up the ghost for its sins around the nearest corner. Like the drunk that was driving it, with no regard for its surroundings, it just pissed oil and fluid on the ground as it went into its slumber of death.

Its drunken sleep was interrupted, however,by flashing lights. A stern policeman promptly brought a tow truck to take the disheveled van back to the station for interrogation. As it turns out the van's partner possibly the instigator in these crimes (rumored to be a drunk illegal woman) is at this very moment, to the best of my knowledge, at large.

As terrible as these atrocities are, I think you have a right to see the violated. So here are the pictures I took. If you have any information that might help this case please contact the Anaheim Police.

T-Mobile G1/Android Community Stepping up again

Many people are wondering if and why the G1 is better than the iPhone. There are my reasons some of them include hardware features, but I think the biggest reason is that the operating system of the phone is Open Source, with the only restrictions being ones that keep vandalism and other devious acts to a minimum.

You may be wondering why this is such a big deal. The iPhone has a shop for applications. Well unlike the iPhone pretty much anyone who has a drive to create an application can on Android with out big licencing fees. Then without becoming a criminal he can use it on his phone, and give or sell it to friends or the world. No need to jailbrake your phone etc. worry about the next firmware upgrade and your apps still working. 

The next intelligent question would be then will anyone really take the time to make these progams being that as of right now being that the G1 hasn't launched and there are no other phones that use android yet? (other than people hack projects) The answer is yes, there has already been a contest to support the community that builds these applications, many times using their own money and making them available for donations. The imaginative and creative applications that emerged were nothing short of amazing. I would like some of my favorites however there are just too many interesting ones out there look for your self would you like any of these programs ? 

http://code.google.com/android/

http://code.google.com/android/adc_gallery/index.html#3

Sound off what do you think about all the open handset hype? How much would you pay for some of these programs? What programs would you like to see?

Android Features I Crave

Of course we all want different things from our cell phones, here are some of the features I would like to see (no particular order). Let me know if there are other features you would like to see? 

• Video MMS / Video recording / streaming / Video Out via mini usb adaptor to hdmi or ?
  
• Screen orientation / Step counter / G force meter for use in car / inclimeter (using accelerometer)
  
• Turn by Turn Navigation with traffic avoidance.
  
• Call Recording (with and without beep)
  
• Ability to view flash websites like Skyfire does http://www.skyfire.com/
  
• Divx player
  
• Bluetooth keyboard / other bluetooth profiles
  
• Internet sharing ie: 3G->Wifi or 3G -> MiniUSB etc.
  
• gdesklets http://www.gdesklets.de/
  
• the ability to use the mini usb port as a usb port ie usb flash and hdd support or wireless usb (dreaming)
  
• touchscreen keyboard for when you don't have the time or will to open the phone, or when you have it in a dock.
  
• Call filter. http://www.anfymobile.com/callfilter/
  
• WIDSETS (all you Nokia fans know this one :) ) http://www.widsets.com/
  
• Multiplayer games (quake :) )
  
• 3d or 2d cad (ok I know it sounds odd but it is helpful for inventors like me drawing up blueprints while we are waiting for shit) 
  
• A lite version of open office :) (although I think google docs will suffice)
• Gas Mileage tracker using GPS (& for tax man)
• Remote Control for electronics devices (TV, DVD, DVR, Stereo, Laptop, etc.)
• Graphing calculator / ti89 emulator
• FTP hosting
• BitTorrenting
• Graphic editor (with reasonably cool features)

Cool Features I found with the Android Emulator 1.0 r1

• Looks Like Android already has some of these built in you can filter calls in the contact book by checking the box send calls directly to voice mail.
• The Web Browser allows you to use most webpages. Including Google. Documents, Reader, and most all the other Google services. It seems that all google features are specially formatted.  
  
• Robust alarm clock
• Many sweet graphical features for developers, many sample API's to take advantage of.
• Widgets

New Nvidia Drivers !! 178.13 WHQL for all

Well Nvidia has done it again they, released drivers that make all sorts of improvements under the hood. Here is their release highlights.

• WHQL-certified driver for GeForce 6-series, 7-series, 8-series, 9-series, and 200-series GPUs, including the newly released GeForce 9800 GTX+, 9800 GT, 9500 GT and 9400 GT GPUs.
• Adds support for NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB dedicated graphics memory (this driver package installs NVIDIA PhysX System Software v8.09.04).
• Experience GPU PhysX acceleration in several full games and demos today by downloading the GeForce Power Pack.
• Adds support for 2-way and 3-way NVIDIA SLI technology with GeForce GTX 200-series GPUs on Intel® D5400XS motherboards.
• Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL, including 3-way and Quad SLI technology.
• Supports CUDA™.
• Supports Folding@home distributing computing application. Download the high performance client for NVIDIA GPUs here and join the NVIDIA team: #131015.
• Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.
• Includes several 3D application performance improvements. The following are examples of improvements measured with v178.13 WHQL versus v175.19 WHQL driver:
  

o Single GPU increases up to 11% in 3DMark Vantage (performance preset)
o Single GPU increases up to 11% in Assassin's Creed DX10
o Single GPU increases up to 15% in Bioshock DX10
o Single GPU increases up to 15% in Call of Duty 4
o Single GPU increases up to 8% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
o 2-way SLI increases up to 7% in Bioshock DX10
o 2-way SLI increases up to 10% in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts DX10
o 2-way SLI increases up to 12% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
o 2-way SLI increases up to 10% in World in Conflict DX10

• Includes numerous 3D application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, features, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.
• Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

So Are you running the latest? here you can check right here on my blog.

Re-visit of Nike Contacts

A while back I showed you guys my Nike contacts, well its been a while so I thought I would update you on the status of them.

While they are very good to use like sunglasses I found that them changing the colors of everything was annoying enough for me not to wear them all day long. While I still can recommend them for specific ativities like volleyball or running, I think you will find wearing them only for specific activies is th best way to go. Very comfortable, but you probably want to have clear backup contacts. If you guys have anything you want to know about them, let me know. 

Mylar balloon strikes close to home

Well With all the talk about Mylar balloons and people trying to get laws passed, this last 4th of July I heard a great big crackle .. snap.. and pop.. and the power to my apartment died. (No Rice Crispies didn't land in my neighborhood to start invading), I ran out side and found that the power was out at my neighbors also. After further investigation I found that the whole neighborhood was out, I called my power company, and they said they were currently aware of the situation and are working on it. So I decided to do some driving around my neighborhood. I found that the outage was quite wide. The next time I talked to the electric company they let me know that a hundred thousand homes had lost power with this outage, however power is being restored, systematically. When I last checked in at 3:00 am the amount of people that were with out power only a few hours after the event was down to 12 thousand. Pretty good work I would say, and the cause? Yes, you guessed it a Mylar balloon from the 4th of July festivities.

Should they be banned? You make the call. Personally I think that they could just be designed to not conduct electricity. What do you think?

UT3Gameplay Footage

Enjoy a lightly edited UT3 Gameplay. A Drama Free Gamers and Finger Works UnInc. Production.

Audiosurf Gameplay Footage

Just some gameplay footage from the new game Audiosurf

Making Tortilla Chips

A quickly put together video on how to make Tortilla chips from corn tortillas using a deep fryer. Enjoy.

"The Rage" Interview.

For those of you who missed the live broadcast of "The Rage" Exclusive interview, you can hear it again by clicking the play button on the Blogtalkradio player in the right hand of my Blog. There actually is special content that you wouldn't have heard listening live. So go enjoy.

Me and T-Mobile

The Last few years I have lived in many different states. Some of these states are New York (NYC to be precise), Alabama, Ohio, and Georgia to name a few. In my travels I have had only one Cellular company T-Mobile. They have worked with me and have always given me great service with out charging me an arm and a leg. I have unlimited Internet, and a 1000 minutes to share between phones, and I also had Nights and Weekends way before it was the standard. I could name more things that they give me and I know it sounds like I am selling T-Mobile, I am not. I just believe that when I find something that works well. I should, tell others so that they might enjoy or reap the benefits of it also. T-Mobile has worked well for me.

The reason I mention this at all is because soon I will hosting a blogtalkradio show where I explain some different options in phones, pluses and minuses, and also the technology behind them. I may even have some juicy news that you might not have already heard.

If you have any topics that you would like me to talk about feel free to email me at BitsnBytesShow@gmail.com

Longest Disclaimer ever

I am posting this to show the difference in quality between Youtube and Viddler.com they are the same video just different Sites.

Disclaimer from My First Blog Talk Radio Show.

Cell Phone Freeware

Today I will be talking about some sweet freeware you can get for your cell phone. Most of these programs were made for the s60 (Symbian operating system), but may also be made for other operating systems/phones. However, because I have an Nseries Nokia n93 running s60 v3, this operating system will be the version of these programs that I am referring to in my reviews below. Always check the website for your specific device. I know some of you reading this are probably lost, but come along for the ride and you will probably have fun. Who knows, you may want a new phone when you are finished reading this.

The programs that I will be looking at today are WidSets, Calcium, emTube, Call Filter, Google Maps, Mobile DivX Player, and DrJukka.com. Some of these programs will benefit from stronger phones like Nseries Nokia phones. Having high speed internet (that is not metered) on your cell phone is recommended, as many of these programs require or make use of the Internet. Here we go (in no particular order) with the list from above.

WidSets-https://www.widsets.com/
This program allows easy access to RSS feeds and similar applications on your cell phone. This application is a really good way to stay connected with the latest news and information. I do suggest, however, that if you like adding lots of WidSets, you may want to install it on your external card. I use it mostly to keep up with technology, with such feeds as Tech Crunch, UberGizmo, and others. WidSets is a must have program for any person in the know.

Calcium-http://www.mtvoid.com/calcium/index.html
This is a must have application that simplifies using your cell phone as a calculator. How many times have you tried to do some simple math on your phone only to find that the calculator that came with it really isn't your friend, just to end up pulling out a sheet of paper and doing it the old fashion way (a terrible thing for any techie)? This program makes calculating on your phone a breeze, with intuitive controls and nice functions. So thanks to mtvoid's Calcium you will never have to tax your brain again over simple math. Oh its also quite easy on the eyes.

emTube-http://www.emtube.yoyo.pl/
For some time cell phone users like myself have wanted to watch YouTube and other flv videos on our phones. Some of us had gone so far as to use developer tools and unreleased versions of programs to watch flv's on our phones. emTube has made it simpler than ever. All you do is install the program and its intuitive interface will lead you through the rest. Installing it to your phone memory is fine being that the latest version is still a meager 206 kB plus or minus a little. I still recommend keeping the videos on the memory card because you will have access to some reasonably big size videos. This program is amazing, allowing you to stream, download, save, and even includes a few other options. A phone with highspeed internet or wi-fi is recommended again due to the video sizes. In conclusion this program is much better than the mobile YouTube site and offers much better features.

Call Filter-http://anfymobile.com/callfilter/
Who would like to automatically discard phone calls that we don't want to answer? Whenever that telemarketer calls, or just someone you don't really want to talk to, Call Filter does that for you. No annoying ringing, no need to press the end key. The controls are very lean, and although they take a little time to understand, it works well once you have it setup. Reading the manual is a good idea, and their site features a forum to ask fellow users questions, should you not catch on to the program's control scheme right away. This program is a very capable and useful piece of freeware available for many phones, on the s60 and UIQ platforms. Check their site and see if it works for you.

Google Maps-http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm/index.html
The people at Google just keep on learning and working on making things better. With the latest version of Google Maps they definitely have continued that trend. Not taking up a lot of space and being reasonably responsive. This latest version has added a sweet function that can usually narrow down where you are by the use of cell towers. Not your exact area but it will tell you in what general area you are located by a cool circle notated with how big of a diameter it has. (i.e. you are located somewhere in this 800M circle) Some other notable features include a traffic overlay, and being able to see and zoom in on a satellite view. These features are included with the normal features i.e. directions etc. An added treat for those you that have a GPS built into your phone or that you can connect to via Blue Tooth, both of which are now also supported.

Mobile DivX Player-http://www.divx.com/mobile/
This is really a very straightforward application, it allows you to play DivX on your cell phone. So grab your 2Gb Mini or MicroSd, throw your favorite Divx videos on there and watch them wherever you may be. With detailed options and a great compression and quality it is useful for both the casual and enthusiast user. It is available for Windows Mobile 2003 (or later) and Symbian OS 7.0 or later including UIQ. Check the website for your specific device.

DrJukka.com-http://drjukka.com
While this isn't actually a program itself, his website is a treasure chest of programs that he codes. There are way too many for me to review here today, however here are my personal favorites: Y-Browser, Y-Tasks, and Y-Alarm. Many of his programs have special plugins that allow you to only install the features that you need, saving space and allowing features to be added easily. These programs run very smoothly and give you some great tools at your fingertips.

Technology Buying Guide

The holidays is one of the times technology really shines. What does he mean your asking yourself. Well with technology you can order presents with out having to leave your house and suffer the terrible traffic that comes with the season. Also with the internet, you can comparison shop, get the scoop on items via reviews, and do everything in your power to get the best deal so you can give more bang for your buck.

Also be careful when giving technical gifts, because its really easy to get the wrong part, and then have to get the part exchanged in the after holiday bustle. Also many hight tech items can be tricky to exchange/return. If the person your are getting the gift for has a wishlist on Newegg.com you might want to ask for it. A surefire way to get a great gift is to ask about any wishlists the recipient might have. If they are like me they have lots of things on their wishlist and you can get the one that fits your budget, and you know he will really like with out spoiling the surprise.

Here are some of the current standards for technology.
Some of the most common gifts:

Mp3 players DVD players Computer/Computer Accessories/Software Digital Cameras
Gadgets

MP3 Players
So lets start with Mp3 players, there is allot to pay attention to here. While most mp3 players will get the job done, the important things to look into are the different features. Built in Equalizers, total space on the model, and if you run out of space can you expand it, or is the size fixed; all are important to consider.

Minimum Recommended settings:
Size: 1GB
Interface: USB (for putting your music onto it)
Music Formats: mp3
LCD: Normal

Recommended settings:
Size: 1GB
Interface: USB (for putting your music onto it)
Music Formats: mp3, wma, ogg
Equalizer: At least three different settings.
LCD: Backlit



DVD Players
Moving on to DVD players. It's as easy anymore to buy DVD players as it used to be. Some key things to remember to look for are: Does it just play DVD's, and is it compatible with recipients TV. There is a lot more to DVD players than meets the eye. However my advice is that if it's for anything bigger than about 30" you might want to think of a different gift. The reason behind this is because not all DVD players are equal, and the differences really show up the bigger and higher definition the screen has. Most DVD players use 10-bit video digital-to-analog-converters (DAC) and video processing chips that runs at 27 MHz. While some of the more expensive reference models boast a 14-bit DAC and 108 MHz video processing, many good DVD players use 24-bit audio DAC, operating at 96 kHz sampling rate (that's 96,000 times per second). The 24-bit/96kHz DAC ensures that the maximum audio resolution from the DVD's soundtrack has been extracted and reproduced on your speakers. For a more in depth DVD player buying guide feel free to go to Click Here the same place that I have gotten a lot of my information on the subject. If you don't feel like diving into the technology specs, I will outline some things your should look for.

Key Questions
Does it support high definitions?
Does it support DVDs burned by a computer?
Does it support Divx and other formats?

I recommend getting a portable DVD player instead of getting a regular DVD player. Keeping the same things in mind however, also looking for the following features, you can't go wrong. Can it play off Batteries or A/C; does the A/C adapter come with it? More importantly, check to see if it has a video out option (preferably RCA or Component). I have also found getting a player that can play Divx files is helpful, allowing you to play DVD's with hours of Divx video files on them. The video out option is very helpful when you are in hotels. This allows you (or the recipient) to use the DVD player with a TV. Also most DVD players that support the Divx format have stronger components insides to deal with the data, and give better quality picture.

For a top of the line player, I have researched and came up with two models:

Panasonic DVD-LS80 8.5" Price Range: $187.99 - $199.99 Has all my recommended options but only has a 12bit Video DAC
Toshiba SDP1900 Portable 9" Price Range: $151.99 - $234.99 Has a stronger 14bit Video DAC, however no RCA video out only optical.

Computers/Accessories
There are many things you can get for someone with a computer. Like the DVD player however, it is a highly technical area. If they have a wish list, use it. If they are like me however, most of the wish list items are very expensive. Buying a computer for the holidays is a very nice move, however I recommend you find someone who can help you decide just what you need and how you can get the most bang for your buck. Because there are so many things that go into buying a computer, I will save that for another time. If you do need help you may contact me, but be ready to answer lots of questions.

Accessories on the other hand aren't as hard to buy without knowing everything about the persons computer. External Hard Drives/Flash Drives, Uninterrupted Power Supplies, Surge Protectors are some of the cheaper items and are good stocking stuffers.
External Hard Drives/Flash Drives
There are a lot of options. Small flash drives for ultra portability, the Portable 2.5" HDD's, and 3.5" HDD's that require a power supply. Each of these have their own advantages and disadvantages. Once you make your choice on the size and portability that you need, then below is a guide to a few sizes that you might want to consider. Last of all, remember to read reviews on the products you buy. It can save you a lot of anguish and wasted time.

Super small flash/HDDs
Minimum 4 Gb
Recommended 16 Gb
Portable 2.5" HDD
Minimum 80 Gb
Recommended >100 Gb
Portable 3.5 HDD (usually requiring an external power supply)
Minimum 500 Gb
Recommended >750 Gb

Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
For more in-detail information feel free to Click Here
I have found that there are allot of solutions out there here are my Recommendations.

Minimum 500 VA rating
Recommended 600-700 VA as much as you can get with your budget however much more than 800 is probably overkill.
An LCD screen and usb connectivity are also a big plus (I wouldn't buy one without an LCD because it gives you vital information about its status.)
Surge Protectors
As with many of the other items, there is too much information for me to explain so if you want more information than I have space to give you may Click here. To cut to the chase there are different ratings in surge protectors that indicate what they are capable of protecting against. Here are my recommendations in each area.

There should be some LEDs showing the status of the surge protector don't buy any surge protector that doesn't have a led showing that you are protected most reputable companies also will cover any surge damage to things plugged into their protector should their product fail. More importantly here are the important components and ratings to look for.

UL 1449 Suppressed Voltage rating (Clamping Voltage)
Minimum 400V
Recommended 330V
Stages of Protection/Surge Current Rating
Minimum 2 stages Recommended 3 stages
Clamping Response Time.
Minimum Nanosecond (billionths of a second)
Recommended Picosecond (trillionths of a second)

Incoming Lines Protected
Minimum 2 lines (Hot to Neutral, Hot to Ground)
Recommended

3 lines (Hot to Neutral, Hot to Ground, Neutral to Ground)

Digital Cameras
With digital photography technology moving so fast, the value is absolutely amazing when it comes to digital cameras. Make sure you do your homework though, because digital cameras have a lot of features. Its easy to be overwhelmed when at the store. Also make sure to test the camera or read the consumer or professional reviews on it. Sometimes a camera may have more megapixels, however, the quality of the picture is lacking. Also don't forget to test the speed and response of the camera. (How quickly does it take the shot or navigate through menu's?) Make sure that the camera is comfortable and that you would be able to learn most of its features in one day of shooting. Many good cameras are not 100% user friendly however but give you much better control and quality. This is a trade off that you have to judge for yourself. Some general digital camera guidelines are:

Megapixels
Minimum 4MP
Recommended as many as you can afford however remember this may mean that you have to get bigger flash cards to hold the pictures
LCD
Bright Enough to see in broad daylight

Media Format (what the pictures are stored on) Really personal preference however it is smart to get a format that you can transfer pictures to your computer or printer without using the camera if you need to.
Recommended Secure Digital or Compact Flash (I personally try to stay away from proprietary formats)

Gadgets
This is one of my favorite categories, and are often a very useful gifts.(Not to mention usually easy on the wallet). Some of my favorite gadgets are for the g33k (geek) in your life.
LED Binary Watch
LED Dot Matrix Display Watch
Staple Free Stapler
Mandylion Password Manager
Touchless IR Thermometer
Dynaflex Powerball Gyroscope
Mathmos Thaw
Outdoor LCD Window Thermometer
Titanium Spork
MicroJet Lighter Torch
T1 Loopback and Crossover Adapters
Static Electricity Eliminator

click here to buy any of those gadget or others.

I know you may not understand all the terms here when you go shopping for some of these items. A good look at the label should point you in the right direction. I hope that this guide was helpful for you. Whether buying for the holidays or just buying for yourself, tech gifts are great gifts to get. Like any other purchase however, "let the buyer beware." Do your homework and reap the rewards of well thought out gifts. (Especially if they were for yourself.)

AMD Quadcore

So the AMD quadcores have released, to many people's dismay they won't outperform the Intel Quads in raw numbers, however they do have a more elegant design, and time has show that better designed products go farther. I am looking forward to see where these new Quad cores take us.

AMD Opteron Quadcore.

Well its been a while in coming however AMD has finally released a quadcore that answers back to Intel. It will be interesting to see this rivalry unfold because as of right now, AMD is the only one that has a true quad core Processor on the market. As of the writing of this article all the other solutions are not native. You ask what is the difference between native and not native, well its a bit technical to explain but imagine 4 people (people equate to cores) working on a common goal. In native solution, each of the four people (cores) can communicate with each other and dynamically process data giving their results straight to the system, while a non native solution, there are two groups of two people (cores) that are able to share the work load however each group can only talk to the other group by using a middle man (north bridge), to help them. creating a bottleneck at the middleman (north bridge). A native solution while technically more difficult to develop, is the more elegant solution, and in the long run you will probably see that the elegant design will become the blueprints and inspiration for moving forward and improving the technology. A native solution also makes upgrading easier, since many times you don't even have to change the form factor of the motherboard. For those of you who I may have lost with that last comment, Many times moving to new technology requires a total overhaul of your system, however with AMD's quad cores, all you have to upgrade is the CPU. Kinda like being able to only put a new engine in your car. For more information on the only true quad cores out there right now click here

I personally can't wait till the technology hits the normal end user market (the average person), the amount of power these Cpu's will add to Desktop systems will be amazing. Giving the average person increased power to edit video's make music and do many things that generally would require a strong machine. Do you have anything to add to this post? Go ahead leave a comment, you know you want to. Have a great day.

Recent News

Crysis beta opened up to the public, so if you have a decent rig give it a spin..
Click here for beta sign up page.

In other news I know that my Blog stock ticker may be glitched they are working on fixing that. Once its fixed you may buy thot stock in my Blog.

Some other Beta News

Pirates of the Burning Sea is doing Stress testing,
Tabula Rosa.

Another Beta that looks interesting is unfortunately a subscriber only beta, however if you are a subscriber to File Planet, check it out Frontlines Beta its is yet another look at multi player warfare. I will post a full review on it when I have play it a bit more, originally I couldn't join games however they have patched that problem and I am glad to say that it runs well on my Vista x64 machine. heres a link.
click here

Have a great day Ciao

Cool Beta's

Well I have been sitting on a beta called Joost for a little here. I wanted to fully experience it before I wrote a blog on it. You may be asking what Joost is. Well Joost is a program that allows you to basically have TV on demand. It is well put together, and seems to have the backing of many big names. My experience of Joost is very positive, and I am sure that many of you will like it also. Although it doesn't yet boast the newest content like ongoing news or other day to day shows, it does have a plethora of shows and movies to choose from with more being added everyday. Another cool feature of Joost are the widgets that can stream news let you talk to your friends and even keep you apprised of the weather. The resolution for most shows is quite good, and unlike many competitors, it streams to you so you don't have to download everything you wanna watch and then watch it wasting time and hard drive space. The ads are now worse than on tv, and actually better than TV ads in most cases being much shorter. As with any on demand content worth its salt, you can pause, or skip to the next show, or skip back a show.

If you would like to try it I believe it is still by invite only, however if you want an invite contact me and I will arrange it. Have a Great day. Ciao.

My new Nike Contacts

My new Nike Contacts, originally uploaded by D4RK 4NG3L.

How do you like my new Nike Contacts, they are tinted so they act like sunglasses, I think they make me look like a anime character. More to come Later. have a good day.

More N93 Awesomeness

Well in case you all didn't realize how amazing the nseries devices are thanks to strong processors and their 3rd edition Symbian Os they can do almost anything that your laptop can. Case and point would be http://delaguna.mymobilesite.net/ if you click that link right there, if My cell phone is up and within internet range either Wifi, Edge, or 3G, you will arrive at a website that is hosted right from my cell phone. if you are interested in beta testing this also drop by https://secure.mymobilesite.net/ and you can pick up a copy of the program, for a common setup the software is straight forward, and for those of you who are like me and really like to personalize you can do that too, being that its using standard css etc. Look forward to sharing more with you next time. and if you stop by my n93, do leave a comment on my guest book. Ciao...

Mars....our new moon or?

Well if you just crawled out from under your rock, let me fill you in on some recent events. A few days ago we had a full lunar eclipse uneventfully (for most). However not for my friend. My friend calls me up all excited because they said they were looking at Mars, big and red in the sky. Yes I said mars. I asked them if they had a telescope out. They said no its huge. After a little while and much laughter (mostly on my part) I found out that a news station had reported that there was going to be an eclipse, and that Mars was going to be very close to us allowing us to see it with the naked eye. So when they were looking at the moon, because the atmosphere was making it look red during the eclipse they thought it was Mars. Although at first they didn't want to believe me when I explained that if Mars was really that big in the sky they should worry. They explain about the news station and I helped them understand that what they news station meant. Because the moon was being eclipsed it would be dark enough to see Mars which is coincidentally quite close to us but not that close. Did you ever think an eclipse would ever be that interesting? Do you think I should have taken their Mars from them? I think helping them not be ignorant and saving them more embarrassment in the future was the best way to be a true friend.

Call of Juarez Review

Click Here to read my Call of Juarez Review (for the PC)

Channa & Mt. Dew

Little Video I threw together this morning.

Supreme Commander Review

Click here to see my Supreme Commander Review

Lemony Snicket's

I watched "Lemony Snicket's" recently, and it reminded me of the recent events in my life, and I realized that I have my own Lemony Snicket's story. I am not going bore you with the mishaps and unfortunate events of my life (some of which I am responsible for and some of which I am not), but I will say this. I have found recently, that no matter how bad you want some things to work, there are certain things that just aren't meant to be. We try hard and do our best, but sometimes when want something to work so bad, we lose sight of whats best for us. Hence the common phrase "Love is blind" or maybe better phrased "Crazy and in Love"

Its very hard to be objective,when you are so immersed in the struggle. Unfortunately in the end you have to be realistic, and thats the part that usually ends up breaking hearts. With that I have my own heart to mend. One of the most painful things in the world to to be so close to achieving your hopes and dreams, and then have them taken away from you. Sometimes it may just be the sinking realization that the things that you hoped would change won't. But I have found that only after you have done your best, can you really bear the pain with no regrets.

I hope that you all have a great day. I really appreciate and thank you for reading my blog and maybe just maybe I said something that can help you out. Caio

Test Drive Unlimited Review

I usually post my reviews on here however I found that posting them on Helium got me to a bigger audience so Here is a link to my Test Drive Unlimited for the PC review.

Test Drive Unlimited PC Game Review Click here to view it.

Trackmania Nations vs Trackmania United

Well its taken a while however after doing a bit of research (playing the games) I have finally come to a point where I can do a fair comparison. Today I am going to be reviewing Trackmania United (TMU) and comparing it against Tackmania Nations (TMN).(freeware version)

I found this game because I was looking for a cool free game to pass the time. I downloaded TMN from the Nvidia website. I was really blown away with the graphics and speed at which the game was played. Very addicting, I found the game to be a nice blend between racing, puzzles, and beauty.

A great way to waste time, or compete with your friends Trackmania has done something amazing. Out of a simple idea racing online. This game is not in any way ment to be a simulation, so if thats what you are looking for then you are out of luck. However this game does allow you to take your cars hundreds of miles per hour with no consequences.

With Trackmania United, this game has been fully polished. The user interface has been cleaned up to look much nicer and be much more user friendly. They way that you view stats and connect with your friends around the world has also been streamlines. The environments have been varied. All the best parts of the different trackmania games seem to have been mixed into this new game, ending up with a fast fun and visually beautiful game.

There are some downsides however. Not all of the cars handle reasonably, it seems that they didn't take the time to polish the controls of the cars, and some cars are very touchy and hard to drive. Not just to the point of making the cars unique but to the point of making certain cars no fun. It would have been nice to see them give each are their cars individual handling feel, while still maintaining playability.

I found that I played Trackmania Nations, much more because it was straight forward, one car and one style racing. Trackmania United its harder to find servers that have only the styles of racing that are fun. I sure hope that they patch the handling of the different car models, however, this game is very good.

I also looked at the graphics options, and other features of the game. Its nice to see that a person with pretty much any mainstream computer, can configure the game to work well for him, this does mean however that less powerful computer owners may not get all the eye candy, however they will still get to have all the fun.

In conclusion. If you want the eye candy and different environments offered in Trackmania United, you will enjoy your purchase, however you should probably check out Trackmania Nations first and see if that game is fun for you. If it is and you don't want to customize your cars paint or trade car models then TMN might be better for you.

• Biggest online race – 132 players took part in a single time trial race
• Largest content base of any racing game – The TrackMania Exchange website has over 150,000 user created tracks and over 200 unique cars
• First publicly available game developed specifically for an online competition TrackMania Nations was developed for the 2006 Electronic Sports World Cup and made available for free online. It has been downloaded over 30 million times
• Most nationalities in an offline racing competition – 34 nations entered the TrackMania event at the 2007 Electronic Sports World Cup
• Most popular online racing sim – The TrackMania series has over 3 million online registrations
• Most popular user created video – A trailer created by a TrackMania fan using in-game offstage has been viewed over 2 million times at GameTrailers.com

*Records taken from Guinness World Records 2008: Gamer’s Edition.
http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/book.aspx

Why to smile...

As corny as it sounds
A smile is good
All year round
It goes with most anything,
And is easy to wear,
It can make you feel good
Even when no one is there

Give one to a friend
Or just someone on the bus
For it costs nothing
So whats the fuss?
Maybe it will brighten
someones dark skies,
Just what they need to keep from crying

And who knows
It could come back to you someday.
As a smile, hug, or a pay raise?
Someone asked me why I smile
I gave it some thought
And this is the poem I wrote.

The best answer I think however
By for is why not?
I like to spread happiness,
And believe someday
That my actions will change the world
In a beautiful way.

So many things
Can start
With a smile
So why not?

Been a while

Sorry its been so long, lots of work in my life right now.. A little preview of my upcoming blogs. I will be blogging about:

Review of Trackmania United ($23 on steam right now)and how it compares to Trackmania nations (free)

Review of Test Drive Unlimited (pc)

Review of Raidmax Smilodon case

My views on the media and society

My proposal on how to fix Illegal immigration.

And much much more... soon....

Can you figure this out?

Big Version

Small Version


What do these say? do they say the same thing?

P.S. Hint check out the tags.

Where is the line?

Whats important in a moral leader? Maybe that he does as he advocates? That he isn't vindictive maybe? That he works towards a solution that benefits all parties positively? Who do you want your children looking up to?

It seems today we let important moral matters be decided by the most unqualified people just because they have a big mouth. A good example of this would be Al Sharpton's actions over Don Imus's Remarks.

Here is a man who made a mistake, granted a joke in bad taste, a banter between him and his show mates taken too far, all in all a honest mistake.(distasteful but honest) However unlike many people who would have argued their innocents, and point out that its freedom of speech, Don Imus took accountability for his actions, and did what he could to make up for it. He did use a negative phrase,however , compared to all the rap songs and other things aired on the radio day in and day out, his short joking comment barely compares.

I think it is ridiculous that the person that had the most to say about it, and did the most publicly was a person, who gained much of his fame and public notice, by "...making seven defamatory statements about Pagones, Maddox for two and Mason for one..." (Lying in a court of law and in public) This person Al Sharpton was in fact successfully sued for slander following the Tawana Brawley Case. (cited work Wikipedia) This is the person leading the crusade against someone who said something off color?

Al Sharpton was also quoted as saying

“White folks was in caves while we was building empires ... We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.” -Al Sharpton Kean College in 1994-

Seems odd that anyone pays any attention to someone that seems to talk out of both sides of their mouth on so many occasions.

In my opinion it is hard for me to find any instance where his actions were not selfish. I believe that Al Sharptan has truly not shown any care for anyone, but rather acted on his own selfish love of the spotlight. Speaking up on causes just to get attention on himself, and not truly about the issue. A good example being Don Imus. He seemed act as a represenative for the Rutger's women's basketball team, when he clearly had no authority morally or legally to demand the things he did in the name of their (his own cause). The members of the Rutger's women's basketball team actually met with Don Imus in person and after talking with him and hearing his apology in person, accepted and voiced their opinion that they never wanted Imus to get fired.

This is a good example of Al Sharpton selfishly using the Rutger's women's basketball team to put himself in the spotlight, and promote his own show. Well Al I am putting you in the spotlight but all I find is a bunch of terrible choices and blemishes for which I think you should be held accountable for. For Al Sharpton's partner in hate mongering crime Jesse Jackson well I don't need to point out all the hypocrisy there. As the saying goes "birds of a feather flock together".

In conclusion I hope that if you bring anything from this article, it's that you truly try to look at the facts as they are and also the integrity of the person giving them to you . All to often we just take what is given to use believing that its the truth, or that the person presenting it to us is acting with good faith. If you are like me, I think you will be getting a little more involved in your community.

I personally try to open peoples eyes to things out there that they might not have seen. In the pursuit of the truth, we must question, and keep an open mind, making decisions based on our values, and beliefs. We can't just let people with loud mouths and their own agenda do whatever they want, we must speak out and be the balance. Speaking with our votes, speaking with our letters, and in any other way that we can so that we can truly say that we are doing our best everyday. So when we look at the community we see our dedication and devotion.

I am glad to see you made it through another rant, feel free to leave comments, or ask questions.

Make A Change

Arm your self with knowledge
Use words as your tools
Make a difference by speaking out
To improve our cities and schools
By turning in illegals
Help lower crime
You can help save lives
If you call in time.

Sick and tired of people not careing. Is it ignorance?

Recently illegal aliens have been more and more in the news, I think this is a positive thing. Maybe if enough people see the damage the illegals are having on the community they will start calling in businesses that employ illegals, calling in illegals that they know about.

People should be allowed to come to America looking to have a better future, however starting that future by breaking the law and continuing to break the law consistently is unacceptable. There are legal ways to enter the USA many people do.

Unfortunately these are the usual examples of what illegal immigrants bring to our communities.

"Illegal aliens murder
12 Americans daily
Death toll in 2006 far overshadows total
U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, Afghanistan"
-Posted: November 28, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern-

By Joseph Farah

A Link to the Full Article

---

Another article has a quote from Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes Institute in Atlanta

"This translates to 93 sex offenders and 12 serial sexual offenders coming across U.S. borders illegally per day,"

She later pointed out "... only 2 percent of the offenders in her study had no history of criminal behavior, beyond crossing the border illegally..."

Link to the Full Story

---

Do you wanna gamble with your life or your child's well being by not calling in those illegals that you know about?

As if those stories weren't enough.

"Juan Leonardo Quintero, an illegal immigrant, has been charged with killing a Houston police officer last week after a routine traffic stop."

(ABC News)
Click here for Full Story

---

"I was having a bad day," illegal immigrant Diego Pillco, 19, allegedly told cops. "I didn't mean to kill her. But I did kill her."

Full Story by the New York Post

---

Don't you think we need to put a stop to this? There are just so many stories I can't reference all of them here without dedicating a whole site to the problem so I will leave you with some of the links floating out there and you can decide for yourself if illegal immigrants are a threat or not.

Suspect in crash that killed 2 had alcohol-related convictions

---

Illegal Alien With 3 Previous DUI’s Kills Mother Her 5 Month Pregnant Daughter

---

Another drunk illegal

---

kills 3 more Americans

---

Suspect had pleaded guilty last year

---

to count of driving without a license

---

DUI illegal kills Marine home on leave from Iraq

---

What can make up for such atrocities? Why do people sit by and not call the authorities on illegals? And when the authorities are called why isn't action taken?

Illegal Immigrant Kills Dallas Police Officer

Do I have to list more?

Outragous

I think that it is absolutely outrageous that our Border Patrol agents do their job, and get prosecuted while the illegal who was breaking the law gets to sue? For his rights? what rights he is not a citizen, and was breaking many different laws!!! Do you think that he should have the same right as a citizen? Smuggling Drugs into the country, Illegal entry into the country, Disobeying a sworn officer.

The Guy knew he was breaking the law because he was running away from the officers. Do you think if illegal aliens knew for a fact that they would be shot on site crossing the border they would continue to come? It seems to me now they know that if our officers tell them to do something they don't have to do it, and if they get hurt they can sue us and not have to work. Sounds like a good deal for them, and bad deal for the US citizens. Why do we have agents at the border if they get in trouble for stopping illegals, let alone illegals smuggling drugs.

Leave comments telling everyone your stance on this, do you like that you tax dollars are going to non US citizens breaking the law? Do you like paying for non citizens education, and lowing the overall effectiveness of our already dismal educational facilities? Or do you believe that people who break the law shouldn't be held accountable for their actions?

Click here to put yourself on A map where you can help make a stand against people taking the law into their own hands. tell everyone what you think.

Aren't you tired of supporting people who are breaking the law everyday, knowingly!

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Well I have it !!!! I will post a full review along with some screen shots and other fun stuff stay tuned !!.. ciao

My G/F and Smudge

My G/F and Smudge, originally uploaded by D4RK 4NG3L.

6:34 PM Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Aren't they Cute :)

Cool Tools Ep2 : Xion

Well I go through allot of freeware, and other software, and have decided that for this episode, I would share with you a little gem I found. this program is Xion. This amazing little program does what many others do but with style, better and with a smaller memory footprint. So you have a Mp3 player you say, well get a load of these features.
* Full layered skins
* Complete animation support
* Powerful playlist support
* Gapless playback
* 10 band equalizer with presets
* MP3/OGG internet file streaming
* Customizable global hotkeys
* Auto play and position saver
* Single click play/pause
* Volume and balance controls
* Full system tray functionality

So not only does it look good allowing the everyday person to make their own skin for it but it also gives you amazing control of the program, and a 10 band Eq. I am not going to name the other programs that it replaces, however I am going to say that with a small footprint on your memory you will have no problem running this mp3 player while you are doing many other things.

So you want my rating do ya.


Graphics 10
Ease of use 9
Features 10
Stability 10
Potential 10

Overall 99/100

In conclusion this is one awesome program, but don't just take it from me go to the site and see for yourself.

Xion's Home Page

For all of you BF2 Players..

This is the torrent for Project reality Mod latest version as of 02.04.07


Download pr_0506_setup.exe
The Straight Torrent
Enjoy for a bit torrent client I use My bit torrent of choice

Cool Tools Ep1

Well this is going to be my first cool tool entry, as you all know I am a computer tech, among other things. I do lots of research on the internet, and found this seemingly insignificant free download. The Program in question is Rocket Dock (Click here to go to website). I decided to inspect it closer and found out that this amazing freeware was both beautiful and responsive, not to mention useful. So what does it do your asking? Well imagine a task bar in windows that was both beautiful responsive, and stable, now add in some cool options, and thats what this is, While most people won't completely let it replace their task bars, I think that they will find that it is easy to use, looks nice, and a very reasonable addition to your desktop. Sporting nice features, and good looks it can make any desktop look better. If your like me you may even hide your old task bar using it only once in a while.

Graphics 10
Ease of use 10
Features 9
Stability 10
Potential 10

Overall 98/100



Well thats all for now. I hope that you enjoyed this installment of Cool Tools, until next time.. Ciao

Reward for a hard days work.

Well you are looking at my 4x2 and fries from no other place than In-N-Out. This post was written on n93, picture taken by n93, and uploaded with yes you guessed it my n93. ciao

happiness

Sometimes curling up with your favorite cat nip toy will do wonders for your happiness

Well I have done it...

I added all the posts from my old online diary. To this new blog, I have also made a for Cellphone users who may be using WidSets (click here to also learn about Widsets), and I also added my Twitter to the bottem of this blog, and updated the layout of what you see right here. I hope that you guys enjoy. Ciao for now..

First mobile post

Good morning, this is my first post with my N93 getting ready to go home I hope you are all doing well when you get this :) ciao..

Now listeded with Technorati yay....

Technorati Profile
Well I have added Techorati to my blog here so you can search my blog and have more features and cool things to do, should my ranting and raving start to bore you.. Ciao

These days...

Well I haven't written in a while mostly because I have been really busy, I had a guest at my house for a while, and been working both of my jobs, not to mention consulting and trying to put out the fires in my every day life. Recently, my life really has gotten pretty bad, and even though I am trying really hard, and doing all I can, it seemed for a while that I may still sink, as if success might never have really been an option for me, just an illusion there to toy with me and torment me. Even though that maybe true I still do the best I can everyday, and hope for the best thought I try to prepare for the worst.

I have great friends though and parents, and I am really touched to find out time and time again that there are people that notice how hard you try and that are there for you when you really need them.

For some reason I have been a emotional wreck for a little while here, I am not sure if its because I don't accept help easily, or that I wonder if I deserve it, or how I can pay the person back, but I still hold to to one of my believes, I always have to strive to do my best, and sometimes that means great sacrifice, but in the end when I don't have regrets, I thank myself.

Last of all I want to mention a few things that have touched me recently, my parents seeing how hard I am trying have helped me out for the holidays, giving me some stuff that will help me keep my head above water, another friend of mine constantly reminds me how hard I am working, and it's nice to see that some one see's it, and the small things that my girlfriend does every day.

Enough about me, I want to also remember some other people, and things in my life that help me. Eva Cassidy with the voice of an angel, and the most touching renditions of songs I have ever heard, helps me remember that life is but a short flash in the greater fireworks of the universe, and that you have little time to enjoy the spark of life. There are other things that help me through the days, but I will talk about them another time, when I am not on such a long rant. and to leave you with one of my favorite quotes..

"Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream."
-Edgar Allan Poe, Dream Within A Dream, A

Click Here to Learn More About Eva Cassidy

My new deep fryer, and other news.

Well I know it sounds funny but one of my simple pleasures recently was a deep fryer that I just got. I love it, so simple, I pre heat it, it tells me when its ready, then I set the timer lower the food in and vuah la (yes I took liberties with the spelling of that.. ) it dings when the food is ready mm mm corn dogs, taquitos and fries :) a wholly enjoyable meal.

Other cool things that have happened recently I got a raise @ both of my jobs, and my g/f is much closer to getting hired. So I am extremely excited for these upcoming days.

Last of all on the technology front I have gotten Rise of the Triads to work on the GP2X and a Super Nintendo Emulator, (my g/f's been playing donkey kong nonstop lol) while with some games the emulator needs to be optimized with most games, it runs full speed.

A little more technology based news, I am beta testing a new game now more on that later, but the big news, I successfully installed Ubuntu Edgy Linux. This Linux distribution, has to be the easiest of all the ones I installed. When I say easiest, I mean it installed without a hitch giving me both advanced and basic options, and then it ran with out issues, unlike a couple other Linux that I have messed with that installed OK but were a real pain to use because they didn't run right, (partly because it wasn't user friendly enough) but mostly because it didn't have a very good support base of people that were willing to help a newbie out. Over all I give Ubuntu a 9.5 there is room for improvement, however its a solid distro suitable for both techies/geeks and Beginners. I also installed some of the eye candy Nvidia beta drivers, and xgl , and it is absolutely breathtaking, and relatively smooth. Even though its still under development, it seems to be light years ahead of vista's visual styles.

Well hope you all have a good night... Ciao