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General technology-related stories
Marware Screen Protector for the Kindle Fire
Apr 13th
The Marware Screen Protector for the Kindle Fire is worth its cost considering the alternative of leaving your Kindle Fire’s screen unprotected. At under $20 as of the writing of this post, the Marware screen protector is worth buying to protect your $200 Kindle Fire’s screen since its useless without a screen! Protect your investment.
As part of my recent purchase of the Kindle Fire I got a free month of Amazon Prime
Installing the screen protector consists of peeling 3 layers of plastic and leaving the adhesive side of the center layer on your Kindle. The video below will probably save you a lot of hassle trying to figure out how to get it right the first time so you don’t waste your second Marware screen protector.
Easily Apply the Marware Screen Protector for the Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire Screen Care
Mar 21st
Amazon Response: Cleaning Kindle Fire Screen
How do I clean my Kindle Fire screen? This was the simple question that resulted in this post.
Searching the Amazon site and doing some googling came up with too many unuseful answers, so I took another trip through the included Kindle Fire User’s Guide. The (partial) answer is in Appendix A under Maintaining Your Kindle, and I think still requires some due diligence through the Amazon site for a 100% answer. To find this, open your Kindle Fire User’s Guide and in the table of contents move to Appendix A and click Product Information.
More >
ESET Smart Security 5 Cool Video
Sep 13th
Hey, check out this cool new movie … oh, that’s no movie its an Advertisement for an ESET Smart Security 5, which includes ESET Nod32 Antivirus.
Do You Have ESET Smart Security 5 Yet?
Contrary to what many people think, McAfee and Norton do not provide the best antivirus (AV) protection for your computer.
Also, if you don’t have the bucks for an Antivirus and you are looking for a temporary alternative (because you DO want to have paid AV, right?) look into Microsoft Security Essentials.
OTHER AV VIDEOS
Compare the competition (ok, this really isn’t the way to compare, right? still its good for a laugh):
McAfee Ad on YouTube
Norton Ad on YouTube
Got better YouTube links for Norton or McAfee?
HowTo: microSD Memory Card in Cricket TXTM8 3G Phone
Sep 7th
It should be such a simple thing, but its a minor annoyance to get the job done. Of course you need your microSD memory card (TXTM8 3G supports up to 16GB microSD cards).
Insert/Remove microSD Card in Cricket TXTM8 3G
Inserting the microSD Card
- Turn the phone off (wait till keypad dims to be sure its off)
- Remove back cover
- Remove the battery
- Place the microSD card into the slot at upper left, slide it in until it clicks in place*
- Replace the battery (make sure the pins meet the battery contacts)
- Replace the back cover
- Turn the phone on
Removing the microSD from your TXTM8 3G
- Turn the phone off (wait till keypad dims to be sure its off)
- Remove back cover
- Remove the battery
- Push the microSD until it clicks, then release and slide the card out
- Replace the battery (make sure the pins meet the battery contacts)
- Replace the back cover
- Turn the phone on
Photon 4G, The Future of Mobile Computing?
Aug 25th
Back in May the Motorola Atrix 4G caught my attention with its commercials. I think its pretty cool to have a computer that I could put into my pocket and carry around with me, and also use as a phone. 
Of course. Motorola approaches it a bit differently. they picture a phone that can also be used as a computer.
Fast forward to today I’m back writing about Motorola 4G phones, but this time its the Motorola Photon 4G. Watching the commercial, which was slightly reminiscent of the Atrix commercial I just kept waiting, and waiting. For what? I kept waiting to hear (or see) how Motorola had improved upon the Atrix 4G with this new 4G phone. However, it seems they’ve gone the other way and instead of taking the Atrix and improving upon its computing features, its more like they removed most of its computing features, except for the WebTop. More >
TXTM8 3G microSD
Aug 8th
UPDATE: Video added with steps on inserting/removing a microSD card in the TXTM8 3G
I decided it was time to get some music on my Cricket TXTM8 3G for some good listening and see if I could also load other MP3 audio, and to my surprise CNET’s Cricket TXTM8 3G is now available showed it also had a microSD card. Looking over my TXT M8 I noticed it did not have a microSD so I went into the comments to add one and lo and behold CNET user entersamman26 pointed out that you had to take the batter cover off the back to find the micro SD slot.
After getting over the poor choice of location for said microSD slot I found it was worse than expected, the slot is **under** the battery, meaning you need to power down your phone to reach it. I can’t think of more inconvenient placement.
So, where is your TXTM8 3G’s microSD card slot? Its right under your battery!
How I Can Hack Your WiFi
Jul 14th
Well, to be honest I can’t hack your Wi-Fi, but a Minnesota man was jailed for 18 years for hacking his neighbor’s Wi-Fi and “impersonating” him online. The ARS Technica article WiFi-hacking neighbor from hell gets 18 years in prison reports that the 46 year old computer technician downloaded WiFi hacking software and cracked his neighbor’s WEP encrypted password.
This blogspot post about WEP vs WPA vs WPA2 shows at the top how long it takes to break a password using BRUTE FORCE [WIKIPEDIA: brute force password attack] against WEP, WPA and WAP2 encryption. The long and short of the article is that if you have a choice between the 3, you should choose WPA2 for the best security.
MORE READING
WPA vs WPA2 (on About.com)
How Does the Dyson Bladeless Fan Work?
Jun 9th
How does the Dyson Air Multiplier/bladeless fan work? I saw a Dyson air multiplier commercial tonight and wondered this myself. Read on, or watch the video. Keep in mind that these really cool-looking works of art, these Dyson airblades are expensive and overly loud. But again, really cool-looking, eh?
Sir James Dyson explains his bladeless fan on Youtube
HOW THE BLADELESS FAN WORKS
Air enters the base of the unit and goes through a “mixed flow impeller” and is forced out of a slot. The slot runs around the inside of the ring-shaped fan body, across a “aircraft wing shape” and then outward into the room. In short, it sucks air in through the base and blows it out of a very thin slot in the inside of the ring-shaped upper body.
If you watch the video, Sir Dyson explains some of the “aerodynamics” involved in multiplying the airflow.
ADVANTAGES?
Well there are some… contrary to what I suspected at first. The Dyson Air Multiplier has an easy-to-clean design, dangerous moving parts are inside the base, no “buffeting” like you get from conventional fans.
DISADVANTAGES?
From the makers of the $400 and up vacuum cleaners come $300 fans (prices according to www.dyson.com 6/9/2011). The fans are “closer in noise pollution to that of an actual vacuum cleaner than a regular table fan” according to Engadget, which also added that you can’t make those cool Darth Vader voices through your Dyson bladeless. Oh, and taking a look at the Youtube above, it looks like their “mixed flow impeller” is simply a round, conical of fan-like blade thingy (sorry for the geek-speak there). Also, I’m not convinced about “buffeting” from regular fans and I’m not about to spend $300 to do a comparison.
What do you think? Sound off below!
