After having my brothers live with us for nearly five weeks and hear about what they do at school, I’m amazed at how much technology has changed in just ten short years, and how big of a presence it has at high schools. When I was in high school, it wasn’t uncommon for my science teacher to pass out lab coats so the class could partake in a hands-on science experiment. These days, many of the experiments are outdated, or are simulated on the projector or computer screen, so no hands-on application is required. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, students are still learning the material, so I guess that’s what really counts. But on the other hand, there’s so much more you take from an experience if you physically get involved, you know? For instance, until a student sees first hand how materials are prepared for the creation of orange county jewelry and other metal-based products (such as tire irons or screws or razor blades), they probably won’t have as much of an appreciation for it.
For Valentine’s Day I gave my husband a Logitech Harmony 70 Advanced Universal Remote. Up until that point we continually juggled three remote controls — one for the television, another for the surround sound system, and a third for Comcast.
Overall I like the Logitech Harmony remote, but I am not thrilled with hos it seems to be set up in favor of the Playstation 3. Even when I hit “watch TV”, nine times out of ten the TV’s input is switched to the PS3′s, and the PS3 itself comes on. When all I want to do is watch television, that gets to be quite annoying.
And now… nothing seems to be working for auto-on/auto-off. I have to manually flip through the modes on the remote to shut everything off or turn everything on. And while it does work and do the job, it takes almost as much time as it did when we juggled three separate remotes. Grrrrrr.
I’m sure you’ve seen those commercials advertising spyware, malware and virus laden computers. They highlight the inconveniences and risks of having and using an infected computer. But then they go on to allude to how awesome their service is, how they have professionals in medical scrubs ready to service your hard drive, blah blah blah.
But you know what? With a few programs, a little bit of Googling for those tricky issues and some common sense, there’s no reason why you can’t take care of your own computer issues. I recommend starting with two programs, CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) and Spybot Search & Destroy, and seeing what issues turn up. From there you can query Google or another search engine with specific problems (error codes, condensed version of suspicious behavior, etc.) to find solutions to them.
My DSLR, a Nikon D40x, is my pride and joy. I purchased it in the summer of 2007, after an unexpected and very large advertising payment came in. Over the years my frequency of using it has waxed and waned, but one thing is for certain: I love photography. It’s a passion of mine. And as of late, my six year old daughter has been getting into photography, too.
Me!
My daughter!
Now I just need to get her into blogging!
I generally upgrade my cellphone every 1 – 1.5 years. I’ve had my current phone, an Android one, since last July, though I’ve been using nothing other than Android phones since February of 2009, when I went to four T-Mobile stores in two cities (my own, plus Philadelphia) to get a white T-Mobile G1 (the hottest thing since sliced bread at the time). I’ll probably hang on to my current phone for another year or so, unless something truly spectacular hits the market.
Speaking of the mobile market, are you wonder what’s hot right now? One of the best ways to get a feel for the right cellphone for you is to check out the latest mobile phone deals. If you live in the UK, then DialaPhone.co.uk is probably the best site to check out. They have everything listed related to cellphones, including the option to browse phones by network, manufacturer, operating system, and features. Don’t like pre-pay? Then make sure to check out the contract phone options. Have bad credit, or you don’t want to be locked in for a long term? Then take a look at the phones that are pre-pay or have no contract or commitment.
Besides listing the latest in cellphones, Dialaphone also provides reviews and ratings for providers and individual cellphones. You can also find general information on cellphones, cellphone usage, networks, plans, and the many terms and keywords that cellphone and network providers throw around.
Check them out at Dialaphone.co.uk!
I lost my hair straightener virginity last fall, and in doing so I learned something every important: heat is super-damaging to the hair! Then I learned that there are special hair products that are designed for use with hair straighteners. These products, which are usually in spray and cream form, protect against thermal damage, which is the type of heat that hair straighteners put out. While thermal heat does an excellent job of straightening hair, it can also be quite damaging to each individual strand of hair.
So when you’re shopping at www.ghdhair.com, make sure that you order some thermal protection spray or cream. You may also want to speak to your regular stylist about your shampoo and conditioner. He or she may have a better recommendation for you.
This morning I ran two quick errands. First I went to Target for a mop, childrens’ Motrin and sour cream (how’s that for a random selection?). Then I went over to PetSmart to exchange one type of bark control collar (the spray kind) for another (the shocking kind). Then I came home, and let me tell you, I couldn’t get home fast enough. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s running errands in the rain. I hate getting wet, I hate how my hair gets matted and frizzy, and more importantly, I hate driving in the rain, since the risk of getting into a car accident is greater.
So on days like these, if I want to purchase something I don’t need right away (such as a mop to clean my kitchen floor with, medicine to bring down my child’s fever with, or sour cream to cook tonight’s dinner with), then I’ll turn to the internet. The lack of instant gratification is almost always worth the wait. Take www.very.co.uk, for example. I may have to wait a week or so for my order to arrive, but the wait is well worth it. An order from Very could contain anything from clothes for me to clothes for my husband to clothes for the kids; or clothes for all of us and some new decor for the house!
But before I go shopping, it’s a good idea to make sure I’ve got some money in my PayPal account first. ;) But once that’s checked off the list, watch out Very, because here I come! I’m a girl that loves to shop, and I have a spring wardrobe to put together!
We have five external hard drives in our house, and four of them are in use for backup and storage purposes. There’s the media server, aptly named because we store all of our movies and television shows on it. It’s a 1TB network drive. Then there’s the 1TB backup that we all use to store copies of photos, songs, documents, and general computer data. This is also a network drive. And it was so easy to setup, I didn’t need someone in a lab coat to do it for me. Just plug and chug, baby!
Then there’s the two USB external drives I have plugged into my desktop. One stores copies of Windows backups, and the other stores all of my .JPGs (while the 1TB network drive stores the .NEFs).
So yes, with all of these backup options, data loss should never be an issue. Unless, of course, I just jinxed myself, and all of the backup drives decide to spontaneously combust.
A few weeks ago I purchased a MacBook, and while I was in the Apple store I also purchased a MagicMouse. I didn’t intend on getting an Apple mouse specifically, but I needed a mouse and the price was right for a wireless Bluetooth mouse, so I purchased it. However, from the offset I noticed that the Magic Mouse was slow. And by slow, I mean slow as a seven year itch, or as slow as molasses moving uphill in January.
But some quick googling provided me with a workable solution: MouseZoom. It was quick and easy to install, and a quick adjustment of the configuration has definitely sped up the speed of my mouse. Thank goodness!
For nearly three years now I have been using Sprint Mobile Broadband for my away-from-home connection needs. While there are multiple free wifi hotspots in town, they’re in several places that I’m not always at, they’re limited, they can be slow (or in the case of Denny’s, down completely), and they often block some of my favorite sites.
Tonight my husband told me that Comcast is now offering mobile broadband: Internet 2go. Internet 2go starts at $25/month for a 3G plan; you can also choose a 3G/4G or pure 4G plan for $40/month. There is no required contract, though if you sign up for a 12 month contract you have the benefit of getting the mobile device for just $25 – otherwise it is $125. Additionally, you can get an equipment protection plan for $4.95 a month. Since the device is $125 without a contract or if you need a replacement, I would definitely recommend getting the protection plan.
Ordering was simple enough: I simply called up and requested the service, it was added to my plan, and confirmation of impending shipment of the equipment, due to arrive in three to five business days, was confirmed.
I’m excited to be switching from a $60/month plan to a $25/month plan. Also, consolidating bills is always nice!
Hi! I'm Jenn, aka Tech Girl. I'm practically chained to my computer, and I love all things technology. I may not be an expert, but I certainly have interesting posts and tidbits of info to share! Psst... you can find my personal blog at 