Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Monday, May 24th, 2010
One of my many hobbies/addictions is saving money on the web. I love to hunt for the ultimate deal by using price comparisons, coupon codes, cashback options, etc. I have had these tools at my disposal for at least 10 years now and have saved thousands of dollars, yet I still make some purchases in physical stores. Grocery shopping, although attempted as a web service years ago with Peapod, is not available here in Houston so I venture out to my local Kroger, Randalls or HEB at least once a week. Until now, these trips to the supermarket meant I had to leave the technology behind and earn my savings the old-fashion way (printed coupons). Thanks to Grocery IQ, that is all about to change.
Grocery IQ is a FREE application (originally priced at $4.99) for smartphone users and is currently available for iPhone and Android owners. The tool, powered by coupons.com, was designed to help users with a number of typical grocery shopping activities (listed below):
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Tags: Android, barcode, cellfire, Coupons, groceries, grocery, grocery iq, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, P&GeSAVER, randalls, safeway, savings card, scanner, Shopping, shortcuts.com, smartphone, supermarket
Posted in Free Programs, Online Shopping, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Wallpaper FAIL!
Of all the articles I have written and research I have done, no topic seems to be as popular as wallpaper. Believe it or not, it seems that more people are drawn to dressing up their desktop than making their computer run faster. I sure can’t blame anyone for pursuing a pleasant scene to stare at for hours a day, I was just surprised when I saw the numbers. Luckily for you desktop connoisseurs, I recently stumbled onto an article over at digital inspiration (via lifehacker.com) that outlines the benefits of using bing (the search engine) for wallpaper hunting. You don’t want to miss the details.
The original article on digitalinspiration.com, written by Amit Agarwal, outlines how you can use the bing image search to find wallpaper that fits your screen. While this may not seem like a difficult task to most, picking the proper image size for a desktop background can be more difficult than you think. In order to really explain the benefits of the “bing wallpaper search” I want to take a step back and demonstrate the “old” method for hunting down wallpaper and compare the two.
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Tags: bing, desktop, filter, Google, image, Resolution, screen, VladStudio, wallpaper
Posted in Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
This is NOT another article about the weaknesses of the AT&T network, but an open-letter to Apple and electronics manufacturers everywhere. When will the iPhone work in the place I really need it… the car? Sure, you can use the iPhone in your car, but when can I begin to use it as THE device in the car?
The iPhone and iPad seem to be everywhere. Try going out or turning on the TV without seeing a commercial, hearing a reference or actually seeing someone using one of these great devices. While the iPad is still very new and only 1,000,000 have been sold (there is a little sarcasm there), the iPhone has had years to make the rounds and find it’s way into the hands of over 50 million users (taken from TechCrunchies). The numbers are staggering, but the reasons are not. Apple has produced numerous solid products (multiple iPhones, iPod Touch, iPad) and made them easy enough for just about anyone to use. Add in the amazing list of applications available from the App Store and you have a product line that will be around for many years to come.
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Tags: Apple, car, dock, email, iPhone, iPod, navigation, safety, stereo, text
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Laser Virtual Keyboard - Yes, it's real
Several weeks ago, we brought you the article Your Keyboard is Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat. For some of you, cleaning that old keyboard became a top priority and the Clorox wipes probably made an appearance. For others, it might just have been easier to toss that old keyboard and purchase a new one. After all, if you’ve been using the same one that came with your computer 5 years ago, you may have other issues that needed attention, like broken or sticking keys. Or maybe you belong to another group of PC users completely. Maybe you are just looking for a change or upgrade. No matter which group you belong to, you should take a minute and read this guide for buying a new keyboard.
Buying a new keyboard my seem like a simple task, but you might be surprised to find that not all keyboards are created equal. In a recent trip to Micro Center here in Houston, I found myself on an aisle full of these necessary components and honestly, a little overwhelmed. There were close to 100 different options that ranged from $9.99 to almost $200.00. I needed a new keyboard to replace my aging, frustrating hunk-of-junk that required 40 pounds of force to press the “a” and “e” keys. Where should I start? Why hadn’t I already researched this? Oh, the choices!
Before stepping foot in an electronics superstore or hitting up Amazon.com, you should go through a checklist of needs and double-check your bank account balance. Determine what you want and how much you want to spend, then get in and get out. Here are some helpful topics to narrow down your choices and speed up your decision-making process:
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Tags: Agama, bluetooth, computer, diNove Mini, guide, iHome, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, keyboard, music lover, number pad, PC, photog, purchase, Shopping, typing, USB port, wireless
Posted in Online Shopping, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Writing a blog is really a personal experience and so I often write about things, events and people that I interact with. This past weekend, I rode in the BP MS 150 (a bike ride from Houston to Austin that helps raise money for MS research) and had lots of time to think about things as I cycled through the Texas hill country. A recurring theme for this ride, my sixth trip for this great cause, was technology and how riders are finding ways to implement it into their cycling. Cell phones, GPS devices, ipods, stereo speakers, etc. It seemed that the majority of riders had found some way to enhance their 150+ mile ride with a bit of cycling tech.
As with any technology, one thing is required for any extended period of time…. power! Most riders carry extra batteries and I even saw some who attempted to use small solar panels to power their devices. Unfortunately, each of these solutions has their own set of problems, including a mostly-overcast ride this year. One possible solution that I have kept my eye on for some time was the use of “pedal power” for our gadgets and devices. Why not use the power of our own legs to generate the juice needed for our devices? Thankfully, the folks of Dahon were working on an answer to the same question. Their answer, released just a few months ago, was the BioLogic ReeCharge.
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Tags: battery, bicycle, Bike, BioLogic, cycling, Dahon, Dynamo hub, energy, GPS, green, iPhone, iPod, pedal, power, ReeCharge, Speaker, USB
Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Computers have become a major part of our daily routine in the U.S. From the buzz of our alarm clock to the sleep timer on our television, we come in contact with dozens, maybe even hundreds, of electronic products every day. Cell phones, laptops, keyboards, mice, printers, telephones, VCRs, DVD players, game consoles, etc. There seems to be no end to the list. Many of us buy the new model as it comes out or simply replace our broken devices as needed. What then? What do we do with the old one?
Disposing of old and obsolete electronic products (at least the ones that didn’t sell on eBay or that garage sale you had) is a serious, often over-looked, issue in the U.S. and the problem is growing exponentially. Our country throws out about 400 million units per year and worldwide, about 4,000 tons of “e-waste” is discarded every hour. Many of these devices contain toxic, harmful chemicals and materials that can cause major damage to our environment. So the question is “how can I properly discard my old electronics legally and easily?”
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Tags: abc-13, cell phone, computers, deductible, deduction, devices, e-waste, earth day, electronic, Hard Drive, Houston, iPod, itemize, items, phone, recycle, tax, taxes, Texas
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Back in September, I wrote an article titled Where to turn when your DVR can’t keep up. At the time, I was truly excited about the opportunities presented to all of us that might want to use the web as a supplemental resource for our digital video recorders (DVR). Seven months have now flown by and we find ourselves nearing the end of the “traditional” TV season. Lost only has 5 episodes left and the discussions on which shows will be returning next season are already underway or completed. These last few weeks will be a bitter-sweet time for fans of any program as we approach the inevitable cliffhangers and finales. Unfortunately, some of our recommendations in the September article were simply bitter.
We are a 2-DVR family and both of our units were put through some serious stress-testing this season. Every so often, bad weather or a power outage caused one or both of our DVR units to miss a show, or at least a portion of it. Being the true television fans that we are, we didn’t want to miss out on important plot-lines and details, so we headed out to the world wide web, in search of the episode in question. In almost every situation, we found the solution on the web site of the television station itself. There were however a few situations that required additional searching. That’s where the fun really started.
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Tags: Amazon.com, Big Bang Theory, CBS, episode, episodes, Google, HD, iTunes, Online, playstation store, programming, PS3, SD, shows, Smallville, Television, the Mentalist, TV
Posted in Online Shopping, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
We interrupt this regularly scheduled FollowFriday to bring you some very important news about the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program. A few things have changed, including the date for reserving rebates and some valuable new information has been added to the Official State of Texas Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program Web site. For those of you who are familiar with the program and/or have been following our articles on the topic, you can jump on down to the Changes section. For the rest of you, we have a quick recap.
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Tags: appliance, april, cash-for-clunkers, efficiency, energy, rebate, Smart, Texas, trade up, U.S.
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Have you ever wished that you had high-speed internet access available to you everywhere you went? Have you ever been frustrated because your mobile device (laptop, game system, music player) seems almost handicapped by the lack of free Wi-Fi around the city? Do you have a “smart phone” that allows you to surf the internet on the go but avoid using it because it is slow, the screen is too small and/or web sites seem more difficult to navigate? This is exactly how I felt, until the introduction of WiMAX in my area.
WiMAX is a new internet service that allows users to access the internet wherever they are, wirelessly. At home, in your car, at the park, at a coffee shop…. the possibilities are limitless. Depending on your city and the coverage provided by your local distributor, WiMax covers hundreds to thousands of square miles and allows you to enjoy true high-speed internet on the go. Imagine how having high-speed internet access anywhere/anytime could change the way you surf, think and live.
This 4G (fourth generation) service is not available everywhere in the US now, but major cities and surrounding areas are being added constantly. To date, WiMAX is available in over 25 cities of the United States (covering 10 states) and overseas.
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Tags: 4G, Clear, Clearwire, Houston, internet, ISP, launch, Mobile, Speed, Texas, TX, WiMAX
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
A month ago (February 24th), we brought you the article titled Cash-for-Clunker Program to Extend to Appliances in April. The blog post, now one of our most frequented of all time, covered the first-ever appliance upgrade rebate program. The program, created using the same ideas that made the Cash for Clunkers program so popular, is meant to encourage consumers to put more money back into the economy, while removing older, less efficient appliances (dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc.) from the “grid.” Individual state programs were put in place to handle these rebates and many of them have begun, or are about to begin, within the next month. Since that original article, some details have solidified, some have changed and new resources have been unveiled. If you were even thinking about an upgraded appliance, you will want to research this program. Rebates range from $100 to over $1,000 dollars (amounts vary from state to state).
Thanks to an email from my state comptroller, I have updated information on the Texas Rebate Program (y’all can jump down to your section now), but I didn’t want to leave out the rest of the U.S. With the exception of Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota (whose programs have already ended), consumers can visit the Energy Savers web site (part of the U.S. Department of Energy), to navigate to the appropriate information for their state. This site was last updated on March 24th and is updated regularly as additional program details become available. Note that this web site is the ONLY official DOE-sponsored web site. We also have some valuable information for consumers (of all states) available in the Retailers section below.
UPDATE: Texas Residents, some key information, including the Reservation Period start date, has changed. See our most recent article Texas – Trade Up Appliance Rebate Program – UPDATE for additional information. – added 4/02/10
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Tags: appliance, april, cash-for-clunker, department of energy, March, rebate, stimulus, Texas, U.S., upgrade
Posted in Online Shopping, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
