10 Things to do When Twitter is Down
Greetings Readers!
Given the recent Twitter problems of the last week, similar to the months ago when Twitter was down almost as much as it was up, I decided I should compile a list of things that people can do while Twitter is down or showing the Fail Whale.
1. Use other services similar to Twitter.
There are many other services that perform a similar function to Twitter that can hold you over until Twitter returns. Many people like services such as Plurk or Pownce. While I never cared for Plurk, I do like Pownce although rarely use it because I don't have that many friends on the network. Personally, I mainly use FriendFeed (me). Friendfeed is great for not only communicating in a manner similar to Twitter (it does unfortunately lack direct messaging functionality) but it is a great place for people to announce their latest online content creation. Friendfeed is able to detect new blog posts, favorited YouTube videos, new Flickr photos and much more and then put them in your stream to share with others and get feedback on your online activities.
2. Blog
There are millions of people who have a blog and chances are, you do as well. Try filling the Twitter void by doing some blogging. Whether you want to talk about how bad the drivers in your area are, or just want to share some of your favorite recipes with the Internet, blogging is a great way of expressing yourself and inviting others into your life and thoughts. If you don't already have a blog, you can start one for free with sites like Wordress and Blogger.
3. Read blogs!
Like I mentioned, there are millions of blogs on the Internet. There are likely to be a ton of blogs on the subjects you care about. Google your interests to find related blogs and join in on the discussion! Whether you are looking to learn something or help others learn by commenting on posts, blogs are one of the most valuable things on the Internet. Don't forget to comment on the blogs that you read! Bloggers thrive on user feedback and you can often contribute to the discussion by bringing your own perspective to the issue (For more information on being a constructive commenter, read this blog post).
4. Start an online discussion!
There are many places on the Internet that are great for having an online discussion such as chat rooms and message boards. Much like with blogs, there are countless chat rooms and message boards that are dedicated to a large number of topics. If you are having trouble finding a blog post that you want to bring you insight to, try starting a thread on a message board or find a chat room dedicated to the topic you want to discuss. Although these communication mediums have been around almost as long as the Internet, they are still a great way to communicate with people you don't know about subjects that you are interested in.
5. Create a video!
With services such as YouTube, almost anybody can create a video and put it online at no cost. The only thing you really need to put a video online is a camera or webcam. One of the great things about user generated content is that there are very few restrictions you have to abide by when creating things like online video. Whether you want to create video of your kids to show the rest of the family, or make a funny video you hope will be the next 'Leave Britney Alone' video, when it comes to making online video, or really any online content, you are limited only by your imagination. If you really want to have fun, try creating a video podcast!
6. Create an audio podcast!
Speaking of podcasts, probably the most popular podcast medium is audio. Creating an audio podcast is easy, all you need is a microphone and some audio recording software such as Audacity. You can create a podcast on just about any topic. Personally, I have two technology related podcasts, the Global Geek News Podcast and the Geek News Daily Podcast. Whether you want to talk about technology, politics, food or anything else, an audio podcast is a great way to have a conversation with other people that know about the same topic as you and then share it with the rest of the world. Of course you can go solo on your podcast, but how you run your podcast is completely up to you!
7. Check out new podcasts!
If you are like me, you often fall behind on podcasts and need to catch up. When Twitter is down, it is not only a great time to catch up, but a great time to check out new podcasts you have never heard or watched! Whether you are using the Zune software or iTunes, they are some of the quickest ways to find new podcasts on topics that interest you! If you don't use software like that, don't fear as most podcasts can be found on PodcastAlley.com. Some podcasts aren't as good as others, but there are some great shows out there that will entertain and educate almost anybody. If you are looking for some of my personal recommendations, ask in the comments and I will throw some great shows out there.
8. Watch online video
There is millions of hours of video online, so you can easily watch some online video and never run out. This often depends on where you are in the world as to what content you can get to thanks to licensing, but you can find tons of videos online on sites like Hulu.com or TheWB.com. With these sites and many others, you can easily watch many of your favorite television shows and movies for free! If you are looking for less professional content, there are of course sites such as YouTube, but even they are getting on the professional content bandwagon and starting to show TV shows for free! Also, don't forget to check out the new and improved Joost!
9. Shop Online!
It is almost the Holiday Season, its time to stop putting off that holiday shopping! With great shopping sites such as Amazon.com and Buy.com, its easy to find the gifts that your loved ones want. Of course its always a good idea to buy something for yourself when you get something for your friends and family! Why hassle with the crowds at the major retail stores when you can get the same products online for cheaper and not have to pay sales tax (this depends on where you live)? I have saved thousands of dollars by shopping online and you can too! With the current state of the economy, saving every penny you can is not necessarily a bad idea. Warning: Beware of scammers! With online shopping increasing during the holiday season, its a good idea to keep an eye out for people trying to rip you off or steal you identity.
10. Play games online!
There are tons of great games to play online to pass the time. Whether you want to play some simple flash games on websites such as AddictingGames.com or some great games on Xbox Live, there is a vast number of games that you can play online. Depending on the kind of games you like and whether you want to play with others, you can choose from thousands of games to online. Not everybody can afford the monthly fee of games such as World of Warcraft, but there are many free games that are great for passing the time! Do a search on free games and you will likely find more games than you could ever have time to play.
These are just a few of the many things that you can while Twitter is down without having to leave your computer. If you have any suggestions for this list, put them in the comments to share them with everybody!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
Top 10 Geek Gifts for the 2008 Holiday Season
Greetings Readers!
Its almost that time of year again, when geeks either get the cool gadgets that they have been wanting thanks to holiday sales or are given the gifts they have been wanting by people that love them. Whether you are looking for some great gadgets to get for yourself or that lovable geek in your life, I have compiled a list of some of the top geek gifts for the 2008 holiday season.
#10. 26-piece PC Repair Tool Kit
What true Geek doesn't need a good repair tool kit? Whether they are making some amazing case mods or just replacing a dead hard drive, a Geek needs his tools! ThinkGeek has a great 26-piece PC repair tool kit for just $21.99!
26-Piece PC Repair Tool Kit from ThinkGeek
#9: Circuit Board Necklace
Geeks often like to show off just how geeky they really are, and what better way to do that than with a circuit board necklace? You may not want to spend the money on a fancy necklace made of all kinds of precious metals and stones, but you can still look good and show everybody just how geeky you are at the same time with a circuit board necklace from ThinkGeek. For only $19.99, you can make a fashion statement and have a great conversation piece!
Circuit Board Necklace from ThinkGeek
#8. Shut up and Reboot T-Shirt
Every geek that has ever played the roll of tech support to anybody before is guaranteed to have said "Just shut up and reboot" at least a million times. Now you can just tell people to read your t-shirt! This shirt, also from ThinkGeek, will allow you or the geek in your life to wear some of the best tech support advice ever, all for between $14.99-16.99 (depending on the size of shirt).
Just Shut Up and Reboot T-Shirt from ThinkGeek
#7. 2GB Secret Pen-Shaped Pocket Spy Camera Digital Video Recorder
Geeks are often looking for new ways to capture information and store it without bringing attention to themselves (except when they like to boast about how many Terabytes their computers and servers store). This pen is great for doing just that. This 2GB pen-shaped digital video recorder can hold up to 5 hours of video and uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts close to 100 min. Whether you are looking for a way to capture embarrassing moments for the company Christmas party or capture some blackmail material against that boss that refuses to give you a raise, for $67.66, you can own this 2GB spy camera pen that wields great power to those who know about its capabilities.
2GB Secret Pen-Shaped Pocket Spy Camera Digital Video Recorder from Blueplugged.com
#6. NeatDesk
While not all Geeks are messy (I will admit that I am very messy), it is always a good idea to keep all of your contacts and financial information organized. NeatDesk helps you accomplish this task. NeatDest can scan business cards, receipts and documents all in one batch. With NeatDesk, you no longer have to scan in all your items separately on a flatbed scanner. NeatDesk also comes with software that helps you identify, extract and organize scanned information. You can purchase this organizational wonder from Neat, makers of NeatDesk for $499.95.
NeatDesk
#5. T-Mobile G1 Android Phone
The iPhone might be the sexiest phone of all time, but it can't compare in openness to the new Android based G1 phone ("The Google Phone"). Any geek that appreciates an open platform will love the new G1. Open systems such as Android are a geeks dream. Not only can you make your own applications for the G1, but you can hack the operating system till your heat's content. It is also a cheap alternative to Apple's iPhone. You can purchase the phone from T-Mobile, but rumor has it that Walmart has the phone considerably cheaper although the price isn't listed on their website.
T-Mobile G1 Android Phone
#4. Acer Aspire One Netbook
Netbooks have become wildly popular this year and few match Acer's Aspire One in price or performance. Although there are several models of the Aspire One which have different hard drives, batteries, operating systems and various other differences, the best deal is the Aspire One with XP, 160GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and a six-cell battery. The screen comes in at a compact but nice 8.9" and it has a larger, more comfortable keyboard than some of the competing netbooks. Whether you or your beloved geek is looking to browse the Internet or do some coding on the go, the Aspire One is a great alternative to getting a full sized laptop, especially for road warriors. You can pick up this wonderful device for $399.00 plus free shipping from Amazon. It also comes in several colors!
Acer Aspire One at Amazon.com
#3. iRex iLiad
If you or the geek in your life has been looking into moving from traditional books to an e-reader, the iRex iLiad is a great alternative to Amazon's Kindle. Although it is a considerably more expensive alternative ($699), it has the added features to make up for it. One of the biggest features that this new e-reader boasts is the ability to write on it like you would normal paper. This feature allows you to make notes, annotate documents which you can transfer to other iLiad devices or a PC and even play games like crossword puzzles and Sudoku! The iLiad can hold dozens of books, documents and even digital subscriptions to international newspapers! If that isn't enough, you can quickly increase the storage with a Compact Flash card or even a USB stick. The one drawback that it has compared to the Kindle is that instead of having a cell connection that you can download new content anywhere, you are restricted to Wi-Fi or USB to transfer content. I don't see this as a big deal since most people will load up on books before they leave the house anyway.
The iRex iLiad e-book reader
#2: Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
Are you tired of trying to track down the remote for each device in your house. If you are like me, you likely have a remote for each TV in your house, DVD player, Blu-ray player, HD-DVD player, gaming console, stereo and other devices, plus a few remotes that you don't remember what they are for. The Logitech Harmony One helps you cut down on all of the remote clutter by allowing you to have a single remove for everything. The Harmony One is able to replace the remotes of over 225,000 devices while still maintaining all the functionality of the original remote. The Harmony One even has a color touch screen! The Logitech Harmony runs $249.99. If you think that is too much to replace just a couple of remotes, you can get the lower-end Harmony 510 universal remote for $99.99.
Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote
#1. Vuzix iWear AV310 Widescreen
Having a screen that you could attach to your face so you can watch videos easily at any time has long been a dream of most geeks (although some just dream of looking like LaForge from Star Trek: The Next Generation). The Vuzix iWear AV310 widescreen wearable display will help you do just that! This unit's display appears like a 52" widescreen display viewed from 9 feet. The unit is compatible with any device with a composite out connection as well as most iPods, portable DVD players, game consoles, and much more! With independent focus adjustments and high quality stereo earphones, the iWear AV310 gives the user an engrossing entertainment experience. The unit runs off of a single AA battery which can last for up to 11 hours. Personally I find this as a drawback as I long ago gave up disposable batteries, but you can probably use the rechargeable AA batteries just fine. You can pick up this visual wonder from Vuzix for $249.95.
Vuzix iWear AV310 Widescreen
These gifts are sure to light up any geek's face this holiday season. If you have any suggestions for other items that geeks might like this holiday season, tell us about them in the comments!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
Sony Announces Blu-spec CD, Another Format for a Dying Medium
Greetings Readers!
Yesterday, I wrote a post about how CD sales are down and Walmart is reducing the floor space it gives the CD. Clearly, the fools at Sony don't agree with my assessment of the CD and its impending death. Sony has now announced a new CD format, Blu-spec CD. This format is going to be dead before it even has a chance.
The new format is said to be backwards compatible with current CD players, so you will be able to play the blu-spec CDs in the CD players you already have, but what is the point? Are people really going to pay the higher cost of a new format when what they have works just fine and can play the same music, often at a better quality than the digital music that many people listen to now? Sony touts the new Blu-spec CD players will eliminate vibration and therefor make music quality better. When people are generally satisfied with compressed mp3 quality audio, do we really need something better than existing CD quality? I don't think so.
No prices have been announced for the music or the new players, although 60 titles will be available by Christmas. I certainly don't expect the prices to be cheap. Prices for new formats never are. The new technology will use the same Blue Laser Diode as Blu-ray, so from that alone, you can assume it will be quite expensive, especially when Blu-ray players are still running in the hundreds of dollars. With consumers moving in mass to digital downloads for their music, spending a large chunk of money on the new format of a dying medium makes no sense. Somebody needs to relay this message to Sony so that they stop wasting money trying to develop these formats, only to have them die right out of the gate.
While I will always love the CD and listen to it every time I am in my car, with sales down around 23% this quarter, it is not worth investing in a new format when the existing format is quickly dying out to something far more convenient. Sony would be better off to create their own store to compete with iTunes and others in the digital download space rather than to create a whole new format that is truly unnecessary.
The world is moving to digital downloads Sony, get on board and stop trying to keep the past alive!
Follow me on Twitter!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
Amazon Promises Frustration-Free Packaging, My Bloody Hands Rejoice!
Greetings Readers!
Do you buy products that come in packaging that is impossible to open without something short of a stick of dynamite? If so, you have likely experienced "wrap rage." If you are tired of turning yourself into a bloody mess just to open your precious new gadget or gadget accessory, Amazon is coming to your rescue with frustration-free packaging!
I couldn't even begin to count how many times I have cut myself on that impossible to open hard plastic packaging whenever I purchase a new set of headphones or memory stick for my PSP. I have been wondering for pretty much my entire life, why can't companies make packaging that I don't have to use scissors or a very sharp knife to get into, only to still end up with several cuts? I understand the whole idea of not wanting things easily stolen from a store, but to protect your product at the cost of my hands is beyond stupid. Thank goodness, finally a company such as Amazon is standing up against this evil packaging practice and is on the side of the consumer.
Before you get your hopes up just yet, this is a multi-year initiative, not an overnight change. They have this to say on their announcement on the Amazon home page.
Amazon is working with leading manufactures to deliver products inside smaller, easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard boxes with less packaging material (no frustrating plastic clamshells or wire ties).
It sounds like it will be a while before it reaches the majority of products typically contained in the clam shell packaging (the hard plastic stuff), but at least its coming. Currently, you can only purchase select products from Mattel, Microsoft, Fisher-Price and Transcend with the frustration-free packaging. To view the entire list of products available with this great new packaging, you can visit http://www.amazon.com/packaging.
While this is great for the consumer, I can only imagine how mad the bandaid makers are right now. I expect to see a considerable drop in their revenue from this great development.
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
Steam Brings the Cloud to Gaming with Steam Cloud
Greetings Readers!
According to TechCrunch, way back in May, Valve promised that PC gaming was moving to the cloud with Steam Cloud. Steam Cloud is a free extension that allows gamers to store various game files in the cloud, such as game saves and keyboard configurations. [Valve's announcement]
The moving of these files to the cloud is a huge step forward for PC gaming, which has traditionally had a gamers settings and progress tied to a single machine. If you are like me, I game on several computers. I have my main gaming rig which is used for doing the most intense games such as Crysis, but I also have my laptops which are no slouch when it comes to games either. I would love if I could be able to play a game in both places without having to lose my place and input configurations when I change machines. Being able to pick up on one machine where I left off on another has long been a dream of mine. That dream is about to become reality thanks to Valve's new Steam Cloud.
With Steam Cloud, whenever you change your keyboard or mouse configuration (or whatever your input device of choice is), it is automatically synced to the cloud where you can then retrieve it on another machine without doing anything other than logging in. Same goes for game saves and other gaming preferences. This is a huge convenience for any serious PC gamer.
The first title with this capability is set to be released on November 18, Left 4 Dead (The demo comes out this week). Valve has been providing other game makers with tools to take advantage of this new cloud service although it remains to be seen who will adopt the cloud storage idea. It is also expected that Valve will enable this on its back catalog but I have not seen any announcements as to what will get this feature and when.
As a hardcore PC gamer, I anxiously await this feature. I have long wanted a way to keep all of my saved games and settings when I reformat my computer without actually having to do any backup work. This is probably the biggest development in the PC gaming world in some time and I can't wait to try it out.
Long Live PC Gaming!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
Walmart Signals the Death of CDs/DVDs, Looks to the Present and Future
Greetings Readers!
For the past month, maybe more, the local Wal-Marts have been undergoing a major shift. Nearly everything but groceries have changed their location. There are now more groceries, less pet supplies, and the electronics department has roughly doubled in size. Apparently this shift is taking place across the country. A post on Gizmodo today revealed a change in business at Wal-Mart when it comes to consumer electronics. It seems they are cutting back on CDs and DVDs to focus on other products such as Blu-ray.
With CD sales down, digital downloads through the roof, and Blu-ray hoping to replace DVD, such a move was destined to happen at some point, I was just starting to wonder when. With digital downloads exceeding many peoples expectations, it is a matter of time before the CD becomes just another dead physical format. With stores such as Walmart, Circuit City, Best Buy and others still promoting the latest music in CD format, I had honestly started to wonder just when digital downloads would kill the CD. I have known for some time that it was coming but haven't seen any sites of a death anytime soon, until today.
With CD sales down 23% just this quarter for Walmart, it is no surprise that they have now started to take away floor space from the CD and even the DVD to give more room for video games, various consumer electronics such as the iPod and Zune as well as Blu-ray. Such a move is a sign of the times and that death for the CD and DVD formats is nearing. I expect to see other major retailers follow suit in the near future. I will admit that with DVD sales still much higher than Blu-ray sales, I was kind of surprised to see this move at this time. I have long believed that this is necessary for the mass adoption of Blu-ray. When stores stop selling DVDs, people will start moving over to Blu-ray, just like they did for the transition from VHS to DVD. Blu-ray certainly has other issues that it needs to conquer before it can truly take the place of DVD, but this is the first step in the right direction.
While I agree with Walmart in their move to replace CD floor space with portable media players, that isn't really going to help them gain market share in the digital download space such much as it does iTunes and the Zune Marketplace. If they expect to see real success from this, they need to bundle a deal from their new digital download store with the devices. Walmart must give people an incentive to buy music from them before the customer becomes addicted to iTunes or other download service. If they did this, they would see huge growth in their new MP3 store while slowing the growth of their competition.
This is a clear sign that these formats are soon going to go the way of the formats that came before them. While the CD and DVD still have some life in them, if other stores follow suit and this falling sales trend continues, I can easily see the death of the CD within the next 2 years, and the death of the DVD within the next 5 (likely less).
Long live the extremely expensive Blu-ray!
-Jeremy "pcnerd37" Bray
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