Tech Buzz Center

Protecting Children from the Internet

2011-01-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

For parents, protecting their children is their number one priority. These days, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult. The internet is becoming a part of our lives every day. Internet is even on our cell phones, and it has been. A study, conducted by AVG, stated that 69% of children ages 2-5, could operate a computer rather than tie their shoe laces. Of that demographic, 58% could play a video game, but only 52% could ride a bicycle. Games on the Smartphone seemed more appealing than knowing how to call emergency services; with only 20% knowing how to do so.

With any generation, young people adopt technology faster than older ones do, it’s a fact. So knowing this, it’s a parent’s obligation to protect their children from a major threat, the internet. Face it, it’s all around us, making it even more accessible to children. Even the schools our children attend, have computers that are connected to the internet. The schools should be doing their best to secure their computers. What about the computers at your home? Most, if not all, computers are connected to the internet. But not only computers! Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s Play Station, and Nintendo’s Wii can be connected to the internet to have online parties, and stream movies into the home! But keeping the game system safe for your children is easy, just pull the plug, or setup parental controls. The focus of this post is to handle the tricky internet connection, your computer.

Your computer accesses the internet through a web browser. Software designers put in a feature that is beneficial to people accessing public computers. The feature is named something different in every browser, but the concept remains the same. The concept is called Private Browsing. When private browsing is turned on, the browser will not record anything about the browsing session. Essentially it’s like you never went on the internet. Below I will explain how to turn this feature off, on Internet Explorer 8.0, Firefox, and Safari.

1. Internet Explorer:

· Go to Start, then Run and type in gpedit.msc.

· Now navigate to: Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Internet Explorer/InPrivate

· Now on the right-hand side, go ahead and double-click Turn off InPrivate Browsing and choose Enabled.

2. Firefox: Firefox is a really soft piece of clay. But, in Firefox we cant disable private browsing, instead we can get a key logger, I will explain after this section. We can make the internet family friendly. So, it will be easy to child-proof the internet. All this requires is downloading and installing plug-ins for Firefox. I’ll give you three of my favorite.

· ProCon Latte: Blocks out any inappropriate websites and any sites that you set that shouldn’t be accessed.

· LeechBlock: This utility limits access to time wasting websites (Facebook, YouTube, MySpace) during working times.

· KidZui K2: Loved by Teachers and Parents for smaller children.

3. Safari: The technique for disabling private browsing is really just removing the option in the menu. Before continuing we must have Xtools installed, its free. If you have a newer Mac, it should be already included. If you have trouble with these instructions, take advantage of your Mac ownership, and make a appointment at the Genius Bar.

· Step 1: Go to applications folder in Finder

· Step 2: right click (with a mighty mouse or 2 button mouse, or Control+click for one button mice) on safari and choose "Show Package Contents"

· Step 3: Go to Contents, then Resources, then English.lproj folder (or a respective folder for whatever language you have maybe)

· Step 4: Double click on MainMenu.nib to open it in interface builder

· Step 5: look at the window with the safari menu, click on Safari to expand it, then click on the Private Browsing menu item

· Step 6: hit the delete key and it disappears

· Step 7: hit command+s to save, close interface builder if you want, and relaunch safari.

Of Course at some age, our kids want some more privacy. But as mentioned above we can use a key logger to both keep a eye on them and let them spread their wings. In the case of Facebook, some kids won’t “friend” their parents. With a key logger, you can collect their password to Facebook, and what they posted and commented on. With some investigating you can even log in as them with your newly collected password and actually see what they see, friend yourself, and set privacy settings! The best key logger I have found is below. I found a key logger for “old style” keyboards, the link is below.

I hope all these tips help. Don’t forget to donate to the developers that made the Firefox add-ons. Remember, your house, your rules.

KeyLlama 4MB USB Premier Keylogger
KeyLlama 4MB PS/2 KeyLogger

GIVEAWAY!

2011-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm announcing the very first giveaway on my blog! The giveaway is a $20 gift card for CSN stores. This is card is good for over 200 stores! One store, All Modern has a great selection of quality, contemporary products to choose from, such as modern bar stools. To sign-up either email me, or comment below! (state that you would like to be signed up)
Giveaways will be held every 2 to 3 months! Everyone has a chance, maybe its you!

Flash App for iOS Devices: Skyfire

2011-01-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Recently the Apple App Store had approved a app that allowed iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users the ability to view adobe flash videos. The app is called Skyfire. It first released only for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The functionality comes from a slick looking browser. The Adobe Flash program isnt actually in the browser itself. The flash media is sent to the developers servers, where it is converted to iOS friendly format. In my tests the video took a few minutes to load. Sometimes the browser didnt even recognize there was any flash content on the webpage.

So in conclusion, the app has great potential. There is still improvement to be made with the flash video. But it would be nice to see more flash support for Hulu and Facebook games.

A hand kids past a misplaced believer.

Oral Health with Sonicare

2011-01-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

Traditional toothbrushes are great. They are simple and cheap, and great for travel. By the end of 2001, Sonicare had became the number-one selling rechargeable powered toothbrush in the United States. A fancy toothbrush isn’t effective, electronic or not. So let me first explain:

· Benefits of brushing properly

· The Proper Way to Brush Your Teeth

· How the Sonicare is different from others

· Why you should get the Sonicare

The benefits of brushing properly not only include a bright smile and fresh breath, but also help prevent critical health problems. The cause of bad breath is simply bacteria. The bacteria is called flora. Our bodies have intestinal flora, and mouth flora. Bad intestinal flora may cause bad mouth flora, bad mouth flora may cause bad intestinal flora. What causes bad intestinal flora is periodontitis. To avoid this we must simply brush our teeth properly!

Philips Sonicare RS930 w/ UV Sanitizer

The proper way to brush is to obviously use toothpaste, starting from the back of your mouth to the front, tilting the bristles at 45 degrees and moving in a circular motion, pulling away from the gum line sweeping away food and plaque. Do not brush to hard or too soft. Brushing too hard could wear down the enamel of your teeth.

Sonicare put a lot of time and effort perfecting their toothbrushes. The bristles had to be just soft enough, but not too dense. Why? The concept, explained to me by my dentist,Dr. James Watson, is the brush actually makes small incisions with the sonic technology around the gum line to whisk away any debris or plaque trapped there. This makes for a healthy gums and a cleaner mouth. The brush also has to be shaped, to conform around the front and sides of the tooth. This allows getting in between each tooth, for a better clean.

Why should you drop $80 to $200? If you or your child has braces, this little device works wonders! It effectively removes food debris and plaque that get caught between the wire and teeth. In many cases Orthodontists will recommend getting a Sonicare, many in the Dallas area do.

When or if you get the device, most of the latest brushes have a timer on them. The brush will chime when it is time to move to a different quadrant of your mouth. The brush will stop, after the recommended 3 minutes are up. If the brushes vibrations are too harsh for you, there a setting on the brush, where it muffles some of the vibration to make a more gentle experience. If you just want to see what it’s like you can take advantage of the 90 day trial from Sonicare.

If you already have a brush you can find good deals on the brush heads from Amazon.com. But also drop me a line and tell about your experience with this brush. Have you had better oral health? If you are in the dental profession, tell your thoughts about the brush.

Needle Free Injections: The J-Tip

2011-01-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

This totally new and unique way of injecting medicine is genius. The device uses its own Co2 to rapidly force the medicine into the skin within a fraction of a second. The J-Tip is used by some diabetics, to inject insulin.

Yes this device is so easy to use... it could be used at home. In my case, the nurse used it to numb the area where the arterial IV was to be placed for surgery. It looks exactly like the like the picture to the left, although what you cannot hear is the loud pop of the injection.

The injection system is perfect for "needle phobic" patients, because there is no pain, blood, and anxiety involved. The device also eliminates the risk of blood borne pathogens cross contanimation to patients and health care professionals!

The J-Tip is faster than needle and syringe. I would like to see the J-Tip in use at more hospitals and readily available to patients at home who really need this.

Windows 7 Ultimate Activation Crack

2011-01-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

I do not support this method, because there is some legalities involved... Neither am I held responsible for any actions taken against you...

BUT... if you do want the top of the line Microsoft OS, then listen up...

Obtain a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. This hack will not work with any other version of Windows! And no, I will not tell you how to get the copy of Windows, or provide you a link.
Next install it, skipping the step of activation. At the time of writing the article there isn’t any key generators for Windows.
There is a little utility that disables Windows new form of anti-piracy called Windows Activation Technologies (WAT). The utility I used on a paid version of Windows 7 is called removeWAT. Again I will not tell you where I got this utility. Using this utility does put you in risk of losing all your data or making Windows unusable. So... BACK-UP YOUR DATA

Things You’ll Need:

Windows 7 compatible computer
HDD for backing up
Windows 7 Ult. Unactivated
Internet
Time

In Depth Review: Bosch Tassimo t65

2011-01-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Last week I received the “Brew Bot”. The unit promised to make a wide variety of beverages. The little thing sitting on my counter top could brew coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccinos, lattes, iced coffee, espresso, and milk creamer! As far as know this is one of the most versatile little beverage appliances around! Lets take a look at the “Tassimo Brew Bot”. By the way I did see the ad / commercial and think it is ridiculous. For those that have not seen it, it's on the bottom of the post.

Size:

The Tassimo Brew Bot, is smaller than my 12 cup coffee machine, and squats nice and low to fit underneath my kitchen cabinets. This is nice, and save a lot of space for other kitchen appliances that may be on the counter top. The Brew Bot doesn’t have a lot of small accessories, such as milk frothers. All that is necessary to brew a beverage is contained in one small package.

Features:

The Brew Bot has a generous removable water tank in the back that also has a integrated water purifying system. When the tank is pulled away, there is a small yellow disk, this is used for cleaning the machine. One of the coolest parts was the bar code reader, located where the capsules of coffee goes. The bar code identifies the drink, and how the machine should brew it! The area where the cup sits is illuminated, don’t ask me why Bosch did this. The cup stand adjusts to fit the size of cup, you can remove it easily for travel mugs. The display basically tells you what to do, press this button and so on. The only thing I wish it could do is display the time! There is only one button aside from the power button. You could say that this button is multipurpose, because it starts the drink, ends the drink, and so on. The machine also doesn’t require a coffee filter, they are integrated in the capsules. The place where the capsule go is easy to open, but a little difficult to close because upon closing your actually puncturing the seal. Once the brewing has started the machine will click while heating up, then buzz as its pumping the water through the capsule.

The Coffee Capsules:

The capsules that is designed for the machine are a little more expensive than other brands of single serve machines. Also unfortunately they are some what hard to find. I don’t usually go to WalMart but, I could find the cappuccino coffee there. I have Starbucks Cafe Verona and Milka Hot Chocolate in the mail. One thing that is really cool is that the capsules don't have to be refrigerated (even the milk), or sealed in special container like regular coffee beans or grounds. The capsules are all sealed! As mentioned above each capsule has a bar code on it, it let the machine know what temperature, pressure and quantity of coffee to brew.

Conclusion:

The drinks this little guys cranks out are amazing! There is no mess or fuss with coffee ground or water, or mixing. The only down side is the machine itself is expensive, and so are the coffee capsules. When registering the machine Tassimo gives two packages (32 total capsules) of whatever you like. Ive ordered mine, and it still hasn’t gotten here. The machine is quieter than other espresso machines when making cappuccinos, but louder than other regular coffee machines when making, well, regular coffee. Im glad during this cold winter, I had gotten the chance to try it out. Dont let the price scare you away from enjoying really good drinks at home. Its like having a live in barista!

Bosch Tassimo t65 Recieved

2011-01-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Monday morning I received the Bosch Tassimo t65. Stay alert for the upcoming review! I've been using it as my primary coffee machine and I love it! Also, included in the review there may be some other machines compared to the Tassimo. The review will be posted Thursday afternoon!

Verizon's New iPhone 4

2011-01-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

At Lincoln Center NY, today Apple's president and COO, Lowell McAdam put a sudden end to years of rumors and speculation of Verizon carrying the iPhone. McAdam stated that the phone will be available for pre-order starting February 3^rd for existing Verizon customers. On February 10^th it will be available for everyone at Apple and Verizon stores.

Verizon did not release details on the phone and data plan pricing. But did say that the phone will be able to deploy a wifi hot spot for up to five devices. The 16gb. iPhone will be priced at $199 for the 16gb version and the 32gb at $299, both with 2 year contract.

The iPhone will not be compatible on Verizon's new LTE 4G network, as it would make design changes that Apple is not ready to handle. The phone does have all the magical features and design as the AT&T version.

Thought: Dell Inspiron DUO

2011-01-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

This netbook/tablet convertible has a poor design. Ive never been a fan of convertible computers, because of the possibility of future mechanical failure. But the laptop in general is underpowered, and wont last throughout the day like other laptops. When I'm going to spend $1000 dollars on a notebook, it has to better than this notebook.

Qik going to Skype!

2011-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Qik service will be absorbed by Skype a much larger video calling company. The new aquisation bring new talent from Qik to help some areas Skype was lacking in video calling. This is good news for both android and iOS users because both can now video call over wifi and 3G.

AT&T Slashes Price on iPhone 3GS

2011-01-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Today, AT&T updated their price for the iPhone 3GS from $100 to $49 with contract. The new pricing starts tomorrow. The iPhone 3GS, was previously priced at $100. Apple's newest "magical" product is still priced at $200 for 16gb and $300 for 32gb, both with contract.
AT&T seems to be trying to gather more customers amidst the future competition from Verizon Wireless, and their rumored iPhone. Verizon still has a better track record for network quality compared to AT&T.
*News about the Verizon iPhone may be released during CES, because MacWorld is no longer held in CES.

Future Review: Xbox 360 slim

2011-01-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

Is it worth the upgrade? Does it perform faster than the older model?
Check out the review next week!

Jerry World Connected for Super Bowl!

2011-01-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Just 30 min away from me, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. This year it is hosting the super bowl. With most sporting fans experiencing poor celluar reception, the Jerry Jones approved for the carriers to pump millions of dollars to improve cell phone reception inside the stadium in preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl XLV. The celluar density is second highest in the US.

Future Review: Bosch Tassimo t65

2011-01-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

May this be the future of home coffee makers? Will this satisfy your morning Starbucks addiction?
Next week I will be sacrificing my palate, for this blog. Will it really be a sacrifice?

Sprint vs. AT&T

2011-01-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

AT&T has a reputation for bad coverage and expensive plans. As of yet, being a customer of AT&T wireless, I havent noticed problems with coverage. But I notice that my service is a little more expensive then what i could get from other carriers. Most people like me that have been using celluar devices for a long time have a tendency to choose carriers based on how they where treated in the past, or on what type of quality they had experienced. I had never tried AT&T, so I thought Id give it a whirl. Sprint on the other hand has somewhat of a limited coverage area, for voice. Seeing other friends of mine, say when we go camping far in the woods, they loose all signal. That may happen because of the CDMA technology, but I cant be sure of that. All I know is my phone was a life line those days. The reason i chose not to go with sprint, was back in the flip phone days, i got poor reception.

Who did you choose to be your carrier? What is your experience?

Unlimited Data Plans and the Limitations

2011-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last year a friend of mine got the HTC Evo 4G on Sprint's Network. He claimed that over the duration of 2 days he had used 17 gb of data! Around that time I was planning on staying with AT&T to buy the iPhone 4. I thought that since Sprint's customer base is smaller than AT&T's then it could handle the heavy data load. Maybe not. Recently Sprint has said that due to the extreme load that the network has been carrying, they are looking to cap the data off to 5gb. per month. Sprint plans on doing this even though they have 4G! Will this relieve the AT&T costumers of their 2gb data cap once they get the rumored 4G network? Will Sprint be able to handle the unlimited data plan if they switch over to the LTE technology? All in time we will find these things out.