TecHappy

How To Make Money Online

2008-04-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

First, set up a PayPal account. This allows for easy access to your money, and many sites offer direct deposit into your PayPal account. This is the best way to collect your earnings.

#1 - Triond is a great site that allows you to submit freelance writing on any topic you'd like. It gets reviewed, and it is either accepted or rejected. If accepted, it is published on a blog where it fits in well with the general theme. Not only can you earn money, but you can get your name out there on some relatively popular blogs. Payment is available through PayPal, Western Union, or check. I have yet to submit any articles (I publish all my writing here) but I know other bloggers who have made over a hundred dollars publishing articles here.

#2 - Moola is a new concept that let's you play games to earn money. You start out with a free penny, then play games against other users. The winner gets his money doubled, the loser goes back to one penny. In order to support itself, the site forces you to watch an ad before each game. I had about $20 before I got greedy and lost it all. The games are based on luck, but there is a skill component involved. If you can win 20 games in a row, you will have $10, 485.76. If you're good at online games, give this site a try.

#3 - If you have a blog, Smorty will pay you to write about certain products. It's not advertising, you get to write your honest opinions. For some bloggers, this fits in perfectly with the topics they already write about. Payment is based on how popular your blog is. Mike claims to have made $75.60 using this site.

#4 - eBay is an excellent way to turn items sitting around the house into quick cash. Bidders offer their highest price for your item in an auction-like format, and the highest bidder wins. Auctions can last anywhere from 3 days to a week.

6 Keyboarding Class Tricks

2007-12-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

So we're almost halfway through school, and it's time to accumulate all the tricky tips I've accumulated for keyboarding class:

1) You can use www.cl1p.net to share work with the rest of the class. This is extremely effective if you have to copy pages 11-50 out of the textbook. You can divvy up the work and finish it in a fraction of the time.

2) Thumb drives and floppy disks can also accomplish the same task as above, but are often more risky to use, since they require passing around the disk, or else getting up and moving around the room.

3) Many schools are now using programs that allow a teacher to monitor students' computers from her own. If your computer isn't connected to the school network, it can't be monitored. You can pull out your Ethernet wire, or you could simply go to Control Panel > Network Settings, right-click the internet connection, and hit disable.

4) If your keyboarding class uses a program like CheckPro, you can often access other students' work by visiting the CheckPro application folder. You can open up these documents in Word, copy them, and simply paste them into your own.

5) In MicroType, another popular keyboarding application, some exercises don't require you to type the whole line. If you type most of the sentence, then hit enter, the program completely ignores the fact that you skipped the last few words. When your typing thousands of sentences, the time saved really adds up. If the last few words of the sentence are long words, this can also improve your GWAM (typing speed).

6) This last one doesn't just apply to keyboarding class, but that's where I use it: Sometimes, if you turn in a simple homework assignment not just late, but ridiculously late, you will get full credit when the teacher, often distracted, adds it to the grade book, instead of losing 10 points by turning it in the day after it was due. This one requires a bit of tact, and a rather aloof keyboarding teacher, but it always works for me.

McDonald's Monopoly

2007-10-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows about McDonald's promotional Monopoly game by now. However, most people don't know the difference between a rare piece that could be worth thousands (Tennessee Avenue) and a basically worthless piece (New York Avenue). Basically, you need to collect all the pieces in a set to win. Sets consist of 2, 3, or 4 pieces. In every set, all the pieces except for one are easy to find. It's that last piece that is incredibly rare, and insures that loads of people don't win big prizes. But how do you know if the pieces you just pulled off of you large fry are valuable or worthless? I've put together a list of the rare pieces, along with their respective prizes:

Property	Code	Prize
Mediterranean Avenue	801	$50
Vermont Avenue	804	$500
Virginia Avenue	808	$1000
Tennessee Avenue	810	$5000
Kentucky Avenue	812	$10000
Ventnor Avenue	816	$25000
Pennsylvania Avenue	820	$50000
Boardwalk	822	$1,000,000
Short Line	826	$100

If you find that you have any of these pieces, you should search for the accompanying pieces in the set, as they will be relatively easy to find. Many are available on eBay for a few dollars. Good luck and happy hunting!

How To: Find Deleted History

2007-09-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

When you clear your history in Internet Explorer or Firefox, it's gone forever, and no one can see it, right? Wrong.

Go to Start > Search > Files & Folders > All Files and Folders

Make sure you enable searching for hidden files and searching in subfolders, then search for files named index.dat on the C drive.

Once you find these files, you can't just open them up. You will need a special reader to view them, such as Super WinSpy.

After a quick installation, you can use it to view your index.dat files; just type in the path to the file on your hard drive, and watch your "deleted" history pop up!

A Weird Discovery

2007-08-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

Paste this character before a line of text, and the text will automatically be written backwards. It's really weird, and I've never seen anything like it before. Any explanations? Paste this character:

‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‮҉

and get text written like this.

Using Your RAZR as a Mirror

2007-08-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

This was so painfully obvious, I wondered why I had never heard the idea before: You can turn your RAZR cell phone into a mirror. Just hit the camera button like you were going to take a picture, then close the phone. The camera is still active, and you can point it at yourself and see your face on the outside display screen. This "mirror" isn't that useful for applying your makeup, but it's not bad for fixing your hair before talking to the ladies!

Seven Golden Rules of Friendship

2007-08-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Do you know someone who is generally well liked, but seem to not have any extraordinary looks or talents? Chances are, they (whether subconsciously or intentionally) follow the following seven rules.

One. Don't talk about negatively about other people. If someone hears you talk negatively about someone else, she's going to wonder what you say about her behind her back. People will generally trust you more if you don't talk negatively about others.

Two. Don't divulge others' secrets. It may seem like a sign of trust and friendship to tell someone a secret you heard. But really, it just shows that you are a gossip at the best, and at worst it makes people reluctant to tell you anything important, for fear that you will talk about it freely. But if you make a point of never revealing others' secrets, people will confide in you.

Three. Make people feel wanted. Don't always wait for someone else to initiate contact. Rather take the initiative to call them first. Think about how good it feels to receive a phone call. When you call someone else, they associate this positive feeling with you!

Four. Be willing to change your positions and convictions. At the same time, make sure you honestly believe in what you say. When someone has the same political beliefs as me, I think that maybe we could get along. But when someone changes their political beliefs after hearing the facts, I respect them more for being intelligent and humble enough to admit that they were wrong, and to openly change their position.

Five. Don't brag. Talking modestly about your accomplishments in an appropriate situation is acceptable. However, nobody likes a braggart. Sometimes, it may seem like no one acknowledges or appreciates your accomplishments, but they do recognize them, whether or not they say anything about it. Which leads to the next rule...

Six. Pay compliments freely. Whenever you congratulate someone, or give them a compliment, they experience a positive feeling, which they will (once again) associate with you.

Seven. (This is mainly for our younger readers.) No matter how you act around your friends, act like an angel around their parents. Never talk about anything even slightly risque, and be as polite as possible, no matter what. This will encourage your friends to invite you to do things with their families, because they know you won't do anything to embarrass them. I personally saw this one work when a relatively popular kid whom I recently befriended invited me to go to Disney with his family. When I asked him why he invited me, rather than one of his more established friends, he said I was the only person he could trust not to say anything dirty around his younger sister and parents.

If you can follow these seven rules, you should have no problem making new friendships, and strengthening old ones. They may not all seem important, but all seven are more powerful than you may think.

MP3 Search Engine

2007-08-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Instead of using Limewire, and opening up your computer to potential harm, try using the FindThatMP3 search engine to search the web for an mp3, or any other music file. This works much better than I thought it would, and it's a lot faster than Limewire, too!

How To: Create a Fake ID

2007-08-07T01:40:00.000-07:00

Note: This tutorial is for academic purposes only, and should not be attempted as it may be illegal depending on your location.

Creating Front of ID
First you will need to create an ID on your computer. Linkbase has an amazing Florida drivers license Photoshop template available for download. You can make this look amazing, and all it takes is a basic grasp of Photoshop.

Creating Back of ID
Next you will need to create a back for your ID. Make sure you edit the image properties to make it the EXACT same size as the front of your ID. You will have to create the back yourself, but it is relatively simple to find a barcode online. You can use your real drivers license for inspiration. Make sure you add a "magnetic strip," which can be found by searching for a "black bar" on Google Images and resizing accordingly. I have a sample I can post if there is enough interest.

Printing Your ID
Fake IDs can be printed on photo paper or cardstock, but in order to create a profession quality ID, you need a special type of paper called Teslin. Laser printers will not print on Teslin, but most inkjet printers will work, particularly Epson printers. Make sure you print with the highest quality settings. Print the front and back images on both sides of the paper. If you decide to go with photo paper instead of Teslin, use two different sheets, then glue them together, along with a layer of cardstock in between.

Finishing Your ID
Carefully cut your ID out, and make sure you give it rounded corners. Now all that's left is to laminate it. You can get self-lamination sheets at any Staples, or you can invest in a laminator. Many models are available for under $50. One last touch many people like to give their IDs is a hologram. Excellent holograms can be purchased very cheaply here. Arcadia also has many other products to perfect the finishing process.

Using Your ID
Many people have different ideas on how to use a fake ID. Most people agree that it a good idea to keep your ID in a plastic covering in your wallet, and offer over your whole wallet if the clerk asks for ID. Also, some people like to tell the clerk to keep the change if they think she's getting suspicious. This gives her an incentive (perhaps even an unconscious one) to not question the ID.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post in the comments section. Also, remember this should not be attempted, as possession of a fake ID may be illegal depending on where you live.

How To: Hack the Razr

2007-08-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I got frustrated that my wonderful new Razr could only take 15 second videos. And if I wanted to transfer a 15-second video to my computer, I would have to pay to email it to myself. I had a regular USB wire that fit into my Razr, but I still couldn't transfer any data.

Then I found Hack the Razr!, an amazing website that has programs and tutorials for hacking/modifying the Razr. I can now take 4 minute videos, transfer them to my computer via USB, and do many other things that I didn't think were possible, including get free internet! If you have a Razr, check it out.

How To: Get Around Rapidshare Wait Times

2007-08-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Many people use RapidShare to upload their files. When it comes time to download them, however, you have to wait 45 seconds. There is a simple way around this, however. When the screen comes up asking to select Free or Premium, paste this into the address bar and hit enter:

javascript:var counta=0;var countb=0;var countc=0;var countd=0;var counte=0;var countf=0;var countg=0;var counth=0;var counti=0;var countj=0;var countk=0;var countl=0;var countm=0;var countn=0;var counto=0;var countp=0;var countq=0;var countr=0;var counts=0;var countt=0;var countu=0;var countv=0;var countw=0;var countx=0;var county=0;var countz=0;

Then choose the free download and automatically circumvent the wait time!

You can try it out on some of the RapidShare links here.

How to: Find Out Saved Firefox Passwords

2007-08-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Firefox is a very secure web browser, but if someone has access to your computer, they can view all your saved passwords without any special hacking skills. All they have to do is open up Firefox, and click Tools>Options>Security>Show Passwords>Show Passwords.

And now all your saved passwords are revealed, along with their respective usernames, and the websites where they apply. Go ahead and try it out on your own computer right now.

How To: Unlock a Locked iPod

2007-07-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

My friend recently locked her iPod, and forgot her passcode. After searching the internet, she came up with this link telling her that there is effectively no way to unlock a locked iPod. Wrong!

After doing some digging around inside the iPod, I couldn't find anything. However, enabling hidden folders brought up a new folder: iPod_Control. Inside this folder was another named Device, and inside this was a file named _locked. Opening up this file in Notepad, I found a bunch of symbols, I assume this was an encrypted password. I simply deleted the file, and the iPod was unlocked! This worked for me, but after further research, I found out that the fix for this problem depends on what type of iPod you have. However, the following set of steps should work for everyone.

1) First rename the _locked file to _unlocked. Disconnect the iPod and reset it.

2) If that did not solve the problem, delete all the text inside the aforementioned file. Save it, and then disconnect the iPod and reset it.

3) If that still did not work, delete the file and then disconnect the iPod and reset it.

Keep in mind that this is not an Apple-sanctioned guide, so use caution when trying this, and if you are not sure of what you are doing, backup any files before you alter or delete them.

XBOX Live: Network Problems

2007-07-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

I got tons of emails after my last post about a specific error people were having on XBOX Live (especially on Halo 2). Whenever they try to join a party, it says they are having network problems. The exact error message is ""You aren't able to join this party since we're having network problems. Sorry about that." This problem only occurs when joining parties of particular people.

So what could cause such a problem? I called Microsoft, XBOX Live, Road Runner, Linksys, and a few other companies that I thought might be able to fix the problem, but nobody knew what to do. However, after talking to my friend in computer networking, we found the problem, and came up with a solution:

The problem is caused by something called NAT settings. NAT can be set to Strict, Moderate, or Open. XBOX Live network problems are caused when a person with strict or moderate NAT settings tries to join another person with strict or moderate settings. In order to fix this, you have to enable a few ports on your computer, namely ports 3074, 80, and 88:

Go to your router control panel. Depending on what router you have, you will access your router control panel differently. If you have a Linksys WRT4G (which causes the majority of these problems), you will type http://192.168.1.1/ (called the IP address) into the address bar, and hit enter. You will need a user name and password. The defaults are admin/admin for the Linksys WRT4G.

If you have a different router, the default passwords can be found on the internet. Different routers also require different IP addresses. Your router's IP address can be found by doing the following: Go to Start, then click Run. Type cmd and when the box comes up, type ipconfig. Look for the IP address listed under "Default Gateway" and use that in place of the IP address I provided above.

Once you have accessed your router's control panel, you need to open up some ports. Look for something (usually under the Applications and Gaming tab) called "Port Range Forward." On the first line, type 3074 for Start and End, select "Both" for the protocol, and check "Enable." Also, for the IP address listed, you will need to find your XBOX's IP address and enter it there (you may need to enter manual settings in this step. If you are not sure how to do this, call XBOX Live and ask them to help with this.) Repeat these steps two more times on the lines below, replacing 3074 with 80 and 88. Make sure you save these settings.

Lastly, go to Administration in your router control panel and disable UPnP. That's it!

Everything should work fine now!

This was sort of an outline, and wasn't a very detailed tutorial. The reason is that depending on your router and whether you have an XBOX or XBOX 360, the steps will be slightly different. Hopefully, after reading this, you can fix the problem. If not, I do NOT recommend calling XBOX Live. Instead, contact your router company and tell them the problem. Tell them that you know how to fix it, (by enabling ports 3074, 80, and 88 for your XBOX) and they should be able to help with that. Good luck!

XBOX 360 - Troubleshooting Guide

2007-06-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

The definitive, complete, guide to XBOX 360 troubleshooting. If you want to see something else included on the guide, email me, and odds are, I will be able to help better than tech support.

Problem: 1 Flashing Red Light on the Ring of Light
This problem is caused by a general hardware failure. Try unplugging all the wires from the console, TV, and power source, then plugging them back in. Next, turn off the console and remove the harddrive. If this does not solve your problem, you will need to call XBOX technical support and try to troubleshoot the console. However, you will most likely end up sending your console in for repairs. If you purchased your console within the last year, or had it repaired within the last year, all costs, including shipping, will be covered by warranty. If not, see the section below on strategies to reduce your out of pocket repair cost.

Problem: 2 Flashing Red Lights on the Ring of Light
This means the console is overheating. Unplug the console from the wall, and make sure it is well ventilated on all sides. Wait at least 2 to 3 hours for the console to cool down, and then try turning it on again. This problem usually does not result in a service center call, if approached correctly.

Problem: 3 Flashing Red Lights on the Ring of Light
This problem is often referred to as the Ring of Death. According to Microsoft, this means the console is experiencing a hardware failure. After some additional research, I can confirm that this problem is usually caused by a loose piece inside the console. If you take the console apart, you will see the piece, and it can easily be soldered back on. However, I do not recommend this, because it will void your warranty. A temporary solution is to wrap your console in towels. This will cause overheating, and the effect will be a temporary soldering inside the console. However, the problem generally shows up soon after this quick fix, and this problem usually requires sending in your console to the service center. Before that, however, try unplugging all the wires from the console, TV, and power source, then plugging them back in. Next, turn off the console and remove the harddrive. If this does not solve your problem, you will need to call XBOX technical support and request that a box be shipped to you so that you can send your console to the service center for repairs. If you purchased your console within the last year, or had it repaired within the last year, all costs, including shipping, will be covered by warranty. If not, see the section below on strategies to reduce your out of pocket repair cost.

Problem: 4 Flashing Red Lights on the Ring of Light
This problem is caused by an improperly connected A/V cable. Try unplugging both ends of the A/V cable from the console and the TV, and then plug them back in. If this does not solve the problem, you may need to purchase a new A/V cable, but a call to technical support is the first step.

Problem: You cannot login to XBOX Live on a video game, because you need to apply an update. The update never works, and you are put into a loop.
This is a complex problem that is very easy to fix. You simply need to clear your console's cache. This can be done by going to the Dashboard, selecting System, Memory, and then pushing Y as shown on the screen. Then, use the button code X, X, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, X, X. Select "yes" to perform the maintenance, and then try the update again. It should install cleanly.

Problem: You cannot connect to XBOX Live, although you normally can.
This can be caused by many things. First, go through the console's built-in troubleshooting. If you need to call tech support, this will tell them exactly what went wrong. Next, make sure your internet connection is working somewhere else in the house. If it is, then perhaps the XBOX Live service is down worldwide. If not, then you have a different problem altogether. In either case, try unplugging your router and modem from each other and all power sources, leaving them unplugged for 30 seconds, then plugging everything back in. This often solves the problem.

Repair Cost Reduction Strategies:
If you purchased or repaired your console within the last year, all repairs will be free. However, if not, you will be asked by the tech support agent to pay a large sum of money to have your console fixed and shipped back to you. Before you agree to this, there are several steps you need to take:

Check to see if, when you purchased your console, you also purchased an extended warranty from a store such as Best Buy. If you did, read the information carefully, and contact the store that sold you the warranty.
If you did not purchase a warranty, then your console is not covered. However, some credit card companies will actually pay for repairs, if approached properly! First, find your receipt for the purchase of the console, as it may be useful. Next, call your credit card company, and see if they offer any insurance on items purchased. This is more common than you realize, and 99% of people are not aware that they have this service. Tell the agent that your console is malfunctioning, and Microsoft refuses to fix it for free. The company will often cover the cost of repairs for you. This policy is still not totally clear to me, so make inquiries with your credit card company. However, I have seen this work before.
If you still have not accomplished anything, call the Microsoft tech support agent again. This time, go along with him as if you plan to purchase the repair. However, ask to speak to the agent's supervisor. This is critical, as the supervisor is the only one who can change the amount you have to pay. It usually isn't easy to speak to a supervisor, but I got one on my first request when I tried this. Explain to the supervisor the situation, and try to suck up to him, but sound rather angry at the same time. Remain polite (he doesn't have to reduce the cost for you) but frustrated. With the right persuasion skills, the supervisor will reduce the repair cost. On my first repair, this tactic got me free shipping, plus 50% off of a $160 repair.

Repair Schedule
This is an estimated schedule for the length of your repair, based on the averages of ten trials from different locations in the United States. This is just an estimate, not an exact schedule.
Day 1 - Call Microsoft, request mailing box and place repair order.
Day 5 - Receive empty prepaid box and place console in it as per instructions.
Day 6 - Mail off console.
Day 11 - Service center receives broken console.
Day 12 - A new/refurbished/repaired console is shipped out.
Day 17 - You receive the console.
Overall this process takes about 2 and a half weeks. Usually they just send you a refurbished or new console, but if they actually repair your console (never seen that in my personal experience) then you need to add a day to this tentative schedule. However, you won't know what they sent you until you actually receive the console, so it doesn't really matter.

Wubi - Linux for Beginners

2007-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

So you want to install Linux on your computer, but you're reluctant to partition your hard drive, or do anything that might mess up Windows in any way? Enter Wubi, a new Ubuntu installer that allows you to install Linux on Windows just like any other application. Give it a try!

Who Is Ron Paul?

2007-06-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of buzz recently about Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. But because the media has declared him "unelectable" not many people know exactly where he stands on the issues. This is a nonpartisan guide to Ron Paul.

Overview:
Ron Paul claims to "never vote for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution." He served in the US House of Representatives in 1976, 1979-1985, and has held his current position representing Texas' 14th Congressional district since 1997. He has never voted to raise taxes, and maintains one of the most consistent voting records in Congress. He was even given permission by a top-ranking member of the Republican party to go against them on a bill which would undermine his Libertarian position. Paul has voted with the Republican part 77% of the time, not including bills on which he did not vote. A record of key votes by Ron Paul can be found here.

On Libertarianism:
Ron Paul is a self-described Libertarian. He was the Libertarian Party's candidate for president in 1988, and has demonstrated a Libertarian voting record in Congress. But what exactly is a Libertarian? Libertarians believe in the rights of an individual, and maintain that all people should have the right to complete personal freedom, as long as they do not deny others that right. As a consequence, most Libertarians favor an extremely limited federal government, and a policy of non-aggression. But what exactly does Ron Paul believe?

On Immigration:
Most Libertarians support open borders. However, Ron Paul does not, citing the federal government's constitutional obligation to secure the borders. He is against illegal immigration and amnesty for illegal aliens. He has repeatedly described benefits such as welfare as supporting illegal immigration.
On Abortion:
As a former obstetrician, Ron Paul is pro-life. However, he does not believe the Constitution gives the federal government the right to legalize or ban abortion. Rather, he believes these decisions should be left up to individual states.

On Capital Punishment:
As a Right-to-Life Libertarian, Paul opposes capital punishment.

On Education:
Paul believes that the federal government should not control the educational systems, but rather the school system be handled at the state and local levels. Thus, he opposes the No Child Left Behind Act. He also opposes the proposed federal voucher system that would give families money to pay for private schools. Instead, he supports tax credits for families with children in private schools.

On Gay Marriage:
Ron Paul has not come out firmly on either side of this issue. Although he is personally against gay marriage, he believes it is not the federal government's place to define a marriage. He has stated that he believes any individuals have the right to get married, because marriage existed before government, and is an individual right. However, he also has said that the decision should be made at the state level to decide whether or not to allow gay marriage.

On Healthcare:
Ron Paul supports tax credits to reduce health care costs. He has voted in favor of several bills that would establish such credits. He has also consistently voted against government regulated or socialized healthcare, claiming that government interference in healthcare will cause higher prices and worsened quality.

On Social Security:
Paul believes that the Social Security system is in jeopardy, due to a lack of funds. Paul cites the repeated borrowing of Social Security funds by Congress to fund the budget as a primary concern. He has encouraged reassessing the system, and allowing citizens to not pay Social Security taxes, and drop out of the Social Security system if they wish.
On Gun Control:
Paul is a firm believer in the rights of gun owners, repeatedly citing the Second Amendment. He was the only presidential candidate to earn an A+ rating from the Gun Owner's Association of America.

On Drugs:
Paul supports industrial and medical use of marijuana, and believes that the prohibition of any drugs is an affront to an individual's rights, and would be ineffective regardless.

On the Economy:
Paul has proposed several radical measures. As a Libertarian, Paul is an advocate of small businesses, and a strong proponent of lowering taxes. He has fought against direct taxes, including the income tax. Paul also opposes the Federal Reserve, because he believes it causes inflation. Paul also believes that a return to the gold standard would prevent inflation, and he strongly supports this. He is also a proponent of free trade.

On the War in Iraq:
As a non-interventionist Paul opposes the war in Iraq, and voted against the Iraq War Resolution, which authorized the war. He has also said that the war in Iraq is being used as an attempt to rob citizens of their rights and liberties.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Top 10 Ice Cream Flavors

2007-06-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

When I am in the ice cream aisle at the grocery store, I can never decide which flavor to get, and I usually end up getting more than one. Notes from many hours of late-night ice cream sampling bring you this: The top 10 ice cream flavors that you will find at your local grocery store.

10) One of my cousin's all-time favorites scraped its way on to the list at number ten: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream is a must-taste for any true chocoholic.

9) As soon as I tasted it, I liked the novelty of Haagen-Dazs' Mango Ice Cream. Normally I'm not a big fan of Haagen-Dazs, but this ice cream was too good to leave off.

8) A big shocker here: the best chocolate ice cream was a close competition, but it ended in a huge upset, the winner being Publix Brand Chocolate Ice Cream. In absence of a Publix store near you, Breyer's Original Chocolate Ice Cream was almost as good.

7) A unique ice cream named for guitarist Jerry Garcia, Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia is a cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes.

6) Although I'm a chocolate fan myself, I had to include good old vanilla. The best vanilla ice cream I ever tasted was Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, which reminded me of the world-renowned Creamery ice cream at Penn State University.

5) Surprisingly, a diet version of an ice cream made the list. Breyer's Double Churn Light Caramel Tracks made a name for itself after it lasted half a day in the family freezer.

4) Chocolate chip cookie dough would have to make any list of the best ice creams. But there were so many different varieties at Publix, it took weeks to sample them all. But the best by far was Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Incidentally, this was the very first chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream flavor ever created.

3) The best cake batter ice cream I ever had was high in the mountains of North Carolina, so when I saw a similar Blue Bell Cake Batter ice cream, I had to try it. Sure enough, it was an instant favorite.

2) Vanilla ice cream with fudge and peanut butter mixed in. Something is missing...how about fudge-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels? Originally conceived as a prank, Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby weighs in at a delectable number 2.

1) A delicious banana-flavored ice cream with walnuts and chunks of fudge mixed in, the number one ice cream flavor available at your local grocery store is Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. On any given day you'll find an empty carton at my house.

Free TV Episodes & Movies

2007-06-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Stage6 is a cool new site from which you can view online episodes of all your favorite TV shows, as well as a few movies. When copyrighted movies appear on the site, they seem to eventually get taken down, although it takes a while. Many American movies are currently listed on the site, as well as a large selection of Bollywood movies. When you search for movies, be sure to list the search results by length, so all the movies come to the top. Happy viewing!

All the movies and videos are in DivX format, and can be downloaded with this nice Greasemonkey script.

Also, someone decided to compile a list of movies off of the site, and it is available at Videostored. You can also watch the movies straight off of that site.

Magnoto - My eFridge

2006-03-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

I have seen all the AJAX stuff floating around, but I'm not really impressed. I think AJAX sucks. But Magnoto is really cool. You sign up and get your own "Magnoto," which is like an eFridge, in that you put magnets on it. These "magnets" can be pictures, videos, or even sound clips. Best of all, you can move these magnets around using drag-and-drop with your mouse. This is really cool; check it out today. You have to see it to truly appreciate it.

Check It Out

Microsoft - Free USB Drives

2006-03-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Microsoft is giving out free USB drives to anyone who wants one. This is not a gimmick, nor do you have to complete any "free offers." The catch? The USB drive comes preloaded with Microsoft's propaganda. It will probably be deletable, so that's not really an issue. The issue is the size of the USB drive. I doubt that it will be greater than 32mb. But it's 100% free, so order yours today. When you order, you don't need a credit card, just the correct answers to a quiz. Here are the correct answers:

Q1. How many ways are there to obtain a full Microsoft® Windows® Desktop license?
Answer:: 2

Q2: Volume License Agreements cover Windows Desktop operating system upgrades only.
Answer: True

Q3: OEM operating system licenses are non-transferable.
Answer: True

Q4: The most cost-effective way to acquire an initial, full underlying Windows Desktop license is preinstalled.
Answer: True

Let me know how this works for you. Leave any questions in the comments section of this post.

Gimme One!
(Click "Valuable Information...Get Yours" once at the above website!)

Windows Live Messenger - Free Invites!

2006-01-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! Windows Live Messenger is the newest instant messenger client from Windows. The big deal is a new feature that allows you to create a folder of files to share with your buddies. WLM is currently all the rage, and it is invite-only. Invites are scarce, but I have a modest amount. Personally, I will stick with Trillian, but if you want a Windows Live Messenger invite, then follow the instructions below:

Go to the sidebar of this blog --->
Scroll down until you see the FeedBlitz subscription box.
Input your email, and you'll receive an invite as soon as FeedBlitz emails me.

Windows XP Games - Tips & Tricks

2006-01-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

FreeCell

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Hold down Ctrl + Shift + F10 during game play. Then you will be asked if you want to Abort, Retry or Ignore. Choose Abort, then move any card to instantly win.

Secret - Hidden Game Modes
Instructions - In the "Game" menu choose "Select Game". Enter -1 or -2 to activate the hidden game modes.

Minesweeper

Secret - Reveal Mines
Instructions - Minimize or close all running applications. Launch Minesweeper, then type xyzzy. Next hold down either shift key. Now when you move the mouse cursor over a Minesweeper square you will see a tiny white pixel in the top left corner of your desktop screen. This pixel will change to black when your mouse moves over a mine. You may need to change you desktop background to a solid color other then white or black to see the pixel.

Pinball

Secret - Extra Balls
Instructions - Type 1max at the start of a new ball to get extra balls.

Secret - Gravity Well
Instructions - Type gmax at the start of a new game to activate the Gravity Well.

Secret - Instant Promotion
Instructions - Type rmax at the start of a new game to go up in ranks.

Secret - Skill Shot
Instructions - Launch the ball partially up the chute past the third yellow light bar so it falls back down to get 75,000 points. There are six yellow light bars that are worth a varying amount of points:

First: 15,000 points
Second: 30,000 points
Third: 75,000 points
Fourth: 30,000 points
Fifth: 15,000 points
Sixth: 7,500 points

Secret - Test Mode
Instructions - Type hidden test at the start of a new ball to activate Test Mode. No notification will be given that this is activated but you can now left-click the mouse button and drag the ball around.

Secret - Unlimited Balls
Instructions - Type bmax at the start of a new ball. No notification will be given that this is activated but when a ball is lost a new ball will appear from the yellow wormhole indefinitely. Once this is activated you will be unable to activate other secrets without restarting the game.

Solitaire

Secret - Instant Win
Instructions - Press Alt + Shift + 2 during game play to instantly win.

Secret - Draw single cards in a Draw Three game
Instructions - Hold down CTRL + ALT + SHIFT while drawing a new card. Instead of drawing three cards you will only draw one.

Pandora - "Find Music You'll Love"

2006-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

Pandora is a great site created by the Music Genome Project, a group of people who analyze musical components. What this site does is just find you new music you will like, based on the songs you already like. So just enter a song, and get your own streaming radio station with songs with similar qualities.

For example, I entered the song Encore, and Pandora returned another song called The Next Episode because it had "west coast ganster roots, modal harmonies, heavy use of slang, club rap influences, and dry snare and acoustic drum samples." I liked the first song, and I also liked the next few songs the station provided. Excellent!

Check it Out!

Konfabulator - a.k.a. Yahoo Widget Engine 3.0

2006-01-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Whenever a great new idea comes out, the company is immediately bought out by a tech giant, such as Amazon or Yahoo. Konfabulator was one "great new idea." Yahoo bought the site and software and renamed it Yahoo Widget Engine 3.0, but I would have stuck with the tag Konfabulator. Anyway, Konfabulator is (or was) a great program that lets you put little interactive "widgets" on your desktop. They just sit there like icons, but they can be hidden or made transparent. Perhaps a live weather indicator, a trendy looking moon phase indictator, a card that will display your XBOX Live stats, or even an iTunes remote. Plus, users can easily create their own widgets for free with no additional software. Wow! For some examples, check out five of the thousands of widgets available here.

Get it Now!