Helpful Hints

You may have heard the buzz or seen the video about cell phones popping popcorn.  According to cnn.com it’s a hoax, politely put. Cell Phones Popping Popcorn Video

The whole thing is nothing but a marketing scheme courtesy of Cardo Systems. In the video link Kathryn Rhodes, Cardo Systems’ Marketing Manager, states they do not ever imply there is a health risk to using cell phones. Apparently, she feels the general public would not consider cell phones having the ability to pop popcorn, to be an implied health risk.

Needless to say, Cardo Systems achieved their marketing scam, claiming an enormous increase in sales and hits to their website. Imagine that… Doubtful the cell phone companies took a hit, considering we are all locked into our plans anyway. Interesting how this marketing scheme does not constitute slander…

The gaming communities are always looking for the latest, most graphically advanced game to entertain their minds and skills. The community is now attempting to draw in the non-gamer to the thrills with games for change. These games are a feeble attempt to supposedly make people aware of social and political issues. If you are not familiar with these games for change check out a recent article at MSNBC.com written June 12, 2008 by Winda Benedetti titled Can video games be a force for a change?

I am undecided about how I feel about video games being used to make people more aware of social and political issues. There has been so much controversy over video games desensitizing people to killing and war. Wouldn’t this constitute the same type of controversy?

A clip of Benedetti’s article reads:

“Meanwhile, the only thing I shouted as I played “Darfur is Dying” — that is, as I helped a 13-year-old girl named Poni sprint across a scorching desert, past the rotting carcasses of dead cows, desperately seeking water for her malnourished family — was an unprintable curse word. A group of gun-toting militiamen had snatched up the poor girl and the game informed me that she’d likely be raped. Genocide in Rwanda, torture in Sudan, poverty in Haiti, political shenanigans in the United States — video games are tackling some of the most pressing and depressing issues of our time.”

I can’t help but question if these are really issues we want to desensitize people to? Is it even ethical to turn these issues into a game?

It is amazing to think about how quickly technology advances.

Check out some of these technological predictions from the past:

• “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977″ (Sato, 2007).

• “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates. (Sato, 2007).

• “Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vaccuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons.”- Popular Mechanics, March 1949 (Thorn, 1997).

• “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” — Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883 (”Top”, 2007).

• “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876) (”Top”, 2007).

• “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London” (”Top”, 2007).

• “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921″ (”Top”, 2007).

References

Sato, R. (2007). All-Time Awesomely Failed Tech Predictions. Retrieved June 6, 2008 from http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/10/top-10-failed-t.html

Thorn, D. (1997). Previous Popular Mechanics Stupidity. Retrieved June 6, 2008 from http://www.ufomind.com/area51/list/1997/jun/a28-004.shtml

Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions (2007). Retrieved June 6, 2008 from http://listverse.com/history/top-30-failed-technology-predictions/

I firmly support any efforts made by a company to be ‘green’.

Think Host is amongst those companies I firmly support. Think Host is a webhosting company powered solely by renewable energy, wind and solar power. They also plant a tree for every client. The majority of their staff telecommute. The staff is also very friendly and helpful. If you are searching for a webhosting company or nearing the end of your current host contract check them out. These guys are on the ball and setting a great example for others in the technological industry. Let’s face it, if anyone should be on the ‘green’ bandwagon it should be those in the technology field, yet how many actually are?

PC Catastrophe is a Think Host affiliate. In fact, ThinkHost is the only webhosting services we resell. That is how much we support them! Think Host has offered us a $20 coupon for new clients. We have decided to pass the buck on to the consumer. Please, contact sales@pccatastrophe.com to receive your coupon code. You also may leave a comment on the blog stating that you would like the coupon, just make sure you include your email address to allow us to contact you. Stipulations? Of course. You must use our link to ThinkHost as well as sign up for a plan to use the coupon. Click on the banner to check them out further…

I ran across a fabulous article yesterday I just had to share. It was written in December 2007 by Matt Asay. It is posted on CNET.

The article states that in 2007 95% of all email was spam. What a figure. The article is worth reading. It also provides a link to the Can-Spam Act which Aray states is basically useless. Checked your bulk or junk email box lately? I must say I have to agree with him.

Email Study Link - Check out the article.

We all hate the spam mail received in our email inboxes. Yahoo has taken one of these spammers to the bank. A particular spam artist has been using their spam tactics as a way of phishing for users personal information, passwords and credit card numbers. They have applied Yahoo’s name in accordance with a lottery scam to entice users to share their information. Yahoo is putting a stop to this by suing the lottery spammers. If you receive a lottery email advertising its affiliation with Yahoo, it is a scam! Want to do something about it? Report the spam using the FTC Consumer Complaint Form.

While I prefer Firefox, Internet Explorer is still a commonly used Internet browser. Internet Explorer 8 is still in its beta phase. I found this to be a fantastic opportunity to familiarize myself with the browser prior to the general public using it regularly. IE 8 is still in its developmental stage available for web developers and designers. If you are a developer or designer you can download IE 8 beta 1 to familiarize yourself or your company with it as well.

IE 8 currently appears very similar to IE 7. The beta also contains an option to allow the user to click a tab on the toolbar to use IE 7. IE 8 allows users to look up information similar to the data provided on the web page they are currently viewing as well as send current content to another application. IE 8 also contains a WebSlice option allowing the user to subscribe to the information as well as be notified when the content changes.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta Tumbnail:
(Click pic to view enlargement)

Hopefully, when released to the general public there will not be the extensive problems similarly experienced with the release of IE7.

View the video to discover why and how to boot into safe mode.

As if there were not enough options made available to consumers these days, manufacturers always have to add in some extras. You may be one of millions discovering the benefits of smaller, portable computer systems made available in contrast to the big, bulky desktop computers. In searching for the perfect portable you may have ran across terms such as laptop, notebook, tablet pc and thinkpad. You may wonder, “What is the difference?” Let me explain the difference allowing you to determine which you need, then you can sift through the different brands and specs made available.

Laptops: Size is a major difference between a laptop and a notebook. They typically are heavier, have larger screens and larger keyboards. They also are upgradeable and are typically more powerful. They also have an integrated, built in, cd/dvd rom.

Notebooks: Notebooks are typically smaller and lighter than a laptop.  They are roughly the size of a notebook. They do not have integrated floppy or an integrated cd/dvd rom.

Tablet PCs: These are a laptop/notebook that allows you to turn the monitor completely around. They also allow the user to write information using a specialized pen.

Thinkpad: A thinkpad is a laptop/notebook designed by IBM.

Now that you have some generalized overviews of the major differences, perhaps you can focus on the specifics of the one you choose to purchase. Good Luck!