Quick Note on Power

     Well, the word power means many things.  This time we are focusing on two of them.  First, the meaning as it applies to electricity.  Digital Fruit is taking steps to advance our production of power as I've stated before.  And the second meaning, as it applies to knowledge.  I've obtained material that will allow me to study basic and digital electronic circuits.  It's been fun getting to play with all sorts of new circuits, and that I can see new parts that I haven't gotten to work with before.  I'm hoping that this recent investment made in the name of progress for Digital Fruit really will yield fruit, and that I'll be able to use these experiences to help other people.  So for now, signing out.

Hope for your videos and cassettes

     Well, this post originally started out as one to help people realize that their precious moments can be saved from older media types like cassettes, both audio and video, or 35 mm film.  But the subject matter is so broad in its scope that I'm having to scale it down into several miniature articles that will have to released in series just to cover each type of media that we will be working with.  So over the next couple of posts we will be discussing how to up-date several different media types into new digital file that can be burned and saved to anything you want.  This is perfect for home movies or recordings of a child's piano recital or choir concert that you have saved onto media that a computer can't normally process on it's own.  So, starting with the next post, which will be on ripping audio from anything from audio cassettes to old records and more, we will cover many methods of preserving your precious memories.

Careful what you click

     I know that I've said this before about fake antiviruses, and it may be redundant, but I feel it needs to be said again, Be Careful What You Click!  I'm reading horrible numbers about how people are clicking their way into viral infection.  So once again, if you aren't sure about the content of something, then don't click on it.
    What prompted today's warning is the rising number of people falling prey to the cybercriminal tactic of hijacking a persons Facebook or MySpace account and sending out fake invitations.  I was just reading in the March 4 issue of USA Today about the millions of people computers reported to have infections from these botnets.   So, if some one sends you an unexpected invitation to view photos about a trip your not sure about, or invites you to see some video of a barbecue no-one recorded, then don't click it, call them and ask what's up.  It's better than finding out too late.
     Or better yet, don't use the social networks at all.  Tech guru's have been deriding them from the very start as places rampant with security problems and annoyances, and they generally amount to brain fluff anyways.  I personally run a MySpace account, at the insistence of someone I know, and I can tell you that there are easier ways to transmit your information to the people you care about.  So, if you already have one of these social networking accounts, close it, and if you don't, don't get one.  Its just safer.
     And on that note, I'm signing out for tonight.

Product I want Pick

     So tonight's pick of product is something I haven't really thought about lately, mainly because I made a good buying decision a couple of years ago.  Today's pick is that of an HP printer, the variety, a home model Photosmart.  The HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One wins this round.  I haven't had the pleasure of owning this model yet myself, but from all of my personal experience, and from what I know about ink usage, the Photosmart Premium is probably the best bet for an all-around home printer.
     With a touch screen for easy printing when not connected to your computer, and the easy of use that I've seen in test models, this printer can be operated by almost anyone.  The picture quality is top notch, and with a little know-how I'll discuss in a later article titled "Printer Tricks For Top Quality", you'll get some of the most amazing prints you'll ever see.
     Also, the Premium is designed for connectivity.  With the ability to wirelessly connect with your computer over a home network, and also the ability to connect to a wired home network for superior speed, this thing is ready for everyone to use.  And even more useful, it even has a bluetooth connection, so a bluetooth enabled computer can connect directly without any additional hardware, just plug in the printer, turn on bluetooth, and use your computers bluetooth to connect.
     But probably one of my favorite features is that it runs on the very cost effective 564 ink cartridge set.  These high quality photo inks are also very high quality on price.  Each color XL cartridge is rate for an average page yield of about 750 pages, and only cost on average around $17US.  This makes this one of the most affordable printers that HP has out on the market right now.
     This is my product pick for today, but remember, when purchasing your own printer, no matter the manufacture or type, pay attention to ink cost.  Most of the smaller and less expensive printers actually have higher priced ink cartridges, which means they can quickly cost you more than that of the more expensive printer that takes a more efficient cartridge.  A little online research never hurts.

Mobile News

Hey, quick updated. We just got in some HP series 74/75 ink in the combo pack. Price is $30.00 per pack with limited supply.

Wonders of the Internet (Part 1)

     Isn't the internet a wondrous place?  So many things to do and see, and so many people to meet.  It's like the ultimate convention of people like you.  You can shop, you can show off, you can just sit down and watch a little TV, all from the same screen.  And if you're in the know enough, you can even make money via the internet.  So this post is about the last part, leveraging the web for monetary reasons.  How does someone make money on the web, you ask?  The ways are almost as varied as the net itself.
     First, and possibly the least amount of work, depending on how devoted you are to it, is to set up a website or blog and monetize it.  This process can range from easy(such as starting a blog here on Blogger and clicking the monetize tab) to extremely complex(Managing several websites, domains, feeds, and setting up search, and running ads from a variety of carriers, such as Google and Yahoo).   This is one of the most passive forms of money-making on the net, as all you really have to do is post every once in a while on your blog and hope people click on the Google ads posted on your site.  So, if you are willing to put at least some effort into this, it can turn you a few bucks.
     Next is active working sites.  The only site that I have found at this point that has you actively participating in the work flow of the internet is Mechanical Turk, run by Amazon.  Mturk for short, this site has two sides.  You can either log in as a requester, or a worker.  As a requester, you put up a HIT(human intelligence task), and set up an amount for payment.  As a work, you sift through all the HITs available until you find one that interests you and is for a price you deem fair.  You then select it and complete the work for the HIT online and get paid once the requester looks over your work.  These on average are things like identifying objects in photographs, answering questions, or checking web links to see if the site is still there and works. (warning! These HITs are intended to be relatively quick and easy to accomplish, if there is a HIT that seems to require a lot of work, but offers a high dollar value, it is probably a scam, or isn't worth wasting your time on, you could probably make more money faster doing the smaller ones.)  This is one of my favorite ways to while away some time on the net and get paid for it, you just have to get used to the monotony.
     Another way to help you make money on the net are the highly popular online auction sites like Ebay.  These sites allow you to post and sell almost anything, and if you've read or watched much of the news in the past decade, you know that I mean anything.  So, if you have things lying around that you'd rather get rid of, post them online for sale or trade.
     Then there are online periodical publishing sites like AOL's Seed.  This site is new, and really cool.  If ever you've wanted to be a freelance writer or photographer, this site is the way to start.  You just go on, sign up, and start looking through the titles that Seed wants to publish.  You select one of the articles to write, follow the instructions for length and subject matter, and then post your work. (For photography your directions are subject matter and composition, and you just post it like it was being posted to an online photo album).  The payout is about what you'd expect for freelance article writing, plus, it gets you published on the web.  I haven't had much luck on this site yet in terms of acceptance, but I also haven't spent much time writing anything but this blog recently.
     So, here are some starters for web wonders that pay.  Look into some of these if you're interested, but always remember, with these sorts of things, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Irony

     Its funny sometimes how just a little thing like a misspelled word can make a difference.  I was just checking up today on how the site is doing, and found that it appears on a search listing for Google as number 3! But then I realized that it was because I can't spell well and had somehow managed to post something with a spelling error, even with the mighty spell-check turned on.
     What this has to do with computer tech is this;  it is an object lesson.  A person should always realize that computers are not perfect, and they make as many mistakes as human beings.  So be careful how much you depend on your computer, because they are no substitute for your own personal knowledge.  That said, my post is done