Google Wave

Are you using Google Wave yet?

Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

For a more detailed video(1 hour 20 min) click here.

Google Wave has lots of innovative features:

– Real-time: In most instances, you can see what someone else is typing, character-by-character.

– Embeddability: Waves can be embedded on any blog or website.

– Applications and Extensions: Just like a Facebook application or an iGoogle gadget, developers can build their own apps within waves. They can be anything from bots to complex real-time games.

– Wiki functionality: Anything written within a Google Wave can be edited by anyone else, because all conversations within the platform are shared. Thus, you can correct information, append information, or add your own commentary within a developing conversation.

– Open source: The Google Wave code will be open source, to foster innovation and adoption amongst developers.

– Playback: You can playback any part of the wave to see what was said.

– Natural language: Google Wave can autocorrect your spelling, even going as far as knowing the difference between similar words, like “been” and “bean.” It can also auto-translate on-the-fly.

– Drag-and-drop file sharing: No attachments; just drag your file and drop it inside Google Wave and everyone will have access.

Google Wave can be a time saver and a life saver when trying to get projects done in an office setting. Try it out with your colleagues and see how effective it can be.

Some Powerful Paint

house_painter_1Ever get suspicious of your neighbors ‘sharing’ your wi-fi internet connection when you are at home or at work. Ever feel like your neighbors ‘sharing’ overloads or compromises your wi-fi connection? Researchers say that they have found a way to solve your problems with paint. That’s right: Paint. Researchers have developed a type of paint that protects your wi-fi connection from being used by other people outside of your home or office building.

It means security-conscious wireless users could block their neighbours from being able to access their home network – without having to set up encryption.

The paint contains an aluminium-iron oxide which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi – or other radio waves – meaning the airborne data is absorbed and blocked.

By coating an entire room, signals can’t get in and, crucially, can’t get out.

Developed at the University of Tokyo, the paint could cost as little as £10 per kilogram, researchers say.

Instead of companies investing in complicated and expensive encryption software, this simple and inexpensive paint could prevent hackers from having access to secure information.

While paints blocking lower frequencies have been available for some time, Mr Ohkoshi’s technology is the first to absorb frequencies transmitting at 100GHz (gigahertz). Signals carrying a larger amount of data – such as wireless internet – travel at a higher frequency than, for example, FM radio.

“I’m working on a material that can absorb a larger range of frequencies. We are capable of making a paint that can absorb over 200 gigahertz.”

He hopes that soon the technology could be woven into clothing.

“We’re not sure about the true effects of electromagnetic waves, in this range, on the human body.

While I’m not sure if I’m ready to dip my clothes in paint, I sure am glad that there are reserachers out there working on keeping our information safe.

Gaming Glasses Keep Your Eyes Fresh?

550As technology grows and more and more people are looking at various types of screens, whether they are computer screens, phone screens, tv screens or gaming screens, one has to start to wonder what that staring at screens will do to our eyesight. Enter Gunnar Optiks, a company that is promoting and advertising ‘technology glasses’ that reduce glare and relax and create healthier eyes for technology users.

But how are these glasses any different that regular eye glasses? Is there anything to these strange, overpriced glasses?

Arstechnica interviewed optometrist Krista Anderson. Her take? “Really, it looks like a great marketing strategy for stuff I tell patients everyday.

“The tints are pretty standard in the optical community. The advantages stated are all true… they haven’t reinvented the wheel, so to speak,” she explains. The amber tint is going to increase contrast when looking at computer or television screens, and the anti-reflective coating will also help. Anderson says that should help you “get back 8-10 percent of the 12 percent of usable light that we lose to glare, when worn in front of a light-emitting source such as a computer or oncoming headlights.”

She goes on to explain that the other features are also solid. “The AR coating and hard coat are nothing that I don’t recommend to everyone ordering glasses in my practice,” Anderson tells Ars. “The ‘hydrophobic and oleophobic’ components are no different from the premium coatings I use in my practice.”

In other words, the glasses do in fact have benefits for your eyes, but it’s more a case of a handful of well-known optical techniques all aimed at helping your eyes when you look at a computer or television screen for hours at a time.”

So how should gamers and IT workers alike take care of their eyes?

1. Make sure you get annual eye examinations and have proper glasses or contacts for your eyesight.

2. If you’re interested in the Gunnar Optiks, find out how much they might cost with the size and style you’re interested in, then ask your local optometrist if they can beat the price.

3. If you can, take five minute breaks away from comptuer screens. While these breaks seem small, they relax your eyes and renew their ability to focus. Also, eye drops can help keep eyes moist and less strained.

5 Online Sites to Watch TV Without Cable

1187553_18694232I have had a few friends tell me that they have decided to go without cable TV, due to the high cost and hard economic times. At first I thought that would be hard but as different ones have told me, there are many options on the internet. And most all of us has a computer or two in our house, making watching tv on the computer not so hard to do.

1. Splash Cast Media SplashCast allows you to watch your favorite TV shows where you already spend your time online: in Facebook and MySpace. This is a fundamentally new way to watch TV.

2. Hulu Finally, TV on your terms. Watch your favorite videos right from your browser, anytime, for free. With full episodes of TV shows both current and classic, full-length movies, web originals, and clips of just about everything, Hulu is the place to watch and enjoy premium videos from the biggest names in entertainment.

3. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX – All offer free full length episodes from shows that air on their stations.

4. FreeTube A service that lets you watch live Internet TV channels online for free without the need for any special hardware, software or subscription service. We are a completely free alternative to cable or satellite television that lets you watch tv channels and tv shows online using just your browser.

5. Jump TV Offers complete end-to-end solutions for delivering premium sports, international and variety programming worldwide through the internet to consumers’ televisions or computers.

Crazy & Fun Flash Drives

Spending time on the internet looking for a flash drive, I found that there are so many crazy fun flash drives out there. Here are a few of the ones that I found, but there are so many more out there, go find the perfect one for you and make life a little more fun.

Jewel Guitar Necklace USB Flash Drive

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Hamburger USB Drive

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Fruit Plate Cake USB Drive

fd-cr-fpc-d_0

Fortune Cookies USB Drive

fd-s2-7d_0

Robot USB Drive

564gc1710-256

TweetDeck Review

logoI’m sure you have heard about TweetDeck, its been around almost a year and I hear of people using it all the time and they love it. So I figured I would download it and see what all the fuss is about.

First off, its free to download and works on Mac, Window and Linux.

TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.

Things you can do with TweetDeck:

  • Tweet directly from TweetDeck
  • View all tweets in real time
  • Use columns to create your personal dashboard
  • Create groups to easily follow friends, colleagues or other interest groups
  • Update Facebook and follow your Facebook friends
  • Never miss an important tweet with notifications
  • Share your photos and videos with Twitpic and 12seconds

So as I’m figuring TweetDeck out I see that it has some definite possibilities. I like how convenient it is, you can just pop it up on your screen and it shows you what all your friends are doing in real time. It even sends you a little notice to let you know that one of your friends has updated their status. I do like the fact that you can send videos fairly easy. Oh and how you are able to tweet or email the status of someone else, is very interesting to me, not sure if I will ever use it though, just a novelty.

Now what I am not fond of would be that anyone that uses your computer can see what direct messages you have sent. The purpose to direct messages is because you want it private. But really everything else is fine, so with that being the only snag, thats not bad.

Try TweetDeck out for yourself and see what you think. I would love to hear what you think too, please leave comments below.

How to Roast Coffee in Your BBQ

Coffee beans - office stimulantI had never heard of roasting coffee in a bbq but as I have read and heard, it is happening more often than you realize. Now you would think that roasting coffee would be difficult but they say “If you can pop popcorn, you can roast coffee”. Is it really that easy?

The first thing you need is green coffee beans. More important than the year of the crop is the quality of the bean, the preparation at origin, transportation and warehousing in country of consumption. If all of these things are done correctly, your green coffee will last for years. Check out U-Roast-Em for all your green coffee needs.

Homeroaster.com walks you through the process they used to make a coffee roaster with their bbq. They share photos of each step and a detailed tool’s list.

eHow.com also has step-by-step instructions on How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans. They use a a cylindrical roaster that you use on top of the gas bbq.

Amazon sells a COFFEE ROASTER KIT barbecue BBQ rotisserie for green coffee beans for your bbq. Roasts up to 5 Pounds of Green Coffee Beans, as much as many Commercial Units! This Coffee Roaster Kit comes fully assembled and ready to go! Fits inside of your Home Barbeque unit and attaches to your existing Rotisserie unit.

For another interesting way to roast coffee in your home, check out this article from engadget, How-To: Make a popcorn popper coffee roaster. You can also roast your coffee in your gas oven or electric oven. Making roasting at home easier yet.

Razer Piranha Gaming Headphones

31upmocu39l_aa280_Are you looking for some amazing gaming headphones? Ones that put out a crisp clean sound and don’t break the bank? Ones that wont hurt your ears when you are using them, and has realistic in-game audio? Check out the Razer Piranha gaming headphones.

Rated 4.5 out of 5, the Razer Piranha Gaming Headphones offer deep and generous bass, along with sharp highs and mid range sounds. The bass never overwhelms voice tracks and the Razer Piranha communicator headphones are simply one of the best sounding headphones. From about.com

These comfortable, ergonomic and adjustable head phones are suitable for prolonged use. Communicate clearly with your teammates through the noise-canceling microphone, even in crowded gaming environments. An audio experience with crystal clear highs and visceral bass that will satisfy the needs of the most demanding gamer.

Technical Specifications:

  • True-to-life audio quality with superior clarity and bass
  • Adjustable, noise-filtering microphone
  • Adjustable earphones
  • In-line remote control
  • Single-sided cable
  • Durable braided fiber cable protection
  • Internet telephony compatible
  • Compatible with most major operating systems
  • Usable with CD, DVD and digital audio players

If you are in the market for new gaming headphones, try the Razer Piranha. They are listed at $69.99 from the Razer website. But listed at Amazon Razer Piranha Stereo Gaming Headphones for a bit cheaper at $63.85 with free Super Saver Shipping.

Thermostat that Adapts to your Schedule

300609Schedules are constantly changing and shouldn’t we be able to set our thermostat so that it adapts to our changing schedule? With vacations, coming home late from work or being gone for the whole day but wanting it warm in the house when you get home, a thermostat that adapts to your schedule sounds like a dream. But its not a dream, its reality!

The Hot Water Heating Systems Thermostat allows you to choose a different schedule for every day of the week. Select times and temperatures that best suit your family, and you wont need to run the heater all day long when no one’s home.

Overview

  • Program seven unique schedules each week.
  • Save more money on utility bills by setting home and away times.
  • Great for families with weekly schedule variations.
  • Reduce wear and tear on your heating equipment.

The Hot Water Heating Systems Thermostat is loaded with features, including 12- or 24-hour display, temperature display in Celsius or Fahrenheit, and adjustable regulation cycles from 5 to 20 minutes. During warmer months, the thermostat will start the system once a day to keep the water pump from seizing. It also reduces wear and tear on your heating equipment by preventing short-run cycles and forcing the system to rest for 10% of the last run time before starting up again.

For remote activation, add a telephone controller (sold separately), and you can warm your vacation home just hours before you arrive! You can also program the system to switch into or out of vacation mode automatically with any home automation controller or security system that can provide 12 volts DC.

You can save money, save time, save energy and save your mind by using this Thermostat. Click here for more information.

PrivacyChoice.net – The PrivacyChoice Wizard

Privacychoice opts you out of profiling by advertising and content networks who track your behavior as you visit different websites. It consolidates scores of individual opt-out buttons from dozens of networks, including Google AdSense, DoubleClick, Yahoo! and AOL. Also Privacychoice doesn’t require you to turn-off cookies completely or manage privacy settings site-by-site.

How does opt-out wizard work?

Cookies are small files written to your computer by websites as you use the Web. They allow sites to do useful things, like remember your username from visit to visit. On a single web page, you might have cookies written by a dozen or more different third parties, including as networks that provide advertising on pages and companies that do market research. Although you might expect the site you are using to compile your profile in order to provide you with better service, you may be troubled that third parties you’ve never heard of are profiling your behavior, and using it in ways that you may not understand.

The good news is that many of these companies provide a way for you to “opt out” of profiling, by writing a special, non-unique cookie, which tells their systems not to record your behavior. Google has explained how this works, at least for their own ad networks.

The problem is that there are scores of ad networks, marketers and affiliate networks who use cookies for profiling. The wizard causes your browser to collect those cookies from all of the different networks, with only one click.

Privacychoice is free, and works in most browsers.