EveryJoe |
- Using Mr. Tweet to Expand My Twitterverse
- Using GoodSync To Save Me Some Time
- DLCs the New Business Model in Gaming?
- Eraser Provides Reliable File Deletion
- 2010 All-Star Dunk Contest A Bust
- Windows Phone 7 Series
- Fred Couples Wins on Champions Tour
- Worst NFL Teams – Earliest Look
- Chick of the Day: Amber Heard
- Amare Stoudemire – Possible Destinations
| Using Mr. Tweet to Expand My Twitterverse Posted: 15 Feb 2010 08:03 PM PST Twitter continues to be a powerful tool for me for a variety of uses. It’s so much more than just a mechanism to find out and talk about where I’m eating or what I’m doing at the moment. Although I do use it for that and appreciate similar updates from others. You see it’s my opinion that all of those updates form my perception of the people I follow and who they are in reality as well.
One of the tools I’ve been using lately to get more out of my twitter use is called Mr. Tweet. The Mr. Tweet tool takes a look at those people I follow and those that follow me on the micro-blogging service. The other nice addition to the tool is that it takes a look at the gaps in my network and makes suggestions for people that I’m not following and that I may want to take a closer look at and begin following. I can find out what people are recommended by my network of followers as well as those that recommend me and that I recommend. Another nice feature is that I can also find communities of twitter users on the network based on the topics being discussed in their tweets. For example, Mr. Tweet is currently recommending that I might enjoy being a part of communities related to Microsoft, Blog World Expo, Blogging, travel and e-commerce. All of these topics are areas that interest me. The power of twitter is based on what you put into it yourself. To get a better idea of the value of what other people are putting into and how they’re using it, expand your network and learn more about your own usage with Mr. Tweet. Post from: EveryJoe Using Mr. Tweet to Expand My Twitterverse |
| Using GoodSync To Save Me Some Time Posted: 15 Feb 2010 07:02 PM PST Awhile back I gave online password manager, RoboForm a try. With my use of RoboForm I was also introduced to GoodSync. I’ve never spent a significant amount of time worrying about or using a piece of software to synchronize files between machines. Up until now.
My initial thoughts with giving GoodSync a try was to accomplish a task that takes quite a bit of time to manage for a variety of my clients. I support over 60 different WordPress installations for a variety of friends and clients. What I’m wanting to do is setup a routine with a piece of software that I can program to automatically upload updates to a variety of WordPress plugins on various FTP sites with the push of a button. I believe GoodSync will accomplish that for me. Before I get to that task though I’m just familiarizing myself with the interface provided by GoodSync and I’m finding that it’s loaded with great features that can help accomplish a variety of tasks. GoodSync provides a tool to allow you to synchronize files between systems and directories, you can also use the software to perform backup routines and services. There’s even a GoodSync2Go option that gives the ability to synchronize files to mobile devices and thumbdrives. GoodSync has also recently released GoodSync for Mac as well. I’ll follow-up with another post later when I accomplish my task of synchronizing files on various FTP sites with the push of a button. Until then, if you need to synchronize or back-up files, you can’t ask for much more than what GoodSync is going to provide you on your own systems. Post from: EveryJoe Using GoodSync To Save Me Some Time |
| DLCs the New Business Model in Gaming? Posted: 15 Feb 2010 05:14 PM PST Are DLCs shaping up to being the way the game industry does business? I was reading through my most recent Game Informer magazine [December or January edition] and came across an article called “The Road Ahead” [pg 13]. As the title of the piece suggests, it’s concerned with what’s in the future for gaming including pricing, motion controllers, predictions, hardware and software. The thing that got me thinking was a quote from Jason DeLong, senior producer for EA Canada:
Something about that statement rang true for me and we’re already seeing it to some extent. While you can still get a “full-length” game right now, you’re also seeing a lot more DLCs and add-on content than you’ve seen in the recent past. Games like Oblivion, Guitar Hero, Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands and Fallout 3 all have DLCs or add-ons that aren’t necessary to the core game but add a lot of time and content if you’re willing to pay for them. And at $60 a pop for PS3 and Xbox 360 games, a lower price point would serve to drive up sales and allow consumers to only buy the extra content they want. The Sims franchise is famous [and infamous] for this model though they go the route of a full priced base game and then offer full priced expansions and lesser priced “Stuff Packs”. What do you think of lower priced games but with half the content? Instead of a $60 game, now you get a $30-$40 game and then have the option of buying add-ons and DLCs at a later date if you’re so inclined. It’s an interesting concept and one a lot of people will get behind. But, I can’t help wondering how much the quality of the base game will suffer. Trimming a 40 hour story down to 20 hours and not leaving the player feeling like they’ve been gypped is going to be a very thin line to walk. Images/Flickr Post from: EveryJoe DLCs the New Business Model in Gaming? |
| Eraser Provides Reliable File Deletion Posted: 15 Feb 2010 04:33 PM PST I’ve been having an issue lately with my Recycle Bin not completely deleting. Even when I try to empty the Recycle Bin it still is showing that there are files undeleted, 24 of them to be exact. Initial thoughts are that it’s a virus or malware of some sort, but I have no other symptoms of something along those lines going awry.
A friend recommended I try the program Eraser. Eraser provides US Department of Defense reliable file deletion controls. So, I downloaded the program and ran the installation package to give things a try. Although Eraser didn’t fix the issue with my never-emptying Recycle Bin, it does provide some nice features that I think will cause me to keep it around for some other uses as needed. When you delete files from your system, you’re really not “deleting” them. You’re actually marking the space on the hard drive that was being used to store them as now being available again for overwriting with some other data’s information. If you really want to get rid of files you need to delete and overwrite them with some other data. Eraser provides this functionality and wraps it all in a very simple and useful interface for end-users. One of the other interesting functions available, is that you can select a specific file to be used to overwrite the data you’re trying to delete. Eraser said this was part of a plausible deniability feature. If you’re looking to delete files from your hard drive and to make sure they’re gone, download and install Eraser. Post from: EveryJoe Eraser Provides Reliable File Deletion |
| 2010 All-Star Dunk Contest A Bust Posted: 15 Feb 2010 01:36 PM PST Let’s be honest, the 2010 All- Star Dunk Contest left a lot to be desired. As one of my friend’s put it — it was hardly a contest. And the dunks were junior high at best. That’s hardly what fans expect from NBA All-Stars. Remember the Dunk Contest glory days when real stars competed? I’m talking about Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Vince Carter and his “Airness” himself, Michael Jordan. Now those were dunks. I mean, seriously. Brittney Griner could have give these guys a run for their money. The only player who put any effort and creativity in his dunks was Nate Robinson, and that’s saying a lot. Still, you have to give him some props. He did what he had to do in order to win his third Dunk Contest, which has never been done before. But as I said, it was hardly a contest. DeMar DeRozen showed glimpses of promise, but they were short lived. The NBA needs to restructure the Dunk Contest somehow, so that stars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant will want to participate. That’s the biggest problem. The major dunkers don’t want to partake in the contest anymore. So we are left with the likes of Shannon Brown (who apparently has the highest vertical leap in the league and clearly didn’t use it to his advantage) and Gerald Wallace (who put on a snooze fest). It’s time to change it up, or the Dunk Contest will become a thing of the past. For a little nostalgia, enjoy this video clip of the 1988 NBA Dunk Contest: Post from: EveryJoe 2010 All-Star Dunk Contest A Bust |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2010 01:35 PM PST We’ve got screenshots, video, specs, and analysis on Microsoft’s new smartphone OS, which has been rebuilt from the ground up. Windows Phone 7 Series ditches the nerdish conventions of the past for a slick, sexy, ultra-intuitive new interface that rivals the iPhone better than anything to hit the market. Like, ever.
Yes, I’m a diehard Apple user, but the new Windows Phone 7 Series has captured my attention in a big way — because it just oozes cool. With an OS that’s more of a mobile pocket computer than a cell phone, Microsoft is requiring strict tech specs for any manufacturer who wants to create a device for WinPhone 7. So here’s what the big deal is all about. Windows Mobile is dead. This is not its successor or “next-gen.” This is a fresh start. If you’ve seen the Zune HD, the phone’s interface will look familiar. It takes the Zune’s sublime touchscreen interface and pushes it further. Your Home screen is a collection of icons called “live tiles” that will take you to calling features, email, web browsing, multimedia, and more. But rather than being static, these icons are dynamically updated, showing real-time content like status updates from your Contacts, or your next appointment displayed on the Calendar icon. Third-party vendors can add customized live tiles to the Home screen as well. When you click on a live tile, you’ll be taken to a “hub” page, which is smarter than your typical app, connecting to Web services, applications, contacts, and more, in an effort to make staying connected to your friends and associates as simple as possible.
Two major new additions are access to Xbox Live games and Zune music and video. The Xbox Live hub lets you play Xbox Live games with friends, regardless of whether they’re on another WinPhone, PC, or an actual Xbox. This is one of the new OS’s most impressive features; no one else in the world can connect gamers together across multiple platforms in this way. MS has essentially answered the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP mobile gaming devices with something smarter, because it’s so much more than just a gaming device. Music and video are likewise synchronized with other devices through cloud-based computing.
You’ll also get integrated Bing Search (naturally), and a built-in photography function that can automatically sync up photos to your PC or Internet photo storage. Microsoft Office productivity software and other personal productivity features are tightly integrated as well.
But don’t underestimate the appeal of the gorgeous new interface. Extra large text and graphics that overlap the size of the screen are the norm, and you can use all of the now-standard flicking, scrolling, and zooming touch gestures to intuitively navigate. In short: it works the way we want technology to work. It’s intelligent, but requires no learning curve. See for yourself: The only downsides I can see are the lack of Twitter support (which could change before launch) and its inability to sync with Macs. It’s PC-only, which could be MS shooting itself in the foot. But regardless, Microsoft finally has a mobile Windows platform that the faithful and noobs alike will salivate over, and that’s something worth getting excited about. The first Windows 7 Phones are already under construction by Microsoft’s partners, and you should be able to get your hands on one by Holiday 2010. Images: Microsoft. Post from: EveryJoe |
| Fred Couples Wins on Champions Tour Posted: 15 Feb 2010 12:15 PM PST Fred Couples is 50 years old. On the PGA Tour, that’s old. On the Championship Tour, he’s a young buck. On Sunday, Couples won his first tournament on the 50-and-over tour at the ACE Group Classic. Couples and Tommy Armour III were far ahead of the field. Armour shot a 61 on Sunday to finish 16-under, however Couples’ 64 on Sunday was good enough to finish 17-under and one shot better than Armour. This was Couples first win of any kind since 2003. Remarked Couples: “That’s a long time. I am very excited that I won and I’ll keep trying to win out here.” Couples won $240,000 for his first place showing, while Armour took home $140,80. Scott Hoch, who finished third, earned $115,200. In Couples’ first tournament on the Champions Tour, he finished in second place in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Expect Couples to be high on leaderboard in most Champions Tour events.  Fred Couples wins on the Champions Tour (Image: Zuma Press) Post from: EveryJoe Fred Couples Wins on Champions Tour |
| Worst NFL Teams – Earliest Look Posted: 15 Feb 2010 11:50 AM PST We already took a look at the teams at the top of the NFL power rankings. It’s now time to take a look at the bottom. Here are the five worst teams in the NFL right now heading into next season. 1. St. Louis Rams 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3. Detroit Lions 4. Oakland Raiders 5. Kansas City Chiefs  Chiefs fans should be very thankful for Jamaal Charles (Image: Zuma Press) Post from: EveryJoe Worst NFL Teams – Earliest Look |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2010 11:40 AM PST Originally from Austin, Texas, actress Amber Heard has appeared in a variety of television shows and movies. You might have caught her in Friday Night Lights back in 2004. In 2009, you probably noticed her in a number of films including The Informers, Zombieland, The Joneses and The Stepfather. She currently has several films in production or post-production — John Carpenter’s The Ward; The Rum Diary, opposite Johnny Depp (she reportedly won the role out over Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley); and And Soon the Darkness, co-starring Odette Yustman and Karl Urban. Whether she’s blonde or brunette, Amber Heard is certainly a cutie. You also got a love her approach on what it takes to break into the business. “At first, you've got to take guest appearances on TV shows, which I did plenty of. I did plenty of topless scenes too, which are in movies for no reason other than they're topless. I paid that small price, which you have to do to go further. But I always knew what I was doing in a movie. If my role was nothing but that, I could make the decision, as an adult, whether to use it to my advantage or not.” -FHM  Image: Zuma Press Post from: EveryJoe |
| Amare Stoudemire – Possible Destinations Posted: 15 Feb 2010 11:29 AM PST The hottest name in NBA trade rumors right now is Amare Stoudemire. The All-Star forward currently of the Phoenix Suns is a wanted man around the league. Where will Stoudemire end up? Here are some possible destinations: Cleveland Cavaliers Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat Phoenix Suns  Amare Stoudemire's possible trade destinations (Image: Zuma Press) Post from: EveryJoe Amare Stoudemire – Possible Destinations |
It takes a lot to excite me in a new smartphone, because loads of them are announced daily and they all seem like attempts to dethrone the iPhone with an inferior product. There hasn’t been a phone that’s made a dramatic leap forward since Apple’s first iPhone released three years ago. There are dazzling new entries every now and then. The Blackberry Storm. Google’s Nexus One. But nothing that’s excited hardcore smartphone aficionados and casual users alike, like the iPhone did.
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