All Posts by Paul

Some Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals for 2013!

Paul

Black Friday 

It is coming up and I wanted to help those who might be looking for those deals to be ready to grab them when you can!   So I am going to do a small blog post about some of my sponsors who have let me in on their deals for customers.   

 

  • GlassesUSA.com – Black Friday Sale – 50% Off + Free Shipping! (Cyber Monday Sale – 55% Off + Free Shipping)
  • Black Friday Sale! 1-year plan for ONLY $49.95 at PureVPN!

  • Save up to 20% on a Roku! Love these things. I remember when I did a review of them but alas it looks like it was deleted by accident!
  • Discovery Store  — Up to 90% off best Sellers.   Shop early!
  • Thinkgeek — Save up to 60% off Black Friday Deals PLUS an additional 20% off $40+ spend with code: BLACKMAGIC – Ooooh!  Valid through 11/30
  • Acer — Get at Iconia Tablet for Only $99 while supplies last!  I did a Review on the Iconia tablets and love them!
  • Amazon — See all the Black Friday Deals and be watching for the Cyber Monday deals in the next few days!

Alas these are just the few that was sent to me and I thought it was high time I tell people about these deals.   These are some terrific deals, for like Mythbusters and if your a Geek then you will love some of these sites as much as I do!   I even recommend to people to check out Acer because I buy computers and tablets that are Acers and nothing else!   They have lasted and worked for me for so long!   If your looking to get new Glasses then try Glasses USA.   I used to have a review of it up but that also got removed.   Guess it was from me going from wordpress to here.   I might order another pair of glasses from them and review them again.   If you know of any others do leave a comment and help others find those really good deals.  

Now Disclaimer, All of these are a sponsor to my blog.   I get a small commission when you use my links to buy from them.   If you feel you are being cheated please feel free to google them.   These sponsors help me maintain my blog and keep it free!

The FAQ’s about the Acer C710-2856 and what you should know!

Paul

The Story so Far!

After buying this Acer C710-2856 and Reviewing it, people have started to ask questions about it.   I thought this would be a good time to discuss these questions and help understand what this computer can be used for.  I’m sure some of you have asked these sorts of questions in the past and thus you will want to verify this with other website but I am going to tell you what I can do on mine and hopefully I will answer some of your questions about the hardware!

Can you download files with it?

You can download anything on the web as long as you can right click on thel ink and hit save to file!  It doesn’t really have the right click moust button but if your use two fingers on the touchpad you can easily learn to do it this.  

Can I download MP3 Files and listen to them!

You can download music and listen to them offline, but you can also listen to Pandora and Spotify online without much problems!   I have had no problems listening to MP3’s that are not copy protected from Amazon US.   So if your looking to download music and listen offline it shouldn’t be a problem!

What about Video Files?

Again you can do it as long as it isn’t copy protected and does not require authorization to view the video.   I am hoping Google Play does that with the chrome book soon with regards to watching shows offline but I am sure that is a ways away!

Can I write Papers and HTML documents?

You can do this simply and easily offline as much as online.   Google has brought programs that will help you use these offline as well as online so you don’t have to be online all the time to do these.   You can open and save files to a SD card or a USB Stick easily and save them in ODT (OpenDocument Format), DOCX (Microsoft Word), PDF, TXT, RTF (Rich Text Format), and HTML or Zip files!

Can I print?

Yes and easily and safely.   You can print to other devices such as a Android Device or even a Phone.   You can also print to a PDF and save it online for later to print.   You can also use Google Cloud Print and they have several printers you can buy that will allow you to print with your Chromebook!

Can I use a VPN?

Yes you can, after looking hard and trying to find that will work for your situation.   I have found three or that will work, so far.   VPN4ALL, PureVPN, and WiTopia.   Each one of them have there benifits.  Just like VPN4ALL only gives you 5 Gigs because of it being consider a Mobile Device.   Witopia  only has 3 servers you can use but seems to work really well!  I should know I used them with the Chrome OS in the past and right now!

Playing Games on the Chromebook?

If they are online and you can access them, you should have no problems with the Chromebook.   It is only games that are Online that you can actually play using the Chromebook.   I have yet to find a Facebook game that I can’t play on it.   

Should I backup my Chrome OS?

This is a Definate yes.   The instant you buy your Chromebook, you should use a 4 gb USB drive or a 4 Gb SD card and go on your Chromebook to:

chrome://imageburner/

What are some other Chrome URLS that I could use?

I thought it would be fun to at least show you a few good Chrome URLS that you might need to know or at least enjoy playing around with on your Chrome OS:

 

  • chrome://predictors/  (Great fun see which links you go to alot and see how Google predicts which ones are most likely going to be put in)
  • chrome://settings/  (This is for your system settings and can be great resource for those who might need to change something in your Chrome OS!)
  • chrome://system/  (Everything you need to know about your system at your figure tips!)
  • chrome://downloads/ (If you decide to download anything, this is the URL to go to find those downloads)
  • chrome://bookmarks/ (This is where your bookmarks are kept and stored.   So if you need to get to them easily this is the place to go)
  • chrome://chrome-urls/ (This is where you find these a some other ones you might need to know down the road.   So keep learn these and you have a better chance at using the Chrome OS to the fullest!)

As you can see I have had a few weeks to play around with this little OS and actually starting to get a hang of it.   If you have a question that I didn’t answer let me know and I’ll try answering it on the blog or by email.   I hope this helps those who had questions.   This isn’t a bad little system once you figure out what you can and can’t do with it!

 

 

 

What I have learned from Person of Interest Show!

Paul

Person on Interest!

When I first started watching this show, I thought it was unique but then last year we had the revelation of the Snowden contraversy and how the government was collecting all sorts of information.  Then this became so relevant to the government and how they are collecting my information.   You will see in this show so much talk about how they are collecting it.   It is scary and I am sure the Government has put this out to help have a plausible deniability factor to it.   I know I am going to have conspiracy theories tell me all sorts of stories, and frankly I am not interested.  This is my take on the show and here it is!

Bluetooth Force Pairing

To some this is impossible, and to some like me it is possible but highly unlikely.   I however tend to be more paranoid than most and think this is probably happening more than most would care to admit.   People have shown how to pair without confirmation in many situations and thus that I why I believe this is happening in today’s society without your knowledge.   Again this go back to the Plausibility factor, so who really knows this is after all I good reason to keep your cellphone secure as you can by turning off Bluetooth when not in use!

There will Always be a FINCH!

This is self evident in the series, he can hack and do all sorts of things that makes your head spin.   We have hackers and crackers who do this sort of stuff all the time but in much less detail and much less exposure.   I am sure they do not do all this stuff but they do some of it without your knowledge and without much publicity.   They probably have gotten into people’s Facebook accounts without your knowledge also!

Only the Paranoid Survive!

This is a quote from FINCH also, the geek humor of it is what struck me as funny.  Those who are paranoid have good reasons to worry and be cautious of what everything we do online.   It is good to be asking questions about what is going on and trying to keep our personal information safe.  It is sometimes hard to fight for your rights.   That was one reason I tell people to use a VPN service like VPN4ALL and that way you can keep your bank information and your identity from those who could do the most damage! 

As you can see I have been watching this show for the past few weeks going back and starting from Season 1 of Person of Interest and it is quite interesting and somewhat scarey what they do on the show.   It keeps me wondering just how much of this is true and how much of it is made up.   Only time can tell what really is true but you have to wonder and ask questions.   Could this be true?

My Problems with Virgin Mobile and the ZTE AWE!

Paul1 Reply

Virgin Mobile likes to mislead people!

When I was researching this phone, I saw this on their website and thought well it looks to be promising and that I could pay the extra 15$ and be able to teether my phone to my laptop whenever I needed to.  Even though, I am simply am enjoying this new phone of mine.   The idea that they made me believe that I could easily without effort pay them to allow me to teether my phone is simply absurd.   I shouldn’t have to circumvent the new security feature in Android 4.1.2 which  Google decided to break tethering and prevent people from using those so called teether apps.   I have yet to find one that will work.

Calling all Geeks!

I’m going to have to probably root the phone and install a Cyanogen mod on it to be able to use the tethering option on the phone.   I would however like to keep it the way it is.   Rooting the AWE be to much trouble for me right now.   Since I am mainly using a Chrome Book and have yet to install a Linux Distro to the machine.   I’d have to do that first before I could even root the device and you know how that is!

Does Anyone know of an app that will do that without having to break the warranty of the phone as Virgin Mobile told me over the phone?   I would break the warranty if I rooted the phone.   LOL That was a laugh.   If you know of an app in the Google App store please leave a comment and help everyone out who might have the same problem!   

Best Security Apps for your iPhone (Guest Post)

Paul

iPhone 4's Retina Display v.s. iPhone 3G

Security has always been an important concern for smartphones. With these gadgets coming with features that enable us to easily access our e-mail, bank accounts and many other private features, it is mandatory that you have security features that keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. There are a few apps that help you to prevent strangers or malicious software from accessing your phone. Here is a list of some useful apps for the iPhone.

 

Kryptos:

Kryptos is one of the few apps designed to provide secured VoIP. If you are worried that someone is spying your phone conversations done through Internet, this app is the best solution you can get. It is already being successfully used by thousands of people whose professions demand that they need to maintain their phone conversations secret. Its functionality is very simple; It encrypts the phone signals using the Advanced Encryption Standard which is military grade and impossible to decrypt. It is mandatory that both the people who are making the call should have the Kryptos installed in their phones. You need to pay ten dollars a month to use this app.


 

Find My iPhone:

Find My iPhone is the security app that is installed on most iPhones. In case you forget your phone or it gets stolen, this app helps you track it down. The iPhone comes with pre-installed GPS-assisted location tracking features which are used by this app. You can track your phone from any Apple device or Apple’s website. Tech-savvy thieves can disable it, but if you track it quickly, you can find your iPhone. This app comes for free and is created by Apple itself.

Norton Snap:

These days, we are finding QR codes on almost everything – from business cards to movie posters. a QR code is a multi-dimensional bar code series which has to be scanned by your phone’s camera. Now, it immediately takes you to a web link – as a QR code is a URL in encrypted form. Here, you are very vulnerable as a hacker can easily put a fake QR code such that it points to a malicious website. In this way, the private information in your phone can be stolen. Norton Snap saves you from such dangers. It reviews the URL that the QR code points to and pops up a warning message if it a harmful link. 

Foscam Surveillance Pro:

Do you have to monitor you house live while you are away? All you need to have is an IP camera, an internet connection and the Foscam Surveillance Pro app. All the activity at your home can be seen on your iPhone’s screen. If your camera has pan or tilt feature, you can move it by controlling it with a virtual joystick from the screen of your iPhone. Using a Foscam made IP camera brings you many more additional features.


Some Internet service providers offer good levels of security other than that just providing you the broadband service. I came to know about this when I called the

 

Author Bio:

Melody Cleo is a passionate blogger from Manchester, UK. In is free time, she writes articles on various topics such as technology, gadgets, travel…etc. As of now she is focusing on Sky Contact Number, which provides information regarding broadband services, radio services and television services.