Everybody loves to ride the wave. In just about 20 or so years the world has gone from the lovable (then annoying) you’ve got mail to a place where we can’t seem to live without the Internet to support our social and work interaction. Need an answer from a co-worker two cubes away, fire off an E-mail. Need to update Aunt Sophie on how the kids are doing—shoot a quick video and send her to You Tube. Want to get new car insurance, drop by Geico.com today.
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Well hey everybody, welcome to week two of “Mike talking about handy computer programs.” If you missed it last week, I explained that for the next few weeks [link] I’ll be using my semi-substantial nerd powers to dig up some Web tools that you might find useful. This week, we’re going to cover Google Alerts.
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For the next few weeks, I thought I’d highlight a few Web applications that some of you might find useful. Not that I’m any great-and-powerful computer wizard or anything, but I do like to get my nerd on now and again. As a result of said nerdiness, I’ve picked up a few good tricks that those not permanently tethered to a computer screen like myself might not know. This week we’re going to cover one of the basics–RSS readers.
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Admittedly, I fell into the category of people believing the hype about Apple’s latest release, the iPad. I read the rumor blogs and wallowed in the speculations about futuristic features once only realized on the Jetsons*. Now, after watching Steve Jobs’ somewhat uninspired launch of the iPad I’m left thinking two things (and, no, one is not the name).
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The other day in the business section of the morning paper (yes, I still read the paper every morning) I read that General Motors was closing the doors on one-time Swedish Car brand Saab.
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The word from Orlando is cold. Outside it is cold, hitting a purported 32 degrees. Inside the the hotels it’s cold with people donning the light emergency jackets they thought they would never read. And, inside the convention hall it cold, perhaps more so from the icy grip 2009 has left on everyone, the the weather.
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Even though it is the middle of winter here in Philadelphia and a 50 mph wind is sending the windchill into single digits, I have to make the Cooladio Solar Cooler my first Product of the Week. I will admit quite a few USB drives caught my eye, but the Cooladio came out on top this time.
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Over the course of the last decade, a vast majority of Americans pulled out a great, big pair of rose-colored glasses and tricked themselves into believing our financial worth was invincible. We tricked ourselves into believing—regardless of the fact that the value of our money was declining—massive borrowing and spending was acceptable. Somehow, some way, debts would be cleared, McMansion mortgages would be met and keeping up with the Jones’ could be an attainable goal.
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I can vividly remember the day Pearl Jam’s first album was released, the first time I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and can with 100 percent certainty recall what I was wearing—flannel. Yes, that ultra soft, plaid delicacy that I also vividly remember donating when I could no longer even glance at it in my closet.
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Internet confession time: I’m pretty nerdy. This may not come as a surprise to those of you for who have been following this blog for a while, but for new readers, let me bring you up to speed.
I just recently moved, and I had to pack up about 1,500 comic books*. One of the best gifts my girlfriend has given me is an Xbox 360, which I don’t use to play sports games or shooters, but usually old Genesis games like Altered Beast and Shining Force. And maybe most tellingly, when my girlfriend first met me, she asked why there were so many toys in my room. In my defense, they were awesome “toys,” like old Transformers and classy Marvel Legends figures, but I suppose her point still stands.
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