Mind(Tech)nica

We are moving!

2011-12-03T00:49:00.001-07:00

This blog is moving! It is being merged with my other blog Mindchaotica so you can catch all the awesome posts that we have over there. !

Have an awesome day!

What Is Mind(Tech)nica?

2011-12-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

So what is this little bloggity blog all about? Well it is about all things Geek. Geek Movies, Geek TV, Geek Books. It is about Technology, and Gadgets, and Widgets, and all that stuff that gets a Geek's heart to pitter patter glee, and joy, and geek like giggles.

This will be a site By Geeks for Geeks. Now I am only a one man show here and Hopefully I can get the dust off the dormant shelves and get things moving here. Now this is also a Blog that I am going to be doing a lot of experimenting with, different styles, different ways of writing and designing. So don't be too surprised if there are a lot of changes going on. I will always try to give a heads up, when a major change is a foot.

Anyways, I hope you all will have a good time, have fun, and most of all Be Proud of your Geek!

Video: John Carter Trailer

2011-12-01T10:47:00.001-07:00

Here is the Trailer for the very awesome looking John Carter from Mars movie. I found this on Ain't it Cool News, and they found it on IGN.

It's Been Forever! I know!

2011-11-29T13:09:00.001-07:00

I know I know It's been forever since I posted anything here. However I come bearing Geeky Gifts cause 'tis the season of Giving!

I Present to You the Awesome trailer for the Long awaited movie The Avengers!

Make sure you get the sticker on GetGlue!

Introducing your Next TV

2010-05-21T00:05:00.003-06:00

Google Powers My T.V...Sorta

2010-05-03T02:28:00.000-06:00

Google this month at the Google I/O Conference will be debuting a new project called Google TV. The Tech Blog are lit up about the Possibility of having an Android powered device that would connect to your existing TV and would allow you to Stream Music, Movies, and YouTube. Personally as a Self-Proclaimed Google Fanboy, I love the Idea. Only Google didn't come up with it first.

TiVo did. In Fact if you go check out TiVo's website you will see that the TiVo Premier can stream YouTube, NetFlix, Blockbuster, Amazon OnDemand, as well as Record up to Two TV channels with your current Cable or Satellite Provider.

Don't get me wrong, I want to get my hands on the Google TV box. It will be awesome, and if i can sync my Android powered phone to it, that would even be more awesome. However, Google TV isn't ground breaking, in fact in isn't even a new idea. However Google will dominate the Market in very short order, as long as it does more then just Stream Video from the Internet.

However having just said all of that, let me give you a glimpse into the future of Entertainment. It will be on the Interwebitubes, and it will replace Movie Theaters, and Cable TV, and even Satellite TV. Recording TV will become a thing of the Past. Your Grand kids, or possibly your great grand kids will be asking you. "Why did you record tv," and you will answer because when i was a Kid, not everything was on the Internet.

Having the Internet everywhere is slowly becoming a reality. I would venture to guess that over the course of the next 5 to 10 years we will truly be always connected.

This Isn't your Dad's PC.

2010-03-15T08:00:00.005-06:00

In 3 years time, you will have graphics on your mobile device that are as good or better then the PS3 or Xbox you have right now, and Your mobile device will have multiple processors. They will give the notebook, or PC you have right now a run for it's money. The PC, is going to the cloud, and it is going more mobile then ever before. This isn't a guess, it will be the Reality of the Evolution of the PC over the next 5 years.

The Computer has gone from taking up an entire basement, to sitting on your desktop, to being able to sit on your lap, to sitting in the palm of your hand. over the span of about 40 years or so, give or take a few years. Having Local media on a hard drive will be a thing of the past. You will be able to access your media and documents from the cloud. Google is a biggest player in the cloud computing field. With the Mobile OS Android, and with the Cloud based Chrome OS. They will be at the forefront of Cloud Computing. Here is a quick little video explaining the idea behind Chrome OS.

Microsoft is in the rare position of playing not only catchup, but they are still trying to grasp the changing face of the OS. Once the OS starts to reside in the cloud, They won't be able to charge for every update. Microsoft right now is trying to figure out if SaaS (Software As a Service) is going to be feasible for them, and what the Price Structure is going to be in the future.

Google is the leader right now, and they aren't charging for it at the moment. Something that Microsoft is strugling with as they try to find their place in the "New World". Another Company that is forge it's way into the Cloud Computing Wild West, is JoliCloud. They are a bit of a Dark Horse if you will, and could give Google a run for it's very large bank account.

Just a Quick Post

2010-03-13T22:38:00.001-07:00

Hey There!

I know It has been awhile since i have posted anything. that will be changing very soon. As I have the ability to post more often. Also you may have noticed a new look for the blog. I hope you like it!

Wi-Fi was just Made Easier!

2009-10-14T13:20:00.000-06:00

LOOK! A Press Release!

Wi-Fi Alliance® announces groundbreaking specification to support direct Wi-Fi connections between devices

Upcoming Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Wi-Fi Direct program will make it easy to connect devices directly to one another in a new kind of Wi-Fi network

Austin, Texas, October 14, 2009 - Wi-Fi devices will soon be able to connect in a new way that makes it more simple and convenient than ever to do things like print, share and display. The Wi-Fi Alliance is nearing completion of a new specification to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office, or hotspot network. The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to begin certification for this new specification in mid-2010, and products which achieve the certification will be designated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct.

The specification, previously code-named "Wi-Fi peer-to-peer," can be implemented in any Wi-Fi device, from mobile phones, cameras, printers, and notebook computers, to human interface devices such as keyboards and headphones. Significantly, devices that have been certified to the new specification will also be able to create connections with hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED legacy devices already in use. Devices will be able to make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously.

"Wi-Fi Direct represents a leap forward for our industry. Wi-Fi users worldwide will benefit from a single-technology solution to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily among devices, even when a Wi-Fi access point isn't available," said Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "The impact is that Wi-Fi will become even more pervasive and useful for consumers and across the enterprise."

The specification targets both consumer electronics and enterprise applications, provides management features for enterprise environments, and includes WPA2® security. Devices that support the specification will be able to discover one another and advertise available services. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct devices will support typical Wi-Fi ranges and the same data rates as can be achieved with an infrastructure connection, so devices can connect from across a home or office and conduct bandwidth-hungry tasks with ease.

"With Wi-Fi technology already shipping in millions of consumer electronics devices and handsets every year, this is a terrific innovation for the industry," said Victoria Fodale, senior analyst and market intelligence manager at In-Stat. "Empowering devices to move content and share applications without having to join a network brings even more convenience and utility to Wi-Fi-enabled devices."

The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to publish its peer-to-peer specification upon completion, and will begin certifying devices for the Wi-Fi Direct designation in 2010. Only Wi-Fi Alliance member companies will be able to certify devices to the new specification.

Google Wave Overview

2009-10-13T06:51:00.001-06:00

So I have access to Wave now. I am still learning my way around this new and exciting communications platform. however if you don't have a clue what i am talking check out the video. Two of the Product Managers will explain just what Google wave is.

Augmented Reality: Gen 1.0

2009-08-28T23:59:00.051-06:00

So I downloaded a new App on my HTC T-Mobile G1 with the Google Android OS, called Layar 2.0. This is the first generation of augmented reality. As this technology goes forward it will start to be integrated into our daily lives over the next 10 to 15 years as the technology develops.

At the University of Washington they are currently working on a contact lens that would work as a sort of Heads Up Display on a more individual level. It will connect wirelessly and then will be able to give you information on the object your looking at, GPS directions, as well as lots of other information.

(video via www.itvt.com)

Augmented Reality will be something that over the course of the next 10, 15, and 20 years from now, will be something that will change the way we view the world, and it will be something that will be a game changer in the world of technology.

Love Is Simple

2009-08-21T08:10:00.001-06:00

Ok so this is outside of the regularly schedule programing but just as important all the same I found this over on, http://poeticbondage.blogspot.com/ and I thought it was something that should be shared

clipped from www.enchanteddiaries.com

2) “When someone loves you, the way they say your name

is different.You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
Billy - age 4

7) “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”

6) “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”Terri - age 4

10) “If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,”

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

11) “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”

Noelle - age 7

12) “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”

Tommy - age 6

16) “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.”

Chris - age 7

17) “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”

Mary Ann - age 4

mindtechnica Tumblr

2009-08-19T11:12:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone!

You can now you submit Technology related stuff to the new Mindtechnica Tumblr by either submitting it to mindtechnica@tumblr.com , or to http://mindtechnica.tumblr.com/submit ..

So if you find an awesome tech story, or if you have an awesome tech story just submit it and you get all the credit for the story, or for finding the story.

Have a Great Day!

You might have noticed

2009-08-13T07:39:00.004-06:00

Hey There!

So you might have noticed a couple of discreet ads both in the feed and on the blog. I will try to keep it to a minimum, however if you would be so kind as to click on the ads here and there that would be awesome. The More clicks there are the more money I can put towards making this blog into a site, and The more money I make from ads means I can devote more time to this blog.

Also I would like to announce, that I am available for Technology Consulting. Just email mindtechnica@gmail.com for more information on what the rates are going to be, my rates are flexible to the size of your business.

that's everything for now. I will be back soon with a proper post.

The Student vs. 21st Century Learning. (Round 3)

2009-07-27T07:39:00.004-06:00

The new school year is fast approaching, and your kids are going to need to be equipped with the Tech tools that will help them succeed this year. I will cover several tools that will help both you and your child get the 21^st century edge.

Netbooks ($279-399)

Dell, HP, Asus, as well as several other PC makers, have been working on making the Laptop even more ultra-portable. The Netbook uses Windows XP, and it will be able to handle Windows 7 when it hits the market later this year. Some PC makers are even experimenting with Google Android, and once it is released the Google Chrome OS.

The Netbook makes a great choice for a student that wants to be able to take class work to another level, and get ahead of the curve. The can do word-processing, surf the web for research on class projects and be able to do power point presentations in class.

A Side Note: I have always felt that over the course of the next 15 to 20 years, kids are going to go to school be handed a Netbook type device, that would be an integration of PC, Amazon Kindle, and Smartphone. This is a device that would be given to them at kindergarten and would follow them throughout their educational career.

E-Readers

The Amazon Kindle($299-$489) has taken the E-Reader to a new level. The E-Reader is a device that allows you to read books, magazine, and blogs. It is a device that could in the very near future hold every single book your child(ren) would ever need for the current year of school. The books can be wirelessly loaded on to the Kindle. The Kindle is a rechargeable, and is lightweight. So it is a great way to replace all the heavy books that kids have to carry around these days.

I think anything that encourages to kids to read is a good thing. Although this device is a bit on the high side, however I think it is well worth the investment.

The Smartphone

With the iPhone, the HTC Android phones, and the Windows Mobile devices, kids are able to e-mail assignments, instant message friends about class presentations, and take notes about that assignment on the Civil War in class. The iPhone has a free Kindle App, which you can get in the App store. It also has thousands of educational Apps.

The Android App Store has hundreds of Apps for Reference, and productivity that a student could use during the school day.

So just a few options for the 21^st Century Student, and a few tools that I hope will help give your children an awesome school year.

G1 Android App Review

2009-07-19T13:48:00.001-06:00

Hey There!

So i know i have been somewhat remiss in posting here lately however, that is the cost of having a day job.

So I would like to review a G1 Android app that I have been using for a while now. It is Called Mileage, and it allows you to help you keep track of your fuel usage and the cost associated with it. I Really like this app it is very handy and gives out the kind of information that is useful.

To start off when you first open the app you will see the input fields are nice and simple. Price per gallon, Gallons of Fuel, Odometer, and it has the option to check if it is just a partial fill up. like if you had half a tank and filled it up, or if you only put in 5 bucks, it is a great option to have, and make the other information more accurate.

Once you have filled everything out and hit save you can check out the History Tab. here it gives you basic information. Such as Date of Entry, Miles Per Gallon, Price you paid and how much fuel you filled up with. The next two tabs are where things get really interesting. They are the Statistics Tab and the Charts Tab.

The Statistics Tab Gives you all the information on the Distance Between Fill-ups, Fuel Economy, Fuel Prices, Fill-up Cost, Fuel Amounts, and Fuel Expenses. With the 1st Category, Distance Between Fill-ups, It give you the Average, Maximum, Minimum, and Last breakdown. It is really helpful in trying to figure out just how far that tank of gas took you, and whether or not you got the most out of it. The next Category, Fuel Economy, lets you know if your getting the best Fuel Mileage. Being able to track this aspect is very important because if your Vehicle is at the start of having an issue, a drop in fuel mileage is a great early indicator, and could save you thousands of dollars in repairs.
The 3rd Category is Fuel Prices, and This is something that can really let you know just how much you are spending and where the Gas prices are trending for you personally. It also lets you know the Average price you are spending per gallon. the 4th Category is Fill-up Cost. This is very handy if you have a business that uses a lot of fuel, it could help you set your per mile price, and let you know the real cost of operating your vehicle on a daily basis. The 5th Category is Fuel Amounts, and it lets you know average fuel amount per fill-up, how much fuel you have use per 1000 miles, and that leads us into the last Category Fuel Expenses, It lets you know the Per Month and Per Year money you have spent on fuel. Of course as you use the App and more information is input, the more accurate the app can be on your fuel consumption.

The Final Tab is the Charts tab, it is pretty straight forward and just puts the previous information into a graph form.

I give this app 5 out of 5. It is an awesome app and it is the simplicity that makes it such a great app to have on your Android Phone.

Autobots! Rollout!

2009-06-26T17:16:00.004-06:00

Now I have been reading a lot of the reviews of Transformers. And they were mostly negative reviews. However I just watched Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen. And it was awesome. I grew up watching the 80's cartoon. I had all the Transformer Toys and i always got up early on Saturday morning to watch the cartoon.

Transformers 2 starts out 17,000 BC telling the story of how the Autobots and the Decepticons had been to earth before. From there it moves to modern time times and we pick up with the Autobots and they have teamed up with the US military apparatchiks and are now part of a secret part of the military helping with the Hunting down of other decepticons. Once that has been established we then find Sam getting read to go off to collage. and let the action begin.

It was action packed from beginning to end. and it was an awesome movie and i didn't find anything all the wrong with it. It was another Baytasic movie, with lots of Bayham. oh and lots of things go BOOM! which i found to be awesome!

I felt that the humor in the movie, although uneven, was good and it made me laugh. It was one of the things I loved best about the Cartoon. it had humor to it. I am wholeheartedly excited when they get around to making another one to going out and seeing it.

Autobots! Rollout!

There are Changes Coming!

2009-06-19T18:10:00.003-06:00

So I have been doing a lot of thinking about where i want this blog to go. and I have decided that I would like to cover more then just Technology, I have been thinking that i would like to be able to write about anything that crosses my interest as well as the normal Geek thinks i am interested in. So i am going to be writing about TV, Movies, Books, Tech, Car, Racing and many other things.

So I am hoping that this will be something that will motivate me to post more often. and will have post that you will be able to comment on and have the blog be more interactive. I hope you will enjoy the changes that will be coming your way.

A History of “Surfing” The Web

2009-06-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

No, this isn’t about Surf Boards, this is about which Web Browser will be the best fit. There are about 4 to 5 different Web Browsers out there that are descent. You have Internet Explorer (IE), there is Mozilla Firefox, which is a descendant of Netscape Navigator, and I’ll explain more of that a bit later. There is Google Chrome, and then Apple Safari.

Internet explorer (IE), is the one of the oldest browsers in the list and the one that most people use by default, because it is loaded with the Windows OS. Which Microsoft has gotten into some trouble in the past for doing. Recently Microsoft made a deal with the EU (European Union) to not include IE with the version of Windows 7 that they will ship to that part of the world.

IE8 is the most current version of the browser, which has seen some improvements although they have come only after they started to lose market share. With this being the 8th generation of the browser it is really amazing how far it has come since it was first introduced in 1995. IE has been the default browser for Window for almost 15 years. Considering that Bill Gates once said that the Internet would just be a passing fad.

IE8 has Tabbed Browsing, Favorites (Bookmarks), a privacy mode, and many other features. Tabbed Browsing has been brought over from IE7, and was first introduced with FireFox. A lot of people have a love/hate relationship with IE as it hasn’t always been the best browser. IE was the response that Microsoft had to Netscape, which was the 2nd Generation graphical browser based on Mosaic.

Mosaic was the first browser people could use to “Surf” the web, and see pictures on a website. It would be this browser that would change forever the way we see the internet. Mosaic was unleashed on the world in 1993. It is the base code that both Netscape and Microsoft would later use.

Since that time the internet has changed and evolved. We have our choice of which browser we want to use when we use the internet. For Example Firefox, this as I mentioned earlier, is a descendant of Netscape. Firefox has been the first real competitor to IE since Netscape was first introduced in 1994. FireFox has several Features that is pushed the Boundaries of what a browser can do. The First is what FireFox calls an Add-On or extensions, which expand the functionality of the Browser. You can on Add-ons for Twitter, an international clock and there is even an extension for being able to post blog entries without having to leave the page you were on. IE is only starting to catch up with Firefox.

Google has just recently introduced their browser. It’s called Google Chrome, and it’s Google’s first step into changing the way that people view the internet. At first glance it looks like a browser you would have for your young kids. However upon further inspection it is a browser that has taken the concept and simplified it. It is what Google does best, take a concept that has been done, and then over done, and then they Simplify it. They Did it with Browser based Search, and then again with Gmail, and now they are doing it with the Browser.

Apple Safari is a browser that was once only a Browser that Apple PC users could have, however Apple has over the last few years been slowly changing that, and has made it available to Windows Users. It is similar to both Windows IE8 and FireFox in the features that it offers. However its layout is different In that it is similar to using iTunes. Although I can see the benefit of using a familiar layout, in this case I think it is more of a hindrance, then a help for people not use to using Apple products.

So there you have it a bit of history and a bit of comparison. I hope this has helped you in better understanding the browser you’re using.

The Next Gen OS

2009-06-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

The Next Generation of Operating System is being used and developed right now. It was originally intended as an OS for the smartphone segment. However because of it's flexibility and by how lightweight the Google Android OS is poised to elevate the PC. The way Windows did with the introduction of Windows 95, and The Android OS will take the PC to the Cloud.

Microsoft dropped a ball, and Google Picked it up. The Android OS is a work in progress, It is open source, and that makes it a very flexible OS, that will allow the users, to make it what they want it to be.

In looking at the trend of next Gen OS's everything from the iPhone's OS to Window's Mobile to WebOS from Palm to Windows 7. Only the Google Android OS seems to be the most flexible in going from Mobile OS to a Desktop or even a Netbook OS. It is the nature of Open Source to be mutable, and lightweight.

Closed Ecosystems, such as Snow Leopard (OS 10) by Apple, or the Windows OS are doomed to die, it is the flexible Open Source OS that will survive the constant change that Technology Goes through year after year, decade after decade. I could see in the next 10, or 15 years from now. Buying a Netbook from Best Buy and it having the Android OS as the Default OS, or even Schools at the start of Kindergarten all the way to Post Graduate School having Students that have never picked up or used the Traditional School Book.

The Next Gen OS will have to be flexible, it will have to be lightweight. Because it will be a multi-use OS that will be customized to the needs of the end user. Whether it is for the Educational System, Medical Industry, or the home user. The Next Gen OS won't be the same for every user. It will be flexible to the home users needs, and wants.

The Future OS will be unlike the Operating System of today. It will be the stepping stone of the future technology that we have yet to see, and that we can only dream of right now.

The Internet vs Cable

2009-06-02T12:52:00.001-06:00

I was just reading an article on Ars Technica about how the Cable industry is scared stiff at how the Internet is starting to edge them out because there is a perception that if it is on the Internet its must be free. With Services Like Joost, and Hulu, as well as being able to go to NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox to watch any episodes of your favorite show you might have missed. What's the point of paying for cable if you can just watch it on the web as streaming video.

Which as the Ars Technica article points out is why the Cable companies have started to Cap Bandwidth, and introduce Bandwidth limits. Despite the customer outcry about such actions, you could almost say that the Cable Industry is starting to play unfair. Try to stifle the competition by limiting the way consumers are able to access the content they want on a service they pay for.

As I have mentioned before, the way you view your entertainment is changing, and unless the Industry as a whole changes with it, it will slowly die a painful death. The TV, and Cable Industries are prime examples of this process. Broadcast TV is less a part of that notion since they have taken aggressive steps in adopting new technology. NBC, ABC, FOX, and other networks started as a response to their content being uploaded to YouTube, and other Online Video sites.

More and More content will be in the Cloud and won't be exclusive to your TV Set. Even Movies are starting to head to the Cloud. In the next 20 to 30 years. You might not have to go to the theater, you just log into your Hulu.com account select the movie you want, and then they charge your card for the movie, and you never even had to leave your house.

There will always be free media content on the Internet. How the Cable Industry reacts to it will determine if it survives or not.

Technology vs. Entertainment Industry.

2009-06-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

We have all heard about the crazy things that the Music Industry has done to fight the onward march of technology. However at some point they give up accept that which they will never be able to change and have learned how to make money from the technology they have fought against.

The Digital age has been the biggest challenge for the Music industry yet. MP3's and iPod's, and P2P networks, have vexed they industry since Napster was just an underground movement that only Geeks and Collage students knew about. The Industry then started to sue every one it could for using Peer 2 Peer network. Sometimes with mixed results and most of the time getting Grandma and Grandpa Public who had their grand-kids over, and they were the ones that got 2 or 3 songs.

Instead they should have just embraced the technology and worked to learning about it, and then worked on a way to make the money. It would have saved a lot of time and billions of dollars. If they had embraced instead of feared the technology. The Same goes for the Movie Industry as well. It is the want for control that has the Entertainment Industry trying to make everyone into criminals, just for showing a movie in a classroom. A History Teacher that wants to go a section of "The Blue and The Gray" to highlight a lesson on the Civil war.

It is short sighted thinking that prevents the average person from understanding most Technology. It is why a person has to explain to Grandpa Jo how to use E-mail more then once. It is why Companies fail to adopt new standards and to help advance newer Technologies.

It has been the short sighted views of the Entertainment Executives that has held up better advancements of technology in their industry. The Television Industry is slowly dieing. Unless it makes a larger effort to embrace technologies like TiVo, and Streaming Video services like Hulu.com. It will die out over then next 30 to 50 years. It isn't just the PC that is heading to the Cloud, it will be they way we take in our Entertainment that is heading to the cloud as well.

Yesterday I posted a Video of a new Service that Google will be releasing later this year. It is called Google Wave. It is a cloud based software that is focused on communication right now. However I can see how it could even be used to make the show your watching more interactive. Being able to talk to other viewers as the show is being streamed online.

Just some food for thought.

Have a Great Day!

Catch The (Google) Wave: Video

2009-05-30T10:47:00.002-06:00

It's TiVo!

2009-05-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

So my most favorite piece of Tech, is my TiVo. It is what allows me to enjoy life out of the house, and still get to see all the Geek shows that I like to watch, and it is a piece of tech that is only going to get better over the course of the next 10 to 15 years. I think that TiVo has taken some very proactive step in staying relevant over the next decade as Multimedia continues the tread of becoming more and more integrated.

With TiVo HD, you can stream Amazon on Demand, and If you have a Netflix subscription you can also stream over 3,000 movies on your TiVo HD box. And coming soon you will be able to watch streaming movies from Blockbuster OnDemand if you have an online subscription. TiVo also has many other options availible for TiVo Subscribers.

When you buy a TiVo box, you will need to purchase a service subscription. TiVo has several to choose from to fit just about any budget. They have monthly ($12.95), Annual ($129.00), and a Lifetime ($399.00) subscription options. Out of the 3 options the Lifetime is the best deal for you. TiVo also offers Multi-unit discounts, should the need arise for more then one box.

TiVoToGo is another feature of the TiVo service. It allows for you to transfer programs from your TiVo to your PC. You can then convert the show to watch on your iPod or other PMP (Portable Media Player). So with TiVo you have options.

Now i know what your thinking I was paid for this Post. Whelp that is where you would be incorrect. I wasn't paid for this post. I just truly enjoy my TiVo.

Just Follow the Latitude!

2009-05-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

There has been a trend developing over the last 2 years, and it is called Geo-Location. There are all sorts of web sites that have been propping up in support of Geo-Location. I have been able to see about 2 different kinds of services that are dedicated to this trend.

The first is sort of a manual service where you log into the site or send a text message to update your account. The second is one where you can use your phones Assisted Global Positioning System or A-GPS too automatically update the service. We will be looking at both kinds of services and talk about the pros and cons of each service.

I am going to use Britekite.com as the example for the manual version of a Geo-Location service. With Britekite.com you can either go to the site and type in your address or you can send a text message to the site and update your acct that way. Now plus side to having to do it manually is that if you don't want people to know where you are you just don't have to update it. The down side is of course you have to always either go to the site, or send a text message to update it.

Yahoo has a site called FireEagle, it is also what I would consider to be a manual Geo-locations service. However they seem to be encouraging the development of applications, which can then update the site automatically so FireEagle seems to be sitting in the middle of a manual and an automatically updated service.

For the automatic Geo-Locations service, I am going to use Google Latitude, as the example. The Latitude service by Google primarily relies on the A-GPS equipped Smart-Phone. Such as the G1 by HTC which runs the Google OS Android. However if you have a Window Mobile Smart-Phone you would be able to download Google Maps which will have the Latitude functionality built into it. Now with Google Latitude, you have a couple of options. You can use the iGoogle widget, or you can use the Google Maps application. Now in order for it to automatically update for you, you will need to have the Google Maps Application running in the background.

Now of course what is the purpose of using a Geo-Location service? Will you can share it with your friends and family. Parents can use the service to keep an eye on where their children are at during the day, and Employer can track their employee's as they are making deliveries or running business related errands.

Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg, as the trend continues there will be more developments of the technology. I hope that this was a helpful insight into a new emerging technological trend.