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FUTURISM: The Future is Glass
2011-05-05 07:13:00
Someday we'll look back on this video like we do the old world's fair presentations of the video-phone and flying car, but for now it's cool. Is it just me, or does this make my iPad look pitiful? - Hutch
More About: Future , The Future , Glass

ONN Breaking News: You Knew Facebook was Evil, Now You Know Why
2011-03-22 01:02:00
Guess it's time to switch to wanbee.- Hutch
More About: News , Breaking News , Evil , Facebook

NERD ALERT: 20+ Years of Windows Upgrades - Amazing and Sad
2011-03-05 23:46:00
I found the following video via The Consumerist (an excellent blog on consumer-related issues BTW) and had to share. If you take the time to watch, you'll notice that there is absolutely no problem upgrading from MS DOS 5 (released Summer 1991) all the way through to Vista (though the author takes umbrage with the fact that later OSes don't migrate the color scheme). While I find this technically interesting, there is one note the author makes that caused me to pause: Certain DOS and early Windows programs were still functional, even 20 years later while running these new operating systems.  Backward compatibility is great, don't get me wrong, but could this be part of the reason that Windows continues to look out-dated, bloated, and has not moved forward much since Windows XP (which was released in 2001)?  The original Longhorn version of Windows Vista was slated to be an amazing, forward-thinking OS (go back and look at the old developer videos from 2004 if you don't believe...
More About: Nerd , Amazing , Upgrades , Alert

TIMELY DATA: The Challenge: Visualize Your Taxes from DataVizChallenge.org
2011-02-25 17:59:00
How timely--just look at where all those tax dollars are going. Oh, and just in case you missed the irony, there's a reason we pay taxes in April and vote in November, so try not to forget these numbers next time you cast your ballot. The Challenge : Visualize how your individual federal income taxes are spent. We give you the numbers; you make them speak to us. Our jury will be awarding $10,000, including $5,000 for the top submission. Click ?get started? to learn more about the challenge, view an example, and get the data. This challenge was created by Eyebeam and Google, with data provided by WhatWePayFor.com. Banner visualization shows 2010 income taxes on $50,000, divided into major budget categories. via datavizchallenge.org
More About: Taxes , Data

FROM LIFEHACKER.COM: The Best Times to Buy Anything in 2011
2011-01-18 21:38:00
via lifehacker.com EXCERPT ABOVE FROM LIFEHACKER.COM ----------------------------------- Not that I need to spend more money or accumulate more stuff, but if I have to buy something I might as well take advantage of seasonal savings. - Hutch
More About: Times

INTERNET SCAMS: Identify Internet Scams and Become a Net Ninja with the Ope
2011-01-05 18:16:00
Congrats! You correctly identified out of 10 websites in the Open DNS phishing ID quiz! You're a phishing website ninja. Have you ever considered volunteering your services to Phishtank, to help protect others from phishing attempts? Drop everything right now and go to the link below to test your skill at identifying Internet scams. We're all using the Internet more and more each day, so you know you need to do this. Besides, who doesn't want to be an Internet ninja! OpenDNS Scam Quiz: http://www.opendns.com/phishing-quiz/?utm _source=nl012011&utm_medium=email&ut... - Hutch
More About: Ninja , Scams

TV/MEDIA: When is Hulu Plus NOT Hulu Plus?
2011-01-04 21:52:00
It's an age old question...okay, not really, but it is a question worth asking BEFORE you buy that newly-marked-down-last-chance-previous-mo del-Internet-connected TV, Roku box, iPad, or [insert Hulu enabled device here]. Let me begin by stating clearly that I love Hulu. Not only do I love it, it's helped me reduce my monthly cable bill down to squat. Hulu and Netflix account for 90% of our household television/media consumption. I say this by way of disclaimer and to create a context for the rest of this diatribe. Hulu Plus sucks. There, I said it. Now, let me clarify. I have a laptop connected to our TV through which we access Hulu Plus and the experience is great. However, try Hulu Plus on any other device (Internet connected TV, iPad, Roku, etc.) and if you want anything beyond the basic prime-time blather, the experience is less than thrilling. For example, on the Roku I did a search for the Charlie Brown Christmas Special on Hulu. Lo and Behold, they had it--but in small p...
More About: Media

SECURITY: Google Likes to Share...Your Private Information
2010-11-20 22:07:00
The slippery slope of trusting the web rears it's head again.  I love Google (and, yes, I'd marry it) and I love web 2.0, but I'm getting tired of the privacy and security compromises.  Yes, I'm well aware the web was not built with security in mind, rather it was built to share information, but can we not build new standards on old protocols that protect all of us?This is just too ridiculous.- HutchFROM TECHCRUNCH:Whoa, Google, That?s A Pretty Big Security Holehttp://techcrunch.com/2010/11/20/whoa -google-thats-a-pretty-big-security-hole/
More About: Information , Share , Private

LIFEHACKER: Tweet Without Being a Twit
2010-11-05 21:14:00
I'm still not a huge Twit ter user, but this article does help make the case for how one might use it. http://lifehacker.com/5682061/how-to-use- twitter-as-an-adult

Yep, Apple Killed The CD Today
2010-10-21 16:34:00
Stop. Take a deep breath. Before my headline gets you all worked up, consider what I?m saying here. The CD and other optical discs, like DVDs and Blu-rays, are obviously going to live on for a while as a way to transport media. But make no mistake that today, with two unveilings, Apple has effectively sealed the fate of the optical disc in the computer industry. Soon, it will go the way of the floppy disk. Last week, I wrote a post laying out what I hoped Apple would bring with a revamped MacBook Air. I came to the realization that I had never once used the optical drive in my current MacBook Pro, and it was simply taking up a lot of space and was making my computer unnecessarily bulky. I wanted to replace it with a MacBook Air. And now I can. And I?m not going to be the only one that does. Now, I know what you?re thinking: but the MacBook Air has been around for a couple of years and it hasn?t killed off the optical disc yet. That?s true, but a couple key ingredients were missing...
More About: Today

New Site!
2010-09-24 16:25:00
While all the articles will be cross-posted here, check out our new home at hutchtech.posterous.com!
More About: Site , New Site

BE PREPARED: Stuff You Won't Learn From the Boy Scouts
2010-09-24 16:22:00
Like a good off-site backup, these helpful hints are easy to ignore, until you need them--and end up calling me.  Wax on, wax off...it is part of your training, young one. http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/ful l/~3/fn0G4EEH7Jo/be-prepared-for-everyday -tech-problems-with-an-essentials-backup- kit Be Prepared For Everyday Tech Problems with an Essentials Backup Kit [Backup] Technology is great until it stops working. Be prepared and solve your technology frustrations by preparing a tech essentials backup kit. More » - via Feeddler RSS ReaderSent from my iPad
More About: Stuff , Learn

WIRED: Must See TV is (Almost) Here
2010-09-04 01:07:00
I ran across this article in September's Wired magazine. Very interesting and helpful info when deciding what media you need (and don't need). We're almost there, folks. - Hutchhttp://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/0 8/ff_howto_watchtv/all/1#

FROM LIFEHACKER: Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gma
2010-08-27 01:53:00
An excellent overview of some not-quite-so-obvious things to do with this great new tool from Google.http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehac ker/full/~3/fJ_ZIIU5QxQ/eight-clever-ways -to-take-advantage-of-free-calling-in-gma il
More About: Free , Calling

Netflix for Wii: Mario Must be Happy
2010-03-29 18:16:00
My family was one of the privileged few to receive an early copy of the Netflix for Wii disk. Once you pop the disk in (yes, it is required each time you want to watch video from your instant queue) just authorize the disk using the special code (you only do this once on another computer via the Netflix site) and you're on your way.Other than the fact you couldn't do a free text search for movies, I found the experience to be slick and well thought out. You can browse your queue, sift through the various genres, or even pick up where you left off on your recently viewed items.We watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop without any hiccups, and the audio and video quality were excellent even while using our wireless connection.The product definitely did not feel like a beta release. Now maybe they can work on allowing that free text search.- Hutch
More About: Happy , Mario

AMAZING TECH: Can Real X-Ray Goggles be Far Behind?
2009-10-21 17:55:00
I'm a little late to this story, but thanks to the Tom's Tips blog I found the following video (originally linked from a Wired.com article):Beyond the obvious spying/stalking/surveillance uses, I'm not sure what all this could be used for--but you have to admit it's cool.- Hutch
More About: Tech , Amazing , Real

MEDIA/HUMOR: Ctrl Yourself
2009-08-16 23:29:00
I happened upon a wonderfully funny web series called Ctrl. The series is from NBC and stars folks you'll recognize. The production value is great and the humor is amazing. That said, go ahead and watch it, then come back...I'll wait.Watch it here: iTunes, Hulu, NBC This type of in-show-advertising-based, short form production may be the future of the sitcom. I came in when only 6 episodes had been released, and already I can't wait until Wednesday for the next one.- Hutch
More About: Media , Humor

OS: Why Apple Just Won the OS Wars
2009-06-08 19:55:00
I don't know what it will do to their bottom line, but Apple may have just won the OS wars today by pricing their upcoming Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) at $29. Think about it this way: If you buy a new Mac today with Leopard (OS 10.5) in September you can upgrade to the latest and greatest for $29. If you buy a new Windows-based machine today with Vista in October you can upgrade to the latest and greatest (Windows 7) for $200--or even $300+ if you want the Ultimate version.I'll grant you that you'll have to buy Apple hardware to run Snow Leopard, or be willing to risk running a Franken-Mac on "non-approved" hardware, but that Apple-tax folks so often quote is starting to sound a lot lower.- Hutch
More About: Wars

GOOGLE: Ride the Wave
2009-05-31 01:59:00
Just in case you don't have time to watch the entire video, head over to mashable.com and enjoy their review.- Hutch
More About: Google , Ride , Wave

INTERNET: The Future is Now... A Cliche' No More
2009-05-29 08:12:00
Okay, if you're not ready to geek out, and you have trouble getting past the horn-rimmed glasses and plaid button-down shirts you might want to skip this...HOWEVER, if you're ready to see the cool new stuff coming to your browser, then by all means take the time to watch these videos from the Google I/O conference.
More About: Internet , Future , The Future

WEB DESIGN: Soothing Balsamiq
2009-04-02 21:08:00
I've recently had occasion to dust off my rusty web design skills. In the past when I've wanted to demo/prototype a site for a client I've usually just gone ahead and built the site using my web design program du jour. Why not, right? You're going to build it anyway, so just start now. However, taking this approach can also lead to limitations, or even setbacks. What if the client changes the scope of the project in such a way that it changes the tools I'll be using to create the site? What if I just get the colors wrong, and that takes the focus off the initial layout design?Too often we get started on web design by focusing on everything but the design. Yes, there's a place for function, prototyping, testing, but in the beginning layout needs to be king. That's where Balsamiq comes in. Balsamiq takes a unique approach in web layout by becoming your virtual paper napkin and pen. They actually take hand drawn shapes and text and allow you to do your layout with that...
More About: Web Design , Design

SEMANTIC WEB: Lord, Help Us
2009-03-20 16:34:00
My faith in technology (no pun intended) was disturbed today when I received this recommendation from Amazon . Perhaps there's a connection I'm missing here.- Hutch
More About: Internet , Lord , Semantic Web

GOOGLE: Calendars Are Meant To Be Free
2008-12-02 18:09:00
One of the hardest things I faced when switching from my PC to the Mac back in 2004 was my addiction to all things MS Outlook. I had an Exchange server and was used to all that glorious synchronization. Entourage was not a solution (the notes and tasks would sync with the server but not back to MS Outlook on the PC). I then tried a 3rd party solution from Snerdware (I debated mentioning their name, but figured that you needed to know it to avoid it) that was thoroughly under-supported and still didn't do all I wanted.Eventually I ditched any hopes of syncing with the PC world apart from using the web-based version of dotMac/mobileMe.Then Google Calendar started supporting the CalDav standard. If you followed the instructions it worked well, but it was not exactly intuitive. It's worked so well, in fact, that it's one of the key reasons I decided to ditch mobileMe altogether (see my article on replacing mobileMe for free here).So imagine my surprise when I read in Macworld to...
More About: Mobile , Free , Calendars

GOOGLE: Predictive Flu Virus Analysis Via Web Search
2008-11-13 22:11:00
Thanks to our friends at DownloadSquad.com, I now believe that Google does indeed know far too much...about everything. Evidently they can use your IP location information along the current and historical flu-related searches around you to determine when you're most susceptible to the flu virus.Wow!- Hutch
More About: Virus , Analysis , Search

HUMOR: A Long, Long Time Ago, In A Dorm Room, Far, Far Away
2008-11-10 17:18:00
And the award for best science fiction saga retelling by quadruplets using acapella themes from other movies scored by John Williams goes to...this guy:This is what happens when technology gets too cheap and powerful--talented geeks will rise up and rule the world.- Hutch
More About: Humor , Time , Long , Room

MAC IN THE CLOUD: MobileMe for FREE
2008-11-09 00:41:00
I don't know about you, but as much as I've enjoyed dot mac (now MobileMe), I just can't bring myself to fork out another $100 a year for the privilege of having a yournamehere@me.com e-mail address (or even keeping my grandfathered @mac.com address). Yes, I know, there's a lot more to it than that, but here's how I've finally broken the MobileMe stranglehold on my pocket book. I want the backup/synchronization functions I get with MobileMe, it's just in a world of free-mium services I can't justify paying for it. Is that so wrong?The only element I've yet to replace (and I'll be beginning my search immediately before that pesky re-enrollment date comes 'round) is space to host my web sites. I really don't want to re-vamp my sites to fit the constraints of some of the freebie solutions. I just want some basic server space for my existing HTML. When I find something I'll let you know.However, all the other MobileMe functions have been fairly easily replicated. Oth...
More About: Free , Cloud , The Cloud

N00BS: Information Even Grandma Can Use
2008-09-10 21:43:00
Whether it's WiFi, twitter, or just Web 2.0 sometimes you need a little help explaining how it all works. Thanks to FreePint, I recently came across two gems (one that's been mentioned here before) that will help you do just that....in Plain English from Common Craft are a series of videos about technology (and a few other things) that try to streamline and simplify how things work.7 Things You Should Know is just like it sounds, a PDF list of 7 items about a particular tech subject.So now when multi-touch, twitter, or blogging are just too difficult or exhausting for you to explain, let the experts do it for you.Prepare to begin forwarding links now.- Hutch
More About: Internet , Information , Grandma

STYLE: Fashion for the chipmunk in all of us
2008-08-11 23:21:00
Fellow technology lovers, we all know how difficult it is to take our digital life on the road. Here's one solution: www.greatpockets.com. Thanks go to Bob for the link.- Hutch
More About: Fashion , Style , Chipmunk

VIDEO: The Horrifying Sequel to Cloverfield
2008-08-02 21:30:00
Beware things in fuzzy blue packages. Thanks to our friends over at Mahalo Daily for the link:- Hutch
More About: Video , Cloverfield , Sequel

VIDEO: Fonts with Personality
2008-07-24 16:23:00
Thanks to Leo and Amber over at NetAtNight for pointing out the wonder that is If Fonts Were People:- Hutch
More About: Video , Personality