Living Intelligently

Can ClearPlay Survive?

2010-01-10T18:39:00.003-05:00

I'm afraid that my favorite movie filtering technology is going to go out of business in the next few years. I hope I'm wrong.

The Filtering Controversy

I know that there are plenty of people who think that filtering content from media is silly, unnecessary, or outright wrong (for violating the artist's control over his art and other such nonsense). This post will hold no interest for such individuals. This is not an apologetic for filtering, and it is not intended to spark a debate on the topic. I've been amused--but mostly baffled--by those who find posts like these and use the comments to rant about filtering and those who use it.

What ClearPlay Is

My first experience with television/movie filtering technology was with TVGuardian. It's a neat technology that "reads" the closed captioning signal and mutes the audio signal when it detects a foul word. Years ago, TVGuardian offered a simple box that could be attached inline with any device that could send closed captioning plus audio (pretty much any VCR, cable line, or DVD player years ago). The company has since stopped production of that box in favor of embedding its technology into a few devices, from which it can be activated for a one-time fee.

TVGuardian's technology has an inherent flaw: it is 100% dependent upon the presence and accuracy of the closed captioning signal. This means that at best, filtering success is good but unpredictable; at worst, it is completely absent (such as when a studio foregos the closed captioning signal on its DVDs in favor of subtitles). I wanted something better.

Along came ClearPlay, a technologically superior solution that could not only mute inappropriate audio with great accuracy, but could also instantly skip scenes that a family may want to avoid (violence, sex, disturbing, etc.). The solution requires a ClearPlay-enabled DVD player, which accepts loading of per-movie filters. These filters are created by humans who actually watch the movies, and categorize each frame for both content and severity. Accuracy and flexibility are superb. Want to watch The Dark Knight with all the violence but zero cursing? You can. Want to watch it with just moderate filtering of the violence? No problem. (Actually, The Dark Knight's bloodiest violence is off-screen, and its language is fairly mild.) Or how about cutting out that "why would they put that in there" sex scene in a movie you want to watch with some friends? ClearPlay can do that too, with ease.

In spite of the $80+/year subscription fee that the labor-intensive nature of their solution necessitates, ClearPlay won my business because it appeared to be the best option in a very small class of filtering products. And it managed to survive even when its few competitors started biting the dust. While competitors' business model of selling edited copies of DVDs got squashed by studios, ClearPlay's method gained legal protection under the Family Movie Act 0f 2005.

Signs of Trouble

With legal protection and a dwindling field of competitors, one might expect ClearPlay to have charged forward and established a robust business. But as of early 2010, they appear to be heading toward extinction. And the core concept itself isn't the problem. Here are the top reasons I think ClearPlay's demise is near, and each one represents an opportunity for the company to turn things around, if there's still time.

Slow technology adoption. In late 2009, after up-converting DVD players had settled into a low $50-70 range and the Blu-Ray format finally began making serious headway in the retail market, ClearPlay announced their own up-converting DVD player at $120. Here's my bid for understatement of the year: in the world of technology, it's generally bad to be late to the market and charge double what retailers are charging for a similar (and probably technically superior) product. ClearPlay needs a Blu-Ray option yesterday, and at a reasonable price. Even those willing to spend $80/year for a filter subscription may not be willing to pay a premium for the hardware too.Then there's the matter of getting filters onto the DVD player. A few years ago, it was via CD. A subscriber downloaded the ever-changing set of filters over the Internet and burned them to a CD, which was then inserted into the DVD player for loading the filters into internal memory. To make it even less convenient, the filters were broken down into 4 "volumes"--one per CD. Today, filters are downloaded onto a flash drive, which is much more convenient. But even that seems antiquated today. ClearPlay has control over the hardware and software on their players. Why then can't the player have an ethernet port or wi-fi card for automatic loading of filters over my home network? The short-lived modem-based player offered some hope for those who still used landlines, but was again just another example of ClearPlay being behind the times.

Additionally, ClearPlay has been silent (on Twitter, Facebook, and their possibly abandoned news page) on how they plan to remain viable in the future of the movie industry, which appears to be coming in the form of downloadable and streaming movies. There's some speculation that even Blu-Ray itself may not have the luxury of a long lifespan like VHS and DVD had, due to the speed with which Internet delivery of movies is becoming viable and accepted. I believe ClearPlay should have sought funding (via angel investors or perhaps lifetime subscriptions) to aggressively find a solution to remain viable with these technologies emerging; but given ClearPlay's history, I'm not sure anyone would have been willing to gamble on them.

Hardware quality issues. My fourth ClearPlay DVD player is being shipped to me as I write this. My first was a CD-based one, which was too inconvenient. I don't recall how reliable it was. My second was a 007-USB model. That one was (and still is) flaky; it has trouble reading DVDs quite a bit of the time, and has an abnormally low tolerance for scratched DVDs. So when the 427-USB model became available on clearance at a local Christian bookstore, I bought it, hoping for a better experience. Sadly, this model appears to have had the same manufacturer as the 007-USB, and it completely quit after 9 months. It simply will not power on at all. When I called ClearPlay to obtain a replacement, I was pushed toward upgrading to the new 747-HD; the support rep even said that although they could send me a refurbished version of the 427-USB, I might be calling them again in a few months. (Some brief research on the web quickly reveals that I'm not the only one having issues with ClearPlay players.) I'm hoping that the new 747-HD represents a substantial improvement, but I've already seen a couple of negative comments in spite of the rep's claim that a different manufacturer is handling these.

Mediocre support policy. I've had to contact ClearPlay support a few times over the years, and while the reps are generally cordial, service hasn't been stellar. When I called about my broken 427-USB, I was told to push the power button rapidly 20 times (?). When that didn't work, I was strongly urged to upgrade to the 747-HD player at a reduced price of $70 instead of getting a refurbished replacement unit. They were going to charge me shipping if I didn't buy during the last day of their free shipping promotion, and I'm being forced to pay for return shipping of the defective player. This is not the way to handle a long-time customer's problem with a defective player. If there were any competition in this market, the competition would have gotten my business after that.

Limited brand awareness. ClearPlay had DVD players in Target, WalMart, and Best Buy for a short time. That was an important move. But about a year after the RCA-branded player that WalMart was carrying became discontinued during a patent dispute, ClearPlay could no longer be found in those major retail stores. Being on Twitter and Facebook to facilitate viral marketing is a good idea, but it may not be enough, particularly given their other issues.

I believe ClearPlay needs to immediately pursue a partnership with a major retail chain again (I realize there's a chicken-and-egg thing going on here; a retail chain may not be interested until ClearPlay becomes popular, and ClearPlay may not become popular until a retail chain picks them up). As a result, they may be able to drive up the number of subscribers, thereby generating enough revenue to address hardware issues, develop a plan for getting and staying current with technology, and drive down prices to grab even more subscribers. In this age of social networking, a large, satisfied subscriber base is one of the best marketing tools a business can have.

In spite of my complaints, I'm grateful for what ClearPlay brings to the table, and I truly hope the company can survive and succeed. If they can address the issues mentioned above, and consistently bring consumers a reliable and affordable option for content filtering, I'll be a happy customer for a long time to come.

A Solution for Countertop Stains

2007-05-19T00:41:00.000-04:00

This isn't exactly original, but I was very glad to have been given this tip, so I'm passing it along...

If you have a run-of-the-mill countertop and have had problems with staining, try baking soda and vinegar to clean the stains. Coffee stains in particular are a challenge to get rid of with standard cleaners. Just shake some baking soda onto the stain, then add some vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a minute or two, then use a paper towel to scrub. This solution worked when others failed, and I no longer think I need to replace my countertop anytime soon.

Use discretion, of course. Certain countertops should probably not be cleaned with this mildly abrasive solution, and certain finishes may be dulled when using this method. I recommend using it only if a slightly dulled surface would look better than the stained surface that you currently have.

ClearPlay More Accessible Than Ever

2007-05-19T00:28:00.000-04:00

In an earlier post, I wrote about a content-filtering solution for DVD movies, called ClearPlay. Target stores now carry the latest ClearPlay-capable DVD player, and the cost is reportedly $49.99. The catch? It sounds like it's this week only. Here's an email I received today from ClearPlay:

"This week you can get ClearPlay's new USB DVD Players at Target Stores for only $49.99! That's a lot cheaper even than ClearPlay's website. And even better, the Target deal comes with a FREE trial membership, FREE USB FilterStik, FREE 2200 Filters and a special price on a one-year ClearPlay membership. Plus, you get ClearPlay's legendary satisfaction guarantee and outstanding customer service.
And this is not just a run-of-the mill DVD Player. It's got Progressive Scan, multi-format playback, PAL and NTSC conversion, Component/Composite Video, S-Video, and both Optical and Digital Audio Outputs. This is the real deal."

This is a great deal. If you've considered buying ClearPlay before, it looks like now is the time to buy. And if you want to learn more about ClearPlay, watch this video which does a mediocre job of explaining how ClearPlay works.

Suck It Up

2007-04-25T23:47:00.000-04:00

Whether you're clumsy, a pet lover, a parent, or a clumsy parent who loves pets, you'll have an occasional need to lean the carpet in your home. You have 4 options:

Spray/foam carpet cleaners found with the other cleaners in your local store. Spray the cleaner on the carpet, wait a few minutes, then blot the spill.
Bissel SpotBot. I haven't used one, but it looks like you fill the thing with cleaner and water, set it on the stain, and let the SpotBot do the work.
Upright carpet cleaner. Similar in size and shape to a vacuum, but like the SpotBot, requires cleaner and water.
Professional carpet cleaner. Hire somebody to come with heavy-duty equipment to clean your carpet, or rent the heavy-duty equipment.

You might think that the choice you make will depend on your need; are you cleaning a small spill, or cleaning an entire room? But I'm recommending that one solution - the personal vacuum-size carpet cleaner - is the safest and most economical solution for virtually any need.

I've tried the spray carpet cleaners. At best, they're moderately effective. At worst, they can bleach your carpet, leaving a permanent spot that cannot be easily or inexpensively repaired. Been there, done that. You might think you're saving money by buying a $3 cleaner instead of a machine, but how much will it cost to repair that bleached spot on your carpet?

The SpotBot is a good idea, but it delivers very little flexibility for the price. You can't use it to clean an entire room.

The upright, vacuum-size carpet cleaner doesn't bleach your carpet, is much more effective than the spray carpet cleaners, and is not limited to only cleaning small spots. The reason it's dramatically more effective than the spray cleaners is simple: the brushing and sucking of the machine is a much more effective method than pressing down on wet carpet (which is essentially what you're doing when blotting the spill after the spray cleaner has done its thing).

I've heard good things about professional carpet cleaners and rental equipment, but those both incur per-use costs. At $155 (the price I paid for the Hoover F5914-900 SteamVac), a personal carpet cleaner remains the best value long-term. Admittedly it's a pain to haul out the SteamVac for small spills, but it's worth it considering the alternatives.

It's About Time

2007-04-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

If you're fastidious about your timepieces being in sync, this post is for you. If you're normal, it's not.

I love the concept of atomic clocks, atomic watches, and any other timekeeping device that keeps time accurate to the fraction of a second (such as my GPS receiver). At my workplace, we use a technique for keeping our servers and PCs in line with the official U.S. time, and I was delighted to find that I could do the same at home. I'm running Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2; I'm not sure which Windows version started supporting this feature using the method described below.

Double-click the clock in your system tray (or open Date and Time in your Control Panel).
Click the "Internet Time" tab.
Check the "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server" checkbox.
In the Server box, type time-a.nist.gov (time.nist.gov should work too, but as of tonight, it wasn't working; maybe one of NIST's servers is down).

Your computer will now synchronize with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a government agency that keeps the official U.S. time.

Freeware Feature: GridMove

2007-04-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Purpose: Quickly and optimally arranging windows on your screen
Web site: http://jgpaiva.donationcoders.com/gridmove.html
Skill level required: Beginner to Intermediate

Although the efficiency benefits of using multiple monitors are becoming well-known, and although multiple-monitor configurations are more tenable than ever, you might be stuck with a single monitor for one reason or another. I've only recently been able to convince my employer that multiple monitors is a solid investment for power users in particular, but I know it will be years or decades before they let me purchase dual monitors for the majority of the staff.

So if you're stuck with a single monitor, how can you work efficiently? For that matter, perhaps you have dual monitors but still want to make the most of the space you have (after all, even two monitors isn't enough, right power users?). Well, you could resize your windows and arrange them perfectly to maximize the utilization of your screen space. That's time-consuming though, which kinda defeats the purpose of your efficiency attempts.

The solution is a simple program called GridMove. This program is difficult to explain, but this visual helps. GridMove "splits" your monitor into multiple rectangles. Drop a window onto one of these rectangles, and GridMove takes care of the resizing for you. Basically, GridMove lets you predefine a workspace layout, and then it takes away the work of the window resizing. You get the benefits of fastidious window management, without the time-consuming labor that is typically required. I now use this program daily at work, and it became particularly useful once a friend pointed out the keyboard shortcuts.

Here's a bonus for you: whether or not GridMove floats your boat, you may want to try GroupBar from Microsoft. GroupBar is in the same basic category as GridMove; it helps you manage your open windows so you can be more efficient.

Flashlight Insight

2007-03-21T18:41:00.000-04:00

Flashlights are one of the hobbies of nearly all men, just like guns, trucks, and tools. Our fascination with these items is difficult to explain, as is my desire to test my flashlights to see how each of them performs.

Note that this test does not take into account the high-end flashlights used by hunters, police officers, etc. So if you're the kind of person who wants or needs the $60-400 flashlights made by SureFire or similar brands, this post may not be for you. This is simply a brief evaluation of the kinds of everyday flashlights you can purchase at your local store.

Tip: Not all LEDs are the same. LEDs come in different color temperatures and wattages. Two basic types of LEDs were tested here.

Test details:

All flashlights had new Rayovac batteries, except for the Bushnell 1-watt Luxeon LED, which takes a lithium ion battery. That flashlight's battery was barely used prior to this test.
A Canon SD400 was mounted to a tripod and used to take pictures of the same location under different lighting conditions. The picture on the right was taken during the day under a mixture of natural and artificial light. Compare it with the results table below.
The descriptions of the flashlights are as follows:

1: Traditional flashlight with traditional bulb. Takes 4 AA batteries. Bulb was old. Approximate value: $10.
2: Mini Maglight with traditional (pre-LED) bulb. Takes 2 AA batteries. Bulb was old. During test, beam was focused as narrowly as possible. Approximate value: $10.
3: LED flashlight with 1-watt Luxeon LED. Takes 3 AAA batteries. Approximate value: $25.
4: Bushnell LED flashlight with 1-watt Luxeon LED. Takes CR123A, 3-volt battery. Approximate value: $40.
5: Low-end 9-LED flashlight. Takes 3 AAA batteries. Approximate value: $7.

Images:
Click on a thumbnail to see a larger version of the image.

#	Flashlight	Straight on view	Room test
1
2
3
4
5

Observations:

The traditional flashlight is best for long-distance use. It has a dominant hotspot as well as a decent amount of surrounding light. The color of the light is very warm, as with most incandescents.
The Mini Maglight was disappointing. I don't see much use for it.
The Luxeon 1-watt LEDs performed well. They have a much whiter light than the incandescents, and they do not suffer from the same degree of blue tint that the low-end LED light does. This type of flashlight is an excellent compromise, and would be great for a variety of applications.
Overall, the Bushnell lithium-powered flashlight was my favorite in this test, producing an adequately strong hotspot with plenty of surrounding light. Its performance is impressive given its size. However, if I had to take just one flashlight with me when going on a trip, a walk in the woods, etc, it would be the other Luxeon LED flashlight. The reason? 3 AAA batteries are cheaper and easier to find than a lithium battery.
The small 9-LED flashlight produced no discernible hotspot, and had an unmistakable bluish tint. It would be ideal for reading (book, map, etc.), given its small size, lack of a hotspot, and low power consumption.

The Diet Ice Cream That Beats Regular

2007-03-21T00:38:00.000-04:00

A few posts ago, I asked which generic products you've encountered that are actually better than name brand products. Not just acceptable, mind you; but good enough that you'd prefer to buy the generic.

We'll do one better on this post. Have you found any diet products that are actually better than their "regular" counterparts? I know of only one example: Edy's Slow Churned ice cream. I don't think that Edy's claim of "One Day, All Ice Cream Will Be Made This Way™" is an overstatement.

Not only does this ice cream have 1/2 the fat and 2/3 the calories of regular ice cream, its texture actually surpasses that of any other ice cream I've had. There's one caveat though; I'd only say that about the vanilla-based flavors. The chocolate-based flavors are still great, but I'm not sure I'd say they're better than their regular counterparts. The flavor that I'm frankly basing most of this claim on is Cookie Dough.

Edy's can be expensive (not insanely expensive like Ben & Jerry's or similar products), so I feel compelled to defend my reputation of frugality by saying that I try to buy when it's on sale for $2.50 - $3.00.

Saving Money on Cost-Saving Products

2007-03-19T19:35:00.000-04:00

I offer my apologies (just 4 of them; I'm keeping my remaining 98 for the future) to my readers who live in warm climates. This is another "just for the northerners" post.

Stores that carry products for winterizing your home are currently eager to get rid of them as they begin stocking their shelves with spring items. If you have considered doing some winterizing--such as covering windows with plastic sheeting--but have been turned off by the cost, now is the time to buy. In the past, I've been able to buy window insulation kits like the one pictured for $1 per box. Just stick them in a storage closet or your basement, and you'll be prepared to lower your heating costs next winter.

Detective Work Through the Power of Community

2007-03-16T00:16:00.000-04:00

I received a call on my cell phone today from a number I didn't recognize. I didn't answer. Several hours later, I received another call from the same number. Again, I didn't answer, even though my curiosity fought me. The caller did not leave a message. For me, such a mystery is difficult to let go, so I tried a reverse phone number lookup on the web.

None of the free options yielded any results, and I'm too cheap and skeptical to pay for any reverse phone number lookup service. Between my wallet and my curiosity, my wallet always wins.

Thankfully I stumbled upon http://whocalled.us/. In an interesting application of collective intelligence, anybody can report the results of phone calls that they received from any source. For example, I could hop on http://whocalled.us/ an report that number 555-439-8821 called me twice in a day without leaving any messages. It would be even more useful if I had answered the call, found out who was calling and why, and then reported it on this site. I was appreciative that 35 people had taken the time to report the number that called me today, and some of those people had actually answered the calls--or returned the calls--and found that it was a spam type call from a college.

The next time I have a call from a number I don't recognize, I'm going straight to http://whocalled.us/ to see if it's been reported there. http://800notes.com/ seems to be the same type of service, though they listed 0 results for my search today when http://whocalled.us/ reported 35.

Save Time and Money on Your Garden This Year

2007-03-12T18:15:00.000-04:00

My yard is slowly turning from white to green this week, as warmer weather chases the snow away. And not a moment too soon. I look forward to getting outside again, even if it does mean I have to start mowing my lawn. If only I had a robotic mower.

Whether you have a backyard paradise or just a small garden, watering you plants can be time-consuming and expensive. Even if you manage to remember to water, you have to make it a point to actually do it. And then, you have to watch your water bill go up, in part because traditional watering techniques can be very inefficient. Next time you run a sprinkler, watch how much water doesn't reach your plants.

Two tools can help alleviate these problems.

A watering timer. A watering timer connects to your outdoor faucet or a hose, and allows you to schedule your watering times via a digital or analog clock. I paid full price (about $29) for mine because I bought it in the spring. Our local WalMart sold them for $10 each at the end of the season. It sure is nice to set the timer and forget about it. Even if I'm on vacation, my plants are getting watered. And more importantly, my plants are getting watered even on days when I'm being lazy.
Soaker hoses. A soaker hose is a porous hose made of rubber. When the hose is filled with water (it's capped on the end opposite the faucet), water seeps out of the hose and into the ground. The soaker hose can--and should--be buried under mulch; you never see it. This watering method allows you to water only the regions you want watered, keeping your watering costs as low as possible.

Tip 1: My research indicated that you should connect no more than 100 feet of soaker hose together. If you find anything different, feel free to comment.

Tip 2: Get more bang for your buck out of the watering timer. Connect a splitter to your timer, allowing you to control up to 4 or 5 hoses. I used this method to split my soaker hoses into two 100-foot sections on the same watering schedule.

Impressive Generic

2007-03-08T22:02:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, a store brand item surpasses "good enough" and actually performs remarkably well. Sam's Choice plastic wrap (not Great Value plastic wrap) is one of those products for me. I realize a wiki would be a more appropriate venue for this question (as would a web site with more than a dozen readers), but I'm in search of other items that happen to be both inexpensive and of excellent quality. So what have you found?

Teeny Tiny Profit Margin

2007-03-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

I have no intention of turning this blog into a "deals and steals" site, but this particular deal pops up occasionally, and it's pretty impressive. The Black & Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker is just $9.99 again at Amazon.com. The included mug is worth $4-5 alone, and a permanent filter is included (also worth a couple of bucks). I can't imagine that Amazon or Black & Decker are making much money on this one.

I mentioned this product in an earlier post. In fact, the service featured in that post (apricealert.com) is the reason I know about this deal.

The last time the price dropped this low, it was only for about 24 hours. And yes, you have to spend $25 to get free shipping.

Saving on Contact Lenses

2007-03-03T11:30:00.001-05:00

With a little bit of effort, you can save a bundle on your contact lenses.

I found VisionDirect.com (part of DrugStore.com) to be a great place to buy contacts. Below is a comparison of VisionDirect.com to WalMart, where I got my eye exam.

	VisionDirect.com	WalMart
Cost per box (Focus Night and Day)	$48.95	$62.84
Volume discount per box (4 or more boxes)	$1	NA
Coupon (see dealcoupon.com for current coupons)	10% off	NA
Processing Fee	$0.95	NA
Shipping	Free	Free
Delayed cash back from FatWallet.com	7%	NA
Total for 4 boxes:	$161.49	$251.36

I've actually done better than the above example (my actual cost after FatWallet.com cash back was $152.57 this year), but the example uses currently available deals. Also, depending on how Internet tax works in your state, you could very well save another $14 in taxes over WalMart. That means if you hit all the deals at the right time, and if you save the taxes, you could save around $113--or 45%--over WalMart for a 1-year supply of these contacts. Also, buying at VisionDirect.com might get you some drugstore.com "dollars," but I'm not sure.

Manufacturer's rebates are common as well, and are typically reseller-independent. But as always, don't completely depend on rebates. Ciba denied one of my recent claims even though I followed their instructions.

Freeware Feature: MWSnap

2007-03-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

Purpose: Taking screenshots / screen captures
Web site: http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html
Skill level required: Beginner to Intermediate

Taking "pictures" of my desktop (screenshots or screen captures) is something my job often requires. It even comes in handy sometimes at home. You may already be familiar with two common methods of capturing a picture of your screen:

The PrtScn (or Print Screen) button. This button captures an image of your screen to your clipboard. After hitting this button, open up a photo editing program--or any program where you need to paste a picture--and hit the Paste button. Keyboard users prefer the keyboard shortcut CTRL + V for pasting.
ALT + PrtScn. This captures an image of only the active window on your screen. This is very helpful if you want to take a picture of a dialog box, for instance.

Sometimes you may require greater flexibility. Microsoft OneNote, which I won't take time to describe here, has a very cool screen capture feature. Right-click on its system tray icon, select "Create Screen Clipping," and you get to select exactly the portion of your screen that you copy to the clipboard. Very cool, very useful, and very simple. The problem is, I have OneNote only on my work PC, and buying a copy of that program simply for that feature would be overkill.

In my search for free software that simulated the screen clipping feature of OneNote, I found MWSnap. I tried some other software, and MWSnap was the one I liked the best. It has plenty of features to meet my needs, including a handy AutoSave option. If you're looking for a screen capture utility, give MWSnap a try.

No Wonder My Parents Complained When I Drank So Much Milk

2007-03-01T00:16:00.001-05:00

Drink prices are good to keep an eye on when you're looking to trim your grocery bill. It's good to know, for example, that a glass of milk costs 8 times as much as a glass of water, or that orange juice costs 10 times as much as coffee.

The following chart shows my own calculations, and they're not perfect. For example, I'm assuming that tap water is free, whether heated or not. I'm also assuming that there's no waste, which there often is—especially for something like a 2-liter bottle of soda. Note that I'm using 12 ounces for each beverage, but that's primarily for comparison purposes.

Beverage	Cost per 12 oz.	Based on	Notes
Filtered water from pitcher	$.028	Pur pitcher and filters ($30 for the 2-stage, 1-gallon pitcher; $39 for 4-pack of 2-stage filters)	Assumes owner goes through 360 gallons with pitcher. Assumes claim of 40 gallons per filter is accurate.
Coffee	$.042	$6 for 39-oz. can.	Black only. Does not account for cost of coffee maker or filters. Based on 288 6-oz cups per canister. Tap water used.
Hot tea	$.077	$2.08/20-bag box	Based on 5 bags per brewed gallon; similar to (3) 8-oz. cups per bag. Assumes it's made from filtered water from pitcher.
Instant iced tea, pre-sweetened	$.102	$3.28 for Nestea mix in a 20-quart size.	Assumes 20% stronger tea than recommended. Assumes it's made from filtered water from pitcher.
Filtered water from half-liter bottles	$.104	$3.50 for 24-pack of half-liter bottles
Soda, 2-liter	$.178	$1 for 2-liter
Soda, 12-pack cans	$.229	$2.75 for 12-pack
Milk, 1%	$.230	$2.45/Gallon
Apple juice	$.246	$1.97 for 96-oz. generic, in plastic bottle
Fruit juice (5-10% juice)	$.257	$1.37/Half gallon	Price is similar for Minute Maid half gallons or Sunny Delight full gallons
Chocolate milk	$.288	$3.07/Gallon
Orange juice	$.422	$4.50/Gallon	Prices vary widely

Creating a Good Password That's Easy to Remember

2007-02-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

Conventional wisdom tells us that a password needs to be complex to be strong. Complex means that the password includes different character types--numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and symbols. And of course, the password is preferably not a real word, and it better not be something like Fluffy-2. (I'll give you one guess about that person's next password.)

Don't get me wrong; a complex password is indeed a good idea, until it gets so complex that you have to write it down. Once you do that, you've made your password more discoverable.

There are a couple of articles from Microsoft that talk about another option: long passwords. The longer, the better. (In this article, search for the section called, "Myth: Passwords Must Be Complex to Be Strong." In this other article, search for the section called, "What should I do to protect my passwords?") One easy way to create a really long password is to use a passphrase. This is preferably a phrase that you can easily remember, but may not make sense to somebody else. For example, "The bird wasnot inthekitchen's waterbed." After reading the articles mentioned above, you'll understand why this is such a good password. Even something simpler, such as "I'mgladBobreturnedwiththemilk" would take a long time to crack.

I'm not saying complex passwords are a bad idea, nor am I saying that long passwords are a complete alternative to complex ones. The best password is both complex and long. I.T. pros and others protecting high-security accounts should still strive to use the most complex passwords possible, and a password utility like PINs (see previous post) can help. But for the regular Joe wanting to keep his accounts secure, a long password--or passphrase--may be the best option.

Freeware Feature: PINs

2007-02-24T01:24:00.000-05:00

PINs

Purpose: Store passwords in a secure database
Web site: http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/pins.html
Skill level required: Beginner

Deep down, you know that you shouldn't use the same password for so many of your accounts. You also know that you should use more complex passwords, rather than just incrementing a digit at the end of your pet's name every time your password expires. The problem is, how are you going to remember all those passwords?

The answer is PINs. Actually, the answer is: an encrypted password database. PINs just happens to be a fantastic and free one. With solid encryption and superb portability (no installation is required), PINs is my password database of choice for home and work.

A bonus is that PINs can generate passwords for you. So it can generate a password like P!+tZ-(9M, and you don't have to worry about remembering it. Or better yet, we can devise a password that's much more difficult to crack and is easier to remember. But you'll have to wait for another post to hear about that trick.

Leave Me Alone!

2007-02-23T00:25:00.000-05:00

Another tip for the non-geeks out there (because the geeks already know this one):

As important as Windows Updates are, there are times when Windows wants to reboot following the updates, and you're in no mood to reboot your computer. You'll get to it soon enough, but you want to get rid of the nagging reminder that pops up every 5 minutes:

There are a couple of ways to handle this, but here's one of the easiest:

Click Start
Click Run
Type "sc stop wuauserv" without the quotes, and press Enter

You've just stopped the Automatic Updates service. The yellow shield in your system tray will disappear, and you won't be nagged every 5 minutes.

Keeping It Clean

2007-02-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

Now here's a predicament: You enjoy movies and television shows, but you don't appreciate foul language and indecency that is often found in them. So what can you do? The way I see it, the options can be categorized as follows:

Avoidance. This entails watching only those movies and shows without the offensive content. I understand and respect this choice, but it sure limits your entertainment options.
Manual censoring. This entails strategic use of the fast forward and mute buttons. The drawback is that it's difficult; you could get burned. This is particularly unacceptable when you're watching a movie with your family.
Automated censoring. This is my favorite option. It's more accurate and less stressful than manual censoring, but it's not free.

Manual Censoring

To effectively fast forward or mute unwanted content, you need to first educate yourself on the movie's content. I know of three free services that can help you in this matter:

Screen It (http://www.screenit.com/). This site evaluates 15 different content categories for each movie, including Alcohol/Drugs, Blood/Gore, Violence, and more. After reading through the categories that are of interest to you, you will be well-prepared to avoid any content that you don't want to see. This site is advertisement-heavy unless you're a subscriber. I personally bookmark the search page and use a popup blocker; I find the site most usable that way.
PluggedIn Online (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/). This site from Focus on the Family reviews movies, with a focus on appropriateness of content. I haven't used it much, but I heard about the site from a relative. It's worth a look.
The Dove Foundation (http://www.dove.org/). The mission of this foundation is "To encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment." Movies are reviewed for their family-friendliness.

Automatic Censoring

There are a couple of tools that can perform automated censoring. The tools differ in several ways.

TVGuardian (http://tvguardian.com/). The TVGuardian is a device (or embedded functionality in a TV or DVD player) that filters out only foul language. Its strength and weakness is that it does so by monitoring the closed captioning for offensive words. There are some options in the system, such as how strict to be and whether to display modified closed captioning text when the audio is muted. TVG has been expanding its product line. I've personally used only one of their old devices similar to the Model 301 currently on their site, but other options are now available. Keep in mind that some of these Pros and Cons may be outdated if their technology has recently improved.
- Pros
  - Works on anything that's closed captioned, including television, DVDs, and VHS tapes.
  - Cost ($70 for basic unit). No ongoing costs. Once you purchase and install the unit, it can run for years.
- Cons
  - Only language can be filtered.
  - Not all movies—even DVDs—are closed captioned. If the production company (such as Universal Studios) decides that subtitles are a good substitute for closed captioning, the TVGuardian won't work.
  - You miss too much. TVGuardian mutes the audio when an offensive word is detected in the closed captioning. But closed captioning can show an entire sentence at one time. So to mute a single word, TVG has to mute a lot of audio.
  - Its accuracy is limited. If the closed captioning isn't completely in sync with the audio, the TVG can't do its job.
  - The replacement words are ridiculous. TVG replaces the word "screw" with the word "doodle" on screen (when that option has been selected). Some of the other word substitutions are equally silly.
  - The system cannot discriminate. A word like "screw" can be used innocently or offensively. TVG doesn't know the difference. So try watching a home improvement show with TVG, and you're likely to miss quite a bit.
ClearPlay (http://www.clearplay.com/). ClearPlay-enabled DVD players can filter language and much more. With this system, the DVD players use DVD "filters" or "masks" to block out unwanted content. The DVD is never actually modified; ClearPlay just fast forwards past unwanted visual content, and mutes unwanted audio content. These filters are created by ClearPlay staff, so the process is much more labor intensive than the TVGuardian technology. Therefore, the ClearPlay model requires a subscription (although an option does exist for buying individual filters, which may work well if you don't watch many movies). The benefits include improved accuracy and a wider range of content categories. Unfortunately, this technology is currently limited to DVDs.
- Pros
  - Accuracy. The filters are created by humans who watch the movies and pinpoint (to the second) where the undesirable content is.
  - More than language is filtered. Scenes of indecency, violence, or drug use can be completely skipped.
- Cons
  - DVD only (and you need to buy a ClearPlay-equipped DVD player)
  - Cost ($85-100 for DVD player, $80/year for membership –but other payment options exist)
  - Procedure. With my early ClearPlay DVD player, I had to burn the filters onto CDs, and the filters needed to be loaded for each movie I wanted to watch. It's cumbersome. Obtaining the filters by modem or USB—which you can do on some of their players—would be much easier.
  - Limitations. Because these filters are created manually, you'll encounter movies that do not have filters. What's worse is that a different filter often has to be created for each edition of a DVD (widescreen, full screen, director's cut, special edition, etc.). You have to be sure you're renting/buying the edition that ClearPlay created a filter for.

Conclusion

A combination of these tools may be your best option. With the right tools, you can open up your entertainment options while keeping offensive content out of your home.

Research for Moderate Germophobes

2007-02-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

Before I get labeled with a severe case of mysophobia, let me say that I don't carry around a handkerchief for opening doors and dusting off seats in restaurants. I don't have problems shaking people's hands. You won't find any evidence of a disposable seat cover if I ever use the bathroom at your house.

But...

I won't share a toothbrush with you.
I do purchase hand sanitizer occasionally.
My door-opening habits have been changed by the wear patterns on these doors. I figure that if I can avoid the most-used part of the door with almost no effort, why not?

Freeware Feature: VideoLAN VLC Media Player

2007-02-16T21:55:00.003-05:00

VideoLAN VLC Media Player

Purpose: Multi-format, cross-platform media player

Web site: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Skill Level Required: Intermediate

It can be surprisingly difficult to play DVDs on a computer.

If you've ever added a new DVD-ROM drive to a computer yourself, or if you've ever just had to completely reinstall Windows, you may have found that Windows Media Player doesn't want to play your DVDs. What happened, you ask? You probably lack the proper codec.

CODEC stands for "compression/decompression algorithm." In simple terms, the video on your DVD (and other digital videos) is compressed--packaged--before it's distributed. Your media player needs to have the know-how (packaged in a codec) for decompressing the file and making it usable on your computer. Microsoft chose to not include a standard DVD codec in Windows. Bummer. Hopefully you happen to have a DVD software program that has the necessary codec; you may just need to find and install it. But if you don't own such a program or can't find it, what can you do?

I can offer you at least one solution. One day when I was looking for a free solution to this problem, I stumbled upon VideoLAN's VLC Media Player. It's an open-source project, and it's still under development. I personally found the video to be a little jerky at times, but usable. I suspect this problem will be eliminated in time, if it hasn't been already.

I also found the software to be less intuitive than Windows Media Player, but that too is likely to be fixed in time. The point is, I now have a solution for any computer that tells me I don't have the proper codec for playing a DVD.

UPDATE: While researching codec licensing options for my company, I found that users of VLC Media Player are technically required to pay royalties to one or more patent-holders. You can read about it here. (And for the systems administrators out there, it's worth noting that a couple of the big players in the commercial DVD codec market say that we're not allowed to use our OEM licenses when we clone PCs, meaning that buying WinDVD, PowerDVD, etc. preinstalled on your PCs is useless unless if you use cloning. This leaves two viable options: 1) buy a site license for a DVD player or codec, 2) use Windows Vista Ultimate or similar OS, which does come packaged with a DVD codec. Microsoft recommends not using Ultimate in a business environment though.)

Update on Amazon Price Alerts

2007-02-14T00:17:00.000-05:00

One of the Amazon price alert services mentioned in this post has been updated. I received word from the APriceAlert.com webmaster a couple of days ago that the price threshold feature I requested has been added. Now you can get notified when a selected item at Amazon hits your specified price.

You won't see this option until you enter some initial information and hit Submit. The price threshold is set on the second page, prior to final confirmation.

As of today, it appears that there's still a built-in 30-day limit on price alert requests. That's because this site was built to serve the needs of people who want to take advantage of Amazon's 30-day price guarantee.

Let It Snow

2007-02-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

I don't loathe snowstorms quite as much as I used to.

When I bought my string trimmer (or 'weed eater') a few years back, I decided on a model that supported attachments. [It might be this one; I don't have the model number memorized.] This design essentially makes you pay for a motor only one time, and allows you to simply add whichever attachment you'd like. The attachments aren't cheap, but theoretically they're cheaper than their gas-powered, standalone counterparts.

I now have a string trimmer, cultivator, blower, lawn edger, and a snow thrower similar to this one.

Yep, I said snow thrower.
Yes, I live in a state with real winters.
Yes, I was skeptical too.

It turns out that the snow thrower attachment is more effective than you'd suspect. When the adjustable chute is in the straight position, it can throw snow up to 30 feet or so (the description for a similar model on Amazon's site claims only 20 feet). Turning the chute to the left or right results in a dramatically shorter throw, but it can still get the job done. It has only a 12" wide path, but its design makes it easily maneuverable; I even use it to clear my stairs. I pull this thing out anytime we get more than 2" of snow. I'm not sure I'd use it for a long 2-car driveway, but it might do the trick.

I guess this is a mini-review for the snow thrower attachment, but more importantly, it's a plug for considering TCO (total cost of ownership) when buying anything. It's not just a concept for businesses. More on this topic in the future...

Little Investments

2007-02-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

Plenty of research is available indicating which home improvement projects provide the biggest bang for the buck. Remodeling a kitchen? Your $10,000 project might add $9,200 to your home's value. Adding a monkey habitat in the backyard? Well, you might be paying for that one yourself.

That research is great if you're in the position to spend money, and are in the mood to do some serious work. However, I believe there are tiny improvements that can bring a return of 100% or more on your investment. One example: solar lights. Yes, I've seen them overdone, and I've seen them done poorly. But drive by a house with tastefully executed exterior lighting, and tell me that house doesn't look at least $1000 more expensive than the one next to it. That lighting can be accomplished for $200.

General landscaping is another option, though it can get pricey quickly. But if you have enough time to buy the plants young and watch them grow, you can watch your home's value grow right along with them. Besides plants, check with city hall to see if your city offers free mulch or compost, in order to keep your landscaping prices down.

I'm no expert on these things; I'm offering only my opinion. But when I prepare to sell my house, I'm going to line up all those inexpensive but potent cosmetic improvements. And since some of them are quite affordable, I'm putting them in place now so I can enjoy them in the meantime. What cost-effective home improvements do you suggest?

Freeware Feature: Weather Watcher

2007-02-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

Weather Watcher
Purpose: Automatic weather updates
Web site: http://www.singerscreations.com/AboutWeatherWatcher.asp
Skill level required: Beginner

Want to scare an I.T. pro? Slowly and quietly approach him from behind, then suddenly yell, "Weatherbug!"

Weatherbug was--and maybe still is--a program that came with baggage. Consumers downloaded it rampantly, even installing it on corporate networks--where it doesn't really belong (for the most part, getting weather reports is not a work-related activity). I.T. pros quickly became annoyed with this program for two reasons: 1) it showed up in antispyware reports, 2) it showed up in network traffic reports. In other words, some security software was flagging it as spyware or adware, and the program was generating a lot of network traffic due to the frequent weather updates. When you're trying to run a clean network, those two things are vexing.

There has been much hubbub on the web about whether Weatherbug--in its current form--is indeed adware. I'm not going to try to settle the argument; I'm here to offer an alternative. (The alternative should probably still not be installed on a corporate network; I'm recommending it just because it's baggage-free.)

Weather Watcher is the program I stumbled upon one day, that is quite advanced for its price ($0). You can get the icon in your system tray, choose what it displays, launch the application, see maps, get multiple forecast formats, and more. There's just one caveat: there is an option to install some adware along with Weather Watcher. For that reason, McAfee's SiteAdvisor (which I've talked about before) gives it a bad rating. If you read SiteAdvisor's review though, you'll find that Weather Watcher users claim that SiteAdvisor's rating is unfair. It's very easy to install the ad-free version of Weather Watcher. No tricks here.

If you want weather updates on your desktop, try Weather Watcher before thinking about Weatherbug.

Bookmarks Evolved

2007-02-06T00:51:00.000-05:00

You have an extensive collection of bookmarks (or "favorites") in your browser for the sites that you visit. You become so accustomed to using them that you don't even know the URLs of some of the sites you enjoy. Then one day you're using another computer, and you feel lost. Your bookmarks aren't there, and you can't operate without them. What can you do?

This is the kind of problem people are encountering more and more as computing becomes a commodity. The idea of having one personal computer where you keep all of your data is becoming less tenable. You need some way of storing data so that no matter what computer you're using, your data is accessible. The answer is to store data on a server; the problem is, servers are mostly designed for businesses these days, and typically only geeks put time and money into having a server at home.

The good news is that for small needs like centrally storing your bookmarks, you can use servers on the Internet. For example, Google Bookmarks and Windows Live Favorites are two free services that allow you to store your bookmarks on an Internet server so you can access them from any Internet-connected computer. Neither service provides quite the same quickness and convenience of your browser's built-in Favorites or Bookmarks feature, but they offer important functionality that today's browsers can't deliver.

The Little Oven That Could

2007-02-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

I too was once like you: helpless, hopeless--living life without a toaster oven. But those sad days are behind me now.

The toaster oven really is a great idea, particularly if you're cooking for only 1, 2, or 3 people at a time. Rather than heating up an entire oven, you can heat up a relatively tiny space for cooking your food. And if saving energy doesn't float your boat, consider this: some toaster ovens require no pre-heating. With my toaster oven, I can start cooking food the minute I turn it on--saving the 8-10 minutes of preheating over my full-size oven (and again, there is an additional opportunity for saving energy; I'm using the toaster oven 100% of the time that it's turned on).

For what it's worth, the toaster oven I ended up buying after doing lots of research is the Panasonic NB-G100P-S. (Incidentally, this is one of those product categories where the Consumer Reports ratings have absolutely no correlation to consumer ratings on Amazon.com, as I alluded to in an earlier post.) It has minor drawbacks, such as the odd temperature increments, but overall it's fantastic. The reviews on Amazon give you all the information you need.

RAM Upgrades: Easy and Effective, but...

2007-02-03T17:53:00.000-05:00

Adding RAM to your computer is an easy and cost-effective way to boost your computer's performance. Even a computer novice can handle this task for either a laptop or a desktop.

It wasn't always easy. There are two parts to upgrading your computer's RAM: 1) finding/buying the right RAM, 2) installing the RAM. Installing it is--and has been--fairly straightforward. Finding it? Well, that used to be quite a challenge.

But years ago, Crucial.com created an easy-to-use web site that helped consumers identify which RAM works in which computers. They have continued to improve their web site, and today, you can use Crucial's system scanner to find out how many RAM slots you have, which ones are full, which RAM works with your system, whether you need to install two modules at a time, and more. Many other sites have followed in Crucial's footsteps (I'm not certain that Crucial.com was the first to develop this "wizard" approach to RAM shopping), but there's another reason to buy from Crucial....

Not all RAM is created equal. I've seen too many people have RAM fail on them, and when RAM goes bad, it can cripple a computer--at least temporarily. Crucial is one of the world's largest RAM manufacturers, and they stand behind their product. There may be a few other good RAM companies out there, but whenever I'm buying RAM for my business or am recommending a RAM upgrade to somebody, Crucial.com is THE place I go. The usefulness of the web site and the reliability of the product justify the slightly higher cost vs. other brands or resellers.

P.S.: Don't forget to use FatWallet when you shop at Crucial.

Save Money on Home Theater Cables

2007-02-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

When it comes to audio and video cables, Menards beats other retail stores--including WalMart--hands down. I don't have any hard numbers for you, but the savings is around 20%. When you're setting up a new home theater system, cables can run up a big bill in no time (speaker wire, component video cables, HDMI cables, optical audio cables, etc.), so 20% is significant. You can pocket your savings, or buy a new movie to watch using your new home theater.

I have a Menards 10 minutes from my house, but Home Depot and Lowes are 30+ minutes away, so I don't know how their prices compare on these items. Do all building supply stores have such good prices on home theater parts, or is it just Menards?

Freeware Feature: Avast! Antivirus

2007-02-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

Avast! Antivirus
Purpose: Computer security (antivirus)
Web site: http://www.avast.com/
Skill level required: Intermediate

I don't love Avast! Antivirus, but I still recommend it. Here's why:

For one thing, I'm not a fan of Norton Antivirus. No, I'm not one of those people that hates all successful companies for no good reason (I am a fan of Microsoft and WalMart, for instance); I've just seen Norton products cause problems on my own computer and others' computers. This is 6+ years in the I.T. industry talking.

Secondly, I suspect that many people don't stay up-to-date on their antivirus software because it costs money to do so. Do you whip out your credit card every time your antivirus software asks you to do so?

Given those points, Avast! is a decent choice. It doesn't seem to cause as many problems as Norton, and there's no cost hurdle every 12 months. What I don't love about Avast! is its interface. I don't find it very intuitive. Perhaps you will though. If you're looking for a free antivirus program, this one is worth a try--and won't set you back a penny.

Get a Free (Legal) Copy of Microsoft Office Professional 2007

2007-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Microsoft is giving away free copies of Office Professional 2007 and Groove 2007 at its launch events across the country. Although typically designed for I.T. pros, small business owners, programmers, and the like, I don't believe there are any restrictions on who attends. See http://www.microsoft.com/business/launch2007/signup/default.mspx for more details.

And as I've already said twice on this blog, Office 2007 is amazing. You don't have to take my word for it; you can try it without even having to install it by viewing the test drive. Feeling slightly more adventurous? Download the trial.

Saving Some Pennies on Gas

2007-01-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

This tip seems rather obvious now that I've heard it: buy gas during the coldest part of the day if possible. You're charged for gas by volume, so you get more for your money when you buy at a time when the gas is most condensed.

Freeware Feature: OpenOffice.org

2007-01-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

OpenOffice.org (yes, the .org is part of the name)
Purpose: Office productivity (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.)
Web site: http://www.openoffice.org/
Skill level required: Beginner

Ok, I'm cheating. I'm highlighting a program I already alluded to once. But I'm continually surprised by how many people have not heard about OpenOffice.org.

Microsoft Office is very popular, but can also be very expensive. (Although on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, Microsoft is releasing the Home and Student Edition at a decent price for home consumers.) OpenOffice.org is one of the most competent free alternatives, and is definitely worth a look if a) you can't afford Microsoft Office, b) you like to have a variety of options when it comes to your software, or c) you just hate Microsoft.

OpenOffice.org includes:

A word processor
A spreadsheet program
A presentation program
A graphics/diagram program
A database program
An equation editor

Different components of the product are at different maturity levels. And OpenOffice is absolutely no match for Office 2007. It lacks the polish of Microsoft's venerable suite, but it has its place. If you are still using the basic "suite" that came with your computer, try OpenOffice.org.

Curious About the 'Ove' Glove? Me Too.

2007-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:00

I thought I had graduated from mittens when I finished second grade. Although I understand that mittens are more appropriate than gloves if your main goal is warmth, I hold dexterity in higher regard that comfort. So I was quite distressed that for handling hot items in the kitchen--a situation in which dexterity is particularly desirable--, the mitten was the only heat abatement device available.

Then the 'Ove' Glove showed up, and the following transpired:

I thought, "it's about time."
I thought, "what an unfortunately irritating name."
I thought, "I want one"
I found out that it sells for $14.
I thought, "ouch."
I waited. (This is what I do when I want something and it costs too much. I may have no reason to believe that the price will go down, but if I wait long enough, I wear myself down. In this case, I waited about a year--maybe longer.)
The second-generation 'Ove' Glove was born. It now has silicone grips.
I bought one.

The 'Ove' Glove has two benefits over an oven mitt: 1) it's a glove, 2) it has high heat resistance since it's made out of Kevlar and Nomex by Dupont. Yes, they sound like a couple of Norsemen, but I assure you that the 'Ove' Glove is not made from burly Scandinavians.

The 'Ove' Glove does deliver, in that it allows excellent control while providing good protection against heat. I'm a cheapskate, and I still believe it's worth $14. However, I hope somebody makes a cheap knockoff.

Everything was going fine, but I felt I had to give this new item a more scientific test. So I turned on a burner on my electric stove, to the Medium setting. I allowed plenty of time for it to heat up. I held my outstretched hand about an inch above the burner for as long as I could stand it. I made it about 4 seconds.

Then I put the 'Ove' Glove on and tried the same thing. Things were going pretty well for a while. I couldn't feel much heat until about 15 seconds. Even at 30 seconds, I was quite comfortable. But around that 30-second mark, I saw smoke. That development was quite intriguing, and at this point, I decided that the test was concluded. From what I can tell, the silicone grips seem to have begun melting--just a little bit. Do with that information what you will. My guess is that if you refrain from senseless experiments, you'll be fine.

Electricity Cost for a Home Entertainment System: $8.08/month

2007-01-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm continuing to use my electricity meter to learn about my electricity costs. Here's my latest finding:

Home theater details:
Panasonic 36" CRT TV
Motorola Moxi DVR
RCA DVD Player
Sony HT-DDW900 5.1 surround sound system

Test Results:
Hours plugged in: 335
Hours in use: (The electricity meter doesn't track this data. I suspect I watch as much TV as the average person.)
KWH: 34.09
KWH charge: $.09988

Subwoofer (separate test)
Hours plugged in: 217
KWH: 2.23
KWH charge: $.09988

Extrapolated monthly cost: $8.08

Move Over, Consumer Reports. The Consumers Are Talking.

2007-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've been a Consumer Reports fan for years, but lately it has let me down on some items. For instance, when I was researching toaster ovens, I found that some of the top-rated models in Consumer Reports were hated by reviewers on Amazon.com. The reverse recently happened when I purchased my surround sound system; Consumer Reports has the Sony HT-DDW900 rated dead last in its review of 14 Home Theater In-A-Box systems. But the consumers at Amazon and Circuit City think it's great, as do the few consumers who posted reviews on cnet.com and epinions.com. (By the way, that system can be found at WalMart (in-store) for $198; don't get stuck spending $250 or $300 elsewhere.)

Now I'm in the market for new tires for my car. The set I currently own was highly rated in Consumer Reports not long ago, but I've gotten only 40,000 miles out of them instead of the rated 65,000 miles. So I did consult Consumer Reports again this time around, but my growing distrust of CR drove me to look for consumer reviews. Thankfully, I found TireRack.com. I had heard of it before, but I didn't know how useful the site was. Try it out for yourself the next time you're looking for tires; it's the first (and maybe last) place I'm going the next time I need to research tires.

Freeware Feature: Picasa

2007-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Picasa
Purpose: Editing and organizing photos
Web site: http://picasa.google.com/
Skill level required: Beginner

Picasa, Google's photo editing and organization program, is one of those "wow--this is free?!?" programs.

Forget installing the software that came with your camera, and forget about buying any other photo editing and organization program--at least until you've tried Picasa. Most people just need a way to import their pictures from their camera, perform some basic editing like cropping and redeye fixes, and find the pictures they want once the pictures are on the computer. Picasa handles these basic tasks admirably, and the occasional upgrades offer real, useful improvements. (So if you're running an old version, be sure to give the most current version a try.)

As with my other Freeware Feature posts, I'm not going to provide a full review, nor am I going to list all the great features. Google already has a product tour that can handle the latter. But I will tell you one of my favorite features. I love the new "experimental" feature that allows you to search your picture collection for certain colors. This is really quite amazing; I can find all my pictures that have the color red in them. This is great for people who like to be creative with photos (whether they're into graphic design or something less daunting), but it can be of use to anybody.

Oh, and I guess I have to mention the geotagging feature. Wouldn't it be neat if your camera had a GPS receiver built into it, and it could record global positioning coordinates in every picture you took? Then you could find all of your Colorado vacation pictures by looking at a digital map of Colorado that was linked to your picture program. Well, when you combine Picasa with Google Earth (which is scheduled for an upcoming Freeware Feature post), you can do just that--even if your camera doesn't have a built-in geotagging feature.

Protecting Your Friends From [Some] Spam

2007-01-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

As an I.T. director, I often get asked questions like, "I keep getting these junk emails about [some subject]. Why am I getting these?" Clearly there are a number of people who don't know how spammers get email addresses, and that lack of knowledge is hurting them. Perhaps someday I'll write about how spammers get your email address, but a) that's not the focus of this post, b) a simple Google search provides a decent education on the topic.

In an unabashed act of selfishness, I'm going to tell my friends and family how they can help protect me from spam.

The more places an email address can be found, the more likely it is that a spammer will find and abuse it. Spammers can employ tactics to harvest email addresses in your address book, as well as email addresses in your email messages. It's common for viruses and worms to employ this tactic. So if my address is in your address book, or if you've ever sent email to me or received email from me, please be sure you're using virus protection. But with today's major email providers (Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) incorporating good antivirus measures in their programs, that advice may seem outdated and unnecessary. True enough. But there's one other thing you can do to protect my--er, your friends'--addresses.

If you've ever sent a message to a large number of people, you have probably used the To: field or the CC: field for your friends' addresses. When you do that, you're not only sharing your friends' email addresses with everybody else who received that email; you're also depositing all of those email addresses in all the recipients' mailboxes. As indicated above, that's a bad thing.

I'm not telling you to not send emails to a large number of people (although many people should cut down on the number of "forward this to all of your friends immediately" messages that they send). But there is something you can do to hide your friends' addresses from others--including spammers and viruses. Use the Bcc: field rather than the To: or Cc: fields. Let's say you're sending an email to 10 friends, here's what you do:

To: [yourself]
Cc: [Leave blank]
Bcc: [All of your recipients' addresses]

And there you have it--one of the best email etiquette tips that everybody should now. Now forward this to all your friends. ;-)

Freeware Feature: 7-Zip

2007-01-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

7-Zip

Purpose: Zipping (compressing) or unzipping files

Web site: http://www.7-zip.org/

Skill level required: Beginner

Recent versions of Windows include a basic program for zipping and unzipping files. It's easy enough to use, but it may not meet all of your zipping/unzipping needs. (I occasionally run into people who have never used the Windows zip program before. If you're completely new to this, you may find this page useful, although Microsoft doesn't include screenshots.) If you find a compressed file that Windows XP can't handle, or if you want to do something slightly advanced like creating a self-extracting archive, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Some people mistakenly think that WinZip is freeware, but it's actually shareware. It's supposed to be registered if you use it beyond the stated trial period. So for me, at least, WinZip is out.

I stumbled upon 7-Zip one day on Sourceforge.net, a web site that hosts open source projects. It's completely free, and it has features that the basic Windows zip program lacks. It's not the only free zip program, but it's a well-respected one that is pretty much guaranteed to always be free.

3 Tips About Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

2007-01-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

By now, you've probably had somebody tell you that you should use compact fluorescent bulbs in your home to save energy. Personally, I use them in virtually every room of my house. I also have a friend who wants to take all of his compact fluorescent bulbs with him when he sells his house (they are an investment).

These tips should be helpful when you're ready to take the plunge:

Use CF bulbs where incandescents limit you. Many (maybe all) lighting fixtures have limits on how many watts they can support, and that can limit how much light you can get from the fixture. For example, we have track lighting in our kitchen, and the track could handle up to 3 60-watt bulbs. I wanted more light than that, so I switched to CF bulbs, and now I have 5 or 6 13-watt bulbs in the same track. I'm still well below the watt rating for the fixture, and I have much better light output (measured in lumens) than my incandescents provided. So if the potential energy savings hasn't motivated you to change, maybe the promise of more light in your room will.

Be cautious when buying "daylight" bulbs. This flavor of CF bulb attempts to simulate natural sunlight. Although I'm happy with an incandescent "daylight" bulb that I purchased, our Feit Electric CF daylight bulbs were so bad, I had to take them out after 1 or 2 days. The odd color produced an eerie look to our living room, and both my wife and I hated them.

Not all CF bulbs are equal. I'm no expert on the topic, but certain brands and models have better "color temperature" than others. Some are rather dim and yellow. I've purchased a few brands including Feit Electric, GE, Powerwise, etc. I've found that the Powerwise brand produced the whitest light. Not everybody likes white light (some prefer "warmer" lights), but if you do, look for the elusive Powerwise brand. Our local Farm & Fleet store used to carry that brand, but it no longer does.

Freeware Feature: PrimoPDF

2007-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm starting what I hope will be a 15-week series of Friday posts about free software programs that I find useful. Let me make this clear up front: I am not claiming that these are the 15 best freeware utilities in the world. I'm not even claiming that all of these are the best freeware options in their respective categories. They are just 15 programs I've found after years of hunting for software to meet various needs. I've tested all of them enough that I'm comfortable recommending them, and I still use most of them to varying degrees.

As I understand the license agreements, all of the freeware in this series is legal for personal, non-commercial use. Whatever your scenario, always read software licenses to ensure that you are in compliance.

PrimoPDF
Purpose: Creating PDF files from any application that can print
Web Site: http://www.primopdf.com/
Skill Level Required: Beginner

I've tried a few PDF creators, ranging from Adobe's professional ones to completely free ones. If you're looking for a free way to create PDFs, PrimoPDF is a great option. (I.T. departments can even appreciate the fact that unlike other PDF programs--such as PDFCreator on SourceForge.net--this one can run under limited user rights in Windows XP.)

As with many PDF creators, PrimoPDF installs a "printer" on your computer. When you print a file to that printer, the result is a PDF file rather than a physical, printed document.

A nice touch is that you can set some security on your PDF, including setting a password on the file, preventing printing, etc. (Note: You can never prevent a determined person from printing any document you give them--PDF or other. In a pinch, anybody could take a screenshot of any pages they want to print, and then print the screenshot. Don't heavily rely on this "security" feature.)

For details and screenshots, see http://www.primopdf.com/free-pdf-userguide.asp.

Amazon Price Alerts

2007-01-03T00:20:00.001-05:00

Amazon.com sets the standard for online retailers, but it's not perfect. One feature that Amazon lacks is price alerts (NewEgg.com has this feature, as I suspect many other retailers do).

Let's say you're shopping for a particular item--a Black and Decker DCM18S Brew 'n Go Personal Coffeemaker, for instance--but you want to wait for the price to drop before buying. You could check Amazon's site every day while you wait for the price to drop. But if you have better things to do with your time, you could use one of these price alert services:

http://apricealert.com/ (recommended): This site is currently geared toward somebody who wants to take advantage of Amazon's 30-day price guarantee. (Apparently if a product's price drops within 30 days of your purchase, you can ask Amazon for a refund.) Enter an item number and your email address, and every time the price drops within 30 days of signing up, you'll get notified via email.
The catches:

The alerts work for only 30 days. I don't think the web site makes this clear, but the site's creator told me as much.

You can't set a desired price. You may be waiting for the coffeemaker to reach $9.99 (which it has), but you'll get an email even if the price drops to $13.99. When I asked the site creator about this, he told me he would add the feature soon.

http://www.wishlistbuddy.com/: This site is geared toward the person who wants to be alerted when a particular item(s) reaches a particular price. Sounds promising, but there are a couple of catches that make this my second choice rather than my first:

Alerts are available only for items on your default Amazon wish list, and the list has to be public. Those requirements are a pain, because your default public wish list should be just that--a wish list for your friends and family to use when buying gifts for you. I use other lists to "save" items I'm thinking about buying for myself or others, but I don't necessarily want those lists made public. I think this is an inherent flaw in wishlistbuddy's design.

You can't cancel your account online. You have to contact the person running wishlistbuddy.com, and he'll cancel your account for you. Yes, the entire service is free, so I shouldn't be too hard on him; but it's not particularly difficult to program an "unsubscribe" feature of sorts. On the plus side, he emailed me back within just a few hours when I asked him some questions.

If/when the http://apricealert.com/ service adds a "target price" feature, we'll have a clear winner.

By the way, the coffeemaker mentioned in this post can potentially save money--particularly in a home where only one person drinks coffee. It makes only one cup at a time, meaning that it's faster than the average coffeemaker and cuts down on the amount of wasted coffee. It also comes with a permanent filter (no, it doesn't require the ludicrously expensive coffee pods; it uses a regular filter basket) and a stainless steel travel mug, so it's a bargain at its $10-18 price range.

How My Phone Helps Me Shop

2006-12-12T18:53:00.000-05:00

I like to do much of my gift shopping online, but I still spend plenty of time in brick and mortar stores too. On a good day of gift shopping, I'll find several gift ideas--so many that I can't remember them all. Rather than carry around a piece of paper for writing down items and prices, I just take pictures with my camera phone. I try to get the price tag in the picture too; with one picture, I can have the item, its original price, and its sale price. Much of the time, you can tell a store by its price tags, so I kinda have the store name captured in the picture as well. When I go home, I have a picture album of gift ideas. I can show those ideas to my wife or whoever needs to see them.

My phone happens to be a Windows Mobile Smartphone, so I have other options as well. For example, I use a cool tool called ShopEdge--a free program that allows me to shop Amazon from my phone. Why is that so cool? Because I have access to prices and consumer reviews when I'm in the store. Let's say I see a coffee maker on sale for $50 at WalMart. Is $50 a deal that I shouldn't pass up? Is the coffee maker a good one, or is it junk? Having quick and easy access to that information is great. You may not have a Smartphone, but you may still be able to do some of this kind of research if you have Internet access on our phone. (You won't be able to use the cool ShopEdge tool though; that's designed for Windows Mobile.) Just be aware of the charges you'll incur under your current service plan.

2 Things You Should Know About USB Keys

2006-12-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

USB keys have enjoyed tremendous poplarity since they hit the market. They're an incredibly convenient way to transfer data. Before USB keys (or "memory keys" or "jump drives," if you prefer), we had to choose between the floppy disk and the CD. The former didn't have enough capacity, and was very slow. The latter was slow, and didn't allow direct editing/saving of files.

Today, many USB keys can store more data than a CD, and many people are using them to store much of their critical data. However, there are two things you need to know about these great little devices so that you can protect yourself:

They don't last forever. Although USB keys get corrupted less frequently than floppy disks, some do become corrupted. If your USB key holds the only copy of some of your files, you're taking a significant risk. Back up your USB key regularly! The frequency of your backup is up to you; you should make your decision based on how critical your data is, and how often it changes.

For pure backup purposes, just copy and paste the contents of your USB key to your hard drive on occasion. If you have the ability to copy the contents to a network server instead, that's even better.

If you want to synchronize your data, you'll need a synchronization tool. This type of tool is useful if you are making some of your changes on your USB key, and some of your changes on your hard drive. (For more information on what file synchronization is, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_synchronization.) There are plenty of free synchronization programs, including one from Microsoft called SyncToy.

They're not secure. Well, that's not entirely true; some USB keys have built-in security features. But many or most USB keys in use today have no security features. Because of their diminutive size, they're prone to being lost. If you need to carry sensitive data on a memory key, take action now to avoid problems down the road:

The non-geek solution: buy a USB key with built-in security. They're easy to find; just search Amazon for "secure usb" and you'll find plenty of results, such as this one.

The geek's solution: use an encryption technology like TrueCrypt. Consider this tutorial for creating an encrypted volume on your USB key.

I'm not trying to deter you from using USB keys. Just be aware of these two limitations so you can use them safely. Oh, and you'll notice that these problems aren't exactly limited to USB keys either, so take caution no matter what method you use for storing and transporting your data.

Shock and Awe for $4

2006-12-09T00:10:00.000-05:00

By BNICK
Appreciated Press writer

Wisconsin (AP) -- After months of failed efforts, the BNick household dealt a decisive blow to the squirrels who were eating too much expensive birdfood. The cost of the action is estimated to be in the $3.90 - $4.00 range.

BNick took action after intelligence revealed the squirrels' plan to develop weapons of mass consumption.

"Something had to be done," said BNick, who looks more like your next door neighbor than a maniacle squirrel-foiler. "Their nervous body language and their beady eyes made it clear that they were up to something big."

Previous attempts to stop the squirrel offensive were weak and ineffective. BNick located the feeders in places where he had hoped the squirrels couldn't reach. When he finally built a tray feeder and mounted it on a metal pole without a baffle (admittedly trying to save money), he was surprised at the ease with which the squirrels still reached the food. He admits that he underestimated them. "They use unfair tactics, so it's difficult to fight against them," BNick complained. "Their fuzzy, round bodies make it difficult to decipher whether they are enemies or not."

BNick tolerated several days of vexation before launching the "shock and awe" campaign. One day, after seeing yet another squirrel smugly eating atop the tray feeder, he took action. The result was a baffle comprised of less than $4 worth of parts. BNick is happily sharing his plans with the world because he believes it's the right thing to do: "The war on birdfood pilfering is a global war. We all need to do our part for the sake of future generations."

The Plans
Ok, here you go. The baffle is actually quite modest. I didn't like the traditional dome-shaped or cone-shaped baffles; I just think they're too ugly. I liked the concept of the cylindrical baffle, but with prices up to $28, I figured I could go cheaper. The parts could cost you under $4; it depends on what you have on hand.

Parts:

Dryer vent pipe: 4" diameter, 24" length. ($3)
7 cable ties. Size isn't critical, but the ones I used were 4"-5" long.
(3) 6" lengths of wire. Should be heavy enough gauge to hold its shape. An old wire coat hanger would work too, if you're able to cut through it.
4"x4" piece of 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth

Steps:
(See the pictures below to supplement these steps. In fact, the concept is fairly simple, so you may just want to wing it like I did once you see the picture.)

Bend the 3 pieces of wire into an elongated "s" shape as indicated in the picture on the right. These are the "hangers" for the vent pipe.
You'll put one cable tie around the pole, but you need three "rings" dangling from it. I made these rings out of cable ties; use whatever you want. Now strap the cable tie around the pole. You may want to put some weatherproof padding between the cable tie and the pole; without it, the baffle may slide down the pole.
Drill 3 equally-spaced holes around the perimeter of the vent pipe, near the top. 1/8" bit should be fine; the holes just need to accommodate your wire hangers.
Using your wire "hangers" to hang the vent pipe from the 3 rings you made. The vent pipe should dangle somewhat.
Cut a hole in the middle of your hardware cloth piece so it fits over the pole. This is the top of your vent pipe. Secure it to the vent pipe however you see fit; I drilled a few more holes in the vent pipe and used more cable ties to secure it.

One of my favorite PC security tools

2006-12-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

As an I.T. professional, I typically know what I should and shouldn't do on the web. However, everybody could use some help. One of the tools I like (well enough to install on both of my personal computers) is McAfee's SiteAdvisor. This tool alerts you to problems with web sites before you visit them.

SiteAdvisor does the nasty work for you. Using automated tools, they sign up their own email address on various sites and count how many spam-like emails they receive per week from that site. They also search the site for downloads that are considered adware and spyware. In addition, McAfee incorporates feedback from users and even performs some of their own manual testing. My PC performance does not seem to have taken a hit with this tool; there's no downside I know of. Give it a try yourself and let me know what you think.

Discover Card: My Reluctant Friend

2006-12-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

Some time ago, Discover Card made me an offer that I couldn't refuse: Transfer any balances I wanted, up to my credit limit, and enjoy a 0% interest rate on that balance--indefinitely. The catch: I had to use my Discover Card at least once a month, and any purchases I made would accrue interest at 10.99% until I paid off my initial balance transfers (see John Delano's first comment on this post for more details). I typically don't use a credit card, so I decided that I'd just set up a monthly donation to some organization. With that plan in mind, I maxed out the card by transferring a couple of loans.

Then the search began for an organization that would accept monthly donations while meeting certain criteria:

Reliable withdrawals. This is the most important criteria; if the organization fails me, Discover would raise my rate from 0% to 10.99%. Remember, my card was now maxed out--so this is a big deal.

Tiny minimum. Several organizations don't want to process credit card donations unless you're donating at least $5. That's $60/year, which is fine if you're actually wanting to donate, but not fine if you're just looking to save money.

Easy cancellation. If I have to jump through hoops to cancel the monthly donations, I'm not interested.

Decent purpose. I wasn't about to donate to research on human/animal hybrids or something crazy. I needed something idealogically agreeable.

I first tried the Republican National Committee. To make a long story short: they were unreliable, and Discover ended up raising my rate to 10.99% after the RNC skipped a month. Thankfully Discover gave me a 1-time reprieve, and I got back to 0%. Now I had to find another organization.

The IRC (International Rescue Committee) has been terrific. They are reliable, they send an email every time I donate (which is nice when you need/want confirmation that you've met Discover's requirement), they allow me to see my donation history online, they allow me to edit my upcoming donations, and I can cancel anytime online. A $1/month donation is keeping my Discover Card interest rate at 0%, and the IRC's apparent efficiency makes me suspect that it's not hurting the IRC one bit. (I may be using them, but I don't want to cost them money.) If you're in a similar situation with a special rate on your credit card, consider the IRC.

The Cost of Running Christmas Lights

2006-11-28T01:12:00.000-05:00

I used my power meter today to determine how much it's costing me to run some Christmas lights outside. Here's what I was running:

3 "nets" of lights for my front bushes (well, 2 1/2 really; half a set wasn't working)
1 typical strand of lights for a decoration on a porch table
1 typical strand of lights for garland around the door
1 typical strand of lights for a mini Christmas tree on the porch

It's a modest number of lights, and I didn't include my indoor Christmas lights. Those strands consumed .275 kwh per hour. For me, that's just under 3 cents per hour, or less than $5 per month if these lights are allowed to run 5 hours per day for an entire month. My wife gets more than $5 worth of enjoyment out of them, so they stay. And I'll stop fretting about my energy bill now that I know how little these lights are costing me.

7 Things I Learned on Black Friday

2006-11-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

My Black Friday experience this past week yielded some wisdom that I'll employ next year. Yes, I actually stood in line for four hours in sub-30 degree weather for a deal (a $150 GPS). People who know me well will not be surprised to hear that.

For technology deals, visit a store that's not known primarily for technology. I went to Staples, and was about 15th (or better) in line at midnight. The Best Buy two blocks away had 100-200 people in line by that time. By 4 am, there couldn't have been more than 40-50 people in the Staples line. Staples still had some great technology deals (in fact, the GPS receiver that I purchased couldn't be found for less anywhere else), but the technology crowd went elsewhere for the most part.
Hope for tickets. At 4 am, 2 hours before Staples opened, employees handed out reservation tickets to those standing in line. They asked what I was standing in line for, and they gave me a ticket for each item I mentioned. I then got to leave, and simply had to come back sometime before 10 am to redeem the ticket. Best Buy stores do this too, and I suspect some others do it. If you stood in line that long, the last thing you want to see is a mad rush for the item you were waiting for. Simply opening the floodgates at 5 or 6 am would be a mistake and leave many people frustrated.
Come back close to the deadline. If you get a ticket, don't go back to the store shortly after it opens. I did that, and I ended up waiting in line for another hour even though I had a ticket. Poor system. I was worried that the store might run out of the item they had supposedly reserved for me. It can and does happen, but here's the catch: the store may upgrade you for free. A relative of mine stood in line with me for 4 hours, got his ticket for a laptop, and returned shortly before the 10 am deadline to learn that they had run out of that particular laptop. (They knew how to take the reservation; they just didn't know how to hold the reservation--which is actually the most important part.) He wasn't out of luck though; they recognized that the mistake was theirs, and they gave him a better laptop for the same price.
Bring a chair, gloves, hat, and blanket. Those in southern states can skip the winter attire, but even 28 degrees is cold when you're standing still.
If you want the hottest deals at Best Buy, get in line by about 6 pm the previous night. I wasn't in a Best Buy line; I'm inferring this recommendation from what I heard about the Best Buy line a quarter mile from where I was. Actually, that line reportedly started at 2:30 pm the previous day.
Always second-guess the prices. Worded differently, never trust any store's deal blindly, no matter how good it looks. Competition is fierce, and there may be a better or similar deal available elsewhere. Consider what happened to me with this GPS (times are approximate):

Sunday: Found that Circuit City will offer the GPS (Mio C310x) for $200 plus a $50 mail-in rebate. Not only are rebates a pain, but the closest Circuit City was 45 minutes from where I was staying.
Tuesday: Found that Staples will offer a similar GPS (Mio C310) for $150 with no rebates.
Tuesday: Researched this Staples deal; found that the Staples ad might have a misprint. Although the Mio C310 is a legitimate model number, Staples might indeed be selling the Mio C310x--the one I want.
Wednesday: Visited the Staples store I was planning to buy from, and asked an employee to verify that they were stocking the Mio C310x. They were.
Friday: Bought the GPS after standing in line for 4 hours. Triumph. Avoided the trip to Circuit City, as well as the rebate.
Sunday: Found out that Circuit City had made their $200-$50 deal available online on Friday and Saturday. Too bad I had no Internet access on those days to find out about it. I froze my toes for no reason.

Don't drink many liquids before standing in line, unless you're just a few steps away from a 24-hour WalMart. (No explanation needed.)

Power Inverter: An Inexpensive Investment

2006-11-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

Have you ever come up with an idea that is so stunningly simple, you're embarrassed that you didn't think about it before? This was one such idea for me. And the most embarrassing part is, it's not a breakthrough idea.

As a ~~penny pincher~~ careful spender, I carefully avoid getting ripped off. I spend so much time researching an electronic device, more time finding the best price for it, extra time looking for coupons and other discounts, and then I finally buy it. I did it. I won. Unlike the suckers out there, I refused to pad the wallet of the manufacturer and retailer. Good for me.

Two months later, when it's time to go on my vacation, the manufacturer and retailer scoff back at me: If you want to use this device when you're on a road trip, it will cost you $90 for a power adapter for your car. There's nothing you can do. Hahahahahaaaaa!!!

I'll conceded that some power adapters are actually reasonably priced. Some car chargers for cell phones can cost as little as $10--even less if you buy aftermarket products. But some of them easily approach $25, and this can add up when you upgrade your phone every 2 years. Laptop car adapters are much worse, costing easily $60-90.

What's a ~~stingy~~ frugal person to do? Buy a power inverter for your car. Spend the $30-60 to get a nice one that's got enough wattage to handle your laptop (avoid the inexpensive but underpowered tiny units unless you know you'll never need more than 150 watts or so). You can buy these at discount retailers (WalMart, Target), home centers (Menards), online (Amazon), and plenty of other places. They're easier to find than model-specific auto adapters for your electronics, and then all you need is the AC adapter that you use in your home. Don't be dissuaded even if you want to keep an AC adapter in your home and one in your car; the standard AC adapters are usually less expensive than their DC counterparts, so the inverter is still a bargain for most people with mobile electronics.

Improving wireless networking range

2006-11-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

If you're having problems with the range or reliability of a wireless network (at home or at work), consider eliminating 2.4 GHz cordless phones in the area. Most wireless access points operate at 2.4 GHz as well, so a simple cordless phone could be interfering with the network signal.

An old 900 MHz phone is an option, but 5.8 GHz phones are readily available as well.

If you continue to have problems with the signal, the source of the problem may still be in your own residence (items such as microwave ovens, bluetooth-enabled devices, baby monitors, flourescent lights, wireless game controllers, etc. can also cause interference). Alternatively, a neighbor could have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone, or even a "competing" wireless access point. In that case, you may need to move your own access point, or at least change the channel that your access point is operating on (it's not too difficult to do; see the instruction manual).

Of course, interference works both ways. Crackling noises on your cordless phone may be caused by interference from any of the devices mentioned above. Also, don't forget that you may be the cause of somebody else's interference problems. If you live in, say, a dorm where wireless networking is relied upon by dozens of people, consider doing them a favor and upgrading your cordless phone to a 5.8 GHz model. That phone may someday cause interference with future wifi networks, but for now, it will be pretty safe.

Want more information? It's easy to find information on this topic with a Google search for "wifi interference."

Cheap Productivity

2006-10-30T23:17:00.000-05:00

Can't afford Microsoft Office? No problem.

A few years ago, consumers had only a few viable options for accomplishing tasks like word processing and spreadsheet editing. Worse than the lack of options was the fact that every decent option cost money--sometimes a lot of money. Today, inexpensive options aboud, and they are much better than their price tag implies.

Free desktop alternatives to Microsoft Office
OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) is by far the most popular desktop alternative to Microsoft Office (by desktop, I mean software that you install on your computer). It's a maturing product, but still lags behind Microsoft Office in terms of polish and ease-of-use. OpenOffice includes the functional equivalents of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and more. Over the past few years, it has gained popularity among organizations seeking to be free of Microsoft Office licensing costs without losing the ability to remain competitive. For someone on a shoestring budget, this is a boon.

Web-based alternatives
As web technologies mature, it is becoming more feasible to replicate some of the desktop software experience in a web browser. The benefits are obvious and plentiful: 1) your applications are available from any Internet-connected PC; no need to install the application, 2) your files are available from any Internet-connected PC; no need to sync between computers, 3) collaboration is a breeze, 4) the software is continually updated. The list goes on and on. The drawbacks are just as obvious: 1) if your Internet connection goes down, so do your files, 2) the browser can't yet provide as rich of an experience as the desktop, 3) browser-based apps are less secure than desktop apps*. Drawbacks aside, the price tag for these web-based apps (free, in many cases) is too attractive for many to pass up--even if advertisements are part of the package.

Some of these web-based office applications are much less mature than OpenOffice, but they're still worth a look. I recommend taking a look at Google Docs and Spreadsheets and Zoho Virtual Office. Google's offerings are ok (as an Excel guru, I can't really get excited about Google's far-inferior spreadsheet app), and InfoWorld's Oliver Wrist raves about Zoho Virtual Office. He spent an entire week using web applications instead of his beloved Microsoft Office, and Zoho was his clear favorite. I haven't tried it myself, but I plan to, based on what Wrist had to say about it. Be sure to check out his article about his experience with web-based productivity software if you want to see other alternatives.

Affordable version of Microsoft Office
If you happen to be a student or teacher who's not flat broke, and you want to stick with Microsoft Office, you're in luck. Microsoft created the Microsoft Office Student And Teacher Edition. It includes full working versions of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. The price ranges from $99-$139, and you can legally install it on up to three PCs in a household. The catch? There are a few, actually: 1) you have to be a qualified academic user, 2) you can't upgrade the product. For more information about the restrictions, see this page.

Some Final Thoughts
Some people have taken a look at offerings like OpenOffice and think that competitors are starting to catch up to Microsoft. Let me tell you, after using Office 2007 Beta for the past couple of months, I can confidently say that Microsoft Office isn't about to be displaced by these free apps. But in the future, this competition will be interesting.

Of course, office productivity suites aren't the only software packages that you can get for free. A Google search for free applications can keep you busy for hours, but if you just want to glance at a collection of popular free programs, visit http://theopencd.org/programs.

* http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192500179&subSection=Servers

What is Wikipedia?

2006-10-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

I remember my early computing days in 1996, spending time watching the sparse multimedia content in Microsoft's electronic encyclopedia, Encarta. It was an interesting--albeit initially underwhelming--departure from the book-form encyclopedias.

Encarta is still around, but another form of encyclopedia has emerged. Wikipedia is a free, web-based, multilingual encyclopedia written by anybody and everybody who wants to contribute. Need to know about the American Civil War? Visit Wikipedia's article about it. Don't like the wording of the article? Change it. That's right--you can edit the encyclopedia. Today. This minute. My description was rather brief; if you want to know more about it, read Wikipedia's article about itself.

This approach has three significant advantages over other types of encyclopedias:

Vast amount of content. Wikipedia taps the Internet community for content; can you imagine a faster way to create new articles and add to existing ones?
Low cost. The Internet community is cheap labor. There are still costs associated with maintaining a web site on this scale, so Wikipedia still needs donations. But for now, the encyclopedia is free.
Up-to-the-minute content. The Indianapolis Colts beat the Denver Broncos a few hours ago. Somebody has already noted that on Wikipedia, and has written a summary of the game. Yes, I picked a frivolous example; but the point is, with billions of potential authors, Wikipedia is the only encyclopedia that can be up-to-date on virtually any topic that people care about.

There are some disadvantages too. For one thing, there's nothing stopping your 8-year-old from "editing" the aforementioned article about the Civil War. Also, popular opinion doesn't necessarily reflect reality. In short, Wikipedia isn't guaranteed to be accurate.

You can read plenty of opinions about Wikipedia, and the purpose of this post is not to exhaust the arguments or convince you that Wikipedia is better than all the other encyclopedias. Just keep this in your back pocket for the next time that you need free information about--virtually anything.

Cheap Comfort

2006-10-24T23:00:00.000-04:00

As a man born and raised in Minnesota, I am supposed to embrace the cold. When I was in college in Wisconsin, one of my roomates liked sleeping with the windows open--during the winter. Somehow that was construed as manly rather than idiodic. Today, I prove that I am unworthy of such a rugged heritage because I admit...I have a heated blanket. And I love it.

Actually, the heated blanket has a purpose beyond compromising my masculinity. One purpose of the heated blanket was to serve as a gift for my wife, who loves her heated throw. (Take note, guys: a $30 heated throw makes a fantastic gift for your wife or girlfriend.) But another purpose was to save money. We live in a house without zoned climate control. If I want it to be, say, 68 degrees in our bedroom at night, I have to either heat the entire house to 68 degrees (which is a waste of money), or I have to get creative.

One option is to use a space heater. This is a perfectly fine option if it works for you, but we found that it wasn't working as well as we had hoped. So I decided to try a heated blanket, which--like the space heater--should theoretically let me turn the thermostat way down without compromising our comfort. We bought a Sunbeam dual-control unit, so we can each select the temperature we like. It costs $70 at WalMart.

We love the heated blanket; it does the job very well. It's a basic unit though, so it doesn't have automatic shut-off. No problem; I purchased a $5 outlet timer to cut the power at 7:15 am so we don't have to bother turning off the blanket in the morning.

But does it save money? Sunbeam claims that you can "Save up to 10% a year on your heating bills by turning on your Sunbeam Heated Blanket and setting your thermostat back by 10%-15% while sleeping." (That quote is from WalMart.com.) Well, I used my Kill-a-Watt unit (I'll probably dedicate another post to this gadget) to gauge the electricity usage last night, and 9 hours of continuous use at the lowest setting (on both sides of the blanket) cost 0.44 KWH, which equates to 4 cents at my current electricity rate. I suspect that dropping my thermostat level even 1 degree for the evening probably saves more than 4 cents in energy costs. I don't know how long it will take to pay for itself, but given the comfort level and the low operating cost, we're considering this a great investment.

The Internet's Couch Cushion

2006-10-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

FatWallet should be one of the most popular sites on the web, yet when I mention it to people, they have no idea what it is. I like to think of FatWallet.com as the couch cushion of the Internet.

FatWallet.com has referral partnerships with dozens (maybe hundreds) of online retailers. When you make a purchase on a web site after "clicking through" FatWallet.com, FatWallet gets a certain percentage of the sale. Cool for them, right? But what would make you visit FatWallet.com first? Here's the great part: they split their referral money with you. That's right--by simply logging in to FatWallet.com and clicking on their own link to your online retailer, you could get cash back on your purchase.

For example, let's say you were going to buy a digital camera, and you found that Buy.com had the best price ($300). If you visit FatWallet.com first, and you click on their Buy.com link, you'll get 2% ($6) back on your purchase. Once you have a FatWallet.com account established, the amount of time it takes to do this extra step takes about 5 seconds. Sounds too simple? Ok, I'll tell you the two caveats:

You have to log in to FatWallet.com first. This is actually easier than it sounds, since you can have FatWallet.com remember you. I don't have to log in anymore. A visit to FatWallet.com, a hop over to Buy.com (or VisionDirect.com, or whatever), and I'm on my way to cash back.
Your cash back isn't available immediately; it takes about 90 days. Why? Well, I assume it's because FatWallet doesn't get any referral money if you return the merchandise. If you could get cash back immediately, what would stop you from buying thousands of dollars in merchandise and returning it, reaping the cash back profits?

FatWallet's own site does a pretty good job of explaining the process. See http://www.fatwallet.com/tmm/rewards.php. If you're interested in establishing an account and getting cash back on your purchases from here on out, just visit www.fatwallet.com.

Dual Purpose

2006-10-24T21:23:00.000-04:00

I spend way too much time researching things. When I'm at the store, I can spend 10 minutes deciding among multiple variations of essentially the same item. If you've never pulled out your calculator to figure out which pack of toilet paper offers the best deal per square inch, you won't understand. And that's ok; my closest friends have kindly explained to me that I'm a freak, so I'm aware that you're the normal one, and that I'm the odd one. I'm learning to accept that (much to the dismay of my aforementioned friends, who have done everything short of an intervention to convince me to change).

My hope is that I can share some ideas with you that will help you save money, and help make your life easier. That's the dual purpose of this blog. And please do me a favor--even if you don't find the information useful, at least pretend that you did. I already have my friends and family telling me I'm wasting my time; if strangers start agreeing, I won't know what to do.