An initial web search will bring up a whole page of FCC and DTV websites dedicated to telling you the "good news" about DTV but scroll forward a few pages and the the news is not so cheery.
This was not a successful conversion for many and definitely not as inexpensive for the end user as it was advertised to be.
Why the delay from Feb to June? This was not just a matter of just hooking a little $40 box to a TV in 25% of homes (20M or so...) in the US... It was much bigger and more costly than that!
My opinion: There isn't more hype about the lack of available free TV or the cost/inconvenience to convert because the outlets to express disapproval are limited and many of those "suffering" with the change are not utilizing public outlets (such as the internet - many can't afford the internet in this economy!) to express concerns but calling gov't 800 numbers instead. Those who are using the internet sites are posting to blogs and commentary sites... that you will not find unless you are looking for them...
Oh - check out some of the reporting I found once I scrolled past the first 100 search results that support the DTV Conversion...
Consumer Affairs
Associated Content
IEEE Spectrum: Inside Technology
Twin Cities
KWQC in IA
Fox News
KYMA News
fox4kc discussion
topix poll - why so few respondents?
Do a google search for "Not happy with the DTV conversion" and scroll a few pages... if you are struggling with the conversion, you will find many others in your boat!
On a side note: Who has noticed that all convert boxes have a "built-in energy saver"? They automatically shut off after and hour or two of operation... ahhhhh...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Help for your everyday techie questions...
The Kim Komando Show: America's top weekend talk radio program about all things digital! Free tips, downloads, software, newsletters, advice, buying guide and more! What ever your technical/digital question may be, be sure to check out Kim Komando's website for a simple answer!
Rock on Kim!
*I have not been paid to endorse this.
Rock on Kim!
*I have not been paid to endorse this.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Email Forwards: Which ones are junk?
Sorry I haven't posted in a while...
A recent rash of unbelievable email forwards inspired this post.
Before you forward things (missing child, "beware of..." or other take action emails) please do yourself and others a favor and check the facts... use a site like Snopes.com. No need to go spreading half-truths and rumors!
Happy Thursday!
A recent rash of unbelievable email forwards inspired this post.
Before you forward things (missing child, "beware of..." or other take action emails) please do yourself and others a favor and check the facts... use a site like Snopes.com. No need to go spreading half-truths and rumors!
Happy Thursday!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Interesting Uses for Everyday Stuff
Can't claim these to be mine... took them from an email forward!
1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any
6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
11. Bee stings - meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jello !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (And we drink this stuff!)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint. Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as finger paints, and it won't hurt kids if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
25.. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint-Crisco mixed w/food coloring. Heat Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container & mix w/food color of choice!
27 Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping-large bottle of club soda & cup of milk of magnesia , soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD's!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter!
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets , soak overnight!
35.. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate toothpaste
38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains-Coca Cola-it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. Gatorade for Migraine Headaches. PowerAde won't work.
42. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin , or just use 7-up instead of water.
43. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Mon- Tues-Thurs-Fri-Sat. Each day has a different color twist tie.
They are: Monday = Blue; Tuesday = Green; Thursday = Red; Friday = White; Saturday = Yellow.
So if today was Thursday, you would want a red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue-Green-Red-White-Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.
HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS ON THESE TIPS: http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=47;t=000414
1. Budweiser beer conditions the hair
2. Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
3. Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes
4. Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
5. Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any
6. Shiny Hair - use brewed Lipton Tea
7. Sunburn - empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
8. Minor burn - Colgate or Crest toothpaste
9. Burn your tongue? Put sugar on it!
10. Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
11. Bee stings - meat tenderizer
12. Chigger bite - Preparation H
13. Puffy eyes - Preparation H
14. Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
15. Stinky feet - Jello !
16. Athletes feet - cornstarch
17. Fungus on toenails or fingernails - Vicks vapor rub
18. Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet. (And we drink this stuff!)
19. Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint. Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as finger paints, and it won't hurt kids if they eat it!
20. Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
21. Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
22. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
23. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
24. When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
25.. Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar !
26. Body paint-Crisco mixed w/food coloring. Heat Crisco in the microwave, pour in to an empty film container & mix w/food color of choice!
27 Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of Kool Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
28. Preserving a newspaper clipping-large bottle of club soda & cup of milk of magnesia , soak for 20 min. and let dry, will last for many years!
29. A Slinky will hold toast and CD's!
30. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
31. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
33. Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with Peanut butter!
34. Baked on food - fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce towel will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets , soak overnight!
35.. Crayon on the wall - Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
36. Dirty grout - Listerine
37. Stains on clothes - Colgate toothpaste
38. Grass stains - Karo Syrup
39. Grease Stains-Coca Cola-it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from car batteries!
40. Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Maybe this will work if you get them back again.
41. Gatorade for Migraine Headaches. PowerAde won't work.
42. To keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox , or 2 Bayer aspirin , or just use 7-up instead of water.
43. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you 'squeeze' for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Mon- Tues-Thurs-Fri-Sat. Each day has a different color twist tie.
They are: Monday = Blue; Tuesday = Green; Thursday = Red; Friday = White; Saturday = Yellow.
So if today was Thursday, you would want a red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue-Green-Red-White-Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread wrappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.
HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS ON THESE TIPS: http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=47;t=000414
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Interested in Notebooks/Netbooks?
Check out the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Netbook (1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, Bluetooth, XP Home, 9.5 Hour Battery Life). Asus (pronounced ah-SOOS) was a pioneer in the netbook market. Check out the original CNNMoney.com article (prior to upgraded battery life) where they "road tested" 5 notebooks (including HP & Dell) and this one came out on top!
- This is one wonderful, budget-friendly alternative to a Macbook!
Key Features
* Up to 9.5 hours battery life
* First netbook with the Intel Atom N280 processor (667MHz FSB)
* 10-inch screen & large chiclet keyboard for comfort
* 160GB hard disk drive plus 10 GB Eee online storage
* Built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy wireless connectivity
* Multi-touch touchpad for ease of use
Technical Details
* XP-Preloaded with 160G large H.D.D. Intel Atom 280 Processor (1.66 GHz, FSB: 667MHz)
* ASUS Super Hybrid Engine and 6 cell high density battery pack allow for longer battery lifespan of up to 9.5 hours. Super Hybrid Engine offers a choice of performance and power consumption modes for easy adjustments according to various needs
* High Speed Connectivity Anywhere with Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4GHz only). Eee Connect for an easy way to connect two or more users through a remote desktop feature for easy troubleshooting.
* Exclusive 10GB Eee Storage with easy accessibility anywhere online
* Free 1 YR Warranty (6 month for battery, 30 day ZBD Guaranteed) and sleeve
* Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches ; 3.2 pounds
Specifications
· Operating System: Genuine Microsoft Windows XP
· Display: 10-inch LED-backlit widescreen LCD (1024x600)
· Intel CPU: Intel Atom N280
· Wireless Data Network: WLAN: 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth V2.0
· Memory: 1GB DDR-2 SODIMM (memory size is upgradable to 2GB)
· Hybrid Storage: 160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Online Storage **Eee Storage service is complimentary for the first 18 months. Please register account information for 6 months extension (depends on country)
· Camera: 1.3 megapixels
· Audio: Build-in stereo speakers, high-definition audio CODEC, Digital Array Microphones
· Storage Cards: 2-in-1 MMC and SD(SDHC) flash card slot
· Input/Output: 1 x VGA port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor), 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x LAN RJ-45, 2 x audio jacks: headphone & mic-in
·
· Dimensions: 10.47 (W) x 7.53 (D) x 1.12-1.50 (H) inches
· Weight: 3.20 lbs
· Color: Black or Blue
DEEPER DETAILS...
·A brilliant 10-inch LED-backlit widescreen display makes reading documents and viewing multimedia files more comfortable. This latest generation of LED backlit technology allows for ultra-thin, ultra-bright and energy-efficient display allowing outstanding portability and versatility.
·1024 x 600 resolution allows you to view a single page without often needing to scroll left or right.
·The chiclet-style keyboard is 92% the size of generic notebooks—making it more comfortable to type for less fatigue during prolonged use.
·The ASUS Eee PC 1000HE is powered by the Intel Atom N280 processor.
·Built with the world’s smallest transistors, the Atom N280 processor uses only 2.5 watts of power –- less than 1/10 of the power consumption of ordinary desktop processors –- offering a long battery life.
·This small size processor also packs a big punch. The N280 featured in the Eee PC 1000HE has 667MHz front-side-bus providing higher performance than the older N270.
·It also has the Intel Hyper-Threading Technology which includes high performance-per-watt efficiency and increased system responsiveness in multi-tasking environments.
·Eee PC 1000HE is equipped with a 160 GB internal hard disk drive to give you a large amount of data capacity for convenience.
·It also comes with an exclusive 10 GB of file-encrypted Eee Online Storage that allows you to store, share and access documents and multimedia easily on the move.(complimentary for the first 18 months)
·Eee PC 1000HE comes with WiFi 802.11 b/g/n network connectivity for ultimate wireless accessibility and mobility. Also included is Bluetooth V2.0 for flexibility and convenience with your Bluetooth devices.
·Eee PC 1000HE features 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x VGA port, 2 x Audio input/output ports, 1 x RJ-45 port, Kensington Lock port.
·A spring-loaded plug-and-play MMC/SDHC/memory stick/MS-Pro flash card slot is also provided to let you easily access your digital photos and videos and expand your system storage.
·Eee PC 1000HE also features a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and Digital Array microphones with to allow you have clear video conversations with family and friends.
·Eee PC 1000HE comes with a user-friendly multi-touch touchpad to help you navigate and have an easy and fun experience.
·Its multi-touch interface allows you to scroll and zoom quickly with 2 fingers. It is intuitive to use and is child-friendly.
·The touchpad is in a wide format so you can access contents displayed on the 10-inch widescreen easily.
·The 1000HE Eee PC comes with a built-in quick recovery system that restores your system to its factory settings by just pressing F9 three times during start-up.
·With the quick F9 recovery process, you won't need any Windows CD or driver CD.
·It is recommended that you back up your data with Eee Online Storage prior to using the recovery system.
·The easy recovery system is only available with Windows systems.
·Eee PC 1000HE comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows XP Home and Microsoft Works.
·Here are some reasons why Eee PCs are better with Windows:
Trusted: Windows Delivers a dependable experience that Microsoft and a worldwide community of partners stand behind.
Familiar: Windows is easy to use and be familiar with so you can be up and running right away.
Compatible: You can be confident that your devices and applications will work with Windows – more than any other platform.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR FOR $400?
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