Tech Time with Javvilin

Good Music at a Cheep Price

2008-10-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have been using MP3Sparks.com for a long time, but last year they made it hard to load up money onto an account because of international pressure. I have just started using MP3 Fiesta and it seems to work great. It is not as automated as MP3 Sparks, but what do you expect for 20 cents a song. Also I recommend as always never to give your credit card number out to a Russian music website. Buy a prepaid card like I do and you don't have to worry about security. Or, you can use a virtual card that some banks, such as Citibank offer. Check it out for cheep music.

Far Cry 2 New Trailer

2008-09-21T22:11:00.002-07:00

Far Cry 2 looks to be a great game coming out this fall by Ubisoft. Also over 100 hours of game play to finish the game. Awesome!! I can't wait.

Gameplay will revolve around the player character's manhunt through a fictional region of Africa and will be entirely open-ended, with the player being able to ally with anyone he/she chooses. The player's choices are completely unfettered, giving a sandbox style of gameplay and allowing the story to progress at the speed the player chooses[4]. Instead of using individual maps, the game will take place in a sprawling African landscape, with terrain ranging from savannah to jungle[5], similar to those seen in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, Just Cause and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl. The gameplay area will be 50 km2 (19.5 sq. miles). Some members of the Ubisoft Montreal team spent two weeks in several locations in Africa filming and photographing native wildlife. The team will use the animal footage and environment photos to create an extremely realistic environment.

The player's actions may also have a lasting effect on the environment: for example, one of the missions shown so far by the developers had the player sabotage a pipeline owned by one of the factions that's pumping fresh water from a lake to a neighboring country, exchanging it for arms and munition. After the player destroys it, part of the surrounding area becomes flooded, including a mine where another mission may take place[6].

Various factions and vehicles will be featured; enemies will include human mercenaries, but sci-fi creatures such as the mutants from Far Cry will not be featured.[1] Furthermore, the player's feral abilities introduced in Far Cry Instincts and its expansions will not be returning in Far Cry 2. A dynamic weather system has been added that varies the weather based on the players ability - if the player is doing exceptionally well the sky will be clear and sunny, but if problems arise the sky will become dark and stormy.[2]

A pre-alpha video of the game, showcasing visuals and 13 minutes of gameplay, with developer commentary was made available online in spring 2008. The video showcases many dynamic gameplay features which included procedural breakage of vegetation, allowing players to shoot down trees and shoot branches and leaves off of trees, which can eventually re-grow. The developers also showcased dynamic propagation of fire, and volumetric wind effects capable of breaking vegetation and spreading fire. Man-made structures were also shown to be highly destructible. - Wikipedia

James Bond - Quantum of Solace: The Game

2008-09-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

James Bond is back to settle the score in Quantum of Solace: The Game. Introducing a more lethal and cunningly efficient Bond, the game blends intense first-person action with a unique third-person cover combat system that allows players to truly feel what it is like to be the ultimate secret agent as they use their stealth, precision shooting and lethal combat skills to progress through missions.

Seamlessly blending the heart-pounding action and excitement of the upcoming Quantum of Solace feature film with the Casino Royale movie, the title propels players into the cinematic experience of international espionage. Based on the renowned Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine that has been specifically engineered to immerse players in the Bond universe, Quantum of Solace: The Game delivers superior high-definition graphics, reactive AI and visually stunning locations inspired by locales portrayed in the films.

ESRB Rating: T for Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Violence
Genre: Action
Online Play: 12 Versus
Available On: XBOX 360, PC, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 2
Release Date: November 4, 2008
MSRP: $59.99

XPOST GPS Com Port Splitter

2008-08-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

XPORT is a great tool for getting the most out of a GPS head you use on your computer. It works well with Streets and Trips, but also allows you to interface your GPS head with third party programs. There is also a cool program called Compass on the same page as XPORT that puts all the information on your desktop, and includes loggers and such. This is a must if you use GPS for the computer.

H.A.W.X. Air Combat by Tom Clancy

2008-08-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is the new Air Combat simulatur by Ubisoft due out in the first quarter of 2009. It is a Tom Clancy game that takes place in the near future. The action is played out in 17 levels at 16 different locations all over the globe. It should be pretty cool.

Building A NAS Box

2008-08-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

There is a great article in Maximum PC this month on how to build your own NAS Box using the program FreeNas. Check out this cool software.

ENDWAR By Tom Clancy Trailer

2008-08-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Unhealthiest Drink in America

2008-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Unhealthiest Drink in America Baskin Robbin’s Large Heath Bar Shake (32 oz)
2,310 calories
266 g sugar
108 g fat (64 g saturated)

Let's look at America's Worst Drink in numbers: 73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake. 66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains. 11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake. 8-12: The average number of minutes it takes to consume this drink. 240: The number of minutes you’d need to spend on a treadmill burning it off, running at a moderate pace. To discover a dozen other drinkable disasters — along with their healthy and delicious alternatives — click on this comprehensive section.

You Send It

2008-02-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

If you need to send a big file up to 100mb to someone, yousendit.com is the way to go. Rather than filling up their e-mail box with a large file it posts it to their site for 7 days and up to 100 downloads. The free version works for files up to 100mb. If you want more you have to pay. It works great for moving big files easily.

Threatfire Free Protection Software

2008-02-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

ThreatFire is a free Zero-Day threat protection program that runs along side of your Anti-Virus Software. This software helps to monitor your computer and protect it from mal-ware that has not been detected by your anti-virus signatures because it is too new. What does this mean in English? If you run this software along side your anti-virus program it will protect your computer even more from things that can change your computer environment. If you want good Free Anti-Virus software to go along with it try AVG Free Version. With both of these programs running side by side you can't go wrong.

GoodSync Free Sync Software

2008-02-13T15:08:00.001-08:00

People always ask me the best way to backup their computers. Lately, the best Free program that I have found is called GoodSync. This is truely a sync program and not a backup program, but I like to use Sync rather than Backup utilites because they give me better access to my files. This is a very easy program to use, and it is free. There is also a pay version for added features.

Here is how I backup my files:

1) Know where all of your important files are at. (Pictures, Music, Documents)

2) Buy a good external hard drive at least 400 GB. It should cost around $150 or less. (Don't pay more than that)

3) Set up the Sync Program to Sync files from left to right taking them from your internal hard drive to your external hard drive.

4) Keep the files on both drives (So if one fails you have the other.) Storage is Cheap!!

5) For important files, such as Photos I also send my pictures to Flickr to back them up online in case something happens at my house. (Fire, Burglary) It's not a bad idea to do this for all your important files.

6) Don't rely on CD's or DVD's to backup your data, they can get scratched, and then your data is gone.

7) Always keep your important files in more than one place.

8) Good luck.

Microsoft My Personal Folder 1.0

2008-02-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

This is the zip file for My Personal Folder 1.0 from Microsoft. It is a password encrypted program you put on your desktop to keep your files safe from probing eyes. As soon as Microsoft released it, they pulled it right back. IT managers were scared that people would forget their passwords and they would not be able to recover their files. Also parents were worried that their kids could hide things from them. Otherwise it is a great program.

** As with any encryption program DO NOT forget your password. Your data will not be able to be recovered if you forget it.

USB 3.0 Is Coming 4.8 Gbps

2007-12-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 Promoter Group is looking for additional contributors to its initial draft of the group’s proposed specification with a goal to have it completed by the first half of 2008.
SuperSpeed USB will create a backward-compatible standard with the same ease-of-use and plug-and-play capabilities of previous USB computer connection technologies, ports and cabling. The personal USB interconnect is targeting to deliver over 10 times the speed of today's connection and will be optimized for lower power and improved protocol efficiency. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group public Web site (www.usb.org/usb30) outlines the process to become a contributor to the specification. A company must be a USB Implementers Forum member in good standing and sign a USB 3.0 contributor agreement. Once a company has joined, it will obtain access to the current draft of the specification. The site also includes a URL for Contributors to supply comments. The group plans to review the specification with contributors at a meeting in Las Vegas on Jan. 14-15.
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, consisting of HP, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments Incorporated, is committed to preserving the existing USB device class driver infrastructure and investment, look and feel and ease-of-use of USB while continuing to expand this technology’s capabilities.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

2007-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 is a free program offered by microsoft to allow a person to run mulitple operating systems from a single PC. This means you can run Linux or even a different copy of XP or Vista from the same machine.

Meebo

2007-11-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Meebo.com is a great site that allows you to consolidate all of your instant messaging services into one web site. The best feature of the site is that it allows you to log in using your web browser. You don't need to download an application to you desktop. Everything is done from right inside your browser. This is great because it allows you to log in from any computer without having to dump software on it. There is also a software client available if you prefer.

Pix2Fone

2007-10-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

This site allows you to upload pictures and audio files to your phone. You can do it from their website, or you can download a plug-in for your web browser that allows you to right-click and send. Its great for getting your pictures on to your phone to make cool wall papers. Click Here!

2007-07-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

50 Caliber Handgun Accident

2007-05-16T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ever notice how the guy in the gun store always looks the same no matter what gun store you go into.

I'm Your Ghost

2007-03-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is a really weird Video

Go REBELS!!!!

2007-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the UNLV Rebels on their first round NCAA win over Georgia Tech. Next victim, Wisconsin.

Ninja Warrior: Makoto Nagano

2007-03-15T23:32:00.001-07:00

those crazy japanese game shows. this guy does some cool stuff

Chuck Liddell is wasted - UFCmania.com

2007-03-06T17:22:00.001-08:00

Check out this video of Chuck Liddell in an interview. It looks like he is either drunk or on some type of medication. Regardless, it is a funny video, and he is still really scary. Hopefully he won't come after me for posting this.

Heroes Graphic Novel

2007-03-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Check out this weeks graphic comic from Heroes. If you have not been watching the show or reading the graphic novels, this is a great place to start. Every week they add to the story with these comics. The comics are a great place to find out about new characters.

Police Turn to YouTube to Catch Suspects

2007-03-04T21:29:00.000-08:00

BY ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press Writer

Patrolman Brian Johnson of the Franklin, Mass., Police Department studied a surveillance video showing two men using allegedly stolen credit cards at a Home Depot.

But when Johnson didn't recognize either man, he decided to involve people - a lot of them - to help crack the case. He posted a clip from a security camera on YouTube.com, Google Inc.'s video-sharing Web site, then e-mailed the clip's link to about 300 people and organizations saying the department was looking for the men.

"You don't have to be a technology wizard to figure out how to watch a video on YouTube," Johnson said of the decision to post on the site that hosts millions of amateur and commercial videos.

A handful of police departments have utilized YouTube as a law enforcement tool, putting up video of suspects and eliciting help from the Internet-using public in identifying them. Experts say the idea has promise, but it's too soon to tell whether it will have staying power amid constantly evolving technologies and the difficulty of making a video stand out among millions. Some also see a risk of fruitless tips, misidentifications or privacy problems.

In Johnson's case, the suspects were ultimately arrested. Though the video generated publicity and thousands of viewings online, Johnson is quick to credit the success to old-fashioned police work rather than the Web site.

"You've got to ask yourself, 'What's the penetration? How many people are going to watch it? What would make people watch it?" said Eugene O'Donnell, a former police officer and prosecutor who teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

Perhaps the most-publicized example was in Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada, where police in December posted a 72-second surveillance video on YouTube in hopes of locating a suspect in a fatal stabbing outside a hip-hop concert. Detective Sgt. Jorge Lasso said the video ultimately received more than 35,000 "hits," and police had enough information within two weeks for an arrest.

Lasso said it's hard to know exactly what role YouTube played since the clip generated so much media attention. While other departments that posted on YouTube simply relied on a press release to let the public know, Lasso went straight to the population that mattered and announced the clip on Web sites frequented by hip-hop fans.

"We hoped there would be enough buzz created that people on their own would go to YouTube," Lasso said.

While the key witness in the case told police he hadn't even seen the YouTube video, Lasso is skeptical of that claim.

"There's no way that I'm going to be convinced that a 20-something didn't view that YouTube posting," he said.

Police in Aventura, Fla., working on an open homicide case from 2001 posted video from a supermarket security camera showing the victim chatting with a younger man considered a person of interest in the case. Sgt. Michael Bentolila narrates the video, pointing out a tattoo or birthmark on the man's arm and telling viewers to note how the man walks.

Bentolila, who publicized the clip through a press release, said he had not yet received any solid leads.

"This is just something else - an extra added feature that we can now use to get our message out there on a countrywide or worldwide basis," he said.

More often, it's police who find themselves the subject of YouTube posts.

Groups that monitor police behavior use the site to post videos of arrests they believe involve excessive force or abuse. A clip of a Los Angeles officer repeatedly punching a suspect in the face surfaced on the site last year, triggering an FBI investigation.

But police are reversing that dynamic by displaying surveillance footage of suspects.

Experts say it's logical for departments to connect with the public via the web, especially younger Internet users more likely to visit YouTube and more likely, say, to have information about a stabbing outside a hip-hop concert.

"I kind of applaud the fact that police are using the latest tools," said Michael Brady, a retired police chief in Charlestown, R.I. who teaches criminal law and criminal procedure at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. "We tend to get stuck in technology deficits. We tend to want to stick with the old tried-and-true."

O'Donnell, the John Jay professor, said he liked that police were mining the public for information and said interest in real-life crime video speaks to the "natural inclination of people to want to play detective." But he worried that a department with limited resources could waste time responding to useless leads - or receive tips that are inconsistent.

A key question, he said, is "at what point do people just say 'another boring video'" and shut it off.

Robert Ellis Smith, a Providence-based privacy expert and publisher of the "Privacy Journal" newsletter, said video posted online should have the consent of bystanders or victims in order to protect their privacy. He also suggested the videos be dated and removed once any court proceedings are concluded.

"Victims of crimes are certainly entitled to be heard before that stuff is put on the Internet," Smith said.

Bentolila of Florida noted that in narrating the video, he specifically pointed out the suspect and focused viewers' attention on him. Lasso said he removed the clip within a day of the arrest being made.

"We're not asking anybody to say they are guilty or innocent," said Johnson, the Massachusetts officer. "The purpose of putting the video out is to identify them."

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. said, legally, police can post surveillance video online as long as it doesn't somehow falsely accuse or defame someone.

In the Massachusetts case, Johnson posted the video in December on YouTube's news and politics section after a man reported his truck had been broken into and his credit cards stolen.

The clip generated chatter from nearby police departments already investigating similar cases, and an officer in another town viewed the video and said he recognized the men, Johnson said.

But it wasn't until police in Middleborough, Mass., responded to a disturbance at a Holiday Inn that the suspects were arrested. Lt. David Mackiewicz, who was involved in the arrest, said he didn't recognize the men through YouTube and didn't even know their pictures were on the site.

"Technology," Johnson said, "will never replace the feet-on-the-street."

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CompUSA Closing Stores

2007-03-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

CompUSA announced that it will be closing half of its retail stores last week. This means that those stores closing will be going on clearance. CompUSA also announced that it would not be sending inventory back from those stores. What does this mean? Get ready if it is a store in your area because they will be closing out the entire store. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap prices. Some of the stores that are closing have already dropped off the CompUSA website. Check if your store is gone, and that is a good indication it is closing.