Thursday, May 20, 2010

Top 5 Gadgets for the Domesticated Geek


These are my top 5 gadgets that not only do I enjoy having in the house, but also come with a high W.A.F. (Wife Approval Factor).
  1. Dyson DC14 Vacuum
  2. Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew Thermal Coffee Maker
  3. Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Slow Cooker
  4. KitchenAid Pro 600 Stand Mixer
  5. Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote

To summarize: Dyson Vacuums are fantastic an you will be amazed at how much they get out of your carpets.  The Coffee Maker is our newest gadget on the list and my wife and I love both the ease of use and the delicious coffee that it produces.  Read my review of the slow cooker for more details.  The KitchenAid 600 series has the capacity and power to take on any task from mixing to pasta making.  The Harmony One made it on both this, and my other top 5 list, due to the fact that it is so powerful and makes any complicated A/V setup easy to use.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Is Your Facebook Page Secure?

Lately, facebook's security settings have been getting worse rather than better.  In order to introduce more features, Facebook's developers have made it easier for your personal information to be available on the internet.  This move has taken much criticism from technology experts and news agencies alike.  Even if you go through the settings yourself, you may miss some important settings that could allow your personal information to be shared with everyone.

A good defense starts with a good offense.   If you are particularly worried about something getting shared with the world, you probably shouldn't but posting it on facebook to begin with. If you are like me and want to give your facebook page a security checkup, head over to http://www.reclaimprivacy.org/.  There you get a link that you can drag up into the shortcut bar of your browser.  You then can log into you facebook page, click the link and view the results.  I thought that my settings were pretty secure, but I found that I had missed a few things.  Take a few minutes and follow the information on http://www.reclaimprivacy.org/ to start your checkup.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Fun With Touchpads

It is a good day when you find something new to do with technology that you already own.  Today,  had one of those moments with my laptop.  If there is one thing I know about most laptop owners, its that they can't stand using the built in touchpad for any length of time.  Now if you are like me, you have gotten used to it and don't mind it, but you still reach for a mouse when you can.  Even if you like your touchpad, you will have an even better appreciation for it after reading this.