University of Alberta Student Blog

Holy video Batman! 20 hours of video uploaded every minute!!

2009-05-21T18:45:00.003-06:00

So it turns out that 20 hours of video are being uploaded to YouTube every minute, at least according to the YouTube blog. Even though this a great achievement, it leaves one wondering how all the video is monitored and filtered for copyright and pornographic material. But here are a few notes I'll share about it.

- From the 20 hours of video uploaded every minute, almost 19hrs and 59mins of it is gargage.
- Clearly YouTube isn't making a profit at this time, plus the data is clogging up the Internetz linez.
- Quantity does not mean quality. The YouTube team needs to keep this in mind.
- There are a lot of kitty and lolcats videos haha

A Washington Post editor summed up YouTube's big problem:
"Too many of us like to think that we have made great progress in human relations and that little remains to be done. Unmoderated comments provide an antidote to such ridiculous conclusions."

Watch out! Here comes the Palm Pre!!

2009-05-20T12:59:00.004-06:00

There has been a lot of news lately for the Palm Pre, and I've been reading as much on it as I can find. So far it seems promising, but there are a lot of issues with it that could potentially ruin it.

I currently have an Apple iPhone, but it has left me with a problems I couldn't even imagine. With my contract ending, I need a new phone. Not a Blackberry. Its a good phone, but just not for me. I need a phone with a good operating system, possibly a touch screen, a good internet browser, a GPS, and one that is smooth. Multi-tasking is a good thing too, but not entirely important. A physical keyboard would also be nice. The G1 is a good phone, but its pretty beta right now with a lot of bugs. Plus when you slide the keyboard out, the buttons always get pressed accidentally.

Palm has a knack of coming out with something awesome and then lagging behind everyone else for the next several years. If they do this again with the Palm Pre, this is possibly the end of the company. Investors are going to run, and this economy doesn't help either. That means no more system upgrades.

Also, they for some reason have limited availability for the Pre. This is a marketing strategy to increase demand and lower supply. Its all about perception, and this is hiw the marketing mind works. In this day and age, due to Apple, if you have something that is limited, it makes you better and more sophisticated than everyone else.

Finally, Pre runs on Sprint only. Never used Sprint, but it should be ok. They don't have a good customer service though, so we'll see what happens I guess.

I'm back!

2009-05-19T15:37:00.000-06:00

Well the biggest thing I realised as soon as I left Blogger was how easy it is to use. I tried tons of other blogging engines such as Wordpress and Movable Type, but Blogger is just downright easy to use. I don't have much time with work and other things in the way, therefore its just easier to use Blogger. Look out for new posts by me in the coming days!!

Moved!

2007-07-23T22:33:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to inform all the readers that I have moved blogs to http://www.abdultaiyeb.com/

This change happened after my Google Account got compromised and my blog pretty much got taken over with spam and random posts. Anyways, there are still a lot of readers visiting this blog. Around 200 a day! Therefore for all of you looking for me new blog, please navigate to http://www.abdultaiyeb.com and http://www.abdultaiyeb.com/blog

Exams!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-04-20T01:59:00.000-06:00

Exams going on right now. Will resume posting in a week.

Make money off your bank balance!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-04-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

There are many different ways to make money nowadays, and Savings Accounts are one of the very few easy ways to make some money off of your bank balance. Savings accounts are accounts managed by commercial banks, credit unions, and loan associations, that pay interest to you. The catch? None really. These accounts are mainly meant to be used to be used by customers, not as one would use cash, but by other monetary means, for example by writing a cheque, or making a money draft. In this way, users can make money by setting aside an amount of their liquid assets and just leaving it in the bank! A bank I would recommend? The Co-operative bank. Unlike others, it actually has an ethical policy!

Toshiba's HD-A20 HD DVD player! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-04-12T09:23:00.000-06:00

Toshiba is finally shipping their HD-A20 to retailers ths week. The price is a relatively cheap $499 for retail stores, and can quite possibly be cheapers if sold online. It boasts a HDMI 1.3 capability and 1080p output. Finally, a decent HD-DVD player!

Missassauga Real Estate! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-04-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

Edmonton, along with the rest of Alberta, has been booming over this past two years, and this has resulted in the prices of real estate increasing dramatically. As a matter of fact, this is the case all across Canada, especially Toronto. There is a great amount of Mississauga real estate for sale, especially since people are moving away from the big cities like Toronto. The houses in Mississauga are of all sizes and the prices range from a decent $200,000 to up to 1.5 million. For that much you can get a mansion, while for the same amount in Toronto you would be lucky to get a decent apartment.

Xbox 360 QWERTY keyboard attachment!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-04-10T08:39:00.000-06:00

Just when you thought the 360 couldn't get any better, Microsoft has decided to release the QWERTY keyboard, a rumour that has been around for years now. This announcement comes with the new update for the dashboard that includes a chat feature to chat with friends using the Xbox Live network. The keyboard gets attached to the controller and has a snug fit as it plugs into the data / headphone jack at the bottom (and thus it comes with its own headset). It is backlit and should be released in the summer sometime. Not sure of the price though.

Playing poker on a Mac! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-04-04T15:03:00.000-06:00

Sometime back I wrote about how University students love playing Poker to make a little extra pocket money. Well, nowadays whats dubbed the Mac Revolution has started where apparently more and more people around the world, mainly students, are switching over to the Macintosh. Frankly speaking, there aren't many poker sites out there that cater to a Mac audience. But I did come across one that did offer Mac Poker. I'm not going to lie, but this site doesn't seem to be like the other ones that yell out "Give us your money". This website actually has offers and online casino bonuses that they offer out to users, and also unlike other websites, this one actually uses CSS and HTML quite well and is well designed. Another good thing is that its background is green, that in a way is trying to show that users can actually make some money (green) instead of lose it all. The site is well created and features a full fledged navigation bar on the left that has a range of topics, the best of them I found to be a section devoted entirely to tips. Everything from basic rules of the different types of poker like Texas Holdem, along with tips for advanced readers. They also have partnered with numerous other websites such as Fulltilt Poker and PokerStars to provide the best service to their users.

Xbox 360 Elite pre-ordering now!!

2007-04-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

Yup, you can now order your Xbox 360 Elite so that you are the first to get it. If you have the current models, and don't feel like shelling out that much for the new system, you have two options:

-CircuitCity will be selling all the accessories (including the 120Gb harddrive) from the 25th onwards so that you can upgrade your Xbox.
-Microsoft and Gamespot may be working on some sort of deal where you can trade your old Xbox 360 model in for the new one. Details on this are still being leaked slowly though.

Payroll Software!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-25T19:22:00.000-06:00

Time and Attendance most recent press release:

New Open-source Time and Attendance Web-based Package Launched Westbank, BC, Canada, 03/12/2007 - TimeTrex, unique new open-source software moves web-based time and attendance and payroll into the 21st century. It's time to toss those punch cards out. TimeTrex's unique, open-source time and attendance and payroll system integrates a number of crucial features into one easy-to-use, web-based package. "Organizations can often cut significant costs by making their time and attendance and payroll systems more efficient and cost-effective," says Mike Benoit of TimeTrex. "TimeTrex does just that, and best of all, its standard edition, in the true spirit of the open source movement, is absolutely free to download." TimeTrex features integrated employee scheduling, attendance, job costing, and payroll functions. It has hardware support for iButtons, biometrics, proximity cards, barcodes, and mobile devices. Apart from time management, TimeTrex comes fully integrated with a powerful payroll processing system, available at the click of a button. Being essentially web-based, TimeTrex allows secure and easy access to its interface from anywhere in the world. By streamlining employee time and attendance functions, the software allows companies to concentrate on their revenue-generating core competencies. TimeTrex has been designed to suit small and large businesses, with one or more locations. TimeTrex's standard edition is free to download for an unlimited number of employees. Quotes for its professional edition are available on its website. "Its many flexible features, combined with its open-source nature, make TimeTrex a one-of-its-kind software," says Benoit. "TimeTrex frees up labor and capital, so you can devote your resources to the challenges of growing your business."

I've been writing a lot about setting up a new business nowadays, and the thing is that keeping track of your employees salaries is a very important thing. An open-source software, such as the one stated above would not reduce the costs for a company by a decent amount, but at the same time would prove very beneficial to the organization because of the features it offers. The ability to read a wide variety of media such as barcodes and proximity cards means that is fully scalable and workable with many other systems too. Also the fact that this software can be used by different branches of your organization around the world means that in the future when a business grows to a gigantic size, this software won't even need to be upgraded!!

Pink Zunes!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-25T18:54:00.000-06:00

When the Zune first came out, it came in black, brown and white. Then Microsoft decided to secretly release a few 100 pink zunes, which most people really loved. Seeing this, Microsoft has decided to come out with a default color for the Zune: pink!! The good thing is that this will attract all the gals away from the iPod to the Zune now, and also those brave guys who are brave enough to wear pink.

The Mortgage Blog!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-25T15:42:00.000-06:00

There is always a lot happening in terms of real estate nowadays, and sometimes buyers go and accept the first mortgage deal they can find. For those who actually wish to do some research first, I would recommend taking a look at the Mortgage Lowdown. It is a blog written by a few people, and their topics vary from real estate to interest rates when it comes to buying a house. They also recently started their carnival of home improvement where one can find a great selection of articles to read on that topic. Even though the blog is fantastic and has a great resource, they have to find some way of organizing it. They already have a categories section that breaks up posts into their respective categories. But besides that they have to have an even deeper branching where posts are also branched into their locations. For example, if I was living in Arizona, and wanted to buy a new house in Arizona, I would want to check up news regarding mortgage companies, but only those located in Arizona, not all around the world. Therefore the Mortgage category needs to be split up into their respective locations as well. Besides this, I find the blog to a well needed fantastic resource for all home owners everywhere.

PS3 advertisement! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-25T15:28:00.000-06:00

It seems that most of the world was right when they deduced the only reason Sony is even selling the Play Station 3 is for its Blu-Ray technology. In fact, it seems they got most of the retail stores even fooled. As one can clearly see above, this is an image of an advertisement of a PS3, and the retailer has shown that the main function of the PS3 is to actually play Blu-Ray DVD movies, and then it "also plays games!". I guess this is the most accurate PS3 advertisement ever...

Promotion Codes!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-22T18:48:00.000-06:00

I usually don't buy things online, not because I do not trust the online payment systems out there, but mainly because I like to have a up-close look at what I am buying. But staying in Edmonton, where it snows a lot and is freezing cold outside sometimes, going to the mall isn't really the best option. Thus online shopping is what most people turn to. There are loads of sites out there that provide coupons that can be used to shop online. One of my favourites and possibly the best place to find promotion codes and coupons is UltimateCoupons.com It's updated on a daily basis and has thousands on merchants to chose from. Also unlike the other coupon sites out there it has a very basic and easy layout. For example, its wide range of coupons spread from Footlocker coupons and Eastbay coupons to SmartBargains coupons to VitaminShoppe coupons. The website doesn't look very appealing, but it sure as hell is really useful and you do actually save money when shopping. Simply said, UltimateCoupons is the place to get all the promotion codes you will ever want!!

Buy this if you're an idiot! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-22T18:39:00.000-06:00

If you're a hardcore gamer, but smart, you will not buy this machine. But if you think you are a hardcore gamer (in other words, a wannabe), and are also rich, then you're the reason why Alienware even exists. They came out with their new Area-51 ALX recently that has an overclocked quad core Core 2 Extreme QX6700 chip - it has raised it from 2.66GHz to 3.2Ghz. Why is it so expensive? I have no idea, as the Core 2 has been overclocked tons of time before and it perfectly safe to be done at home by any individual. Its supposed to be around $5,000 and that doesn't make sense, as it would mean that you are shelling out $1500 extra for that case??

Bank Accounts!!

2007-03-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

Everyone needs to safeguard their money, and that means having a bank account. Of course, in the past, everyone used to go and set up an account at the nearest bank that they could find, mainly because of the convenience. But nowadays since almost every bank provides online banking, it would make sense to go to the bank that offers the most services and the highest returns. That's where SavingsAccounts.com comes in. Unlike other similar websites, SavingsAccounts.com actually works for the average customer. They maintain a fantastic list of many different types of accounts and hundreds of banks. Their list includes all the relevant details that one would need. Everything from the percentage return that a particular account offers, to the number of free credit cards and ATM cards one can get from that same account. Besides that, they also provide the small details such as the minimum amount that needs to be deposited to open the bank account, and the number of free transactions that a user gets. It's basically a one-stop free shop for choosing the right bank account, or as I would call it, the encyclopedia of bank accounts!!

How to kill trees faster! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-21T18:07:00.000-06:00

Ever think that the forests are being wiped out too slowly? Then this $200 printer is just what you need!

OCZ creates FireWire flash drives!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-21T17:54:00.000-06:00

OCZ can't seem to keep their name out of the daily tech news. Today we found out that OCZ is listening to the few users who already have 8 USB ports that are loaded up, and they decided to create FireWire flash drives instead of the now traditional USB ones. The 2GB flash drives are supposed to be faster than the USB ones (as FireWire is a faster technology), but there have been no price announcements about it yet. Also, a few of the models will boast both the four-pin FireWire 400 connection, and also the not-so-common six-pin connection on the same stick. I'm beginning to like OCZ a lot more day by day...

Smart ways to hide your stuff!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

There is always a story in the newspaper about another burglary in the city. Stuff like this is going to increase a lot especially as the cost of living all around the world increases. So I was just looking around for some cool way of hiding my stuff so that in the case if I'm robbed, my most valuable stuff is safe. And then I stumbled upon the article The Diversion Safe by Productdose.com. It lists quite a few different methods in which consumers can hide their belongings. My favourite was the sprinkler head that has been modified into a key holder (pictured above) in case you ever lose your keys and get locked out. Most of these items are pretty cheap too. I found the sprinkler system for $8.00 on eBay, and I'm pretty sure everything else I searched for wasn't above $20.

U-DOO by Wirefly!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-20T19:40:00.000-06:00

The whole word is currently experiencing an insane cell phone boom especially when cell phones will soon enough make laptops obsolete. The thing is that the cell phone still isn't personal, and that's where U-DOO comes in. U-DOO is created by the folks over at Wirefly, and users can use it to build (yes build themselves) custom avatars and then download them to their cell phones and email them around to friends to surprise them. They also have an option of sending to a Myspace account.
The whole creation process is pretty simple too. Users have about 20 different characters to choose from and every facial aspect can be changed to their needs. Then an audio is added, and this is where users can choose between using a pre-recorded audio file or record audio themselves and sending it in. And that's pretty much it. The avatar is instantly created to be sent to impress friends!

ISS upgraded!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-20T19:33:00.000-06:00

Engadget.com is reporting that the International Space Station is in for some major changes. Apparently the crew have been preparing for an upgrade to their computer systems, which is supposed to increase the networks 10 fold, and a new window and camera combo. Then they decided to make some jokes about Vista...

Xbox 360 Elite!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-20T19:03:00.000-06:00

The rumours are true!! Microsoft is planning to release a new Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 Elite! It's a limited edition black Xbox 360 (everything from the case, to the controllers and the headset will be black) that boasts HDMI and a 120GB drive. Its going to cost $479. The Elite model is also rumoured to be cooler, and once they are sold out, they are going to be made in white which are supposed to replace the current Premiums.

10 day Survival Pack! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-20T18:51:00.000-06:00

Emergencies are always happening these days, and its unfortunate that some of us are sometimes unprepared. Jeffrey Yago recently wrote an article about creating a 10 day survival pack. It pretty much lists out what to make the kit with and boy, its written in great detail. The thing is that most of the items on his list are pretty common and is very easy to find for very cheap. In fact his kit that he assembled cost him $25.00 and its fantastic. I surely am going to make one of these, when I get a car that is.

Online Dating!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-19T18:00:00.000-06:00

University life is all about having fun and studying at the same time. Studying will be accomplished as you are paying tuition, and thus will attend most lectures and if nothing else, at least attempt to pass your courses. Having fun on the other hand is not always guaranteed. Dates are good, but are usually expensive. Not only that, most guys/gals are actually shy. I mean, numerous times in your life you make eye-contact with someone and just because of shyness fail to speak to speak to him and say 'Hi'. You could've easily met your partner with one easy gesture. Luckily for us, there is an online dating site called JustSayHi!. Its 100% free, and they don't even ask you for a credit card like other online dating services such as True.com do. There are hundreds of people on it, and you can browse through them using options. So ahead, go on a date with someone you like for free!

RIAA wins Worst Company 2007!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-19T17:45:00.000-06:00

The RIAA won Consumerist's "Worst Company in America 2007" poll recently. Its blatantly obvious that Internet users want to download music illegally. They strangely didn't win by a landslide though, only 53.8% in their final round of voting against Halliburton (who recently decided to move their Headquarters to Dubai). Anyways, you should call the people who head the RIAA and congratulate them, and give them a piece or two of your mind. For some reason, they all look like mob bosses, what ever they are, they sure are on some angry Internet users hit list...

Jobs! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-19T16:01:00.000-06:00

Its human nature to want more and more. Everyone thinks that their job sucks, and the guy next door is making more money. This might very well be true, but at the same time, it may very not be. Thus I decided to find out what the worst jobs were, and boy there are a lot! Anyways, I came across this website that lists a few of them. Believe me, after seeing these few jobs, you will sit back in your office chair and begin to realise that things aren't that bad after all.

Protect your systems!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-16T19:59:00.000-06:00

When the Internet was first launched, it wasn't very stable. The main concern was security. As time has passed, Internet security has been greatly improved, and almost everything had contains data has some sort of Password Management system protecting it from hackers. Of course, its not as easy as it sounds. Setting up such a system requires a lot of work from the IT department of a business, and thus I introduce Sysmark's PowerBroker and PowerPassword-UME identity management and access control system.

Their systems have the best functionality I've ever seen, and are very easy to use. They protect the 'root' accounts from both internal and external attacks, and at the same time allows IT managers to manage UNIX and Linux accounts more easily. Also, they latest systems are also compatible with the new HP Integrity servers that run the new HP-UX 11i v3 operating system.

Wirefly's National Marathon! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-16T17:29:00.000-06:00

I used to run marathons back home, but with University studies piling up, there is hardly anytime for running around. Nonetheless, marathons are by far one of the best ways to exercise. A marathon can be anywhere from 3 kilometers to a hundred. The Wirefly National Marathon is a marathon that is in its second year running. Its run entirely within the District of Columbia and the good thing is that not only do runners get exercise, they also get to see all the important locations in the District, and at the same time help fund the children's organizations in the locality. The marathon starts a week from today, on Saturday the 24th, and there is both, a National Marathon, and also a National Half Marathon that runners can participate in. Wirefly, the largest online cell phone store, and the creators of this event, have also given more incentives and prizes to the winners. There are cash prizes available for the top ten runners, and if a particular runner can finish the marathon within the Olympic Trials qualifying times, they are awarded monetary bonus prizes as well. Its still not too late to join, as the last day to pick up a package is Friday, 23rd March.

Vaja's Macbook case! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-16T17:10:00.000-06:00

Vaja, the company that makes expensive cases for ipods, realised that most of the buyers were Mac users. Thus they decided to make even more money by releasing their MacBook laptop cases. The cost for this Argentinian leather made case? $580.00. Their reasoning? Well, its for Macs, and people who buy Macs are usually rich people who wouldn't know better, thus it makes sense that a mere laptop case should cost $580 for them. Also its customizable in up to 1000 color combos, not that my eyes will be able to differentiate the 100 different shades of green. My question is whether the case will be able to good laptops as well?

Insurance Leads!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-16T16:02:00.000-06:00

I've been writing a lot about starting your own business, and every business needs insurance of some kind or the other. Finding the best and most suitable insurance leads is far from easy nowadays. There are hundreds of insurance companies, and getting a hold of each of them to find what you need it pretty much near impossible. Enter QuotesAuction.com. They help customers find the most suitable and affordable insurance protection by asking them to fill out an online insurance questionnaire. The system then matched the customer up with the most prominent and suitable insurance agency in that area and also informs the respective agents, thus making the whole process more effective and hassle free. They also have a deal right now, where new customers can get $200 of free insurance leads to work with. If insurance is what you need, you know where to go.

Flying Rats?! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-15T16:41:00.000-06:00

With Airbus cancelling having all their orders for their A380 cancelled, it seems their rival is in a totally other boat. Not only are their planes selling well, but it seems they are preparing designs for a replacement for their 747s. Yup, its that thing above. The plane might look like a fighter jet, but its actually going to be for normal commercial use. It does look huge, because of the fact that the fuselage and wings are blended into one and thus eliminating the need of a tail. It should use 30% less gas than a typical plane though. The thing is that firstly the passengers in the middle have no windows, and also if my physics doesn't do me wrong, the passengers at the windows will experience a lot more movement than the passengers in the middle. Albeit, Boeing is hoping to have a military version out by 2022, while a commercial version is scheduled to be out in 2030.

Switch tires no more!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-15T16:34:00.000-06:00

Spring should hit Edmonton soon, and that means that all car owners must break their back and replace all their 4 winter tires to 4 spring/summer tires. Even though this process take an hour at most, it seems that most people hate it (I sure would). Anyways, QTires are tires launced by Celsius that have somewhat of a James Bond ability. The ability to retract studs that come out in weather conditions that require them - for example during the winter. There isn't much information out about these tires yet, and thus I'm not exactly sure how they work, but these all weather tires should get rid of your yearly (twice-yearly) trip to the Doctor because of a sprained back.

InPhonic! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-15T16:14:00.000-06:00

I've written a lot in the past about starting a new company, and the challenges that one must encounter. The biggest obstacles that one faces is actually confronted even before a business is set up. That is the obstacle of coming up with a good business idea. What is it that you will sell that attract customers? Currently almost every good idea is taken, and one has to really brainstorm to come up with something new. An example is InPhonic, who realising that they had to come up with something new, created WireFly. WireFly is a website that sells mobile phones online, and over time has slowly improved to become the industry leader in online mobile phone sales and activations. InPhonic was the underdog and realised that to improve, it must come up with a better business model. Thus they rapidly increased their partnerships with all major telecommunication providers, and thus ended up being able to offer almost every plan that every mobile phone operator has, via their website. Just recently, The Washington Times wrote an article about InPhonic's new strategy and outlined that InPhonic would be making quite a hefty profit in the years to come if the buying trend continues. This was reflected on their stock that has risen quite a bit since their start-up. I, for one, will be buying my next cellphone online, for the sheer fact that WireFly has all the exact same plans that a retail store would have, but instead of going out to the crowded mall and buying it myself, I can sit back and have it home delivered. Without a doubt, online retailing is the way of the future!

Games for Windows Live! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-14T17:52:00.000-06:00

Microsoft has finally lifted the veil on when Games for Windows Live will be announced, the service that will let PC gamers compete against Xbox 360 users on common games. Microsoft said that it will be released on May 8th, and it will include games such as Halo 2, Shadowrun, and weirdly enough, UNO. I'm not exactly sure, but it seems that it is only available for Vista users, and will feature 2 different types of accounts: Silver and Gold. The Silver account is free, and has all the basic features, while the Gold account can be bought for $49.99 a year and has all the features gamers would ever want. Apparently.

Projectors for everyone!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-12T16:16:00.000-06:00

Setting up a new business is a very expensive venture. Sometimes most of the expenses come from just setting up the office, let alone the other expenses once the office is actually set up. Everything from office chairs to computers cost an arm and a leg nowadays. And then come projectors which raise the expenses to an unprecedented level. Luckily I came across Projector123.com which deals with lcd projector rental. They seem to be the only company that I've seen that will deliver projectors for a meeting, a trade show event or any other event such a party, anywhere in the United States. They effectively make use of FedEx and make the hassle of delivering and picking up projectors a thing of the past. I don't have a business of my own, but I will surely rent one for the next 'floor-bonding' event that my floor has. There is nothing like watching a movie(s) on a 100" TV screen!!

Creative Doormat!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-12T16:15:00.001-06:00

I've seen many mats made that specifically say "Go Away", but this is the first time that I've seen one that says "Come in" when flipped upside down. Although frankly speaking, at first I read the "Come in" as "Home in". That might be useful if you are so dumb you found your way to to your home, but don't know which way home is in. Thus the "Home in" would be useful. (sarcasm)

Western Riding! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-12T15:55:00.000-06:00

It seems that here in Alberta, Canada, there is a lot of influence of Western sports. By Western I don't mean American, but rather the 'Wild Wild West' type of Western. People here are always going riding, and seem to be having great fun. I am mildly interested in the sports, but there is just too much too learn. Firstly, riding isn't as easy as it seems. You may have a horse, but you need to equip it well. There are hundreds of different saddles one can choose from, and after that, one must look up saddle care and saddle accessories to make sure they last long. Luckily, I came across this fantastic Western Saddle Guide that is a great resource not only for the beginners, but also for the experts who have been in the field for a long time. And the best thing is that its all free. Yup, a great resource, for free. You never hear of such things nowadays!

Now that's a lens!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-12T15:54:00.001-06:00

I always looked at my camera and wondered why the lens was so small. And then comes the Sigma APO 200-500mm (yes, 500mm) F2.8 EX DG that completely shatters my rants. I mean c'mon, the thing is colossal. It has it's own handle for crying out loud!! Its more like the camera is attached to the lens at the end, not the other way round..

Choosing the right credit card! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-11T19:39:00.000-06:00

As I have stated in the past, people should switch to online shopping to get the best deals. Of course the problem is that not everyone has a credit card. I came acros CardFusion.com that lists the best credit cards and has a portal set up that makes it easier for users to find the right credit card that would suit them according to their goals and needs. They also have a guide that will introduce beginners to credit cards and how to use them. The website constantly monitors the financial market for newer and better credit cards, and lists them. They have over 100 different credit cards that a consumer can look through and apply for. Overall, its the best place to start when deciding which credit card to get.

300 - Uncut trailer! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-11T19:31:00.000-06:00

Since this movie has generated so much hype, I decided to find this uncut full trailer for all you fans out there. For an easter egg, pause the movie exactly at 1:52, and you will be able to see Rorschach from another graphic novel called The Watchmen. Not sure why Frank Miller decided to have that here though.

Keyboard Cleaner!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-11T19:26:00.000-06:00

I was always disgusted by the way my keyboard is, and it seems that so is the rest of the world. Luckily there is a way for us to get rif of all the bacteria the dead files/rodents in our keyboard are mass producing. Luckily, the OneClean Keyboard cleaner will get rid of all of that for you. It cleans and disinfects your keyboard by first spraying some stuff over it, and then by reversing it and rubbing it over your keyboard with a sponge. Confused? Check out the video on their website.

Silver on the rise! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-11T16:19:00.000-06:00

People are making more and more money nowadays. May it be from investment returns or higher salaries. Obviously keeping the money in the bank isn't safe as not only can inflation render it useless, but bank heists are not really the thing of the past. An alternative would be to buy silver coins and ingots instead. Through MDC, anyone can purchase silver or other precious metals in coin or ingot form, that can be stored safely. Buying silver is one of the oldest practices around the world in order to preserve wealth, although you probably should check the current price of silver, to ensure you are getting a good bang for your buck, and also to make sure that the return you receive on your investment is the most profitable!

Microsoft Communicator! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-11T16:15:00.000-06:00

Microsoft seems to be jumping on the VOIP wagon as the other companies are, and are pretty much looking for users to test out their new Internet-based calling software. The software is called Microsoft Communicator and it will merge together with other Microsoft software such as Outlook, so you can dial someone by clicking their name. It does seem to be more office oriented rather than for the home, so you won't be getting rid of your home phone anytime soon. Users can sign up for the beta testing of the product by signing up at the Microsoft United Communications page.

Anyone for overclocked Ram?! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-11T16:10:00.000-06:00

OCZ makes the best RAM on the market (believe me, I am using their OCZ 2048 GB Gold-Plated Ram, and it hasn't given be any problems yet). They decided to get into the market for overclocking Ram, and thus they decided to come out with the OCZ water-cooled Ram. Yes, you didn't hear that wrong, water cooled ram. The OCZ Flex XLC Water-Cooled RAM will get the best out of your memory if you do decide to overclock it. The thing is that if you decide to overclock your RAM, make sure you overclock your CPU too.

Freelance Professionals!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-11T15:26:00.000-06:00

I've posted quite a bit recently about how all businesses should move their business online. This has received quite a bit of feedback, and the biggest concern was designing and creating website to sell services online. I do realise that this is a big hurdle, and therefore the best way to get your website up and running is to get a freelance programmer and designer. Elance is a company that provides freelance programmers, designers and consultants. They have been in the business for over 10 years now. The good this is that businesses can get a good deal as they can bid on freelancers and get the best of the best for a reasonable price, and thus you can find just who you need. These freelancers make everything from logos to the a whole project of a website, and they also provide top quality service.

Making my own food! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

I decided that it was time to eat something healthy finally, and decided to cook my own food. So I headed over to the common kitchen on my floor, and boy, was I appalled. Firstly the kitchen lighting had to be severly improved, as it was so dim, you could barely distinguish a fork from a spoon. Secondly, the place was a mess. Not sure why, but it was as if it was ransacked. Possibly this is a side-effect of having almost no kitchen lighting which resulted in no one seeing the mess. Anyways, I gathered a few people on the floor, we spent half an hour cleaning up the place, and the I proceeded to make a dish that was made up of chicken pieces with pasta and mushroom sauce.

My divorce idol!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have very many idols, but this guy is one of them. He recently got divorced, and according to the agreements, the ex-wife demanded half of te house. Thus he agreed, and then he decided to do just as she asked. So he pretty much took a chainsaw and divided the house into two. Yes, he cut the whole single storey mansion, 26 feet long and 6 meters wide, which had a wooden roof and walls, into two. He then proceeded to take his half of the house to his brothers house with the means of a forklift truck. I'm pretty sure hs wife isn't too happy about it!

Buying online just got better! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Buying online is always a bargain. But it gets even better when you have coupons to use. There are many websites out there that say they provide coupons for consumers to use, but the real fact is that these are not always updated frequently and usually have out dated coupons which rarely ever work. Ebates however, is completely the opposite. When you sign-up at Ebates and shop via them, you get up to 25% Cash Bank on all your purchases. Ebates provides access to over 800 stores. They also have a coupon section that provides coupons to many major stores. After all, there is nothing like buying digital cameras for a lot cheaper online that it would cost at a retail store!

Pasta wrapping fork? (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here is something unnecessary. Its particluarily made for people like Peter Griffin that are so lazy that they find twisting their fork to wrap the pasta around it is too much work. Well, thats what it is. A fork to wrap pasta around it. Its corkscrew design works in such a way that you put yoyr fingers at the top, and push down, and the design makes the pasta wrap around its tines. Two of these crazy devices will put you back $19.50 though. But, who can put a price on luxury?

Protection Jacket!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

What is so special about the above jacket that it has to featured on my blog? Well, its a bullet-proof and a stab-proof jacket cleverly disguised as a normal stylish jacket. It provides protection levels of those that the tactical police teams use, and also protects against stabs and cuts with sharp and blunt weapons such as needles, ice picks, knives and broken bottles (up to 25 Joules). Its only 3kgs, only comes in black, and comes with a detachable hood. The price? A mere £1,250.00 Nothing too high for the price of your life.

eCommerce Software! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

More and more businesses are moving their services online, and are thus attracting more and more customers to their products. eCommerce is booming and businessed need to keep up with the trend. Finding good ecommerce software is crucial in this case, as firstly it needs to be secure to keep the personal data of your customer safe, and at the same time it needs to be fully functional and have the latest technologies built-in. After that, the services need to be hosted on good reliable servers and also have good customer and tech support. Thus having a good ecommerce software is a very important factor, and Ashop can fulfill all the requirements above, including the ability to accept credit cards and to customize the design and the features of yuor ecommerce package. They also have a demo store set-up for viewing before purchasing it.

God! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Need I write something...

HD Photo! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a new file format for digital images on the market, the HD Photo, released by Microsoft. It first used to be called Windows Media Photo and was scheduled to be released eventually, and they are working for a plug-in for Photoshop as well as for Windows. In fact they already have a beta plug-in out, and are expecting a fully functional one within 6 months. JPEG needed to be replaced a long time back, and HP Photo would be the perfect step forward as it promises more efficiency and less loss during compression. It will take a lot of effort to get people to switch as JPEGs are the norm currently, and Microsoft still holds patents to the new technology.

Orlando v2!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-10T14:29:00.001-07:00

The one place that I haven't been to when I was a kid is Disney Land. But I've made it a point that it is one of the places I will make sure to visit at least once in my lifetime. Being here in Edmonton, flying to Orlando is pretty easy. The good thing about Orlando is the number of Orlando hotels. There are a crazy amount of them and you can get pretty good deals if you look it up on the Internet before you go there. Orlando has always attracted me in one way or the other. When I was younger, it was the fact that they have 52 theme parks. Yes, 52! Now, its the fact that they have beaches within a 40 minute drive, and also a number of golf courses within a 40 minute drive of wherever you are. Not only that, but they are constantly updating their parks with the newest rides that are out there. I think I've waited long enough, this spring break, Orlando is where I will be!

Hijackers out of work?! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Every since September 11th, there have been many concerns regarding how easy it is to hijack a plane. Since then, Boeing has been developing a system that is supposed to be a remote-controlled autopilot system, that is tamper-proof. Its based on the fact that if a hijacker enters the cockpit, the autopilot system can be activated manually or by sensors that detect pressure changes. Once the system is activated, it cannot be reversed. This might be a problem in case the system accidentally activates itself. Albeit, once activated, the plane can guided towards the airport by ground controllers via GPS and radio waves, and they can also land the plane using technologies they already have. The system is due to be released in 3 years that can be attached to most planes. Its pretty much like remote-controlling extremely large model planes.the world.

VOIP stocks! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Internet telephones - or the Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) - is the newest upgrade to the traditional telephone. It pretty much works on the system where data is sent over the Internet, rather through traditional phone lines. I was checking out the forums at Vonage, and came across something I wasn't expecting. Apparently, the stocks in VOIP companies are falling, or have fallen. This is pretty odd, as believe it or not, VOIP is here to stay and will surely be the thing of the future (after all, everything will be over the Internet in the future). Thus if I were you, and had cash lying around, I would invest in VOIP stocks as it will surely go back up.

Ethical law firms?! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

You always read about the crooked lawyers out there in the newspapers or on Television, but rarely do you ever come across a lawyer, let alone a whole law firm, that has ethics. Simmons Jannace & Stagg is a law firm that does just that. They are based in New York and New Jersey and started up 10 years ago. They deal with everything, and I mean everything from commercial cases and labour disputes, to banking and real estate cases. Their clients include some of the worlds largest companies such as Bank of America Corp. and Coca-Cola. At the same time, they also represent small companies and individuals at reasonable costs. Its no wonder that they were rated the highest in terms of legal ability and ethical standards!

Geeks != Drug Dealers! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

The current trend that seems to be roaming the planet is where people make fun of geeks, and I decided to jump in on the wagon too, even though I am a slight bit of a geek as well. I was looking around for something about geeks that would make me laugh, and I came across this table created that compares geeks to drug deals. I know its a first. I've heard of people referring to geeks as loners and stuff like that, but never to a drug dealer. And the funny thing is that it actually works out quite well. Everything said seems to make sense here.

Be smart, use coupons! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

As I've always said before, one must start shopping online. Sure, there might be the occasional report about a credit card thief, but most of those are because the credit card holder wasn't smart enough to differentiate between a real website and a scam website. The benefit of shopping online? The advantage of using coupons to get the best discount ever. For example, I was currently running for a position in Lister Center, and I had a budget of $30.00 for my campaign, which included everything from the material used to make the poster, to the actual printing of the posters as well. I would never have been able to stay within the budget if it wasn't for coupons. I bought most, if not all, of my material from the Staples website, and I used the Staples coupons that I found on CouponChief.com. By using the coupons, I was able to fit my budget to $27.00, way below the budget of some of my opponents that reached a whopping $150.00. Trust me, using coupons to shop online is the smart thing to do!

First Bugatti Veyron crash! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Smashed cars are all the rage nowadays (just kidding), and we've seen many crashed sports cars, anything from a Lamborghini to a Ferrari. But this is the first time I've come across a crashed Bugatti Veyron. Apparently a puddle of water caused the car to skid and spin out of control and head for a ditch. Although it doesn't seem to be end of this supercar as it can easily be fixed, as they just need to replace the front of the car. It does seem that the cabin and the engine compartment were spared any damage at all though. I'm sure the engineers while testing it must have crashed a few for fun...

Taking a trip to Orlando?! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Since one can buy everything from a kitchen sink to a tank online, it also makes sense that one would be able to buy tickets online. Particularly tickets for almost everything in Orlando. Everything from getting into restaurants for a decent meal, to getting into the World renowned Walt Disney Theme Park. That's right, you can now buy Walt Disney World Tickets online using Orlandofuntickets.com. They also sell tickets to Universal Studios, dinner shows, Sea World tickets and even tickets to the Kennedy Space Center. So pretty much, if you are planning a vacation to Orlando and are worried about all the tickets and the cost of it all, OrlandoFunTickets.com guarantees the lowest prices and discounts on all tickets that are out there!

Oh, mortgages! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

There seems to be an increase in real estate prices all over the world that is resulting in houses getting more and more expensive by the week. Thus home buyers are left with no option than to get a mortgage. The problem is that most mortgages are in the form of a large sum of debt, that accumulates interest as the time goes by, and the buyer has to slowly pay it off, usually working by working like a donkey. But I recently came across a new product, called the One Account Mortgage. It combines the debt from the mortgage to your current account, and your monthly salary is offset against the balance you have to pay. Thus you end up only paying the bank interest on the reduced sum. This also means that any savings you have in the account is also used against the mortgage debt, thus you end up paying on an even reduced amount. Bundle that with the ability to pay off the mortgage without any penalties, and you've got yourself the perfect mortgage!

Monitors on crack! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

If you thought that CRT monitors are a thing of the past and LCDs are the thing of present, in a way you are right, and in a way you are wrong. Sure, CRTs are history, but so is the LCD you have on your desk. Sony sometime back released their Luma LCD series that they are saying is for professional users, but eventually they will become mainstream. The Luma series have HDMI input slots for video production types along with the DVI ports and 10-bit processing. The 20" range supports a resolution of 1680x1050, while the 24" ones support up to 1920x1200 pixels. They are going to be released in May, and the price isn't going to be cheap. I mean, look at all those buttons!!

Brown, Charles! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to get braces the other day, and while looking around, I came across the Hayfield Dental Care. Its been active since 1987 and has been serving the residents of Alexandria and the surrounding places. Unlike other dental care, all the dentists that practice at the Hayfield Dental Care have received advanced or specialty training, thus indicating that they can perform almost any procedure without the need for a referral, and in the process reducing the amount of stress on us patients. Charles Brown DDS pc has been serving at the care for over 10 years now, and has performed thousands of dental procedures such as root canals, and hasn't even had a single complaint. Its no wonder, because he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia, and has also received numerous awards along the way. Hayfield Dental Care’s always welcomes new patients and is always ready to help in an emergency.

Are you important?! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Even though we (the general computer and Internet users) were Time Person of the Year 2006, PC World seems to think otherwise. They recently released a list of the Top 50 people who change the Internet for the better for the rest of us.
They considered hundreds of people. Everyone from from the power brokers, well-read bloggers, innovators to business entrepreneurs were considered, and from the lengthy list they chose the Top 50 most suitable individuals. Maybe if more people visited this blog, I'd be on the list next year...

Online Advertisements! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

Most websites nowadays have advertisements on them. The problem is that most of these websites serve millions of users daily, and thus the cost for placing an advertisement on those websites are very very high. At the same time, people who run their own website or blog part-time always find it difficult to find advertisers. Dclick Ads offers Internet advertising services that not only cater to the largest companies, but also to the small ones, and they also cater to the webmaster who creates websites part-time.
Dclickads works on a very simple and fast system that connects publishers with advertisers. Publishers decide how much they want to spend per week, and then the system hooks them up with potential publishers. They provide a wide variety of advertisement types, everything from DirectLink Technology to SmartCache XML Distribution. DClick Ads is probably the best way to get more links to your website if you are an advertiser, or the best way to make extra money if you are a publisher.

Wedding Photographs! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I love photography. Perhaps one of the most difficult case of a photographer is photographing a wedding, because the photographs taken will be kept in memory books for a very very long time and they will be looked at for generations to come. Thus the photographer in this case has to make sure that the photographs taken are just perfect. One good well-known photographer is Ashley Martin Armitage who runs the Ashly Photo studio. She is a St Thomas photographer who has had numerous years of experience in photographing everything from parades to family events such as a wedding. Her love for photography is so much, that she also travels to California and Florida to take photographs for special events, and she has also recently teamed up with Pictage to offer high quality photographs. Although, instead of getting her to fly out to you for your wedding, you might as well have a wedding in St. Thomas itself. After all, its possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Drug Rehab! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately in this world there are a lot of things that cause humans to do the wrong thing. May it be something as simple as cheating on a test, to something as serious as murder. One of the most common things that we do that will eventually come back to haunt us is drugs. Once your hooked on it, its very difficult to turn back. Luckily, for those people who want to change, there is a drug treatment facility that is the best in the country, with a whopping 76% success rate. Unlike other facilities, the Stone Hawk drug rehabilitation program doesn't tell people what one should and shouldn't do. Instead, it takes a whole different approach to curing its patients. the program helps its patients realise that they can have a lifestyle that fits their needs and style without the need of drugs to make that happen. The patient writes his own rules, and the program pretty much helps the patient follow those rules, but without the need of drugs. Its possibly this new approach that makes it the most successful in this country.

Graphic cards on crack! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

So I was pretty happy with my 7900 GS OC, but it seems nVidia is also catering to the elite who need crazy graphic cards for applications such as designing cars, medical imaging and visual effects for movies. They just released their Quadro FX 4600 and Quadro FX 5600 graphic cards, each having an insane 1.5GB of frame buffers. The cost for these babies aren't cheap either, the 5600 costing a $3,000 and the 4600 costing a $2,000. I can't imagine the power with them hooked up in SLI.

Mercedes Radiators! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

Many students in university have their own car, but cars are really hard to maintain. A single leak, and you know something is wrong. Especially if you have a luxury car such as a Mercedes Benz. A Mercedes radiator is probably the most sneakiest radiator out there. You don't even know there is a leak until its too late as the leak can easily evaporate from a smallest of cracks. Luckily, Radiator.com has a solution. They sell, both, used and brand new Mercedes radiator replacement parts for the lowest prices. Its guaranteed. Unlike smaller companies that fool the customers will cheap parts, Radiator.com not only sells genuine high quality parts, but also have them stocked around the nation for quick delivery. And the good thing is that so save on shipping, you can also buy other car parts as well, such as car lights, exhaust systems, rims for your wheels and pretty much every part for every car model ever made. Its the perfect one-stop car make-over shop!

Bulgaria, here I come!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

There aren't many places in the world where I would like to settle down, but one place I certainly wouldn't mind is somewhere in the Europe. Possibly the best place in Europe would be in Bulgaria. After all Bulgaria is on the few European countries that actually have beautiful beaches and fantastic resorts. Besides its also a part of the European Union and thus the economy is bound to go up soon. My ideal house in Bulgaria would be near Bansko, not only because bansko properties are relatively a good deal for a home buyer, but also because its world renowned ski slopes. Now if I could only find my travelling suitcase...

P.S. Yup, the picture above is of a waterfall in a small village in Bulgaria.

Remotes on crack!! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that the old fashioned remotes are a thing of the past. The killer? Logitech's Harmony series. Their newest model in the series is the Harmony 1000 that seems to be nothing far from extra-ordinary. The slick touch-screen remote sets it apart from its competitors, and unlike previous versions, the 1000 is a lot easier to program and creating a good looking interface isn't really difficult at all. The only downsides are that the battery life is kind of weak, and its not designed like a traditional remote, so its going to get time to get used to. Did I mention that it costs a whopping $499??

Flowers anyone?!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

I wanted to send my brother flowers the other day for a special occasion, and since he works at Microsoft, he is sometimes at the Seattle headquarters. That's when I remembered possible the best Seattle flower delivery business ever. Digital Flowers is an online based company, and they deliver flowers not only to Seattle, but also all across the United States. The good thing is that they have a crazy large variety of flowers and beautiful bouquets to choose from that for a second there I wasn't sure what to send him. I decided to send him chocolates too (Digital Flowers not only sells flowers, but also chocolates, teddy bears, balloons and a lot of other stuff too!).

Arguments?! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

So I've gotta make a speech for my upcoming elections this week sometime. A good debater always make sure that he/she can always sound as convincing as possible. A person who wins at day to day arguments would be the ideal speaker actually. A little resource that I use is this website here that provides tips on how to always win an argument. Its pretty sweet, although the basic gist is that the only way to always win an argument is to make up stuff along the way....Oh well!!

Sandals! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Avenue Q is coming up next week, and this year they have made another fantastic musical. I was told that they needed quite a few pairs of sandals, and they were wondering where they could get some for cheap. I would have to say that the best place to get cheap and reliable sandals would be from Active Sandals. They provide an amazing selection of rainbow sandals that I've ever seen, and Active Sandals is also the largest online retailer of sandals. The fact is that nowadays it seems the trend of wearing sandals is back and more and more people are preferring them over shoes to allow the air to flow through their feet. Albeit, it seems that the Director checked them out and followed me up and told me that not only did he find what he wanted, but Active Sandals also offered him free shipping for orders over $75.00 You might want to check them out as they are also currently having a clearance sale.

Lightning!!! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-03-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Now I know that I have posted many cool pictures on my blog before, but this one is way up there. I've personally never seen such an interesting photograph of lightning to say the least. Now for those of you wondering how the photographer was able to take the photo at that instant moment, here is a little secret. The camera is actually placed there with the film exposed for a long time. What happens is that over the period of the night, the film gets burnt with a black picture. Then when all of a sudden there is this crazy bolt of lightning and a lot of light, the film in a way resets and burns the new image into it. That's the trick to it. Pretty cool, eh?

Wanna have a good time? (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

University life is all about balancing fun time and study time. Studying will be accomplished as you are paying tuition, and we all know that the cost of tuition is rising as we speak, and thus will attend most lectures and if nothing else, at least attempt to pass your courses. On the other hand, trying to have a good time is not always guaranteed. Dates are good, but are usually expensive. Not only that, most guys/gals are actually shy. I mean, numerous times in your life you make eye-contact with someone and just because of shyness fail to speak to speak to him and say 'Hi'. You could have easily met your partner with one easy gesture. Luckily for us, there is an online dating site called JustSayHi!. The good thing that separates this site from the competition is that it has a lot more individuals using it, and at the same its 100%, and this is verified as you don't even need a credit card to sign up. So go ahead, have a good time tonight, rather than just staring at the computer screen.

Swiss no longer neutral! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who think the Swiss don't even have an army being as neutral as they are, think again. Not only do they have an army, but they attacked their neighbour Liechtenstein last night!! Okay. Just 'modding' the news here. Actually the Swiss infantry (about 170 of them) lost their way last night and accidentally wandered over to Liechtenstein. It seems that the border isn't marked there and thus they didn't realise their mistake until sometime later, at which point they promptly turned back. Both the sides agreed that it was just a mistake, and no one in Liechtenstein even noticed the soldiers (who were carrying rifles but no ammunition), the fact being that Liechtenstein has about 35,000 residents only. More of a large village really.
P.S. The picture is actually a stock photo of actual Swiss soldiers!!

Which connections is right for you? (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

I remember when I used to have a 56.6K connection back home in Dubai. Here, at the University of Alberta, we students get to use a 1 gigabit Ethernet connection that is running on Internetv2. Its funny how much we have advanced in terms of technology and the Internet. In fact, the only reason we have advanced this fast is because of the Internet. Without it, the transfer and exchange of vital data (such as research papers) could not be possible. There are many different types of Internet 'connections' to choose from - everything from 14.4K to a 100 gigabit connection in China. The most common type of connection in households is DSL. The problem is that people who sign up for High Speed Internet Access for their homes, rarely know the differences between the different connections offered. Or sometimes they have a vague idea. This website provides users with a list of different types of High Speed Internet Access, and their core definitions. Its very useful in my opinion, as the Internet is a very powerful medium, and one must know how to use it well.

TOSs gone bad! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-03-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

I've never ever agreed with social networking websites. A blog is not a social networking website by the way :D The idea of having a hundred million friends really isn't appealing to me. Having real friends who you hangout with is a lot better. Well, it seems that other people shouldn't like social networking websites either, not because I believe that the whole world should agree with me, but rather because of their Terms of Service. One particular website that has currently come under speculation is Facebook. This flash movie informs of the background of Facebook and their Terms of Service. According to the movie, Facebook is actually a part of the US Government and an agency set up to collect as much information about everyone as they can. I wouldn't go so far, but I do agree that Facebook almost certainly shares personal data with other websites and media for their own gain. Facebook = A social networking website = evil.

Save your computer!!! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm using the new Microsoft Windows Vista, and I must say its very very secure so far. But the fact still remains that users still need to have some sort of anti-virus software installed on their computer. The good thing is that most of these anti-virus packages should not only work with current operating systems like Windows XP and the Mac OS X, they will also work with Windows Vista and Leopard (if Apple ever decided to release it). One of the most reliable antivirus solutions currently out there are the packages released by Symantec. They have different suites available for the general public. The one that I would personally recommend is the free Norton Antivirus program that can be downloaded from the link above. Not only does the website offer a free virus protection software, it comes with other extras such as the Google Toolbar. The website is set up using a minimalistic theme, and thus its very easy to navigate around and find the software that would suit you the best.

Education? (Confused_Dept.)

2007-03-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm in my second year Engineering (electrical), and I'm not going to lie, its going downhill. The first semester was great, but this semester is a complete bore, and I've heard that it only gets worse. I got me thinking that why I am in university. It seems that most people are here for the money, so I decided to do a little research. Apparently, most of the well paying jobs go to people who don't even have a college education, let alone a Masters degree. I found this article that has a nice list of jobs that one can get with any level of education, even with no college degree. Most of these jobs offer on-site training, and the bottom line is that you can earn a lot more than you would with a professional degree.
So I guess its true what all the engineers here at the University of Alberta say, "Engineering Ruined my Life!" All in all, I still believe a good education is important.

Widgets! Widgets! Widgets! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-03-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Speak to any webmaster, and you will realise that they all want some way of making their websites more personal. One way of doing this is by sharing ones music with the world. This has always been a problem in the past as not only is it expensive to get the storage to host such files, but once you have the storage, you end up paying a hand and a leg for the bandwidth usage. This is all to change with the release of the Box.net Widget. It is pretty small widget that streams audio (including songs and podcasts), video and pretty much any other file type out there such as documents and images. They offer a gig of space, and are also willing to offer unlimited bandwidth. The catch? Well, there's none. In fact its all free! So pretty much all a webmaster has to do is place the code that the Box.net Widget provides them with on their website, and they are off!

Gates + Jobs? (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-02-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

It seems that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are actually friends. Its nice to know that actually most of the competition that is created between the two compnaies is caused by their large user fan base. Who am I kidding? Steve Jobs hates Bill Gates as he had the last laugh...Anyways, here are more pictures of them together.

Look out for PPP! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

It seems that PPP has another feature rolled up its sleeve, one that its creating a big hype about. In the last few days/weeks, PPP has already taken some drastic changes that have well, been taken with mixed feelings. Segmentation. The art of feeding out the appropriate bloggers to the appropriate advertisers. Don't get me wrong, this is great. But the fact remains that some of the advertisers don't know how to use the system well. Thus I'm assuming that the new features to be released over the next few days will have something to help the advertisers out. I'm also predicting that it will add some new features to segmentation, perhaps the option to look at Technorati scores. This will obviously not benefit me as I might have a PR3+ blog, but I've never ever used Technorati. One thing is for sure though, that whatever it is, it will help you to grow blog traffic, something like the 'Review My Post' feature did. I'm also predicting that the maximum number of posts allowed in a day will go up, as there are many many more advertisers finding PPP more attractive, especially with segmentation in place. Whatever exciting thing they do come up with, I just hope they test it out first, and then release it to the bloggers.

Steve Job's car! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-02-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

They say that you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at him. In the case of Steve Jobs, you can tell a lot about him by just looking at his car. This car does in fact belong to Steve Jobs, and it tells a lot about him:

1) Its a Mercedes.
2) As you can clearly see, it has no license plate.
3) It's conveniently parked in a handicap spot.

The Ultimate Gift - One movie you shouldn't miss! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

This world we live in has become a world in which many people wished they didn't live in. People seem to be getting more greedy and arrogant with every passing day. Thus its always nice to come across a good movie that can change people. The movie? "The Ultimate Gift". This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others. It stars Abigail Breslin, James Garner, Ali Hillis, Drew Fuller and Brian Dennehy, all of whom are excellent actors and actresses. The movie is due to be released on March 9th, and its based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide. Its about the story of young man getting his inheritance in a not-so-usual fashion. It involved him doing manual labour and even making a true friend, and in the end, falling in love. This movie has already been screened more than 3000 times, and in the process has raised over 5 million dollars in donations to charities around the world. This is one movie that no one should miss, as it makes us sit back and realise that the important things in life aren't the materialistic ones, but instead the important thing in life is to help other people.

Microsoft's wallpapers! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-02-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

If any of you have ever used a Windows PC, you must have been amazed with at least a few of their wallpapers (not all of them, as I'm pretty sure that I hate some of them too). Well, with Vista, Microsoft got a bunch of more fantastic beautiful wallpapers. They actually had hundreds to choose from, and only selected the best few. One of the photographers hired by Microsoft has posted his portfolio that he had submitted to Microsoft on his 'Windows Vista' group on Flickr.
On a separate note, some people at Vanity Fair finally found where the most widely used wallpaper in Windows XP called 'Autumn' was shot at. The full story can be found on their website.

Play smart! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

I've been writing quite a bit about the challenges that a new business owner would face, and one is the safety of its data. Especially if you are embracing the new tech world and providing your services online, keeping your data backed up is the only sensible thing to do. IBackup - Online Backup makes all this pretty easy and simple. They provide enterprise quality protection for critical data, not only to small businesses and organizations, but also to global corporations and business houses. Its also an easy way to fulfill any companies storage needs and also get security at the same time. Data can also be shared and collaborated on, and other features they provide at the ability to access the data using mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. Without a doubt, IBackup is highly recommended for online storage and secure data backup.

Random Things #1 (Random_Things_Dept.)

2007-02-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've always lobbied that there isn't such a thing as random, except for radioactivity that is. Yet I have a new department called the 'Random_Things_Dept.' Its not actually truly random, but its contents are somewhat random as they are in no way related to each other. Thus the title.

+++ I came across a very interesting way of leaving a tip at a restaurant. Rather than just leaving a bill, some people make origami using bill and leave them instead.
There might be no apparent reason for this at first, but think again. Its surely going to make that particular waiter/waitress remember you the next time you are in, and perform better service. Also it puts a smile on their face, and believe me, having that job isn't the easiest in the world. Anyways, one can make a few things, such as a T-shirt (my favourite), a bow tie and even a spider among other things. All the instructions can be found here. Pretty cute in my opinion. +++

Why magic is all the rave! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

It seems that in this new stress-filled world, there is nothing much that really slows us down, or helps us relax. Maybe nothing, but magic. Or rather magic tricks. Magic tricks are currently all the rave in my residences, its pretty much guys trying to impress girls at parties. Anyways, MagicSecretsExposed is the place to find the latest magic secrets exposed, all for a small donation. Its the perfect way to learn the secrets behind some of the most famous tricks such as Esmeralda's Crystal Ball or how David Blaine can levitate, or even how Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. At the same time, the website also teaches simple magic tricks to beginners. Ones that impress, impress a lot.

Clinics for Tech Addicts?

2007-02-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

It seems my time has come. They aren't going to let me go on like for ever. Not me, nor my hundreds of thousands of friends (no, not those stupid virtual friends from MySpace, Facebook, Nexopia or similar devils) are going to be to get away now. China has started up clinics that take care of computer users who spend the whole (or the most part) of the day sitting in front of their boxes. They pretty much take them to 'clinics' where the patients are given counselling, medication and discipline (yes, military-style). Some of the extreme cases are also given hypnosis treatment and a little bit of shock therapy here and there. Nothing too extreme. Its only China after all.

Save on office supplies! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, as people are in a greater hurry than ever before, they prefer to buy the fastest things possible. A few years back, having a laser printer at home was a far fetched idea, let alone having it at a small business. But nowadays, its a norm. One of the main reasons why users still fear laser printers and even normal printers for that matter is the fact that ink cartridges are not the cheapest thing out there. Luckily, I came across DataBazaar that sells a wide variety of toner cartridges for the cheapest price out there. They have printer cartridges and printer toners from almost every brand of printers out there. The good thing is that they also have a simple easy to use catalog set up so that you can find your exact printer and find the supplies they have to offer for that particular model. Another good thing is that DataBazaar also deals with regular office supplies, so while you are buying every possible printer supply, you can also load up on office supplies. This is a good thing as since all the transactions are performed online, you can save on shipping costs by buying in bulk. Also for those sceptical users who fear shopping online, rest be assured, DataBazaar has been selling toner cartridges and other general office supplies online for the past 8 years, and are on the highest ranked websites in the business.

Time, please! (Lazy_Afternoons_Dept.)

2007-02-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

It seems that Art Lebedev has been spending time coming up with something else to add to his portfolio. This time, a clock. Not just any clock. But a clock that tells the time by spelling the time out - in five different languages. As usual, the price is ridiculously high, at $158.25 if pre-ordered, while its going to sell at $180 after that. It starts shipping in November 2007. One can only hope that unlike Art's keyboard which turned out to be an embarrassing failure, this clock performs otherwise. Nah. Who are we kidding...

Widgets for your website! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

360 controllers for PCs! (Cool_Stuff_Dept.)

2007-02-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

So Microsoft is finally releasing the rumoured (first seen at E3 last year)Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows. This means that gamers can now use their wireless 360 peripherals with their Windows (obviously Macs :D ) computers. Games have already been using the USB controllers, but now if they have a 24" monitor, and wish to sit on their couch a few feet away and game, the option is now open. Its pretty cheap as its runs for a mere $20.00, and a package that also includes a wireless controller is being sold for $60.00.

EDIT: Amazon is selling the receiver for $16.99, and the bundle for $54.98

Data Centers! (BFM_Dept.)

2007-02-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

I've recently been writing a lot about the challenges that a new business owner faces and possible solutions. One problem that many owners face is the management of their data. Employees and customers rely on a data centre to create new products and to sell them. And nowadays since a lot of the actual trading takes place over the Internet, having a reliable data center is the key to any successful business. Therefore most data center managers will face some difficulties when trying to create an efficient data centre. That's where Cisco's Data Centre Network Architecture comes in. It is a comprehensive architecture that allows the IT department of a business to manage network resources, provide relevant information to employees and customers and to safeguard all data and IT resources. Its built on the Cisco® Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA) and is therefore built to be on of the best data centre architectures out there.

AMD's Athlon 64 X2 6000+

2007-02-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

It seems that even after I bought my pretty sweet rig a month back, AMD has come out with a better processor - the 90nm Athlon 64 X2 6000+, about a 3Ghz processor, equivalent to the FX-74. Not going to lie, but I find this release kinda stupid. I mean, who on earth would buy a 939 socket, when the AM2's are much faster? Also, with Intel releasing Quad-Cores (although frankly speaking, its a waste as well, as firstly XP can barely handle 2 cores well, while Vista is built to handle just 2 cores), AMD needs to get back into the game, and quick! Also, Intel chips currently being released have a significantly larger cache, and are at decent prices as well. Also they can be overclocked to 3Ghz with hardly any temperature rise. Overall, its a waste of time if you ask me. And no, I'm not an Intel fanboy. As a matter of fact, I'm running an AMD AM2 62 X2 3800+ processor right now.