The FCC Wants You to Test Your Broadband Speeds | Epicenter | Wired.com

The FCC is asking the nation’s broadband and smartphone users to use their broadband testing tools to help the feds and consumers know what speeds are actually available, not just promised by the nations’ telecoms.

I'm all for this test! I know when I lived in Big Lake, (Alaska) I was told we get 8MB downloads speeds, and I never got over 5 down when I ran a test.

I also think that you can't use a test your ISP supplies, because it might be controlled. ;)

More on this later!
AlaskaJoe

Samsung, Panasonic start selling 3-D TVs this week -

Only $3000 and you have to wear special glasses....

U.S. considers some free wireless broadband service -

Well perhps this isn't free wireless everywhere but they're working on it.

5 surprising ways your TV is slowly killing you - TODAY Health

This is really scary if true. My Dad fixed TVs as a side business and we always had 3 or 4 that he picked up just for use around the house. I'm surprised I'm not dead already!

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-07-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-07-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links From The Gregg Zone

1) It seems like every time I go looking around these days I find some sort of new revolutionary new item that is going to solve everything regarding our energy problems. I can’t wait for one of these to start making a dent in the market. I think once one of these discoveries like the Bloom box comes out as an ice breaker, making a profit proving market concept, all heck is going to break out. Check out this new one wow! http://www.physorg.com
2) This is a follow up on a link I put up a week or two back about the Nintendo game on ebay selling for $13,000 dollars. Well let’s just say it pays to have an intact factory seal. Might want to check your attic after reading this one. http://videogames.yahoo.com
3) It has been quite awhile since I put up anything about watching T.V. on the computer; this is about Hulu and sort of demonstrates the problem with the internet vs. money. What we eventually wind up with in regards to copyright laws and the internet most likely will not be anything close to what we are used to now. I am already worried, planning to remain calm, but expecting to have trouble maintaining my cool for long. http://www.aolnews.com
4) This is a subject I just cannot get enough of these days; I am referring to multiverse theory. The entire world of physics is in constant turmoil these days. If you are following this subject you might want to read this article. Goes into some interesting areas, like comparing infinities which may prove to solve, or at least shed some light on various conflicts. http://www.newscientist.com
5) I have started making my own yogurt, and kefir these days stuff I like but find expensive in the stores. Anyway, doing some basic research on probiotics I ran across this and thought I would put it up. Not many people realize just how non-human we humans are. http://www.mnn.com
6) When it comes to these subjects I find out doing each other over and over, nothing competes with computer memory advances. Here is another of those just think about this a moment. I already have a 750gig hard drive, now I read this new advancement will increase that by somewhere between 1,000 and one million times. How long before there is a one million terabyte hard drive at Fry’s, for $99.99? http://www.pcworld.com

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Dell Home offers the Dell Studio Hybrid Pentium Dual-Core 2.1GHz Mini Desktop PC (no monitor) in four colors (Slate pictured) for $299. With $29 for shipping,
Intel® Pentium® Dual Core T4300 (2.1GHz/800MHz FSB/1MB cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
1 Year Basic Service Plan
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz (2 DIMM)

1 WATT Alfa 1000mW USB Wireless-G Adapter AWUS036H 1w 802.11g wireless USB adapter from Alfa. This is the newest version from Alfa with a 5 dBi antenna, brand new in the retail box! It includes the adapter, a 5 dBi antenna, driver CD, and a USB cable.


Dell Small Business offers the Sharp 42" 1080p Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. LC42SB45UT, for $549 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $69, although we saw it for $10 less last week (since expired). Sales tax is added where applicable. Features include a 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution, 8,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 500 cd/m² brightness, 6ms response time, three HDMI inputs, and VGA, component, and other video inputs.

ToshibaDirect.com offers the Toshiba Satellite L550-ST2743 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 17.3" Widescreen Notebook in Graphite Gray, model no. PSLW0U-0FJ03T, for $509 with free shipping

Newegg has the Centon moVex Black 4GB MP3 Player 4GBMP3-001
for $16 with free shipping. It plugs directly into a USB port for easy file transfer. It runs on a single AAA battery for up to 10 hours of audio playback

HP has the HP Pavilion Elite HPE-180t Core i3 Desktop PC for $750 - $200 off instantly - 5% off with coupon code SVMC84425 [300 uses] = $512 with free shipping. Start with the base configuration and be sure to add the free upgrades. Intel Core i3-530 2.93GHz, 4GB DDR3, 640GB HDD, Windows 7 HP x64
Intel HD graphics, Lightscribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti, 7.1-ch sound
Integrated 10/100/1000, 6-in-1 memory card reader, keyboard and mouse

Newegg has Crucial JDOD8GB-730 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $16 with free shipping. Features a blue LED data transfer indicator and a 2 year warranty.

ZipZoomFly has the Hitachi Deskstar 0F10311 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (Bulk) for $148 - $15 rebate [Exp 3/15] = $133 with free shipping. Has a rotation speed of 7200RPM, 32MB buffer, 8.2ms average seek time, and uses a 5 platter design.

ZipZoomFly has the Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB SATA Hard Drive WD15EARS (Bare Drive) for $105 - $15 rebate [Exp 3/31] = $90 with free shipping. Features a large 64MB buffer, 100MBps internal data transfer rate, and is covered by a 3-year warranty

'Mission Impossible'-style heist hits N.J. Best Buy | Security

Police Sgt. James Ryan, the thieves used a "high degree of sophistication...They never touched the floor. They rappelled in and rappelled ou

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-28-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-28-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Office Depot offers the Toshiba Satellite AMD Athlon II 2GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook (pictured), model no. L505D-LS5007, for $399.99 with free shipping. That's $30 under our mention a month ago and the lowest total price we could find for this model. Sales tax is added where applicable. This 6-lb. notebook features an AMD Athlon II M300 2GHz dual-core processor, 15.6" 1366x768 widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, ATI Radeon 4100 graphics, dual layer DVD burner, media card reader, 802.11g wireless, up to 2.4 hours of battery life, webcam with microphone, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

The HP Home & Home Office Store offers its recently-released HP G62t Intel Core i3 2.13`GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook, model no. VU667AV, for $579.99 with $29 for shipping via the directions below. Features include an Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz dual-core processor, 15.6" 1366x768 LED-backlit widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Coupon ends April 30. To get this deal:
1.Click here, and choose the top "Customize & Buy" option
2.select "FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (+$0)"
3.add to cart for $599.99
4.apply coupon code "SVBT557331" and it falls to $579.99

onSale.com offers the Vizio 32" 1080p Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. VOJ320F1A, for $354.99 plus about $22 for shipping. That's $22 under our December mention and the lowest total price we could find by $118. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features a native resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p), 1,300:1 contrast ratio, 480 cd/m² brightness, 6.5ms response time, three HDMI inputs, and VGA, component, and other video inputs

FREE
BlackBerry Curve 8900 Mobile Communicator for AT&T for free + free shipping $36 activation fee. With activation of a new line of service, WireFly.com offers the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 Mobile Communicator for AT&T Wireless in Silver bundled with a 2GB microSD Card and Car Charger for free. With free shipping, it's the best bundle deal we've seen for this phone this year. The 8900 is a quad-band phone featuring Bluetooth 2.0, backlit QWERTY keyboard, built-in Wi-Fi, 3.2-megapixel camera, 5-1/2-hour talk time, microSD slot, and more.


B&H Photo-Video offers the ViewSonic 24" 1080p Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. VX2433wm, for $204.09. This $20 mail-in rebate slashes it to $184.09. With free shipping, it's $13 below our mention from earlier this month and the lowest total price we could find by $15. Features include a native resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p), 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, 2ms response time, and HDMI, DVI with HDCP, and VGA inputs. Rebate ends February 28

Western Digital "Green" 2TB SATA 3Gbps Internal HDD for $140 + free shipping
For its "M" Club members only, mwave.com offers the Western Digital Caviar GP 2TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. WD20EADS, for $139.99 with free shipping ($0.07/GB) via the directions below. . This "green" product promises reduced power consumption compared to other models by up to 50%. It features a 32MB cache. 1. sign up for the "M" Club (it's free),
2.add the 2TB hard drive to your cart.
3.apply coupon code "SUBSCRIBER" to drop it to $139.99

For "M" Club members, mwave.com offers the Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. WD10EARS, for $74.99 with free shipping ($0.08/GB). That's $6 under last week's mention and the lowest total price we've seen. This "green" drive purports to consume less power compared to other models and features a 64MB cache.

Newegg has the Gigabyte GV-R455D3-512I Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card for $45 - $20 rebate [Exp 2/28] = $25 with free shipping

ZipZoomFly has the Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM for $180 - $5 off with coupon code ZZF1046 [Exp 3/31] - $15 rebate [Exp 3/5] = $160 with free shipping. Ultimate includes everything that's found in Home and Professional editions in one package. [Compare]

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit = $124 shipped w/ ZZF1046 [Exp 3/31]

Links From The Gregg Zone

1) Kind of hard to not open the week with the Bloombox after all the hype started off with the Sixty-Minutes unveiling last week after our show. Going to post two links one to an article in the Christen Science Monitor, I was Googling around looking for skeptics must be a little early. I could not find any negative reviews, but I am sure they are coming. Hope this is as advertised we sure could use a decent breakthrough. This has so much going for it; it is already proven, saves on fossil fuels, can power my electric car, saves on need to run new power lines, helps national security by breaking up the grid, looks to be cost effective, could be adapted to condos and apartments, as well as houses, lots of small and large business applications, can be adapted to renewable energy sources, solves power distribution issues in undeveloped countries, increases military flexibility, and I am sure a lot more. Monitor Article http://www.csmonitor.com 60 Minutes Segment http://www.cbsnews.com
2) This is another of those where the headline did its job, how could I pass on “Smart salad dressing’ could save Venice”. Other than the obvious visuals dealing with gondoliers and Good Seasons, I have been following the related issues of Venice, Climate Change, and sea rise for a long time I am extremely curious as to how we will deal with that situation. This might prove to be an answer. Looks like it would be fairly simple if it worked as they hope, would be cheaper than the flood gates, I would think. http://www.telegraph.co.uk
3) It has been a while since I put up one of those “if I had billions of dollars I want to buy one of these” sites. This one even has a green side to it. This something I would just move on to get a few slips in temperate climates and become a harbor rat. When I first clicked on the site I thought the picture was a model, until I saw the reference to the fork lift, and the guy inside cleaning the window. The push to solar is heating up, and diversifying. http://www.csmonitor.com
4) This is one of those stories that I find disturbing to the point I am glad to be getting older, and most likely will be in the check-out line about the time things get unbearable. This is about how in Great Briton they are weaponizing classical music. Not for the military, the police are using it to control people. I don’t know why the whole Orwellian movement in England bothers me so much, but it does. The idea of controlling, and manipulating the people by the government just seems wrong to me, can newspeak, and thought police be far behind. http://reason.com
5) For my weekly geek link this week I thought this might offer some insight as to just how vulnerable we may be when it comes to the potential cyber-war I keep hearing about. I mean if this article is correct about the guys who are supposedly funneling all that black budget money into high conspiracy projects dealing with new super stealthy technologies. If they have access to the money, and this is the best they can do to keep up with computer technology in their main offices, what shape are the lesser agencies in. http://abcnews.go.com
6) Just had to toss this in for all of those guys out there with GPS units wondering what the girl behind the voice looks like, check it out here. http://www.smh.com

Microsoft warns over rogue Security Essentials • The Register

Security essentials 2010 is a piece of software Microsoft said installs a fake virus scanner on your machine and]monitors and blocks processes it doesn't like.

Always beware of where you download things from, make sure they are the real thing!

Always go to the web site to download something, never from a random link. In the case of something from Microsoft, go to http://www.Microsoft.com and search for Microsoft Security Essentials.

Downloaders beware!

AlaskaJoe

NASA Extends the Internet Out Into Space

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station received a special software upgrade this week - personal access to the Internet and the World Wide Web via the ultimate wireless connection. Expedition 22 Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer made first use of the new system Friday, when he posted the first unassisted update to his Twitter account, @Astro_TJ, from the space station. Previous tweets from space had to be e-mailed to the ground where support personnel posted them to the astronaut's Twitter. (source: nasa.gov)

My big question is: Why can't we all get wireless internet here on Earth? They can get wireless internet in space!

AlaskaJoe

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: They Don't Call Them "Essentials" For Nothing

Windows 7 is an impressive and refined OS with fun and productive new features. (In fact, I award it a rare 5-out-of-5 stars in my own review.) But there are some important pieces missing. And while we might debate Microsoft's rationale for not including these solutions in Windows, the truth is, they're easy enough to find and install separately. Best of all, they're free.

Some of these are very useful, I use most of them. (I use Pidgin IM for Messenger.) However the rest are very cool.

Microsoft Security Essentials is now my Anti-Virus of choice. It's free and works just as well as any you can pay for. There are version for Windows XP and both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows 7 & Vista.

Enjoy, AlaskaJoe

MagicJack dials wrong number in legal attack on Boing Boing Boing Boing

Gadget maker MagicJack recently lost a defamation lawsuit that it filed against Boing Boing. The judge dismissed its case and ordered it to pay us more than $50,000 in legal costs.
I have said on the show before I never could get my MagicJack working and I tried it on 3 computers here to no avail. When I called support I got no joy out of them and when asked to have my MagicJack replaced I was ignored by 2 support people. I gave up and through it out.

AlaskaJoe

DailyTech - Broadband Providers Complain as March 17 FCC Broadband Plan Unveiling Nears

Reuters reports that the FCC's national broadband plan is set to be unveiled on March 17 to Congress. The plan hopes to bring affordable and fast broadband internet access to the 90 million Americans who lack service today.
Last week, the FCC announced that it is aiming for nationwide broadband speeds of 100Mbps

That would be nice, however the ISP's are saying they can't get those speeds in the next 10 years. MY question to them is WHY NOT?

We shall see!
AlaskaJoe

FCC survey: Americans need broadband basics

"The Federal Communications Commission's first-ever survey on Internet usage and attitudes concludes that those who aren't connected today need to be taught how to navigate the Web, find online information that is valuable to them and avoid hazards such as Internet scams."

Just my opinion, but I think a lot of people who are already on the Internet need this training, too.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-21-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-21-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links From The Gregg Zone

1) The breakthroughs for green tech seem to be coming along at a pretty fast clip these days. Sometimes the advances signifying the most promise seem to run under the radar. The main talking point about this new solar advancement revolves around manufacturing technique, and materials. The main point I thought was not using Rare Earth Minerals, something I think we will see more about these shortages future news, especially regarding the economic world power structure. (See next link). http://www.eetasia.com
2) It seems that our attention is always focused on the big stuff, we think about running out of oil, peak oil. Constantly worried about how short supply will affect world politics. It creates wars both economic, and military. This article and its rather ominous statements of fact about high tech industries and rare earth minerals, they are mostly coming from China, who is talking about a shortage and eliminating their export, it should be a wake-up call for our government if we can avoid our distractions. It might also point to an investment opportunity, if you can find a way to exploit it. http://news.yahoo.com
3) One of the things I like to do on line it to take those little tests, of one sort or another, you know how many states can you identify, just the general knowledge type. So when I saw this I have to admit I was drawn in and totally humiliated. Anyway I just had to post it here; it is a copy of an eighth grade graduation test from 1895. The link I chose starts with a comment and link, to snopes.com, I think they are right, the guys at snopes went a little over with their defensive simplification; they seemed to miss the point, just my interpretation. Next week I will post the answers for the Google-challenged. http://www.rense.com
4) I worked with para-transit for several years, driving people with various types of disability around Las Vegas, I suppose that is why I am attracted to advancements that help solve issues in those communities. This one is a twofer, think of a hybrid between an office chair, and a mountain bike, that is this wheel chair. Designed for rural settings, rocks, mud, sand,and dirt roads, there are many people in the world unable to walk, living in rural conditions that offer no choice other than dragging themselves on the ground, sometimes for miles. This is aimed at helping them. The unit is designed to be manufactured locally from new, and used bicycle parts for less than $200.00. The hope here is to provide local jobs, in addition to helping others with disabilities. http://news.cnet.com
5) My geek link for the week... one of my favorite web things is Google, I am always at least mildly interested by headlines concerning them. This fell into that category and thought it interesting. Looks like Google is going into the ISP business, or, well maybe not. There are evidently several layers to this announcement. Hope it all works out as planned. http://www.slate.com/

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 220 Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Mini Tower Desktop PC with the Dell E1910H 18.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $439 plus $35 for shipping. That's $297 off and tied with our mention from two weeks ago as the lowest total price we could find for this system, although our last mention had a larger LCD. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features an Intel Core 2 Duo E5700 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, DVD burner, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Best Buy offers the refurbished ASUS Essentio Pentium Dual-Core 2.6GHz Desktop PC, model no. CM5570-AP002, for $299.99. With $29.99 for shipping
Features include an Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 2.6GHz processor, 6GB RAM, 640GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI output, and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

$81 SuperBiiz.com offers the Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. WD10EARS, for $89.50 with free shipping. Add it to your cart and apply coupon code "BIGCAT10" to cut the price to $80.55 ($0.08/GB). This "green" drive purports to consume less power compared to other models and features a 64MB cache

Deals at Overstock.com: Computer accessories from $1 + free shipping
•Serial ATA Hard Drive Right-Angle Data Cables 2-Pack (pictured) for $1.49
•14-Foot CAT5e Ethernet Cable for $1.49
•Saitek 4-Port USB 2.0 Mini UFO Hub for $3.49
•Eforcity USB Optical Scroll-Wheel Mouse for $3.49
•6-Foot HDMI Cable 2-Pack for $4.49, 3-Pack for $6.99
•Car Audio Cassette Adapter for Apple iPod / MP3 for 81 cents

Linksys Wifi Router Amazon $30
Amazon.com offers the refurbished Linksys Ultra RangePlus 802.11n 4-Port Broadband Router, model no. WRT160N, for $29.99 with free shipping. This router uses MIMO technology with multiple radios for improved signal strength and range.

Dell has the Dell 24" ST2410 Widescreen LCD Monitor for $189 with free shipping. Sports a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 50000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 250 cd/m2 brightness, and 5ms response time. Uses a TN panel with 2 CCFL tubes for back lighting

Amazon has the LG 32LH30 32" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV for $380 with free shipping.
Full 1080p resolution, NTSC/ATSC with Clear QAM, XD image processing
50,000:1 dynamic contrast, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 6ms response time

TigerDirect.com offers the Seagate BlackArmor 110 2TB Network Attached Storage, model no. ST320005MNA10G-RK, for $249.99 with free shipping

NewEgg has the Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive WD20EADS (bare drive) for $150 with free shipping

Toshiba has the Toshiba Satellite 15.6" L500-ST2544 Core i3 Notebook for $599 with free shipping. [Compare]
Core i3-330M 2.13Ghz processor 3GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, 6-cell
Intel GMA HD, DVD SuperMulti, 802.11n, webcam, Windows 7 HP x 64

Newegg has the Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3750528AS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive for $60 with free shipping. Includes 3-year manufacturer limited warranty

Newegg has the OCZ Gold 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G8004GK for $87 - $30 rebate [Exp 2/28] + $0 shipping = $57 shipped.