Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Starting off the week I found an article referring to a online organization about meg-a-cities and urban planning, I have not had time to look into the actual planning site according to the video they have four basic designs for urban planning. One thing for sure is that as we continue to grow we need some serious planning. I am looking forward to investigating this a little deeper, curious about the other three. http://www.guardian.co.uk

2) One of the big scares of the people who follow a literal interpretation of religious doctrine is humans having control over what is considered God’s creation, and grand plan. Well having man create matter and anti matter from a vacuum surly falls into that arena, whether that is in a laboratory or not is not important. This will probably muddy the waters a little more. http://www.physorg.com

3) Wow, doing this blog about Gregg Zone topics on a computer oriented site how could I miss with a headline like “ ’Crop Circles’ in Cyberspace” this actually turned out to be a quite disturbing article about how our financial world is morphing into something entirely different than that we have been used to. I found this to be one of those things that scare me on a level I am not quite sure I understand, but very interesting. http://www.forteantimes.com

4) It seems that the WikiLeaks story has a little bit of something either good or bad for everyone I have my hopes pinned on something interesting coming out along the lines of this article. According to Mr. Assange, there will be some new UFO information coming in the next info dump. This might make for a more interesting news cycle in the near future. http://www.independent.ie/

5) Okay here is something that might be interesting on a geeky level. Seems there is a movement to buy a communication satellite, and move it. Not to sure where they want to move it, or how, the site seems a little lacking on details, but might be worth checking into on several levels. http://buythissatellite.org/

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Centon 16GB SDHC Card, Class 4 SAVE $29.04
FREE BUDGET SHIPPING
Buy.com price: $19.95 (expires 12/14/10)
List price: $48.99

newegg.com offers the Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. WD15EARS, for $59.99 with free shipping. (Click through to newegg.com to see this price.) This "green" 3.5" drive purportedly consumes less power compared to other models and features a 64MB cache.

Walmart has the Logitech MK320 920-002836 Wireless Desktop for $20 with free shipping. Features a full size keyboard and easy-tote mouse.

Newegg has the Corsair 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive (CMFUSB2.0-8GB) for $14 - $5 rebate [Exp 12/14] = $9 with free shipping. Features a 22MB/s read and 7MB/s write speed, durable rubber housing for water and shock resistance, and a 10 year warranty.

Newegg has the Rosewill RK-V1TP 2.4GHz Wireless Touchpad Keyboard for $50 - 30% off with coupon code RWUSDEC30 = $35 with free shipping. Works up to 20 meters away from the receiver and has a trackpad so you don't need a mouse

Best Buy has the Dell Inspiron M5030 AMD Athlon II Dual-Core 15.6" Laptop for $380 with free in-store pickup. Shipping option is $15. AMD Athlon II Dual-Core P340 2.2GHz, 3GB DDR3, 320GB HDD 802.11g/n, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250, Windows 7 HP x64

CDW has the Lenovo ThinkPad T500 C2D P8700 2.53GHz 15.4" Notebook for $363 + $11 shipping = $374 shipped. Windows Vista Business installed. Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53GHz CPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 160GB HDD 15.4" LED-backlit LCD, Intel GMA 4500MHD, DVD+/-RW, Wireless-N, 6-cell

Dell has the Dell Inspiron 15 (N5030) 15.6" Dual Core 2.3GHz Laptop (3D Black) for $400 with free shipping. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit installed. Intel Pentium Dual Core T4500 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD 15.6" LED 1366x768, Intel GMA X4500HD, CD/DVD Writer, 6-cell

TradePub has The Easy Guide To Computer Networks for free. This guide gives step-by-step instructions on how to set up different kinds of networks, how to use them to share internet, files and printers with others

Walmart has the TomTom Model#: XL 335SE w •Premium maps of the US and Canada with Map Share •Announced turn-by-turn directions and street names •4.3" touchscreen interface Model#: XL 335SE $79

Dell Business has the Vostro 230 Slim Tower plus Samsung 2494LW 23.6" LCD Monitor for $469 + $8 shipping = $477 shipped. Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz, 3GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, 16X DVD+/-RW Intel GMA X4500, Integrated 5.1-ch audio, Windows 7 Home Premium

Buy.com offers the Crucial 4GB PC3-10600 DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM 204-Pin Notebook RAM, model no. CT51264BC1339, for $52.45. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $3 and the least expensive 4GB PC3-10600 SO-DIMM

Office Depot offers the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, model no. B2M-00012, for $14.99. Opt for in-store pickup, otherwise shipping adds $9.95. Even with shipping, that's a $35 overnight drop . This USB keyboard features a split-key layout, programmable multimedia keys, and an integrated palm rest. Deal ends December 18

My Google Chromebook has arrived: First impressions after an hour | ZDNet

•Chrome OS is basically a browser. If you know how to use Chrome, there’s nothing shocking with this Chromebook

10 Of The Best Free Audiobooks From BooksShouldBeFree That You Should Listen To

10 Of The Best Free Audiobooks From BooksShouldBeFree That You Should Listen To
BooksShouldBeFree

Internet Explorer 9 gets new anti-tracking privacy feature early next year.

Tracking Protection Lists will be an opt-in feature, and Microsoft says that it will not provide any lists itself. Instead, third parties can provide lists to end-users. As such, the lists may come from privacy advocacy groups, ad-blocking advocates, or individuals who want to block certain content.

Google scores big federal government contract | Digital Media - CNET News

Awarding the $6.7 million contract to Google and its partners, the GSA becomes the first federal agency to migrate all its e-mail to the cloud, a move expected to help it cut costs by 50 percent over the next five years.

Bond and Feinstein urge prosecution of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange - -

Senate Intelligence Committee leaders Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) are prodding Attorney General Eric Holder to file criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. PBS: Video discussion of possible charges against Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested by British police

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested and held without bail. Video at above link.
The US Justice Department is considering charging Mr Assange with espionage offences over his website’s unprecedented release of classified US diplomatic files. Several right-wing American politicians are pressing for his prosecution and even execution, with Sarah Palin, the former vice-presidential candidate, saying he should be pursued the same as al-Qa’ida and Taliban leaders

Wikileaks lists 'targets for terror' against the US. BBC News - List of facilities 'vital to US security' leaked

What the list might do is to prompt potential attackers to look at a broader range of targets, especially given that the US authorities classify them as being so important. It inevitably prompts the question as to exactly what positive benefit Wikileaks was intending in releasing this document.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-05-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 12-05-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 11AM to 12PM Pacific that's 2PM to 3PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Okay human power is a very cool thing when trying to go green, but there is always a limit. A human powered monorail seems to me to be pushing just a little. Maybe an amusement park for exercise buffs, but I pity the guy stuck behind me poking along trying to catch my breath. Anyway it is nice to see people thinking outside of the box, never know what spinoffs may come from the effort. http://www.energy-dimension.com

2) Here is an article that sums up very well the concerns and problems I see with Google their growth patterns, and market approach has been concerning me for quite a while the commercialization the internet, I believe is aptly described as advertizing pollution of the worlds biggest library. http://www.guardian.co.ukt

3) This is about an item I linked to when the event started, I am still confused and curious just what is going on with this. It you remember it was within a few days of each other they sent the X-37B up into orbit, a program that was snatched from NASA by the military causing much speculation about weaponizing space. At about the same time the sent a far reaching drone into low orbit and then tried to use it to take out a target on an island, it got lost and made the news. I still wonder if they were related, and just what it is all about anyway. http://apnews.myway.com

4) I thought this was just a great little article and video about just how powerful solar power can be when directed properly. http://www.treehugger.com/

5) For my computer link of the week how about just more power and speed. Looks like Moore’s law is poised to make a rather spectacular jump. Makes one wonder if there is any limit to where we are headed. http://www.sciencedaily.com

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Best Buy has the Asus K52F-BBR5 15.6" LED Dual Core Notebook for $400 with free site-to-store pick-up. Shipping option is $15. Intel P6100 Dual-Core 2GHz, 3GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD, 802.11n 15.6" 1366x768 LED, Intel HD Graphics, SuperMulti 8x DVD±RW DL With Webcam and Win HP

Office Depot has the HP Photosmart Premium C309a Wireless AIO Printer for $80 with free shipping. Features a 2.4" LCD, borderless printing, Bluetooth, and prints up to 33 ppm for monochrome and 32 ppm for color prints.

Super Media Store has the

SanDisk 32GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive

for $49 with free shipping

Newegg has the Western Digital Elements 2TB WDBAAU0020HBK-NESN Desktop External Hard Drive for $90 with free shipping.

Dell has the Dell Inspiron 15 (N5030) 15.6" Dual Core 2.3GHz Laptop (3D Black) for $400 with free shipping. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit installed. Intel Pentium Dual Core T4500 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD 15.6" LED 13ggx768, Intel GMA X4500HD, CD/DVD Writer, 6-cell

Kingston 16GB DataTraveler 101 Generation
2 (G2) USB Flash Drive (Black) SAVE $8.30 FREE BUDGET SHIPPING
Buy.com price: $22.95

SuperBiiz.com offers the Samsung Spinpoint F4 2TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. HD204UI, for $94.99. Coupon code "SNOWFLAKE10" cuts it to $85.49. With free shipping, that's $0.04/GB The hard drive features a 32MB cache and runs at 5400 rpm.

Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 230 Slim Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Desktop PC bundled with the Dell E2210H 21.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $439 plus $8 for shipping. Vostro 230 Slim with a 22" display. Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD-ROM, Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Dell Small Business offers the Dell Vostro 230 Mini Pentium Dual-Core 2.8GHz Desktop PC bundled with the Dell E1709W 17" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $345 plus $8 for shipping. Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5400 2.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD-ROM, Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Fujifilm FinePix J40 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-Inch LCD (Includes 2 GB SD Memory Card) $69.00 & this item ships for FREE Amazon Lightning Deal - low quantity & low price

newegg.com offers the Kingston HyperX 4GB PC3-12800 DDR3-1600 240-Pin Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit with two 2GB DIMMs, model no. KHX1600C9AD3K2/4G, for $69.99. This $30 mail-in rebate cuts it to $39.99. With free shipping, that's $10 under last month's mention and the lowest total price we could find by $35. Rebate ends December 14.

Walmart offers the HP Deskjet 1050 Multifunction Color Inkjet Printer, model no. CH346A#B1H, which also scans and copies, for $20 with free shipping. That's tied with our mention from ten days ago and the lowest total price we've seen for any HP multifunction inkjet printer in two years. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features a maximum print resolution of 4800x1200 dpi, up to 16 ppm black / 12 ppm color, USB connectivity, and more.

IDE DVD Burner $17 at Newegg SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM
)

DoT exploring technology that would disable cell phones in cars

The Transportation Department is looking into technology to disable cell phones in vehicles, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Iran confirms Stuxnet worm halted 400 nuclear centrifuges -

Earlier in November, U.N. inspectors found Iran's enrichment program temporarily shut down, according to a recent report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog stopping 400 nuclear centrifuges. President Ahmadinejad said it "managed to create problems for a limited number of our centrifuges"
Stuxnet Worm Was Perfect for Sabotaging Iran's Centrifuges

Net neutrality rules: coming December 21

These rules would protect consumers' and innovators' right to know basic information about broadband service, right to send and receive lawful Internet traffic, and right to a level playing field, while providing broadband Internet access providers with the flexibility to reasonably manage their networks

FTC wants "do not track" button on your browser, pronto

The Federal Trade Commission has released a report urging social networking sites to set up a "do not track" mechanism for consumers to allow them to opt out of online behavioral advertising. . This proposed list would be maintained via the very tool that tracks consumers: cookies

- US cable groups win ground on net neutrality rules

The plan, endorsed by Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, would remove uncertainty about the ability of cable companies to charge internet users and content providers for the amount of network capacity

WikiLeaks: Interpol issues wanted notice for Julian Assange Founder of Wikileaks

Guardian - Assange's details were also added to Interpol's worldwide wanted list. Dated 30 November, the entry reads: "sex crimes" and says the warrant has been issued by the international public prosecution office in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Independent - Despite accusations that Julian Assange is on the run, The Independent has learnt that Scotland Yard has been in contact with his legal team for more than a month but is waiting for further instruction

How to run Skype from a USB stick:

How to run Skype from a USB stick:
Running Skype from a USB stick (rather than installing it) can be very useful, because this "portable" version allows you to run Skype on any computer. If you are away from your home or office PC, you can plug your USB stick with portable Skype into any computer (internet cafe, office, friends, etc.) without needing to install Skype and use Skype as normal. Being portable, Skype runs independently without requiring or leaving any information on the host PC.
1. Make a folder named "Skype" and create a "Data" subdirectory
2. Copy the file "skype.exe" into the "Skype" directory (download the latest version for free)
3. In the "Data" subdirectory, create a text file "Skype.bat" containing: skype.exe /datapath:"Data" /removable
4. Run the program from your USB stick... (Double click Skype.exe)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Download FREE 27 page Skype Guide

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-28-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 11-28-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 11AM to 12PM Pacific that's 2PM to 3PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat.

This weeks show was cut short by 6 minutes, because if technical problems.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1)

1) Wow sometimes they come up with the perfect solution to a problem. I have been rather critical of gene mixing between species. It just seems such a slippery slope this just goes to show I have my price for jumping on board if this works as advertised I must admit I am for this idea. Trees that glow providing street lighting and producing oxygen while at the same time reducing co2. http://www.dailymail

2) I have to admit that if I had run across the concept of storm chasing in my youth it might have developed into a life path. This is a truly great site about storm tracking, stunning photography, combine with a great story, be sure to click on the pictures with links for the full panoramic view. http://bigstormpicture.blogspot.com

3) There is so much movement in the phone world I just thought when I saw this it needed to be here. You know me I am not a big mobile phone guy. This is not exactly mobile phone but, quite interesting how about the whole desk top just one big phone, sorry seems totally useless to me. http://www.zurmat.com

4) I was torn between this and the link I used as my green link so I just thought I would put it here. I was wondering about this concept for a while now, and I am glad to see someone doing something with it. The idea of just pumping heat energy out of the tail pipe always seemed like a waste to me. http://green.blorge.com

5) Hoping not to steal any of Earl’s thunder, but tomorrow is cyber Monday so I could not resist this article about many deals for my geek spot http://finance.yahoo.com

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

WD 2TB external $69.00 online at Saples.com
Western Digital Elements 2TB External Hard Drive


the Vizio E421VA 42" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV ($528 shipped, history, compare) is an excellent choice with its wide viewing angles and built-in surround sound. Specifications

Mwave has the A-Data AC003-16G-RBL 16GB Ultra Slim USB Flash Drive Blue for $20 + $0 shipping = $20 shipped with free "M" Club membership. Includes a $2 gift coupon with purchase. Slider mechanism with retractable USB connector means no pesky cap to lose

Newegg has the Seagate ST95005620AS Momentus XT 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive for $100 - $10 off with coupon code BTEZZYZ26 = $90 with free shipping. Features SSD-like performance with hard drive capacity, Adaptive Memory technology to optimize performance, and claims 80 percent faster performance than traditional 7200RPM drives in benchmark scores

From Gail: Amazon music sale: $1.99 MP3 albums (and how to get one free) The Get $3 in MP3 Downloads is still running.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20023921-58.html#ixzz16XdJullB

ShopHDE has the 5MP Mini Digital Video Camcorder for $20 - $11 off with coupon code bens3un7bmqy [200 uses] + $3 shipping = $12 shipped. Features built-in li-ion rechargeable battery, 30fps, 720 x 480 video resolution, and supports up to 32GB via MicroSD card

Circuit City has the HP G61-632NR 15.6" Athlon II M320 Notebook for $480 - $30 rebate [Exp 11/30] + $8 shipping = $458 shipped. AMD Athlon II M320 2.1GHz processor, 3GB memory, 500GB hard drive DVD Super Multi drive, ATI Radeon 4200 128MB, 720p, 6-cell, W7HP

HP Home & Home Office Store offers the HP G62t Intel Core i5 2.53GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook, model no. WV773AV, for $554.99 with $19 for shipping. Intel Core i5-460M 2.53GHz dual-core processor, 15.6" 1366x768 LED-backlit widescreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, 6-cell battery, and Win 7 HP 64bit

Dell Small Business offers the PC bundled with the Dell E1910H 18.5" Widescreen LCD Dell Vostro 230 Slim Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Desktop Monitor for $429 plus $8 for shipping. Features include an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 160GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD-ROM, Gigabit Ethernet,Win 7 PRO 32-bit.

Through 12/02, Frys.com is offering over 50 different software titles for free after rebate. Titles include Norton Internet Security 2011 (3 user), Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 (3 user), Paintshop Photo Pro X3, Corel Home Suite, Berlitz Spanish Premier, and more