Microsoft accidentally confirms Windows 7 RC date in May

Microsoft has posted prematurely a download page for the Windows 7 Release Candidate.

Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $60

Seagate Barracuda 640GB SATA 3Gbps Internal Hard Drive for $60 + free shipping Faster than the Green WD below, more cache and 110gb smaller..

Western Digital Caviar "Green" 750GB SATA Hard Drive for $60 + free shipping
Slower at 5400 RPM and less cache but more storage and quieter.

AMD Phenom II X4 2.8GHz Quad-Core Socket AM2+ CPU for $134 + free shipping, morenewegg.com offers the AMD Phenom II X4 920 2.8GHz Quad-Core Socket AM2+ Processor (pictured), model no. HDX920XCGIBOX, for $164. Coupon code "AMD32530" drops the price to $134. With free shipping, that's $40 under our mention from last month and the lowest total price we've seen. This retail-boxed CPU includes a heatsink and fan and features four 512KB L2 caches and a 6MB L3 cache.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz Processor for $232+ free shipping
Dell Small business offers the retail-boxed Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz Processor, model no. BX80569Q9550, for $309.99. Apply coupon code "5NSKFK1HL?CRDN" to cut the price to $232.49. With free shipping,

Acer 22-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
22-Inch LCD Monitor 2500:1 Contrast, 16:10 Aspect Ratio and 3-Year Warranty!
$14999 http://www.compusa.com/

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Starting off the week I need to do a follow up on the Earth Hour link I blogged on earlier in the week. I put it up on the blog early before the show, because I wanted anyone who found it to be able to observe it. The news of the event has not been easy to find tonight, as it is still going on some places. The link I posted is from the local paper about the strip, I shut down most of the house and went to the roof of the parking garage at the Palms, I hate to say it but I was disappointed. From where I was I could not see much, but I was not moved enough to go to the strip, in retrospect I should have, maybe next year. I will try to find more during the week, maybe report back next week, R.J.'s link here http://www.lvrj.com Also a cool picture of what the night sky should look like, http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov also a very cool site, for astronomy geeks to find wall paper.
2) Speaking of darkness, I ran across mention of “New England’s Dark Day” in an article a while back that set me to Googling, turned out to be an interesting read. This was May 19th 1780, reported in all the papers of the time, it was pitch black at mid day. The cause has been speculated on ever since, main contention forest fires. Seems like if that was the cause it should have repeated many times since then. Link is to the most complete article I found on the subject, http://www.johnhorrigan.com
3) My next link is for those who just cannot quit smoking. Seems like you may not have to, enter a technological solution. Well maybe, electronic cigarettes are hitting the market. I remember when I was smoking they came out with several fake cigarettes, they did not impress me much, maybe these are better. It has been so long I find the whole thing kind of humorous, but then I no longer have the problem. http://www.wbbm780.com
4) For my Troll link of the week, thanks for the help Troll. I like this one a wind powered car that set a speed record, 126 mph no less that’s moving right along. While not practical for the road, I still think it is pretty cool. http://news.bbc.co.uk The power of the wind presents a fascinating array of possibilities. There is a venturi tube effect at one of the casinos caused by the shape of the building that just amazes me every time I go there.
5) Geek link of the week also thanks to Troll; seems that streaming gaming is getting a boost. An article dated last Tuesday says a new start up company OnLive launched at the game developers conference, will offer high quality gaming on low end machines via the cloud. Sounds very cool, even to me, I mean I’m still on Spider, and Minesweeper, but the article impressed me, so check it out here. http://news.bbc.co.uk

Windows Run Commands

There always seems to be less and less time each day to get things done. So, whenever I can, I try to find quicker ways to perform various functions on the computer. One way to do this is to be able to start different applications in Windows from the command line or the run box.
This is a very handy list if you use the Run command.
AlaskaJoe

JBidwatcher - a Free eBay Sniping Program That Will Bid, Monitor Auctions and Snipe For You

I have been using JBidwatcher to snipe my bids on eBay for about four months now and it works great. If you like your bid to activate in the last few seconds of an auction this tool does it very well. It can also monitor multiiple auctions and bid on only one of many auctions to get you the best price. Download and information at the above link. Available free for Linux, Macintosh and Windows since it's Java based & Open Source.

Cornflicker and the April Fool's Day Joke of Doom (Geek News Central)

How many of the geeks out there are safe from Conflicker, a nasty little worm set to go all doomsday on us on April 1st?
This is another example of why you need to run Windows Updates and have a good current Anti-Virus.

AlaskaJoe

Earth hour

Well I cannot think of a better subject for my first non-Gregg Zone post, I would have saved it, but the timing would have been late. I am referring to Earth Hour, link http://www.earthhourus.org/ .This is a world wide effort to show support for saving our planet. At 8:30 PM March 28, 2009 just shut off all of your lights for one hour. That is what ever time zone you are in at 8:30 PM, shut down your lights and what ever else you might want to. Google and many satellites will be following around the world, this is going to be big, if you have not heard about it, look into it. Enough small noises can result in a great roar. A small chance for us all to make a statement, cost you nothing actually you might save a dime. Thanks for listening Gregg

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-22-09

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-22-09. 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) Wow this just may be it, and I mean the big it. One of the major problems with the electric car concept has always been that nasty recharging time. We have gotten so used to just going to the gas station and filling up in a few minuets. That idea of even four hours, much less overnight just did not cut it. Well there may have been a major breakthrough announced last week. How about a full recharge in nine seconds, if it works as well as it sounds that is faster than any pump I ever pulled up to. It also means you would have charging stations selling electricity instead of gas, so if you were going coast to coast, it would not be a problem, check it out here, wow can we find out where to invest a buck or two. http://www.green-energy-news.com/
2) This is one that Troll sent me a week or two back, I meant to use it last week while Gail was traveling, with a cute remark of some sort, but I forgot. Getting old is a pain in the…..well everywhere. Any way it just reinforces my lack of interest in the whole cell phone thing. Title says it all $27,000.00 to watch a Bear game. http://www.suntimes.com
3) I was at a old favorite site a couple of days ago looking for something new about dark matter, and it dawned on me that I never put it up so I thought I would correct it here. If you have not been to the main Hubble site, you really should check it out, a lot of interesting stuff. http://hubblesite.org/
4) As if my mind has not been sufficiently twisted trying to keep up with what is new in technology, I had to run into this. I have been talking off and on about nano-tubes since week one or two, when I first brought up the space elevator. There have been several applications that I thought were exceptional, but this, wow. The article is about the worlds lightest material, a sheet covering a full acre would weigh one ounce. That is only the beginning, push it one way it is stronger than stainless steel. Pull it another way it stretches more than a rubber band. Apply an electrical current and it can be used as artificial muscles. Anyway here is a link to a most interesting article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com
5) Not sure what to make out of this one, could go in many directions I suppose. On some levels it makes me shutter, and laugh at the same time, but the link seems to be a good fit here. Man has a USB drive embedded in his finger. http://www.maximumpc.com

» GrandCentral Becomes Google Voice » Blog Archive Alice Hill’s Real Tech News - Independent Tech

This sounds like a very cool ad-on to a cell phone (or land line). You don't need to pay for a national phone plan or any long distance with this.

The question is: Do you want Google to know EVERYTHING about you?

How long will it be before we have a chip implanted so we are always connected? Do you want that?

AlaskaJoe

[H] Enthusiast --- enthusiast.hardocp.com

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall on two computers made by Acer. If you own the Acer Predator ASG7200 or ASG7700, you are to stop using the computer and contact the company immediately.
This sounds important, This poses a burn hazard to consumers.

AlaskaJoe

Deals at Dealnews.com and Techbargains.com

Here are a few deals I have found on the web this week........ Buy.com has the Acer X233H bid 23" Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor for $190 after $10 instant discount, which is a 5% savings from the $200 list price. Shipping is free. The Acer X233H bid 23" Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor features: 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution, 40000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and 5 ms response time. It is Energy Star compliant. New customers of Buy.com may take an additional $10 discount by clicking $10 Coupon, clicking on "Redeem Coupon" button, and searching for 210610714 PC Micro Store: Free 6-foot HDMI cable with $6 or more At PC Micro Store, bag a free 6-foot HDMI cable with any purchase totaling $6 or more via coupon code "FREE6FTHDMI". Plus, bag free shipping on most items. Check out our archive of PC Micro Store deals for some buying ideas. Coupon code expires after 2,000 redemptions. New: Aluratek All-in-One USB 2.0 Card Reader for $8 + free shipping Buy.com offers the Aluratek All-in-One USB 2.0 Card Reader, model no. AUCR200, for $7.99 with free shipping. That's the lowest total price we could find by $8. (We saw it for a buck less in December.) This card reader works with both Windows and Mac. Posted 3 hr 6 min ago New: Seagate Barracuda 1TB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Internal Hard Drive for $90 + free shipping newegg.com again offers the OEM Seagate Barracuda 1TB Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive, model no. ST31000333AS, for $89.99 with free shipping ($0.09/GB). That's tied with last week's mention as the lowest total price we could find by $5. (It was $5 less last month, since expired.) This 7200 rpm hard drive features a 32MB cache. Dell Inspiron 530 Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz Desktop (4GB/500GB) $449, Mar. 19 10 AM if (showPics()) document.write('') Dell Home has the Dell Inspiron 530 Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 Quad Core Desktop Computer for a low $449.00. $35.00 Shipping. Tax in most. no monitor; Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33GHz; 4GB RAM; 500GB HDD; DVD burner; Vista Home Premium; 1yr warranty Dell Vostro 220 Mini Tower Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8GHz Desktop (4GB/320GB) w/ 19in LCD $419, Mar. 21 5 AM if (showPics()) document.write('') Dell Small Business has the Dell Vostro 220 Mini Tower Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Desktop Computer w/ 19" LCD Monitor for a low $419.00. $35.00 Shipping. Tax in most. Dell S1909WXF 19" LCD; Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 @ 2.8GHz; 4GB RAM; 320GB HDD; DVD burner; gigabit ethernet; Vista Home Basic; 1yr warranty Buy.com $15 off Coupon March 20th, 2009 Buy.com, Coupon BUY.com has a new Coupon - $15 off orders of $50 and more for new Bill Me Later Customers (may end at any time) HOT Dell Vostro 220 Mini Desktop 19” LCD / Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8GHz / 4GB / 320GB $419

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-15-09

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-15-09. 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) Well for the green link of the week, a little doomsday stuff concerning the global warming issue. This is an article talking about the ice sheets in Antarctica; the whole issue would bother me a lot more if I was twenty years old as opposed to my current sixty-two, none the less the numbers are a little scary when you add them up. This one says that in Antarctica just the west sheet can raise levels two hundred feet, if you toss in the east sheet, the Arctic, Greenland, Etc. we are talking some big numbers. Even if it is only say 5% of that in the next twenty years, be nice if I had 20+ left, well maybe I will see things get interesting. Article here http://www.ctv.ca
2) Talking with Joe today the subject turned to pyramids, he was watching a show on Chariots of the Gods. I was reminded about the Bosnia Valley of the Pyramids, thought it had been quite a while since I checked in on them. They are getting ready to have a conference shortly. Any way there is some new stuff on their web site, so I thought I would throw it up here for anyone who has not been keeping up. http://www.piramidasunca.ba/en/
3) Well here we go again seems science is getting closer to finding God again. Well the God Particle anyway. Namely the Higgs Boson physics is really in a major turmoil these days. I looked at several articles on this, not sure I can understand exactly what they are looking for. But, I find a perverse sort of enjoyment watching the show; it is really amazing how the more we learn, the more we realize how much we do not know. This is just one of the articles, but they are mostly the same, Google is your friend if you want more. http://www.voanews.com
4) I probably should have reversed this one with the first one, but it is late and I am lazy, so the car link goes here. Joe sent me this earlier in the week. The Tata is going to be released this year in Europe. This is that car company in India I wrote about last year with the world’s cheapest car. Well they found some very well off friends, and will be releasing a total electric car in Europe this year. I said a while back I think they will be the next Volkswagen. Would like to see the Think car come out also, but this is an interesting read so check it out. http://www.reghardware.co.uk
5) I was going to use this as the geek link last week, but did not so I will offer it now. From Popular Science an article on Microsoft’s predictions, two videos one from 1992 predicting what we will see in 2004, and the new one predicting what we will see in 2014. The problem is they are almost the same predictions, kind of makes me think about that flying car they promised me by the year 2000. Oh well maybe next time, any way interesting article links to both videos. http://www.popsci.com

OPT OUT of Google's Targeted Ad Tracking system and Yahoo's tracking system in one click

Just follow the above link to opt out of both Google's and Yahoo's Ads that are targeted at your web traffic history and cookies.

Skype 4.0 for Windows hotfix

Released March 11, 2009 in Skype for Windows.

Skype has released a hotfix for Skype 4.0 for Windows.
In this new release they have fixed numerous issues found in the original gold version of Skype 4.0.

List of fixes available at above link

Low processor and harddrive prices at eWiz.com

Here are some low processor prices and HD prices at eWiz.com. I think these are all FREE shipping as well......

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 4600+* (2.4GHz) AM2, OEM $42

Also coupon deals at eWiz.com:

http://bensbargains.net/deal/94328/

http://www.ewiz.com/category.php?categry=1

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=XEON3110BX

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=HD-ST15TAS

Deal: Pick Up Intel Core i7 CPUs for Less than Intel Core 2 CPUs

It looks like the new hot Intel i7 prices are lower than their competing Intel Core 2 Quad or even some Duo prices…..however the prices of the motherboard and RAM tend to make up for it as DDR3 chipsets and memory are not cheap.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-08-09

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-08-09. 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) Green link for the week is one that sounds very promising world wide, more reliable than wind and may prove to be much cheaper. There are two links in the first an article explaining what VIVACE is; an acronym Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy. This is basically using the flow of water to create energy. Wow, so what is new about that? What is so cool is that the water flow can be as slow as 1.5 knots. Usually when we think about hydro-electricity we imagine Bolder Dam or Niagara Falls. The applications for this concept are huge. http://www.scientificblogging.com The second link a more technical site, with video of a working model, the simplicity is just amazing. http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/
2) I thought I would post something about the time change, personally I have always hated it, but no one seems to care, oh well. Anyway, I found many sites I kind of liked this one because it seemed to cover most of the others. http://news.yahoo.com Some of the effects were new to me, but not a surprise. An increase in heart attacks was the main one in that category.
3) Okay time for one of those if only I had a bank account like Bill Gates toys. This is the only way you would find me swimming with the sharks. While I think it is a bit of an over kill type toy, I would not mind knowing someone to take a ride with. It is kind of like a Lear Jet Submarine, looks like a lot of fun. http://www.cnn.com
4) This is one that Joe sent me, I am certain that this is the future of the media, while things look good now; I predict they will change in the future. I am still stinging from being so happy about cable T.V. and their statements that I will be paying for content, but commercials will not be there. But, for now I am encouraged this looks like something I may try. http://news.cnet.com I am also going to throw in one more site dealing with T.V. and the change over to digital. This site will tell you what type of antenna you need for the available stations; you can put in your complete street address it will come up with a directional map showing the direction of all of the towers in the area, miles, signal strength etc. http://www.antennaweb.org
5) The geek link for the week, in the category of I think not gadgets, a five sense virtually reality helmet. Would be the answer to all of those guys on cooking shows talking about smell-o-vision. But, that could sure be a two way street when you are watching something more graphic. http://www.wtfrobots.com